Dark Hunt: Division 4: The Berkano Vampire Collection

by Nicole Zoltack

  She swallowed hard. “No, it wouldn’t,” she admitted. “And it’s not that the new plan doesn’t allow for humans to be included!”

  “Have you told any humans about it? About how they would be confined to the earth with thousands of bloodthirsty vampires? How will humans feel about that? All it takes is for one vampire to go too long without blood for him to go feral and kill the lot of them. Then what?”

  “That won’t happen,” she protested.

  “Can you be sure? How will the vampires be policed?”

  “Policed?” she repeated, horrified and dismayed at his choice of words.

  She had understood his reservations. Honestly, she had some herself. No plan against the queen, whether trying to ignore her or attempting to kill her, was without difficulties. Or possible complications. Or risks.

  But to say that the vampires needed to be policed was a step too far.

  “I would be careful if I were you,” she said with a current of anger in her tone. “You are in vampire territory. I would not be surprised if others are listening to us.”

  “If one of your vampire brethren were to come inside right now and try to kill me, would you stop them?”

  “I would imagine you are capable of taking care of yourself,” she said.

  “Typical. You have a response for everything, don’t you? Your way is best. All other ways are terrible and should be forgotten. You might as well crown yourself the vampire queen and be done with it.”

  She bristled, hot with fury. “Do not push me.”

  “Push you to do what? And it would be my fault, I presume, since I pushed you.”

  His sarcastic tone left a lot to be desired.

  “Look, Antoine, please. Listen to me. I don’t want to fight.”

  “That’s just it, Seraphine. You don’t want to fight. We’re supposed to be preparing for war, and you want to ignore the problem. Don’t you see? Unless we have more witches than she does, we cannot be certain that any illusion spell would work. That’s not even to mention how taxing it would be on the witches. We would need to maintain it twenty-four/seven. It would be an unending job. And for what? Witches would not be able to enjoy this supposedly wonderful newfound freedom. Because we wouldn’t be free.”

  Hot tears burned her eyes.

  “You’re right. I don’t want to fight. Is that so wrong? I don’t want there to be more bloodshed.”

  “What you want isn’t what you always get,” he said firmly. “And maybe that is for the best.”

  Antoine jerked the door open and left without another word.

  Bitter frustration filled her, and she grabbed his empty clay bowl from the table. With all of her might, she threw it down. The bowl shattered, pieces of clay flying everywhere.

  Maybe she was blind to what was best. That did not matter. Until and unless she could find a means for as little bloodshed as possible, she saw no other means of proceeding.

  Seraphine had never before felt alone in her house. She had always welcomed the quiet, embraced the seclusion, and enjoyed her solitude.

  At the moment, she felt bereft and simply wanted to cry.

  But she was a vampire.

  And Antoine was right.

  She was a fighter.

  Seraphine wasn’t eager to put others at risk for her uprising.

  But she was willing to endanger herself.

  23

  Angry and frustrated, Antoine stomped away. No one dared to stop him, although he spotted a few vampires glancing his way. He figured none of them recognized him because he doubted they would have the self-control to not attack him.

  There he went again. Being biased against vampires. Seraphine had confessed her own prejudice, and he had to admit, he shared that flaw.

  Running and hiding. That was her new plan. Honestly, it was even stupider than her first. To revolt against the queen was insane. But to flee? That was ridiculous.

  Seraphine was no fool. And no coward. Why would she suddenly change her mind?

  She had mentioned not wanting to live without him. Angry as he was, he had to admit he felt the same. Seraphine had wormed a way under his skin and burrowed inside his heart.

  It was strange. It was frightening. It was new.

  He was terrified.

  The queen had a collection of old works from prior to the Rift when there had only been the seven continents. During his limited free time, he would read and borrow them. The poems, the sonnets, he never quite understood.

  Now he was beginning to.

  But he also realized the frustrations that came with feelings. Deep feelings. He wanted a better future for himself, for Seraphine, and for everyone.

  Deep down, he knew she did too.

  So what was holding her back?

  Fear.

  The normally fearless Seraphine was afraid.

  Because of him. Because of her feelings for him.

  The thing was, he was afraid for her too. Because she was playing with fire. She was growing bolder every day. From the start, she had been insane. Killing the bull had started a chain reaction of events.

  Who knew where the last domino would fall and who else would end up dead.

  He left the vampire dwellings behind. With Seraphine upset with him, he wondered if he could still count on her to provide him with three special vampires.

  Of course, he could. He trusted her.

  I don’t deserve her.

  The thought came unbidden, but it would not leave him. In fact, he nearly turned around and marched back to her house. If he could convince her to try his way first, perhaps they could move forward together. With the better plan.

  With their future.

  Will we have a future?

  That damned fear. He shared her worry, her doubts. Life here in Ville de Liberté was anything but safe. A tomorrow was never guaranteed.

  He passed through the clearing on the way back to his house. Surprisingly, bull feces dotted the ground. Maybe Marwin had not been replaced yet.

