“I do.” I didn’t flinch underneath the weight of that question, nor at the question that was beneath it. Did I expect him to sit silently by while members of his kind died? “You have worked in the castle for long enough to know what happens in the tower. I am not asking you to participate, merely to fulfill your duty and attend the floor with me. If I cannot trust you to be on your best behavior, I will require you to stay at my side.” He didn’t flinch away from me as I stepped to his side, waiting for him to open the door. “Outside of these walls, you will need to be the silent pet. You cannot change the fates of those chosen any more than you could when you worked in this wing or stood outside these walls. You are completing your duty to me, nothing more.”
I could hear his teeth grinding together, but he performed a stiff bow before opening the door for me. I strode down the hallway, taking the stairs to the tower quickly and easily, Sebastian a silent shadow at my back. I could feel his wrath pumping from him even as we made our way to the doors. “Wait for me here,” I ordered. I waved a hand to indicate the crevices that lined the wall, some already full with other waiting pets or servants. “You may have free range of the floor if you desire.” It wouldn’t keep him from hearing the screams, but he would have heard them in the past.
Chapter Eight
Elsie
I slipped into the room, finding my parents already there, deep in a discussion with each other as they ignored the man tied up and arranged on the table in front of them. Apparently they didn’t want to hunt around the room tonight and had requested their meal to be restrained. Usually this meant they were in a more laid-back mood, which would work well for my needs.
I took after my mother, and it was clear to see what I would look like when I aged. Her porcelain skin nearly glowed, even before her meal. Her hair was white-blonde like my own, though hers hung in a straight waterfall down her back, nearly long enough to brush the floor. The sides were kept out of her face by the golden crown she wore. She was shorter than I was, however, and relied on the crown to add height to her stature. I received my height from my father, who towered over her. Where I was light, he was dark. His skin was a deep olive, although slightly ashen at the moment, telling me had skipped at least one meal today. I wondered what project had kept him occupied for so long as to force him to skip a meal—it wasn’t something he did often. His hair was still thick, and the jet black was not peppered with streaks of white. Besides my height, I had also received my father’s eyes. His were the same blue as my own, and they turned to catch me now, a small smile curving his lips.
“Elsie, dear girl. I hoped we would see you at the meal tonight.” He had set aside his suit jacket, rolling up his shirt sleeves to expose his arms. My mother’s emerald green dress was cut similarly to my own, leaving her arms and back bare, the slit in the side exposing her leg and giving her a solid range of movement. Neither of my parents tended to feed naked, which I was admittedly thankful for as they tugged me into their arms for hugs of greeting. “It’s good to see you taking a break from those books of yours.” Both my parents grimaced at the reminder of my pastime.
“Of course, Father,” I murmured. “I wanted to see you both.”
“You’re welcome to join us if none of the other offerings interest you.” My mother indicated the man bound in front of them with a wave, ignoring his struggles against the bonds that made him sweat even in the chill of the room. “Unless you’re in the mood for a hunt?” The doors would open once everyone who was joining the meal was here, allowing a handful of offerings to run through the spacious room in an attempt to escape.
I wrinkled my nose in distaste. “Confined hunts aren’t to my taste, Mother, as you are aware.” I hadn’t taken part in a confined hunt since I was young. Personally, I didn’t even think you could call it a hunt when the room was sealed and there were no escape options. Then it was simply cornering your meal and scaring it. I glanced at the large, bald man at her feet. “He’s not my usual taste, but I’ll see what the other options are, thank you.” She inclined her head, reaching out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“Now, my dear, I don’t believe you came to dinner simply to see us without a reason.” My mother arched a brow. She had always been good at seeing through me. Even with our differences in beliefs regarding how to handle the humans as our food source, she had been a good mother. Not by human standards, if the way I saw them treat their young was any indication, but by vampire ones. She had ensured that I was strong, that I would not be broken. She taught me the value of pain, how to both wield and control it. My father had always been more hands off in his teachings, focusing more on the business of running the castle and my lessons on law and diplomacy.
Vampires were still trickling into the room, some with their pets, others with spouses or families. I even spotted a few witches filtering in, speaking quietly amongst each other. Not all residents joined us for our meals. Some preferred to eat in their own rooms, especially if they had young children who might not know the social etiquette required for a group meal. It would end badly if a child bit a pet or if they attempted to take someone else’s kill, especially someone who was of a higher social order than they were. Others may simply be full from their own meals throughout the day and had no desire to join in the group feeding. From the looks of things, we had a few minutes before the meal would begin, hopefully enough time to get the information I needed.
“I was told you directed two witches my way? A pair of twins—Draven and Crowe. How were they granted access to the castle?” Doors opened, and older servants began to carry in more of the bound offerings. None were fazed by this duty, since most were servants who hoped to be vampires themselves. The glee on their faces as they tugged their prey into the room was open and cruel. Others had simply been servants here for so long that nothing bothered them anymore. They had come to accept the order of the world rather than fight against it.
“Ah, yes, the coven’s twins,” my father murmured, tugging at his sleeves. “Frankly I was surprised when they petitioned for access. They’ve rarely joined family meals, though the screams I have heard coming from their private rooms…” He shuddered in pleasure.
