Chapter 18

ELIZABETH

I stepped into the restaurant quickly, taking it all in. I hadn’t chosen the meeting place.

It was large, almost as big as the cathedral. Its walls were painted gold, and it was decorated with large chandeliers and the golden wool paneled floor. Each table had a different kind of flower in its vase.

The place reeked of old money.

The humans eating were all finely dressed, covered in makeup and jewelry, so their faces looked stiff. But they were eating joyfully, enjoying every bite.

I swept through the room, careful not to let any parts of my floaty dress anywhere near the humans’ greasy hands. The smell of their blood churned in my head.

I held my breath until I got to the far end of the room.

There was a red booth set up with flowers and fine cutlery. A young waiter stood next to it, clutching a menu to his chest.

His eyes widened when he saw me, and his heartbeat quickened. I scowled at him.

“Are you Mrs. Mcnoxnoctis?” he asked in a shaky voice. He cleared his throat.

“Lady Mcnoxnoctis,” I replied sharply, staring at him intently.

He swallowed. “You’re royalty?” He shifted his weight nervously.

I flipped my hair and stared at him curiously. “I was,” I admitted. “But I married off.” My head snapped up just as Lord Jahan Shahalia appeared from the kitchen.

“My Lady.” He bowed low, then moved rapidly across the floor to greet us.

“My Lord.” I bowed my head slightly. The human waiter was trembling.

“Don’t worry, young human. She will not kill you unless you displease her,” Jahan told the waiter, placing his hand on his shoulder. He shivered violently.

I arched a brow at Jahan. “He knows?”

“I tell the elite.” He winked at the boy. I wrinkled my nose.

“He’s just going to kill you when he gets bored with you,” I told the human, shaking my head in disgust.

“Of course not! I’ll turn him. He has good potential. I think he’ll survive the change.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Would you like your menu?” the waiter asked me, holding out his menu.

“Is there an O, AB negative cocktail in there?” I demanded.

“No.”

“Then no.” I turned away from him and sat down in the booth, crossing my legs.

Jahan chuckled and shoved the waiter away. He sat down facing me, pushing his black hair out of his eyes.

He looked a little different from the last time we’d met at Angus and Aleesha’s wedding. His hair was longer, his bone structure more developed, but he was still young.

“My sisters told me about the human child,” he started.

“So, you’ve already told me.”

“Aleesha also said that you’d sworn to kill her.”

“I did, but that was years ago.” I peered at the empty glass in front of me and frowned.

“Allow me,” Jahan got up and disappeared. Two seconds later, he was back pouring me a glass of blood from a wine bottle. I sipped it and nodded contently. Jahan served himself and sat down again.

“Do you still desire to kill this human abomination?”

“Abomination?”

“You know what she’s done to the prestige of your family?”

“Tell me.”

“The Mcnoxnoctises used to be an all-powerful elite pureblood family, but since the human, my family is catching up.” He grinned.

“So why are we here?” I demanded stiffly. “Since you seem happy to dethrone my family,”

Jahan chuckled and shook his head. “Despite what you may believe, my lady, my family is very content in our status. But I know that the Mcnoxnoctises love their power over other pureblood families.”

“Which is one reason my father agreed for me to marry my husband,” I replied.

Jahan smiled. “And also, why my father was happy for Aleesha to marry your son.”

I nodded once. “Now that we’ve established my family’s power, would you tell me why we’re meeting in a place full of fat blood bags?”

Jahan chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “I apologize. I didn’t think the humans would bother you so.”

“You’re fond of humans, are you?”

“I see their potential in being vampires. I like servants.”

I snorted and shook my head. “Now you are being even crueler than me. You take a human, turn it, and force the newborn vampire into being your servant for the rest of its life.”

Jahan shrugged and nodded. “I never said I was a good guy.”

“I’m waiting.”

“You don’t like humans.”

“I like them to eat. Besides that, no, I think they’re pitiful.”

“My sister agrees. And she’s the one living with a human. Well, not anymore now that they’ve moved.”

“To France, I heard.”

“Yes, my sister hates this human.”

“Do you want me to kill it?”

“I want you to help us kill it. Yes.”

I arched one brow at him curiously. “Do you doubt my strength?” I asked, peeling my lips back over my fangs slowly.

Jahan leaned back, shaking his head. “Of course not. I’m prepared to strike a deal.”

