Lord Otto stepped forward in the too-white office. “No. Absolutely not.”
I crossed my arms and entered the room the overlords were lounging in. “The invitation didn’t say I couldn’t bring anyone. And Adelie is my support system. I want her here.”
“No.” The lord didn’t budge.
My molars ground together, and I stepped in front of my friend, cutting off his glare on her person. I decided honesty might actually get me further in this situation than to lie my ass off. “Lord Otto, when I say she’s my support system I actually mean that. And finding out who will be the possible King Novitiate, and having to meet him…is a little off-putting for me.”
His mouth snapped shut, but he didn’t stop scowling.
I cleared my throat and explained further. “I’m terrible with men for longstanding, personal relationships. Most find me intimidating. And I know this doesn’t have to be a romantic match—which I’m incredibly grateful for—but it will be a personal one no matter what. Having Adelie here as a buffer will help me—and him.”
Lord Otto’s blink was dangerously slow. “That was refreshingly honest.”
Heat flooded my cheeks, painting them pink against my pale complexion. “Yes…well…”
I didn’t mention all my previous boyfriends somehow wound up dead. The only one still alive was Lord Pippin.
I swear, I was a plague in the love department.
I would date. Eventually, it would end in a very bad way—usually with them telling me I was shit-on-a-stick. Then the man was dead. Like a damn curse.
The overlords didn’t need to know that though.
I cocked a hip and continued to hold my arms over my chest. This was embarrassing. My skin heated even further.
I just knew my blush was rising to my hairline, little beads of sweat dotting my brow.
Lord Pippin stepped forward, his eyes cast to the other Lord. “It makes sense. Let Adelie stay. It’s not breaking any laws.”
Lord Otto drummed his fingers against his legs, studying my sullen expression.
“Good grief,” Lord Cato grumbled. “Make up your damn mind. I’d rather not be up all night watching you two stare at one another. Unlike you, I enjoy my sleep.”
Lord Otto flicked a glare in his direction but swiftly returned his regard to my person. He bent forward and hissed, “If she does anything wrong during this Challenge, I will kill her myself. Do you understand, candidate?”
I quickly nodded. “Understood, Lord Otto.”
“About fucking time,” Lord Cato growled. He barged straight between us, heading to the door. Grumpy and irate. Over his shoulder, he barked, “Let’s go, people. I know you can move faster than that.”
I turned and quickly followed after my horrible father.
Adelie leaned toward me, whispering softly, “What pissed him off?”
Lord Xenon answered—directly behind us, “His favorite chattel was taken before we came here. And he doesn’t like using his position as overlord to make a feeding vampire give up his meal just because that blood is one of his favorites.”
“I can hear you!” Cato bellowed, far down the hallway.
My eyes narrowed on his back. Those actions were of an individual testing their own limits. I knew that game well. I played it all the time with my own willpower.
Bile rose in my throat with the thought that we were anything alike.
Sensing my discomfort, Adelie broke the silence. “Lords, where will the Challenge be held?”
Lord Pippin replied, “In a ceremony room not directly attached to the stronghold. We have to go outside to get there.”
Shoving my queasiness down, I questioned, “What was it like for you guys when it happened to you? Is it just like the compulsion you used on the possible candidates?”
Lord Xenon spoke, no inflection in his words. “It is a thousand times worse for the male. Because we use the female’s blood in the magic. It amplifies a mating response the likes of which can only be reproduced with drugs.”
I blinked as we marched down the grand staircase to the front door. “So, you’re pretty much telling me that every man who comes tonight is going to be horny as fuck?”
The steadfast lord didn’t mince words. “Yes. Exactly.”
Lord Belshazzar added, “It can get volatile. That’s why we started using this ceremony room. If anyone tries to attack another physically, then magic instantly renders them unconscious.”
Adelie snapped her fingers as we hit the tiling. “It’s the old jail!”
The eldest lord snickered. “Indeed. But it’s all cleared out now.”
“This sounds like so much fun.” I swallowed on a dry throat.
Lord Otto grunted. “Don’t pass out. I did let your friend come.”
“I’m not going to pass out!” I exclaimed, catching one of the enormous front doors with two hands to hold it open after Cato’s rude departure. “I’m just…”
“Nervous,” Lord Pippin supplied helpfully, extremely pleased with himself by the smug grin on his face. “You usually suck with men—no pun intended—so you’re nervous.”
I let the door flop back onto his face.
The thud was immensely satisfying.
“Not nice,” he grumbled from behind the thick wood. “Now I understand why you have issues with the opposite sex. You can’t handle honesty about one’s self told from another person.”
I sighed heavily and almost ran to catch up with my asshole father.
Anything would be better than Lord Pippin’s psychoanalysis.
Adelie linked one of her arms in mine, keeping our side against one another.
I peered into her brown eyes. “You always know what I need.”
“That’s because I’m the most amazing friend in the world.” She shrugged.
I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut.
I really couldn’t disagree with that.