“They are next in line as head of the Lightning Coven,” my mother explained, twirling her hair around her finger as she studied the new offerings being brought in. As the king and queen, they were always offered first choice, hence the body bound at their feet, but it seemed my mother might be checking to ensure her tastes hadn’t changed before she began her meal. I recognized one of the thrashing bodies as the servant who had brought Sebastian’s meal to my door earlier in the day. I wondered for a moment what he had done to displease someone enough to end up on the menu. I briefly considered reminding my parents that having to keep retraining staff was tedious, and that they could simply drink or bathe from multiple donors if they needed that much, but I knew it would fall on deaf ears, and I would end up with another lecture. Even if my parents would agree tonight, they wouldn’t demand it of anyone else. It was also possible that whomever the servant had offended was here waiting for him, and they definitely would not be denied.
“That’s a prominent position,” I prompted, trying to see what else she knew. It wasn’t only prominent, it was problematic. Lightning Coven was one of the largest covens in the country. Killing them would be allowed, of course, but it would cause quite a bit of strain on those already in the castle, as well as on future access for many members since we would have to ensure they weren’t trying to enact any kind of retribution. I hated that type of work. “I would assume they have access to all the blood they wish, even outside the walls. Did they want something else?”
“They’re here to meet with some of the other covens in our neutral ground,” my father replied idly. I didn’t think calling the castle neutral was true, exactly, but it was how Father always referred to it. Witches still could—and did—kill each other while they were here. But entire covens were not allowed inside these walls. Only
pieces of a coven could enter at a time, and Father was careful to keep them balanced so one did not overpower the other too greatly. It prevented entire covens from wiping each other out, though leadership was frequently turning over.
“They expressed interest in the history books as well, which is why I pointed them in your direction, Elsie. Dear, I think I may be more interested in that one,” Mother declared, pointing out a slender female with close-cropped red hair.
“She won’t be enough for us both, precious, but if that’s what you wish.” My father’s smile was indulgent as my mother pressed a kiss to his cheek. He strode over to claim the female, lifting her with ease to carry her back.
“Have you heard anything about them from the others?” I pressed, knowing I was running out of time. It wasn’t really possible to converse while we ate, and I didn’t like to speak while we bathed. The screams made it just as difficult as having our fangs occupied.
“Nothing of note, my dear.” My mother’s green eyes were sharp now as she studied me. “Has there been a problem?” That caught my father’s attention, and he frowned in my direction.
“Of course not,” I assured them. I wasn’t a child anymore, I could handle my own problems. I vastly preferred it as well. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying to have someone else bleed a person out for you. “They approached me about the books, and I was curious, that’s all.” Curious if I could kill them, that was. My parents’ turbulent expressions evened out as the final bell for dinner sounded and the locks were placed on the doors.
“Good.” My father patted my head. “Go pick your meal, my dear, you’re looking a little peaked. It wouldn’t hurt you to have two tonight. You’re thin as a rail.” I rolled my eyes at him but headed toward the buffet as the first screams began to ring through the room. Food first, answers later.
Chapter Nine
Elsie
Sebastian’s blue eyes glowed with fury, even as his hands calmly and collectedly folded the clothing I had discarded after my family meal. The shower had rinsed the dried blood from my skin, leaving me with only a fresh, flushed sensation as I settled against the silk of my bed linen, my legs curled underneath me as I watched Sebastian.
“Is there something wrong, pet?” His shoulders tightened at the name, at the taunt in my voice, but things could not continue the way they were. I could see the fire in his eyes, feel it radiating off of him in waves. He needed to dispel it, or he would unleash it at a time when even my protection would not cover for him.
“No, mistress.” His voice was cool as he returned to his spot at our study table, his books perfectly aligned as though the order would give him some semblance of control over his environment.
I pushed to my feet, moving beside him as I shifted my fingers through his thick, golden brown hair. He stiffened at the touch, though he made no move to pull away from me as I played with the varied colors hidden amongst the strands. “Come now, pet,” I purred. “I’ve told you before. You may speak your mind when you are in my rooms.” I grabbed his chin, forcing his face up to mine. “You think I can’t see what’s in your eyes? That I can’t smell your wrath pumping from you?” I leaned down, trailing my tongue up the side of his cheek. Even his skin tasted of salt, and I hummed my approval. “You don’t like me to feed? Are you merely jealous? Do you wish me to feed off of you?”
I grasped his wrist, bringing it to my mouth as I swept my tongue across it. Disgust joined the fury in his eyes, but it wasn’t alone. Desire sparked there as well, a heat that echoed in my stomach, heady and strong as I traced circles across his skin, never striking with the deadly tips of my fangs. “Or is there another kind of hunger you’d like me to sate?”
He pushed to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor as his chest heaved. Finally. His blue eyes flared with life, and his hands curled into fists that only accentuated the hard, toned muscles in his forearms as he glared at me. “You’re disgusting,” he snarled.
“Mmm,” I hummed, letting my gaze roam over him, arching a brow to point out that his mind and body were clearly not in agreement.
