I simply wanted Peter back much, much more.
It wasn’t long before we finished the caviar—I’d eaten most of it, as Jacen didn’t seem overly fond of it—and moved on to soup.
As we ate, I thought about what Noah had said on our way back from the camp—about how there was no point in attempting to reason with the vampires, since they wouldn’t listen. I certainly agreed with him that Queen Laila wouldn’t listen. But Jacen had only been a vampire for little over a year—he wasn’t as tied to this land as Laila was. He’d said he understood why some vampires were leaving from the Haven. Perhaps if Noah reached out to Jacen instead of Laila…
“Do you have any idea why the wolves are attacking?” I asked, since it would be unwise to ask the prince straight off the bat if he’d considered reaching out to them himself.
“It’s about land,” he told me. “They see how we turned our land from empty wilderness to a prosperous kingdom, and they’re jealous.”
“But Queen Laila made a peace treaty with them when she settled here,” I said, since the treaty was common knowledge. “They signed it willingly.”
“Centuries ago,” he said. “Now, the wolves are jealous of our kingdom, and they want this land back.”
“But why would they choose now to wage war?” It was a question I would have thought whether I knew the wolves’ motives or not. “There has to be a deeper reason.”
“If there is, we’ll likely never know.” He shrugged and pushed away his soup, apparently finished. “The wolves are killers. Monsters. They’re not capable of rational thought. You know this—your castle in the Carpathian Kingdom is surrounded by wolves as well, right?”
“It is.” I nodded.
“Then you must know what they’re like when they attack.” He sat straighter, his eyes full of fire. “They tore into vampires’ necks like it was nothing, ripping their heads from their bodies like rag dolls. We’re lucky that we stopped them when we did. If I hadn’t been there with Princess Ana and our guards, there would have been many more casualties.”
“I heard you fought the wolves bravely,” I said, assuming that Jacen—like most people—would appreciate the compliment.
“I did my best,” he replied. “After I was turned, the queen wouldn’t let me leave the palace until I gained control over my bloodlust. Without the Olympics to train for anymore, I needed something to focus on. I figured that combat would be a logical choice. The guards were more than happy to give me lessons.”
“It seems they’ve taught you well,” I said.
“They have,” he agreed. “Although I’m of course still learning.”
“Of course,” I said. It was clear how Jacen had qualified for the Olympics as a human—he wasn’t the type to stop training until he was the best.
The waiters cleared our plates and brought out the third course—salad. I’d never liked salad much, unless it was Caesar salad, which this one wasn’t. I would likely pick at it until the main course arrived.
“I agree that the wolves likely don’t want to talk,” I said, waiting once more for the waiters to leave. “But for curiosity’s sake, let’s say they did.”
“They don’t.” He jabbed his fork into his salad. “What use is it pretending otherwise?”
“Your time as prince of the Vale is only just beginning,” I told him. “You have many more challenges ahead of you. Since there’s a chance we might be… working together in the future, I thought it might be fun to discuss hypothetical situations. Unless, of course, that’s not the type of relationship you want from your future bride?”
He chewed, his brow creased in thought. The prince truly was handsome. When I was a young girl—before meeting Peter—I surely would have been smitten with him.
“It is the type of relationship I want with my future bride,” he said after he swallowed his food. “My answer is yes. If the wolves wanted to have a civil discussion, I would be open to hearing them out. I’m not sure what agreement could be reached—not after they’ve killed so many vampires—but I don’t want any more blood spilled than necessary.”
“Very sensible,” I said, pushing the lettuce around on my plate to make it look like I’d eaten more than I had. “Not like it matters, of course, since the wolves are monsters.” I needed to make sure he believed I thought that. Queen Laila didn’t suspect that I was the traitor—the Carpathian Kingdom had a fantastic, long-standing relationship with the Vale—but I couldn’t risk saying anything that might tip Jacen off.
However, I was glad he would be open to a meeting with the wolves. Perhaps, if that happened, I could convince Noah to make a deal with Jacen that would spare the prince’s life. Jacen might even try to convince as many of the Vale’s vampires as possible to leave for the Haven at once.
“That they are,” he agreed, and then he glanced at my plate. “Is there something wrong with your salad?”
“Not at all,” I said, and then I leaned forward, as if about to tell him a juicy secret. “Although I suppose I must admit I’ve never been particularly fond of salad.”
“I could take it or leave it.” He shrugged. “Onto the next course then?”
“Onto the next course,” I agreed, and he called the waiters in.
Our salads were soon replaced with sizzling steaks—cooked rare, of course. I’d yet to meet a vampire that didn’t love red meat. My mouth watered at the delicious smell, and I quickly dug in.
“I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity yet to thank you,” I told Jacen, feeling like it was time to steer the conversation away from the wolves.
“For what?” he asked.
“For keeping me here.” I chuckled, since I’d thought it had been obvious. “Eliminating everyone but myself and Princess Ana was a bold move, and while I don’t know what I did that compelled you to want to keep me here, I’m glad you did.”