* * *
I quieted my steps inside the ominous cavern, definitely echoing inside this space. Magic pulsed in the air, pulling up goose bumps along my flesh. The walls were bare and black stone, only lights hanging like dead tree limbs from the ceiling to light the solid black ground below. Folding chairs packed the floor, all empty, and all facing a raised platform at the end of the cave.
The overlord’s chairs must have been moved here because their fancy seating graced the stage, spotlights illuminating them in a harsh glow. Complete intimidation factor.
My eyes caught on Cato. He was slipping into a hidden door behind the stage.
When the door closed, it appeared just like the rock wall. Even to my eyesight.
“I’m glad I never got into trouble,” Adelie hissed, glancing around as if ghosts were spiriting the old jail. “This is spooky on a different level.”
I nodded once. I agreed wholeheartedly.
The rest of the overlords passed us by, all heading to the same ‘door’ that Cato had entered. Adelie’s arm and mine were still linked, so I pulled her at a fast clip behind them. I certainly didn’t want to get stuck down here. And I was positive Adelie didn’t either.
No one’s shoes clicked on the floor.
We were all silent in this arena.
Apparently, some things even disturbed overlords.
Like the reverberating of vampire hearing.
It was damn near never-ending.
Lord Xenon opened the wall-door.
We entered single file, making it so Adelie had to release my arm from her death grip.
I wiggled my fingers down by my sides, attempting to get circulation flowing.
Stone steps led us up into a dark abyss.
I squinted and kept my hands near my guns.
This place didn’t sit well in my gut.
Lord Xenon opened another door at the top of the stairs.
Blinding white light pierced all of us.
Lord Pippin glanced back at me, stating cheerfully, “If you aren’t supposed to be up here, the magic will kill you when you cross the entryway.”
“That’s…pleasant.” I ignored Adelie’s instant jabbing in my back with a pointed finger. “Who grants access?”
“The magic.” He snorted as if I should have known.
“And that’s comforting,” I mumbled.
But there was no stopping me. I knew what I wanted. And that meant crossing the threshold. I quickly followed the overlords the rest of the way up the stairs and grabbed Adelie’s hand. I placed my other in front of my eyes to shade them from the blinding light, but it wasn’t coming from one particular place. It merely came from everywhere—probably even my own body by the way the back of my hand close to my face only hurt my eyes worse.
Inhaling quickly, I rushed past the entrance.
Dragging a struggling and silent Adelie in behind me.
Neither of us died. Instead, a potent pine smell floated around us. The blinding light died away where we stood stock still.
Adelie and I peered at one another, our eyes roaming up and down each other’s frames checking for any injuries. We were healthy and whole, even if a little disheveled and wide-eyed.
Lord Otto commanded, “Over here.”
Instantly, we peered around the sweet smelling room we were in.
A glass pane covered one wall, looking down on the cavern. The rest of the wall was shaped in a crescent moon curving around to make a lopsided circle. There were stars in the ceiling as the lighting, or at least they appeared that way. Red couches, a wooden table and chairs, a small kitchen and bathroom occupied the edges of the room.
And in the center, there was a cauldron.
An honest to God cauldron.
It frothed white at the top, the mixture inside it scalding. Smoke lifted into the air and disappeared once it hit the ceiling. The smell of forests was coming from the bubbling brew inside the cauldron’s depths. And there was no fire beneath it to even warm a single cup of water. Magic danced around the pot, almost tangible in the air.
A small choked gasp emanated from Adelie’s throat.
I merely patted her shoulder, my eyes on the overlords. Then I came closer to their huddled circle around the black pot.
Their eyes were on me as I stepped into their circle.
Curious, I asked, “What is this place?”
Lord Belshazzar supplied, “It was the guard room. Where they took their breaks.”
I flicked a finger at the magic cauldron centered between us. “And this?”
“Well, that wasn’t here before.” He smirked. “We bring it out on special occasions.”
I jerked, freezing in place, eyes enormous on my face.
Cato had rolled up one shirtsleeve and dunked his hand down into the scalding brew.
“W-what the hell?” I gasped. My eyes flew to his. “Are you suicidal?”
His lips quirked, and he chuckled. His arm was still down in the mixture. “It won’t hurt me. Or any other overlord. But, watch… You’ll like this.”
I blinked, and my attention slammed back down to the magic before me.
My jaw started to fall down, gaping wide as Cato lifted his arm out of the mixture. His arm was merely wet, but that wasn’t what held my attention. The golden chain he was dragging out of the cauldron did. Because I knew what that was. Every child learned about it at some point.
A blood-red jewel the size of my fist finally surfaced as Cato stretched the chain.
He pulled the necklace free of the cauldron, the jewel twinkling under the stars.
“The Original vampire amulet,” I breathed in awe. I reached out a hand, in a daze of wonder. “May I touch it?”
Cato quickly jerked it back, away from my reaching fingers. He shook his head once, his tone quieting in seriousness. “Only overlords can touch it without dying. Never try that again.”