“You torture and eat my kind! You’re a monster.”
I shrugged. “They are prey.”
“They are people. They aren’t some food source for you to roll around in. They have emotions, damn it. They have families—spouses, children!” he shouted, his hand raking through his hair.
I cocked my head, settling onto the edge of the table. “And tell me, Sebastian, does the rabbit that made up your lunch not have a mate? Not have children? Does it not feel fear or connection or love? If you keep it as a pet, does it not bond with you?”
Sebastian hissed. “That’s not the same. It’s an animal.”
“And to us, you are an animal,” I challenged, leaning backwards onto my arms, arching my back as I studied him. “By your own statements, I am a monster because your kind have families and emotions. Yet you eat animals who have families and emotions. What else differentiates you?”
“We build things! Create things! We speak and plan!”
I smirked at him. “Yet the spider creates the web. The bird builds the nest. The squirrel plans for winter. The wolves speak to the pack. Vampires create music, art, lives, and love.”
“It’s not the same!” He slammed his fist into the wall, his eyes flashing like lightning, hot enough to burn.
I pushed to my feet before stalking toward him. “What’s not the same, pet, is the hierarchy.” I pushed into his face, forcing him to see me. “Through perseverance, luck, and adaptability, your kind found ways to spend centuries at the top of the food chain. Your. Luck. Ran. Out.” I enunciated each work slowly as I stared into those brilliant blue eyes, unflinching. “You do not have to like it, but you do have to accept it. You will not go back to being the dominant species. You now have a predator, Sebastian. It is part of the circle of life.” Realization flickered in his eyes for a moment before a wall slammed down.
“No!” he snarled, shoving away from me. He was strong, but stubborn. “Your kind can find another food source.”
I laughed, the sound cutting as I moved to the bed, settling myself there with ease. “Ah, it is so easy, is it?” He paused, cocking his head to consider me. “Well, let me fill you in, pet. What do you think my research is about, hm? Unlike humans who can eat whatever they like and survive, my kind does not have that luxury.” My own tone is a growl now. “Your kind can eat plants, grains, and meat of any animal. You can even eat your own people and live, did you know that? We have seen it in slaves who have gone mad, who wish to be vampires. They kill and eat other humans in a desperate, depraved mimicry of my kind.”
Sebastian’s eyes widened, his skin taking on a subtle shade of green as I inclined my head. “Oh, yes. It happens far more often than you’d think. Some, I doubt, are even mad. They do it just for fun.” When he tried to shake his head, I continued, pushing the blade in deeper. “It’s true. It’s actually the first step in ceremonially turning a human. They have to prove they’ll be able to kill, you see, or else what is the point?” I waved a hand before he could speak. “That debate is for another time however. As to our food source,” I snarled, “you seem to be under a misconception, pet, so let me enlighten you. And before you think to spread said enlightenment to others of your kind, I will remind you that your status as my pet prevents a word that is spoken here from being shared outside of these walls.”
I breathed deeply, attempting to rein in the anger crawling through my body, eating through the warmth that my meal had provided. “Come. Sit,” I ordered, pointing to the bed beside me. I could hear him grit his teeth, but he did not deny me as he strode across the room, sliding himself onto the bed beside me, the ivory silk of the sheets tangling across his cotton clothing. His blue eyes still flashed with defiance, but they held something else as well—the first hint of acceptance. I didn’t want to demolish his heat or banish his darkness, merely channel it, utilize it, relish it. This would be the first step toward that goal. I settled mys
elf back against the headboard, refusing to remove my gaze from his. I wanted to watch him understand what I told him, wanted to see every emotion cross his face as I explained.
“You may call humans a food source for my kind, but they are far more than that. They are a life source. Without drinking blood—human blood—my skin begins to starve. If I let that starvation proceed far enough, feeding alone won’t do it. I need to drench myself in the blood, let it soak into my skin, or I proceed to rot. Slowly. Painfully. My skin will break and tear and burn without it.” My words were cold, my chin high as I stared at Sebastian, at the natural hue his temper brought into the tan of his cheeks, at the way his heart was beating fast and steady underneath his throat. “I have experimented for years with other bloods, other magics. None stop the pain. Stop the starvation. Your kind is a collar around our necks as surely as my collar is on you. That is the main point of my research.”
His eyes turned to the books and widened as he realized what I meant. “You’re still looking for other ways,” he breathed out.
“There probably isn’t any other way,” I admitted with a shrug. “Even if there is, they may have too great a cost to make them usable.”
“But you could save us!” Excitement entered his voice now, hope brimming in his eyes, and I slashed a hand sharply through the air.
“No.” My words were final, and he froze. “You will not go into this planning for me to save your kind. That is not how this is to end,” I warned him. “I am searching to save my own kind, not yours. Humans are frail. Weak. Easily demolished. Your numbers were decimated with a single plague. That alone wiped out my people’s numbers because there simply weren’t enough humans to sustain us.” I kept my words even, my eyes cool, as he stared at me. “I will not have my kind tied to yours if I can avoid it—not because I seek to save your kind, but because I seek to save my own.”
Reign of Nightmares (Blood Throne Book 1) Page 7