“I like you, Karina.” His eyes were full of honesty, and my stomach twisted with the knowledge of how I was deceiving him. “The time we’ve spent together has been… educational. There’s depth to your soul, and not only do I admire that, but I’m grateful that you’ve opened up to me and let me see you for who you are. You would bring much to the table as a princess of the Vale.”
I forced myself to smile as he spoke, grateful that he didn’t bring up love. Because it did seem like Jacen respected me. Perhaps he even thought we could grow to fall in love with each other.
But if he chose me, he would clearly be making a political decision—not a romantic one.
It wasn’t supposed to have gotten this far. This selection process was supposed to have taken weeks. Now, it was down to me and that strange imposter Ana.
If the Vale was looking for an alliance—which they clearly were—they would be foolish to form one with a kingdom they knew nothing about. The only reason Queen Laila would want to keep Princess Ana around would be to learn more about the so-called Seventh Kingdom. Once she had proof that the Seventh Kingdom was fake—which we all knew it was—I would be the only princess left.
Which meant Jacen had already chosen me. After Queen Laila uncovered the truth about Princess Ana, the engagement would become official.
I didn’t want to be married to someone else when Peter returned to me. I couldn’t have a weight like that between us.
There was only one solution—I needed to go to Noah and ensure that the wolves launched their full attack before the wedding—or at least before Jacen and I had the chance to say “I do.”
Karina
I returned to my quarters wracked with guilt.
“How did your date go with the prince?” my lady’s maid, Elena, asked as she emerged from her room. She was the closest person I had to a friend back in the Carpathian Kingdom. But now that I was keeping so many secrets—mainly, now that I was working with the wolves—I felt more distant from her than ever.
“Very well.” I forced a smile. “I believe Prince Jacen intends on proposing to me.”
“That’s incredible!” El
ena gushed. “Do you have any idea when? He needs to eliminate the imposter princess first, right?”
In private, that was how we referred to Ana—as the imposter princess. We would never dare say it in public, of course, but most everyone suspected that Ana was a liar. Only foolish idealists believed the Seventh Kingdom existed.
“He does,” I confirmed. “But please, leave me.” I paused, looking her in the eye and injecting magic into my tone. “Return to your room, close the door, and go to sleep. Don’t come out until the sun sets.”
Her face slacked as she responded to the compulsion, and she did as I commanded.
Once she was gone, I collapsed onto my bed and stared up at the canopy overhead. All of those vampires who were killed during the attack… their deaths were my fault. If I hadn’t helped the wolves, they would still be alive.
I removed my portrait of Peter from under my pillow and stared at it, needing to remind myself why I was doing this. I remembered exactly when he’d had the portrait taken—on the transatlantic voyage we’d taken on the Olympic. I’d met him on deck as the ship had left port—he’d been a human, and I a vampire—and we’d spent the entire journey together. We hadn’t been sure we would see each other again after the voyage, and he’d given the portrait to me, so I’d always remember him.
He’d ended up proposing on the final night of the voyage. When I’d told him I was a vampire, he came with me to the Carpathian Kingdom, where we received permission from King Nicolae for me to turn him. I had many other pictures of Peter, of course, but this one meant the world to me because it was the first thing he’d ever given me.
Peter had been murdered by wolves inside our own home during the Great War. The Nephilim had sent the wolves into the castle first to weaken us before their attack. Yes, we’d ended up defeating the Nephilim, but Peter’s life—and the lives of so many others—had been cut off too short because of that war.
I’d always blamed the wolves for his death. But after what Noah had told me—how those wolves had lost touch with their humanity—I realized that it wasn’t the wolves’ fault. It was the Nephilim. It was, after all, the Nephilim who had controlled the wolves.
As I stared into Peter’s eyes, I imagined how incredible it would be to have him with me again—alive—instead of only seeing him in photographs.
I was so, so close to getting what I wanted. The attack had proven that the vampires of the Vale were weak after decades of peace. Once the wolves fought them for real, the Vale would be demolished. Once the Vale was demolished and King Nicolae took Laila back to the Carpathian Kingdom, he was bound by the blood oath to get me Geneva’s sapphire ring.
I’d thought I could live with all of that death on my hands—I’d thought it would be worth it to be reunited with Peter.
But now I now knew that vampires were voluntarily leaving the Vale for the Haven. Queen Laila would never abandon the Vale—I knew that. But Noah had seemed so convinced that none of the vampires of the Vale would leave voluntarily.
The fact that some of them had proved him wrong.
If there was a way to save as many lives as I could and still get Peter back, I needed to try. The sun had risen and the vampires were asleep. It was the perfect time to speak with Noah.
And so, I changed—placing the portrait of Peter deep in my jacket pocket—texted Noah with a meeting spot, and left through my window.
Karina
As always, I met Noah on the edge of the boundary—me remaining inside, and him remaining out.
“You appear in good health.” He smiled when he saw me. “I assume you heeded my warning?”
“I did,” I replied. “Thank you for the heads up.”
I wanted to add something about how I could have held my own if I’d been out on the streets during the attack, but I held my tongue. Because would I have been able to fight those young wolves who I’d helped sneak through the boundary? I didn’t think so. So yes, I was grateful for Noah’s warning. It had ensured that I hadn’t found myself in an even stickier situation than I was in right now.