I dropped my arm, and muttered, “What if I become queen?”
“Only overlords, Gwynnore.”
“You mean, only men,” I clarified. Then I crossed my arms in frustration. “That’s bullshit.”
“And yet it doesn’t change anything.” His head cocked, eyeing me.
I jerked my regard away from my loser father and found Adelie. She was standing off to the side, bouncing on the tips of her toes trying to see the Original vampire amulet. I waved her closer, offering, “Come and look before we begin whatever this is.”
She practically plowed into my back in her haste to take my place. Lord Belshazzar grabbed my elbow, stopping me from taking a header into the cauldron.
I muttered, “Thanks.”
He grunted and released me.
I moved to the side and let her through.
She stood blinking. And blinking. And blinking.
Cato bit his bottom lip and lifted the necklace, gently swinging it back and forth in front of her face. “You are getting sleepy. So sleepy—”
I grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back. I hissed, “What the hell are you doing?”
He tossed the most powerful vampire artifact back and forth between his hands like it was a baseball. “It was a joke, Gwynnore. I wasn’t doing anything.”
“That wasn’t funny,” I growled, studiously pretending not to hear all of the overlords chuckling at his kidding nature—if that was what you called it. I gently pushed Adelie toward the closest couch. “Go sit over there. I don’t know how long this is going to take.”
She followed my order without hesitation but kept stealing peeks at the jewel.
Who wouldn’t? It was magnificent and awe-inspiring.
And I didn’t feel any power coming off it at all. Weird.
My attention snared on the overlords. “What happens now?”
“For this Challenge, you must bleed on the amulet. We will then combine our powers to bring forth the men who are a possible match for you,” Lord Xenon issued the Challenge. “We don’t believe it will take long because most vampire bachelors of a certain age have already traveled to the castle in anticipation of this. Those doors will flood with males and will be unable to leave unless we allow them to.”
My lips pinched before I growled, “Do I even get a say in who will be my king?”
Lord Xenon explained patiently, “Remember, Gwynnore, he will not only be your king, but he will be the king of the entire vampire race.”
My eyebrows shot up. “So that’s a no?” Give me a damn straight answer.
I had been honest in this Challenge so far.
They could give me the same courtesy.
“Yes, you do have some say in it. In fact, you have the final word once we’ve narrowed down the candidates to five individuals.” His eyes roamed my features. “Overlords tend to pick well. There haven’t been any bad matches in over two thousand years.”
The righteous anger flooding my system dissipated—a little. “Fine.”
He blinked. “Fine? No argument?”
“There’s nothing I can say right now that will change any of this.” I shook my head slightly, my jaw grinding together. “This is currently the law.”
His head cocked. “Currently?”
I snapped my mouth shut. Too much information.
Lord Xenon stared, his gaze unflinching. “Candidate, you would do well to know that there have been plenty of queens in the past who have tried to change the law. But it never passes. And do you know why?”
My eyes narrowed, not speaking.
He answered anyway. “Because the magic won’t work if the law changes. And every vampire is made up of magic. Meaning, our race would be annihilated. So it is in your best interest to flush any ideas you have to change the law down the drain. If you don’t, you’ll only be setting yourself up for disappointment.”
I could only stare.
My heart was breaking.
My chest physically ached.
He didn’t move to console me. He simply waited for me to come to terms with it.
Eventually, I sucked in a mouthful of oxygen. “You’re lying.”
“I am not. You have my word on it as overlord.”
I shook my head rapidly. “There has to be something—”
Lord Xenon held up an instant hand, cutting off my words. “While these laws cannot change—the Original laws—there are plenty that…may…need updating. Laws that were enacted by Kings, not the Originals, long ago that are still in place.”
“How many are there against women?” I probed immediately.
“Too many to count.” His eyes roamed my features once more. “Do you wish to continue as the Queen Novitiate?”
My chest pumped hard with all these secrets coming to light.
But my answer was simple. “I do, Lord Xenon. I want to rule the vampires.”
The lord nodded, and the Original vampire amulet was placed in his palm. He simply held it in front of me, his direction easy, “Bleed on it. One drop will do.”
My fangs descended.
I pricked one of my fingers.
I held my finger over the amulet, careful not to touch it.
Ping.
One drop of crimson blood splattered its surface.
“Please move away, candidate,” he ordered—not unkindly. “We must work now.”
I stepped back until the backs of my knees hit the couch Adelie sat silently on.
She grabbed my hand and held it tight, both of our nerves raw.
Our dreams were crashing down on us.
But perhaps that was where new goals began.
If many laws still hindered women, I would handle those once I took the crown. One by one, I would change them. I would alter the future for women in our society.
I would be their advocate.
Their knightress in shining armor.
My knees gave out as magic suffocated the room.
My ass landed hard on the couch.
The overlords were working, their heads bent together over the cauldron. Whispers filtered in the air, but they were only wisps on an unseen breeze. I couldn’t catch them no matter how hard I focused. They were bringing the future king here…