I stepped into the chamber, and Mister Crushed Ego slammed the door.
The five overlords sat in their casual clothes, which were out of place. They were usually all dressed up in for the pomp and ceremony. They loved to remind everyone how powerful they were, waving their dicks in our faces. But there wasn’t a hint of the hauteur I was used to from them. They were gathered around a small, old wooden table.
Stress. Distress. Excitement.
It radiated from them in waves.
My stomach stopped fluttering and started churning hard. They left me standing and waiting for a very, very long moment.
“Gwynnore, daughter of Alaine,” Lord Belshazzar began, standing up. “You have satisfied all of our trials with expediency and enthusiasm. The last trial only barely, when you finally revealed to Lord Pippin that you believed Lord Cato was breaking the law. The truth. That was the true test, whether you would tell us of your father’s possible duplicity—even if the Council did want Ginter dead for our own reasons.”
I blinked. Stared. “Wait… You knew he had created a vampire?”
Lord Belshazzar nodded with ease. “Yes. Any vampire he has created has been approved.”
My mouth bobbed without elegance. “You were testing me. About my morals, and where I would let the law apply.”
Didn’t they know I despised my father?
I wouldn’t have saved his ass from death. At least…
No, I wouldn’t have. I did a little mental shake. I definitely wouldn’t save the bastard who had abandoned me. I had told Lord Pippin about it—even if it was out of unfiltered anger.
“Yes. And the Council is pleased with the outcome. We have reached the last trial.”
Lord Xenon stood. “This trial is law. Your last Challenge is in the Law. We cannot change it. We dare not change it. It has served us well this long. But bear in mind always that this is the law, and we must obey it.”
Lord Otto hoisted himself out of his chair. “Our conditions are this. You must complete this task in under forty-eight hours. It must be done in the public eye. And you must not ever tell anyone the true reason for this.”
Cato rose to his feet. “Tradition is tradition. Law is law. If you want the crown, you must follow this to the letter.” His cold facade wavered a moment then snapped back into place.
Slowly, Lord Pippin stood. “Are you ready to hear your final Challenge?”
I nodded, swallowing back the bile that wanted out.
He continued, “The law states that she who would be queen must to prove her dedication to the law, kill the individual who is her most loved one, be they family, friend or mated—including soul mates. No one can be told of this Challenge. The blood must be left to the ages.”
There was no way I’d heard that right. “Could you repeat that?”
“You must kill the individual who is your most loved one,” Lord Pippin repeated the words.
“You want me to kill my friend?” My voice rose hysterically, his meaning hitting like a sledgehammer to my skull. “You want me to kill Adelie?”
“We do not.” Lord Belshazzar kept his tone even and quiet. “It is the law. This trial is to prove your loyalty to the vampires. This Challenge is to prove you’re loyal to the law. It is the law that issues this Challenge.”
“Find something. Anything else. Want me to wipe out a village? An island? A vampire enclave? I’m all for it.”
Lord Otto sat down. “It is law.”
“Find something else! Adelie is my truest friend. She is my confidant, and I need her help as queen. And you want me to fucking kill her?”
Lord Xenon found his chair as well. “It is law.”
“Fuck your law. Fuck it. Find me another Challenge.”
“You have forty-eight hours to complete this,” Lord Belshazzar explained patiently and then sat his own ass down as well. They were all on their asses staring at me—except for Cato. He remained standing, his expression utterly blank while he watched me. I gave them all the middle finger and turned to walk out, fully expecting that they would call me back and tell me the real Challenge. Or kill me on the way out.
Lord Belshazzar moved and blocked my way. “This is not a lie, Gwen. You are required to kill the one you love the most. If you want to be queen, you must. We want you to be the queen. You are the best, the most suited for this.”
His eyes were soft, but unmovable.
“You’re not kidding. I really have to kill her.”
“Make it quick, Gwen. Don’t drag this out, for either of you. It only gets worse. I can tell you, the longer you let this take, the more horrible it’s going to be.”
I shook my head hard. “I had fucking breakfast with her twenty minutes ago.”
“The law must be upheld.”
My blink was ever so slow and my blood ran cold. “Do…do the male candidate have to perform this Challenge to?”
His ice blue eyes narrowed. “I’m not allowed to answer that. As you know.” He shook his head sharply, entering my personal space with a step forward, when I opened my mouth to argue. “Careful. You’re veering into death territory if you ask me again. The only reason you got away with that question the first time is because it was for the male candidates. One warning can be given. That’s it.”
I pushed him out of my way. To hell with them!
My fists shook, cramping from squeezing so hard.
My gaze landed on Cato.
My father didn’t blink. He held my regard.
My mother… His wife… His love…
The need to flee was overwhelming.
I kicked the door open.
And then shoved past Nial standing there.
“What’s the trial?” He walked behind me with his long legs, easily keeping up with my hurried stalk. “Gwen, what’s the—”
Using my speed, I ran not only through the stronghold but down the mountain and out into the cold air of the Chilean winter. I ran hard and ran fast. I just kept running until I finally exhausted myself, nearly an hour later. There was a small copse of evergreen bushes, and I dropped down under them, wrapping my arms around my knees and rocking madly. Everything but the challenge I shoved aside for later review—my emotions couldn’t handle any more.
I had to kill my friend.
That was the law?
Who makes laws about killing your best friend?
Didn’t they understand that I needed her help?
Sweet and caring Adelie was my right-hand woman, and I needed that. Someone who would remember things for me. Something that would pick out fancy foods and place settings when I didn’t even remotely care. Someone who…cared…about me. And I her.
I had to murder my friend?
How could that be a law? Take away one of the queen’s strengths before she even gets to the throne. The whole vampire law was stilted toward the males, it always had been, but this was the ultimate slap in the face to the females. Hobbling their queen.