  Thoughts of the human nearly broke Antoine. Grief and sorrow overcame him at the thought of Marwin losing his life.

  Heartbreak at every turn, that was the way of Ville de Liberté.

  Instead of Ville de Liberté, it should be Ville de la Mort.

  The City of Death.

  Antoine paused as a streak of lightning reflected from the weighted, angled blade of the guillotine.

  He had never cleaned it yesterday.

  Or, rather, pretended to clean it.

  With fake deaths, there was no blood, so he hadn’t even thought of it. Seraphine had been a real distraction.

  The footsteps they’d heard that caused them to flee using her great speed, had they belonged to the queen?

  Did she suspect something?

  Surely the queen wished for those vampires to have been beheaded. She must have seen that.

  Unless she had seen through his illusion.

  There was only one way to be certain whether or not he was in the clear. Delaying a conversation with the queen would only serve to increase his worry and anxiety.

  Antoine marched to the castle, doing his best to remain courageous and true to himself. He walked stiffly, back perfectly straight, shoulders square, chin raised. If he could pretend to be self-assured, maybe he wouldn’t be afraid.

  Because he had never tried to stretch his magic that far before.

  To have thousands under the influence of one spell for as long as he had was a tremendous undertaking.

  If he had fooled the queen, maybe he was powerful enough to attempt to kill her by himself after all.

  Maybe.

  He would still probably die though.

  Antoine refused to pick up the pace. He would not rush to the castle or to the queen’s side. He would get there when he got there.

  And he would either face the consequences of his actions or be free to continue to undermine her at every turn.

  A dangerous game.

  A dark hunt.

&
nbsp; Shortly thereafter, he entered into the castle. The queen was not in her room or in the library. She was not in the courtyard either.

  Uneasy and anxious, Antoine asked one of the guards for her location.

  “She went up to the tower,” the female guard said.

  Antoine would never have suspected that destination.

  He nodded to the guard and climbed the spiral staircase. Not every step was even height, and some were farther apart than others. More lightning flashed, and a rumble of thunder sounded. The storm was growing in power.

  Just like their uprising.

  Embolden now, without a shred of fear, Antoine knocked on the door to the tower.

  No response.

  Instead of knocking again, he pushed the door open and strolled inside.

  The queen stood by a crumbling half-wall of the tower that served as a window. Her back was to him, and she did not turn to look at him as he approached.

  The view was a terrible sight. A torrent of rain was beginning to flood the streets. Without proper channels to direct it, the water level would only continue to rise. Witches in charge of water maintenance had better get started working on it right away before it became a serious issue.

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “The division? Of course, yes.”

  “I meant the storm. It’s so fierce and powerful. There’s something very settling to listen to the constant rain. It’s soothing to me.”

  He said nothing.

  “When I first became queen,” she went on, “I hated the rain season most of all. So terrible and tragic. The soil needed the moisture, yes, especially after the long dry season, but the ceaseless downpour, the doom, and gloom… I felt as if the world was crying. I wished to save the world.”

  Again, he kept quiet. Why she was telling him this, he didn’t know. However, this topic was better than her bringing up yesterday’s execution or the one scheduled later that day.

  “It was always my goal.” She paused as if waiting for him to respond.

  After hesitating a moment, he ventured, “To save the world?”

  Queen Pierrette beamed at him. When she smiled, she did not seem mad at all. She was a classic beauty, classic even before the Rift’s standards. On this day, her gemstones were all opals, their colors changing shade with every breath she took. Her gown seemed to have been designed for a grieving spouse or family member.

  “Yes, to save the world. Vampires are vicious. Their very lives are only maintained through draining the life from other beings. It’s repulsive! Revolting! Disgusting! They have evolved to the point where they cannot even try to suppress their cruel nature. If they do, they become even more ferocious and terrifying in their quest for blood. That this is how they have progressed is absolutely horrifying.”

  “All vampires are absolutely horrifying,” he murmured in agreement, but he could not help shaking his head.

  “The world will be a much better place without them. This division can finally come to realize its true purpose once the vampires are all wiped out.”

  “Its true purpose?” Antoine asked, confused. He had never heard mention of this prior to now.

  “Ah, yes.”

  She graced him with a smile. Wagging a finger at him, she waltzed around to the other side of the crumbling wall.

  “When humans no longer have to fear for their lives from the vampires, their psychic energy will increase. Likewise, our power can grow. Witches will become even more powerful.”

  “Powerful enough to…” He could not figure out her end game.

  “Why, powerful enough to affect and influence the weather. Once we can alter the storms, so they are not strong enough to devastate our division, we will be ready.”

  Ready for what, he wanted to ask but was too frightened by his guess to voice the question out loud.

  She stared him down.

  He suppressed a sigh and dutifully asked, “Ready for what?”

  “To dismantle the shield separating us from the other divisions, of course!”

  He gaped at her in dismay. “Why would you want to… You think we’ll be strong enough to tame the magically induced storms between the divisions.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Why?”

