He watched me, waiting, and I pulled one of the candy bars out of my bag. His eyes widened, and he leaned forward with such enthusiasm that I imagined he could practically taste the chocolate already.
It worked every time.
“You’re going to get yourself in some serious trouble one day,” he said, his eyes full of warning.
“Perhaps. But that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the candy,” I teased. “So… are you willing to trade, or not?”
“You know I am.” He smiled, and as he passed me the book, I handed him the chocolate.
I pulled the book to my chest to give it a small hug, placed it in my bag with the rest of the candies, and headed back to the Tavern.
Camelia
“Camelia.” Laila closed her laptop, pushed it aside, and laced her hands together on top of her desk. “I heard you wanted to discuss something with me in private?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I want to talk to you about Jacen.”
“What about him?” She leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow.
“He’s getting better and better at controlling his bloodlust each day.” I stood calm and steady, making sure not to twist my hands together or do anything else that might give away the anxiety catapulting through my veins. “Technically, he could even leave the palace, since he’s able to be around humans without attacking them.”
“I agree that he’s able to leave the palace,” Laila said. “But he’s a prince—and a powerful one, at that. If he wanted to leave the palace walls, it’s up to him to trust himself and seize the opportunity.”
“So you’re testing him?” I smirked, since it was so like Laila to do such a thing.
“I’m testing everyone,” she said. “All the time. Never forget that.”
“I won’t,” I promised, using every ounce of willpower to keep the irritation from my tone. As long as Laila lived, this was her kingdom, and I had to play by her rules.
For now.
“Anyway,” she continued. “Is that all you wanted to tell me? That you think Jacen is ready to have freedom to roam outside the palace?”
“No,” I stuttered, and then I cleared my throat, composing myself. If I wanted Laila to consider my request, I had to be as royal as possible. “I’m here because I agree that Jacen has the potential to be a powerful vampire prince. But I believe he’ll be stronger with an equally powerful woman by his side.”
Laila tilted her head and smiled in a way that made me think she already knew what was coming. “What are you proposing?” she asked.
“I would like to be betrothed to Jacen,” I said. “With the two of us united as prince and princess of the Vale, the kingdom will become stronger than ever.”
Laila was quiet for a few seconds, and I resisted the urge to fidget. She was sizing me up—I knew it. I had to prove that I was the proper match for Jacen.
After all, if Laila declared our betrothal, he would have no choice but to accept me—to learn to love me.
Given time, he would learn to love me. I would make sure of it.
“The two of you would be a strong pair,” Laila finally said, and with that admission, I could finally breathe again. “But you do realize what a union between the two of you would mean?”
“Are you referring to the fact that I would need to become a vampire?” I asked.
“Yes.” She nodded. “And, like all witches who become vampires, once the transformation is complete you will lose your ability to perform magic.”
“I’m aware,” I told her. “But while I’ll lose my magic, I’ll become immortal and gain the strength of a vampire. It’s a trade I’m happy to make. It's a trade I want to make.”
“You’ve given this much thought,” she stated, and I nodded, since I had. “I agree that you would take well to being a vampire. I would even change you myself.”
“Thank you, my queen,” I said, lowering myself into a curtsy. “That would be the greatest honor. I would be forever in your debt.”
She held a hand up, stopping me. “But there is a condition.”
“What kind of condition?” I faltered.
“You know as well as I that witches—especially witches with powers like yours—are rare,” she said.
I nodded again, since this was common knowledge. Centuries after the original vampires had come into existence, they’d become such a plague upon humanity that the angels in Heaven had come down to Earth to give birth to a new race of creatures—the Nephilim. Or hunters, as our kind preferred to call them. The purpose of the Nephilim had been to protect humanity by ridding the world of vampires. They’d killed Laila’s sister—one of the seven original vampires—and the six remaining originals had fled to the different continents. With the help of a few witches, they’d gone into hiding, to the locations that had later become the six vampire kingdoms. Vampires either joined the kingdoms, or were killed by hunters. Rogue vampires rarely lasted long in the wild before being hunted down and killed.
Then, a few decades ago, the most powerful witch in the world had been born—Geneva. It was rumored that there was no spell she couldn’t do—that she could grant any wish desired. As what usually happens to those with great power, she was revered, but also feared. When the Nephilim had gotten word of her powers, they’d changed their mission from not just hunting vampires, but to hunting witches as well.
The majority of the witch population had been slain in the years that followed.
It had looked like the Nephilim were going to win. But the six vampire kingdoms and the witches had banded together, even bringing the wolves to their side. In the Great War that had followed, the three supernatural races managed to work together and rid the world of the Nephilim forever.
But like most wars, there had been many casualties. That was why not many witches remained today.
It was why I was so valuable to the Vale.
“You will need to find a suitable witch to replace you,” Laila said.
“Do you have anyone in mind?” I asked. “I’m sure if I approached them, they would be thrilled to have the job.”
