No more fear.
No more wondering about the terror he might someday become.
It was over.
“We did our best, Sevan,” Cyrus said quietly as he wrapped his arms around me as I stared down at the frozen, overturned earth.
More tears streamed down my face, freezing to my skin.
I’d never felt such self-loathing.
Chapter 28
A boom echoed throughout the castle.
Cyrus and I looked up at one another from the study. Our eyes grew wide, instantly glowing red. We each grabbed for a weapon, two always within reach in every room.
With predator strength and speed, we darted through the many halls and stairs.
We froze as we stepped into the great entry hall.
The wood and iron doors lay on the ground in a splintered, shattered mess.
And waiting in the doorway, blood staining his chin, hands, and clothes, his eyes glowing brilliant red, was our son.
“Good evening Mother,” he said with a wicked grin. “Father.”
Horror filled me. My mouth could not close. My lungs could not take air in and out, and my tongue could not find words.
“It seems your curse did not end with the two of you,” he said as he stepped inside, walking over the broken door. “Because just hours ago, I awoke inside a very cold and dark grave. And the burn…” He shook his head with a chuckle, his smile devilish. “You did not jest about the burn. But thanks to these incredible senses, it did not take long to find the nearest scent of a human and partake in my first meal.”
I whispered his name then, the horror and terror in me washing through like a wave.
“It seems something truly remarkable happens when a vampire father impregnates a human mother,” he said coyly as he continued walking toward us. “The unknown is if it can be replicated. If I am what I am because my mother was turned while carrying me, or if that is all it takes. An immortal father, and a fertile mother host.”
“I beg you to end this line of thought here,” Cyrus said gravely. “You do not know what you are toying with. You have no idea what curse you will bring upon yourself. Do not follow in my mistakes, son.”
He laughed. “Son,” he said mockingly. “Son means you love someone. Son means family, and would you not want your family to be together forever? If you loved me as your son, you would have wanted that for us, Father.”
He shook his head, hatred filling every surface of his face. “You kept me alone my entire life, and told me that you were alright with me dying when the time came.” He backed up a step. “Now is the time that I get the chance to correct your shortcomings and lies. I will find my own family. I will give them the promise of being together forever. And I will not suppress their potential.”
I called his name again, my eyes pleading.
But I knew there were no words that would change his mind.
“We will meet again,” he said.
It wasn’t a promise.
It was a threat.
And without another glance back at either of us, our son turned, and left.
* * *
As we traveled into the surrounding towns over the next few years, we heard rumors. Of a man from the mountains who took wives. Of a man who drank blood.
Whenever we asked where this man was, no one knew. Only that he traveled. That he visited far reaches of the world. And that he gathered wives by the dozens.
I felt sick.
I knew it was not the women that he cared about. It was the possibility of those children that might be conceived.
He hoped they would be like him.
“Cyrus, if he creates others like us…” I would shake my head, filled with terror. “There would be no stopping him. The damage he could do to villages. Entire towns.”
“Countries,” Cyrus corrected. His eyes were dark and stormy. “The world.”
We had created a monster.
“We have to stop him,” I breathed.
“We have no idea where he is,” Cyrus said, his eyes casting about the valley that spread before the castle. “He could be anywhere in the world at this point.”
I stood at my husband’s side, looking over our little piece of heaven.
“Then we need to prepare,” I said. My heart started beating a little faster. “If it eventually comes to war, if that is the only way to stop him, we need to be prepared.”
Cyrus looked over at me, and my gaze locked on his face.
“You already have the castle, my forever heart,” I said, reaching for his hand. “Now you need a kingdom and an army.”
Chapter 29
I looked in the reflection of the silver mirror on the wall.
Blood dripped down my chin, splattering on the floor at my feet.
A woman lay there, as well. Dead. I had drunk every bit of her blood.
“Sevan,” Cyrus’ voice said from behind. But I did not turn to look at him. “Is something the matter? That is the third feeder you have drained in five days.”
I looked down at her. And my heart shuttered a beat when I realized he was right.
“The burn,” I said, shaking my head. “It won’t stop. I can’t make it stop.”
He turned me, looking into my eyes. He searched me hard, as if he could read a diagnosis off my skin.
“Your Majes-”
The voice abruptly cut off as my handmaid stepped in and saw what was going on.
“Adeline,” Cyrus said, looking over at her. “Find someone to help you take the body away.”
She gave a little bow and quickly left the room.
It had been easier than it should have been. As people saw what we were capable of, we were either met with fear or awe. They either wanted to kill us, or worship us.
And we took care of them.
The people came.
We gave them a purpose.
We slowly built the town back up.
We had slowly built our own little kingdom over the past sixty years.
It was incredible what we had accomplished over these few years.
Incredible more that neither of us had aged a day.
When we should have aged out of our mortal lives years ago, we were both still going strong.
But no more.
“Something isn’t right, Cyrus,” I breathed hard. Already my throat burned hotter and all I could think about was more blood. More blood to ease the pain.
“Sevan,” Cyrus said in utter terror.
But I couldn’t hear his words.
All I could think about was finding another feeder.
I turned, and with glowing eyes and lengthening fangs, I darted through the castle, and leapt on the first person I came upon.
* * *
The burn was so intense, so hot.
But as I tried to rise up from my bed to go find yet another feeder, my strength was nowhere to be found.
“Cyrus,” I hissed, my words rough and difficult. My vision was blurry as I searched around the room for him. My head was spinning.
“I’m here, my forever heart,” he spoke softly.
I realized he had been sitting beside me the entire time. He took my hand, holding it close to his chest.
“This…” I struggled with the words. They came in and out with mountains of pain. My entire body was a burning inferno. Burning hotter than the sun. “This is the end.”
Cyrus pressed his lips to the back of my hand, shaking his head. “No,” he insisted. “I cured death. This is merely some illness we have yet to encounter. I can fix it. I only need some more time in the lab. I’ll bring you with me.”
Painfully I shook my head. “I can feel it, Cyrus. My time…” I winced, crying out as a new wave of heat scorched through me. “My time is out.”
“Sevan,” Cyrus cried. He gathered me into his lap, looking down at me. One of his tears slipped off of his face, splashing onto my cheek.
My eyes slid closed, too heavy to keep open.
“I hated that you took my choice from me,” I said, the words coming out slow and heavy. “But our lives…what we’ve done…it is incredible. But if all of this were taken away,” weakly, I waved a hand generally around. “I would still be grateful just that I could spend it all with you.”