“I’m listening.”

“You want the child killed.”

“It would be preferable, but I don’t want to destroy my relationship with my son.”

Jahan nodded rapidly and took a large slurp of his drink. “Good, exactly what I expected. You’re going to kill the child, and we’re going to cover you.”

I leaned back as well, sipping my drink. “What do you get out of it? Why can’t Aleesha kill it?”

“Lady Rose, your son, her sister, and their children have made it quite impossible to get near the child. She’s incredibly well protected.”

“Rose’s sister.” I snorted elegantly, shaking my head slightly.

“Yes. Do you know her?”

“I was the one who told her about the human child.”

“I see.” Jahan chuckled to himself for a few seconds.

“So why do you think I could do it?” I demanded.

“Because you are royalty. Convince your brother, and we can have all of the pureblood families against them.”

“Against them?”

“A few more death threats for the human, a few insults, some silent treatment. Enough to make an elite family go mad.”

I cocked my head to one side. “Then what would that do to my family’s reputation?”

“Wonders. You can stop it before it starts. Play the royal Mcnoxnoctis warrior card and prove that the family is still all-powerful.”

“And I do that how?”

“If someone in the family makes a sacrifice and kills the human just as everyone starts to hear about it.” His voice dropped; a large sneer spread across his face.

“Me.”

He nodded.

“What about my son?”

“Lord Demetrius will get over it. He will understand.”

“Rose never will.”

“I’m sure in a few centuries. Her silent treatment will wear off.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. She’s very strong-willed. She might even come after me.”

“We’ll cover you.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “I don’t want your minion vampires trailing after me for the rest of my life.”

Jahan shrugged. “I could do it.”

“Why can’t Aleesha kill it? She’s part of the family.” I cut him off sharply.

Jahan stared at me for a few seconds.

“Rose and Aleesha already hate each other.”

“My sister also doesn’t want Lady Rose to go after her.”

I arched my brow at him. “It was proved a few years back that Lady Rose is more powerful than my sister. It would be a long fight, but Lady Rose would win in the end.”

“So, you think I’d have more of a chance against my daughter-in-law?”

“I’m thinking Rose wouldn’t want to hurt her husband. I think that she used to like you.”

“Rose and I got on well in some cases. We both have strong opinions and are very stubborn. When we agree, we love each other. But when we disagree, I think she’s the person I hate the most.”

“But you respect her.”

“Greatly.”

Jahan nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“Do you?”

He gave me a small smile. “I don’t think she’ll want to kill you.”

“I think she will. I think that you underestimate her love for the child.”

Jahan cocked his head to one side. “What do you suggest?”

I paused, then smiled. “I suggest nothing. I think your plan could work. But what do you get out of it?”

“I owe it to my sister. After our mother died when I was forty, she raised me. Our father was never home. I owe her a favor.”

“That’s not enough. What do you get out of me killing the human?”

Jahan smiled and folded his hands under his chin. “The human is a threat to my family. Our families don’t usually get along.”

“They never have,” I agreed.

“This human is special.”

“I don’t see how.”

“I want her dead, for my sister’s sake and my family’s sake. My wife likes humans.” He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want her getting any ideas.”

I smiled. “I see,” I sipped my drink slowly, then nodded. “I’ll arrange an audience with my brother soon. He’s very busy, and something like that will take time.”

Jahan nodded in agreement. “I’m sure Aleesha can handle her pride being trodden on for a few more months.”

“I’m sure your wife won’t be getting any ideas if she hears of the horrible sacrifice either,” I chuckled.

“I’ll make sure of it.”

I nodded.

“Would you like anything else to drink?”

I shook my head, finishing my glass. “No, thank you, I’d better get going.” I stood up, flipping my hair back and smiling sweetly at the human waitress who almost dropped her tray.

“We don’t get a lot of the family in here,” Jahan said, standing up to face me.

“I noticed. Good night, Lord Shahalia.” I bowed my head slightly. He did the same.

“We’ll keep in contact,” he told me, lowering his voice.

I nodded again. I took a few small steps away from him.

“Oh, by the way. Nice place you got here. Tell me, how many people do you have over for dinner every night?”

Jahan chuckled loudly, and I smiled. I walked away.

I was very conscious of the stares I got from the humans as I walked through the room.

At the front door was a young woman with pale skin and large dark eyes. She was quite pretty and reeked of turned vampire.