“I do.” Laila twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her eyes slanted with mischief. “As I’m sure you know, the wolves have been becoming… less and less cooperative as of late. Just last week, one of them broke through the boundary and had that old lady for lunch.”
“That wolf was killed for her actions,” I reminded Laila. “The treaty has existed for centuries. The wolves know their place.”
“They did,” Laila said. “But they’ve been getting restless. This land was originally theirs, and now that we’ve turned it into a thriving kingdom, they’re jealous. They want it back. I suspect it won’t be long until the problem escalates into something we won’t be able to hide from the public any longer.”
“And you need a witch to keep them in control,” I said, since wolves tended to respect witches more than vampires. Likely because both witches and wolves were natural creatures, whereas vampires were created by a spell.
“Not just any witch,” Laila said. “I want Geneva.”
“Geneva?” I repeated, my eyes wide. “But that… that’s impossible.”
“It’s not impossible,” Laila said. “Just highly difficult. And I would hope that you—as someone who claims to be worthy of being betrothed to Jacen—is up to the task.”
I watched her, dumbfounded, waiting for her to say that this was some kind of joke.
She just stared at me, waiting.
I couldn’t believe this.
Because Geneva had survived the Great War—her powers had been hugely helpful in winning. But after a few years, she’d grown restless. She’d wanted to do more with her powers. And she’d become convinced that she could perfect the immortality spell—the spell the original vampires had performed on themselves when they were witches. The spell that had gone wrong and made them dependent on the blood of humans for the rest of their immortal lives.
She was going to perform the spell on hersel
f.
The witches wouldn’t hear of it. Geneva was powerful, yes, but what if the spell went wrong? What if it resulted in something worse than vampires? Or what if it made her more powerful than she already was?
It was far too risky.
And so, the witches had banded together. They’d used their powers to lock Geneva’s spirit inside a powerful stone. A sapphire ring. Then they’d hidden the ring in place that no human could find, and that couldn’t be accessed by any magical creature that existed on Earth. It was called the Crystal Cavern, and many other magical objects that posed too much of a threat to the lives of all creatures on Earth had been stowed there as well. Throughout the years, some darker witches had tried to lead humans there to fetch the objects, but all of the humans had ended up dead.
“The Crystal Cavern doesn’t allow supernaturals inside,” I reminded Laila. “And it kills the humans who enter.”
“There has to be a loophole,” Laila said, tapping her pen on her desk. “I was a witch once. If there’s one thing I know about spells, it’s that there’s always a loophole.”
“Perhaps if we found an exceptionally strong human,” I suggested. “They might be able to fight whatever’s guarding the objects inside the cavern and retrieve the ring.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” Laila nodded. “Although you will be the one in charge of finding the human—not me. I trust this is something you can handle?”
“Yes.” I swallowed, wishing I could feel as confident as I sounded.
“Excellent.” Laila smiled and placed her hands on her desk. “Now, be on your way. And the next time you come to me, I hope it’s to re-introduce me to my old friend Geneva.”
Jacen
I awoke as the last rays of the sun set below the horizon, opening my eyes to see someone standing next to my bed—Laila.
“Good evening,” she said, dangling a glass of blood in front of my face. Unlike the refrigerated blood I kept on my nightstand, this blood was warm—fresh.
I went to take it from her, but she held it out of my reach and backed away. She watched me, her eyes full of challenge, and she took a deep breath and smiled, as if enjoying the fragrance of the blood.
“Did you come in here to tease me?” The scent of the blood filled my nose, my mouth watering as my fangs pressed against my gums. I wanted nothing more than to yank that blood out of Laila’s hand and pour the blood down my throat.
But Laila was the queen, and it was up to her to decide when I would be free of the palace. She was testing me—I knew it.
I forced my breathing to become shallow so I wouldn’t have to inhale the intoxicating scent of the blood. Every bone in my body itched to run for the glass, but I pushed the urge down. I had to control myself. I have to prove myself.
“Well?” I asked once I’d regained control, making sure to look at Laila’s face and not at the tempting glass of liquid in her hand.
“I came in here to talk to you.” She stepped closer and handed me the glass.
I took it from her and finished it in a few gulps.
She watched me the entire time, her face a mask hiding whatever thoughts or emotions might be flying through her mind.
“How have you been feeling each evening upon waking?” she asked, perching on the side of my bed.
“Hungry,” I said, since it was the truth.
“But the hunger has been improving since you were first turned, has it not?”
“It hasn’t,” I said. “But my control over it has.”
“I see that.” She glanced approvingly at the now empty glass. “You wouldn’t have been able to resist that blood even a week ago.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“Very good.” She smirked, and I had a feeling that whatever she wanted to talk to me about, I wasn’t going to like it. “Because I have a proposal for you—one that won’t just be good for you, but will benefit the entire kingdom.”
I stilled, getting the feeling that this might be trouble. “I’m listening,” I said.