“I didn’t think I would be seeing you again so soon.” Noah looked at me in concern. “Is everything all right?”
I wanted to dig into him and tell him that he should have told me that the wolves were being sent into the boundary not as scouts, but to launch an attack, but I held my tongue once more. Because I wanted something from Noah. Putting him on the defensive was hardly the way to get what I wanted.
“Prince Jacen eliminated all the princesses but myself and one other,” I told him instead.
“Because of the attacks?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “He didn’t want to risk any of the princesses getting hurt in the chance of another attack.”
“I’m grateful that the prince kept you.” Noah stepped forward, close enough that he was nearly brushing up against the boundary. “I must say—I can’t fault him for his taste.”
“Thank you.” Heat rose to my cheeks at the compliment, and I inwardly cursed at myself for blushing.
“Which other princess did he keep?” he asked.
“The imposter princess,” I told him. “The one from the ‘Seventh Kingdom.’ I have a feeling that Jacen’s waiting for Queen Laila to get proof that she’s a fake, and then he’s going to propose to me.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it,” Noah observed.
“I’m not,” I said. “You were supposed to have completed your mission before the prince chose a bride.”
“You can’t go blaming us about this.” Noah held his hands up and took a step back. “We had no control over the prince sending home so many princesses at once. It’s as unexpected to me as it was to you.”
“I know that.” I huffed, since it was pointless to take out my irritation on Noah. Jacen’s decision wasn’t Noah’s fault. No one could have predicted that the prince would have been so… noble. “But it’s what has happened. Anyway, I’m here for an entirely different matter.”
“And what’s that?” he asked. “You’ve done so much to help me that if there’s anything you need, just ask. I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.”
“I’d like for you to speak with Prince Jacen,” I told him.
“What?” He balked.
“You heard me.” I held my ground, wanting him to know I was serious. “I’ve been spending time alone with the prince, and I believe he would be interested in hearing what you have to say. He doesn’t want people to die. I don’t either—and I would hope that you agree. If there’s a way for you and Prince Jacen of you to work together to save lives while still allowing your Savior to rise… I think you should try.”
“Except that there is no compromise that can be made,” Noah insisted. “The vampires of the Vale must be cleared from the land for our Savior to rise. You know that, Karina. There’s no other option.”
“What if Prince Jacen led the vampires of the Vale to a new location?” I asked.
“Queen Laila would never allow it,” Noah said. “She loves this land. It’s been her home for centuries. But even more so—she loves it because it’s sacred. She’s not going to give it up.”
“I wasn’t speaking about Queen Laila,” I said, since he was right—the queen wouldn’t give up her land without a fight. “I was speaking about Prince Jacen.”
“You think the prince will go against his queen?” Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly already sure of the answer to the question.
“Perhaps,” I said. “He was turned into a vampire against his will, and from what he’s told me, he’s not happy about it. He hates how Laila doesn’t give humans a choice on being turned or not. I believe Prince Jacen would be open to breaking from Queen Laila and starting his own kingdom, if he were presented with the option.”
“Let’s say I was willing to speak with the prince,” Noah said. “And that’s a big if. What would stop him from bringing his guards and attacking then and there?”
“A valid concern,” I said. “But this is why
we have the Haven. Reach out to them with your plan, and they will send witch envoys to transport you and Jacen to a safe location where you can talk.”
“The Haven would involve themselves in politics?” he asked.
“They wouldn’t technically be involving themselves,” I explained. “They would be providing a safe space for two leaders about to go to war to talk so they can prevent war. Situations like this one are precisely why a neutral kingdom like the Haven is necessary. You’ll both be granted safety while in the Haven, and will be able to talk without worrying about any threats.”
“And if the prince tries to attack me once we’re there anyway?” he asked.
“He won’t,” I assured him. “It’s against the law to wage war—or cause any type of violence—on the grounds of the Haven. If he does try anything, he’ll surely see the wrath of the Haven’s tiger shifters.”
Noah’s forehead crinkled—I had a feeling he was giving my suggestion true consideration. “I’ll think about it,” he finally said. “I’m not a killer, and neither is our Savior. We’re eager for Him to rise because we want peace. If there’s a way to spare lives—even vampire lives—then I owe it to Him to try.”
“Thank you.” I let out a long breath, glad that Noah was seeing reason.
If it hadn’t been for the barrier between us, I might have even hugged him.
“Is that the only reason you wanted to speak with me, princess?” From the way he was watching me, I could tell he was hoping for something more.
“There is one more request I’d like to make,” I started.
“Go on.” He looked at me to continue.
“I’d like for you to ensure that the wolves launch their attack before my wedding to the prince.”
He smiled—apparently he liked my request. “I’d also like for you to remain unmarried,” he said, fire sparking in his unwavering gaze.
My heart raced so intensely that I was inclined to take a step back.
“I’ll do what I can,” he continued. “But it’s imperative that we attack when the time is right. If that time is after the wedding… then I must do what’s best for the pack. I hope you understand.”
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 38