She bowed low to me, then stood straight, pushing her short dark hair behind her ears.

“Lady Mcnoxnoctis?”

“What do you want?” I snapped back. She didn’t even flinch. I didn’t expect as much from a turned vampire.

“My lord wishes for me to escort you home.”

I chuckled dryly. “I’m quite capable of making it home alone. I can’t see how you could help.” I flicked my fingers at her and turned away.

“My lady, you misunderstood.”

“Oh?” I turned slowly on my heels, and the turned vampire nodded shortly.

I noticed her throat tightening as a fresh-smelling little boy skipped past her. Her eyes followed him for a few seconds, then darted back to my impatient expression.

“I’m newly turned,” she started.

“I can tell.”

She swallowed loudly.

“What do you want?”

“Just, I’m your brother, Lord-King Lucius’s new maid.”

“My brother can’t keep his house clean?”

She smiled slightly, then caught herself and shrugged. “When my lord found me, he didn’t want to kill me. He didn’t have any other job for me, so I kinda became his maid.”

“You are barely more than human to me, child. I don’t care about your pitiful little life,” I told her sharply, crossing my arms over my chest tightly. “What does my brother want?”

“He’s asked an audience with Lady Rose and her human child,” she told me bluntly. I nodded slowly.

“Of course, he goes through me to do it, to see if I approve,” I mumbled. “Fine, I’ll come to him in a few days. We have a few things to discuss before he sees Rose.”

The turned vampire bowed again. I watched her disappear into the misty night. She moved slowly to me but fast enough that no humans even caught sight of her.

I continued down the street. A few minutes later, I was home.

Damon was in the garden, his small pack of huskies crowding around his legs while he threw sticks.

I moved through the dew-covered grass and sat down in our old swing. It creaked under my weight.

“Good meeting?” Damon asked, running his fingers through a large black dog’s fur. I shrugged.

“Quite tiresome. I’ve agreed to kill the human child Rose has adopted.”

Damon leaned back from the dog and turned his dark green gaze on mine. “I see. You know the consequences.”

“I risk Demetrius.”

“And Rose.” He took the stick one of his dogs was holding out to him and tossed it away. The dog shot after it.

“Yes, Rose will hate me.”

“Though you did threaten the child when she was first discovered.”

“And I can’t go back on that. I want it dead!”

Damon smiled slightly. “Then I’m on your side.”

I smiled back. “Thank you.”

“Only if you’re 100 percent sure you want the child dead.”

I pushed my wild hair behind my ears and nodded. “You’ve never seen the human, my dear. She’s a fierce thing to behold.”

Damon looked unimpressed. “

The love Rose has for her is very strong. I cannot allow this to go on.”

“The adoption.”

“Yes, it’s not only bad for the family’s reputation but also, I don’t like it! The child is the opposite of us, and there’s nothing I can do about it. That’s the worst part. She’s loved by my family.”

“How will you kill her?”

“I don’t know, I don’t care, but I do know that I will drain her.” I smiled slightly. “Her blood is so sweet, the sort of sweetness you walk past in the street and have to take a sip.”

“I see.” Damon knelt to pat the top of his dog’s head. “You want the child dead, and you want the pleasure of draining her.”

“Yes.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Sounds like something you’d do without thinking. When has anyone stood in your way before?”

“Never,” I murmured.

“So, kill the child, this atrocity. Russel and I are the leaders of this family, we’ve discussed this child, and we don’t like it either. I will stand behind you, my darling.

“A pureblood vampire adopting a human, it’s unacceptable! And disgraceful, it’s not something I ever want to hear of again.”

“It must be disposed of,” I agreed.

“Yes, it must die. You must kill it. Rose’s punishment for this outrage will be her grief. For you cannot adopt a human child without consequences! I love Rose, but she’s a mystery to me most of the time.”

He frowned, tossing another stick, then smiled at me, his green eyes sparkling. “See to it that you get in contact with my lord, the king of vampires. There should be a law against this.”

I smiled slyly. “I agree. Lucius will too. He’s asked for an audience with Rose and her fake offspring. I’ll run the idea by him first.”

“I’ll visit the family in France.” I nodded slowly then stood up. Damon reached his hand out to me and pulled me against him.

“We cannot let this ~human~ live,” I said fiercely before our lips met and my murderous thoughts were torn away.