“Good.” She laughed. “Because now that you’re gaining control over your bloodlust, there’s something important we need to discuss.”
“The removal of my guards so I’ll be able to leave the palace?” I guessed, hoping she would take it as a suggestion and agree.
“Nope.” She smiled again. “Your guards will not be removed. No—what I want to discuss is much more exciting that that.”
“And what is that?” I asked, since she was clearly goading me, and it would be much more efficient to simply say what she wanted so she would spill.
“It’s time for you to start searching for a bride.”
Jacen
“What?” I stared at her with wide eyes, running a hand through my hair. “You’ve got to be kidding me. No way.”
“I can assure you that I’m not ‘kidding you,’” she said. “I’m completely serious.”
“I was turned into a vampire against my will,” I reminded her. “And now you want me to marry against my will? Like I said—no way. I’m drawing the line with this request.”
“What do you have against marriage?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “I have nothing against marriage—once I’ve fallen in love and decided I’m ready for it.”
“You’re a prince, my son,” she said, brushing her finger across my cheek. It took all of my willpower not to flinch away. “Princes don’t always have the luxury of marrying for love.”
“If you’re so desperate for a wedding around here, why don’t you get married?” I threw at her. “You’ve been around for a few centuries. Surely you know someone you would want to wed?”
She glanced down at her hands, sadness crossing over her eyes—a rare moment of emotion for Laila. “There’s only one person in the world I would marry, and that person is gone,” she said softly. Then she yanked her head back up, her eyes hard and stubborn, all traces of sadness gone. “Besides, I am an original vampire. I am the queen of this kingdom. It is you who will be stronger with a match—not I. And I have the perfect match planned for you.”
“Really?” I tried my best to sound bored, although my heart leapt into my throat with panic. “And who’s that?”
“Camelia.”
“What?” I backed up, horror rushing through my body. “No. Hell no. I’m not marrying that witch.”
“Why not?” Laila asked. “Camelia proposed the idea herself, and I think it’s a wonderful match. After all, you know that Camelia is a distant relative of mine—a descendant of my sister who was killed by the Nephilim. She has the bloodline to become a vampire princess—and she’s willing to turn. I don’t understand what the problem is.”
“Centuries of being alive, and you don’t understand what the problem is?” I glared at her, figuring she must be joking. But she watched me, waiting for me to continue, so I did. “The problem is that I don’t love her.”
“Love.” Laila scrunched her nose. “Highly overrated, if you ask me. True love is rare, and only comes around once in a lifetime, if even. Then once you find it, it has the power to break you. It’s not worth the heartache. Trust me on that.”
I shook my head, unwilling to believe her. I’d always thought that someday, I would meet the love of my life. Get married. Have children. The whole nine yards.
Of course, as a vampire, children were impossible. Unless I decided to turn someone and become their sire, which wasn’t quite the same, and besides, I wouldn’t wish this life as a monster on anyone.
But love was possible as a vampire. Many of the vampires I’d seen around the palace had chosen mates. They seemed happy together. They seemed in love.
“Good thing I’m immortal, then,” I said, matching her smirk with my own. “With a longer life, I’ll have much better odds at finding love. Don’t you think?”
“Such hope.” Laila sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I’m so used to talking to immortals who look young, that sometimes I forget you actually are the age
you appear. But when you’re immortal, even if you find love, it will only destroy you in the end. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. But…” she continued. “I do have another proposal for you.”
I resisted rolling my eyes. Because of course there was something else Laila wanted.
“And what’s that?” I asked, since she was going to tell me if I asked or not.
“If you refuse to accept Camelia, then I’ll provide you one year to find an alternate bride,” she said. “You can choose from the vampire princesses in any of the other five kingdoms.”
“Only from the other five?” I asked. “Not from the Vale?”
“This match will strengthen our alliance with one of the other kingdoms.” Laila watched me, her head tilted in curiosity. “Now, do you have any more questions?”
“A few,” I said. “Starting with—why are you so eager to have me marry within a year? As you said, we’re immortal. Why the rush?”
“Good question.” She nodded. “I haven’t spoken to anyone except a handful of guards about this issue, so I expect you’ll remain quiet about it, but the wolves are starting to resist our control. Just last week, one managed to cross the border of the Vale and feasted on an old woman who lived in the outskirts of the village.”
“Isn’t that against the treaty with them?” I asked.
“It is,” she said. “But the wolves are multiplying quickly, and I believe it won’t be long until they rebel and try to take our land. So we have two options. The first is to go out into the world and find more humans to turn so that we have more vampire soldiers. But that could get messy, since it’s unpredictable how new vampires will react to the bloodlust.”
I nodded, remembering an event that had happened recently—a newly turned vampire who had been brought into the palace. She’d been so distraught about what she was, and so unable to handle the bloodlust, that she’d rammed a silver stake straight into her heart.
I didn’t know an exact percentage of how many newly turned vampires lost their minds to the change, but it happened more often than not.
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 3