  Again, she gawked at him in a meaningful way.

  “Because there are vampires in other divisions too.” His mind swam with horror, worry, and disillusion. She could not be serious.

  But one look at her and her generous beam and he knew she was dead serious.

  “You want to wipe out vampires everywhere? In all sixteen divisions?”

  “I merely want to save the world,” she said as if that was the simplest, easiest task ever to accomplish. “Starting here at home, of course. Once we’re powerful enough, no one will be able to stop us!”

  “What about the divisions where vampires are running the show?” he asked.

  “We will leave them for last.” She waved her hand in a sweeping flourish. “Other divisions will be easier to handle. We will gain other witches in our cause as we go along. It will be glorious!”

  “It sounds like a witch’s paradise,” he agreed.

  “Tell me, Antoine, would that be your vision of paradise?”

  He hesitated even as his thoughts conjured up a picture of him and Seraphine. She was sitting on his lap again, facing him, kissing him, and running her fingers through his hair again. Her smile might be devilish because of her fangs, but her touch was angelic.

  Queen Pierrette Lyon would not want to hear the truth.

  Antoine cleared his throat. “My vision of paradise is yours,” he said.

  She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. “No, it is not.”

  The joy in her voice from when she’d mentioned her plans for the future was gone, her tone now flat, indifferent, even cold.

  Oh no.

  He coughed into his hand and tried again. “To be more precise,” he said, “my vision of paradise is you.”

  “Me?” she asked, staring out at the dark clouds through the wall-turned-window.

  “Yes. Forgive me if I am out of line, but you are strong and cunning. You are intelligent and powerful. You deserve someone who is loyal and strong and powerful.”

  “And that someone is you?” she asked without confirming or denying his statement.

  His heart sped up as he took a deliberate step toward her. This was crazy and reckless, but they were alone. If he could remove her necklace, they would be on a level playing field.

  In fact, then, he might only have to throw her out the window.

  “How many vampires have I killed?” he asked, closing the distance between them even more. “I would cut off their heads with my axe instead of the guillotine blade if you wished. I would do anything you wish.”

  “Anything at all?” she asked in a sweeter voice.

  Antoine stood next to her now, almost as close as he had been to Seraphine earlier. It was ridiculous, but he felt terrible as if he were cheating on the vampire. And he hadn’t even made a move yet!

  “Anything,” he swore.

  “Jump out the window,” she said, backing away to give him space.

  He startled. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.” Her eyes glittered like dark jewels. “Jump out the window.”

  “If you want to know if I would die for you, the answer is—”

  “You would not die for me,” she said harshly.

  He gulped. Panic filled him, but he refused to show any signs of weakness. The queen was like a shark except instead of blood, she reacted feverishly around cowardice.

  “Do you honestly expect me to believe you love me?” she asked.

  “I do.” He nodded with extra emphasis. His throat was so dry it hurt to swallow. “I do love you.”

  “You’ve never shown any signs of it before.” She eyed him critically, skeptically.

  “I was afraid,” he said as if confessing a failure. “I never thought myself
worthy of you. You… You frighten me. Not in a terrible way. More like I respect you so much that I realize how far beneath you I am. I don’t deserve you. The entire division doesn’t deserve you.”

  That last statement was the entire and complete truth but not for the reason he was implying. They did not deserve to have such a terribly cruel leader as their queen. To hunt down and kill an entire species within their division was unconscionable. To want to take that one step further and wipe out the entire species from the face of the ruined Earth was unforgivable.

  She slid closer to him and cupped his cheeks. It took everything in him to not jerk away from her touch.

  The queen raised her chin as if preparing for a kiss. Without warning, she stepped back and slapped him hard enough to make him see stars.

  “Do you honestly expect me to believe that you want all vampires dead?” she spat.

  “I—”

  She slapped him again, catching the corner of his lip and drawing blood.

  “Do you honestly think I did not see through your deception yesterday? Antoine, you disappoint me.”

  “L-Let me explain.”

  It hurt to talk with his busted lip. His mind raced almost as swiftly as his heart. He was worried and frightened but not so much for himself. If he could know his death would help the uprising, it would not hurt so much. Yes, he had hoped for a future with Seraphine. His actions here would serve a greater purpose, however. This would be the final spark Seraphine would need to go after the queen instead of hiding underground.

  Unless, of course, it backfired. Seraphine might act in too rash of a manner, might try to take down the queen herself. A single vampire versus one of the most powerful witches in the entire world would not end well for Seraphine.

  But if she took her time and was smart about it, she could amass the army she’d first wanted. That militia would be able to topple the queen’s empire.

  He hated that he was the reason for the change in her. She had grown afraid because of her love for him.

  And he did love her.

  Somehow, despite it all, in this crazy, messed up world, he had found love.

  With a vampire.

  There was no doubt in his mind Queen Pierrette Lyon would kill him. Antoine accepted that. He could talk until he was blue in the face, but she would make an example out of him. The guillotine would be his final act.