Chapter 19

ELIZABETH

The royal pureblood family manor was in Naples. Since the volcano erupted in Pompeii, we’d had to move it around a little, but a new one had been rebuilt in Naples while I was growing up in England.

I knew that Lucius was living in the manor in Naples. I took a flight at dawn and arrived in Rome in the middle of the night.

I spent the next two hours running to Naples. I arrived just at the crack of dawn. I could feel the air simmering around me as I turned into the city.

The manor was backed up against a mountain, barely visible to human eyes, and there was just a large gray stone door with a line of olive trees.

I walked across the gravelly ground, conscious of the eyes following my every step. The stone doors creaked open just as I arrived.

I stepped into a gigantic, illuminated marble entrance. In front of us were two large stairways disappearing upstairs. The marble stairs were covered with a thick red rug that followed to my feet.

At the foot of each staircase stood a turned vampire. The butler who’d opened the door for me was a young turned vampire. He still looked scared.

I gathered my gown around my ankles and brushed past him. The manor smelled of rich, sweet blood, enough to make my throat tighten.

I could hear the bustling voices of the turned vampires who went about their many jobs. In the distance, I recognized Lucius’s laughter.

“Lady Mcnoxnoctis. You’re here to see your brother?” A turned vampire appeared by my side. I gazed at her. Lucius had turned her for her looks.

Even as a human, she would have been lovely. She had long flowing auburn hair and bright blue eyes, and her smile was bright and friendly.

“Yes,” I snapped back at her. She lost her smile. It was replaced with a sly grin.

“Follow me.” She turned on her heels and flicked her finger for me to follow. I rolled my lips back over my teeth and followed her.

She led me up one staircase, through two hallways, up another flight of stairs into the main hall. All the while, she pointed out the changes in the manor since I’d last visited. I listened curiously.

She stopped in front of a pair of large stone double doors.

“This is the main hall. I fear that you will not find anything new, as it has not changed in the last two thousand years.”

“It’s not supposed to.” I moved past her placing my hand on the cold doors. I pushed them open easily.

The main hall was a long, wide room with five royal chandeliers dangling from the golden painted ceiling.

The walls were made of red marble, ten large red columns traced across the room facing each other, there was a balcony around the top of the hall, lined with lounge chairs.

In the hall were sofas, armchairs, small glass tables. Only the elite were invited to lounge in the main hall. The marble floor was decorated with spirals and lines, all leading to the far end of the room.

There sat two thrones, ancient chairs made of pure gold, covered in cushions and jewels. They glowed across the room, illuminating the hall to a point where it almost hurt.

On one throne sat Lucius. He was wearing black pants and a red cape. His thick red hair was out, scattered behind him.

At his feet sat a large black panther with a thick gold collar around his neck. It growled as I approached.

In the chair next to him was a young pureblood with short golden-red hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a short lilac dress and a single clip keeping her hair out of her eyes.

I didn’t recognize her, but I smelled royalty.

“Sister,” Lucius stood up to grab my wrist and pull me into one of his bear hugs. I smiled and hugged him back.

“Brother. It’s so nice to be here,” I admitted as he let me go. He smiled and sat back down on his throne.

“To be honest, I was expecting you’d visit after I sent Arabella with the message.”

I arched my brow. “You know I hate turned vampires.”

“I do.” He grinned. “I hope you didn’t torture her too much.”

“Just enough.” I smiled, then glanced at the young pureblood who was watching us with wide eyes.

“Oh yes. Elizabeth, dear sister, this is my granddaughter, Caroline.”

The princess stood up to bow to me. I bowed back.

“Caroline, it’s a pleasure,” I assured her.

“Please, only Grandfather calls me Caroline. Callie.” She grinned.

I nodded once.

“Caroline was just telling me about her vacation with Alexander in Siberia,” Lucius informed me.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful!” Callie insisted.

“I’m sure. I’m sorry to cut you off, but I must discuss an important topic with my brother,” I informed them.

“The human child.” Lucius smiled wickedly as Callie stood up.

“It was wonderful meeting you, Great Aunt,” she said, moving quickly toward the doors.

“Yes,” I replied blankly, my mind already closing her off. When the doors closed, Lucius spoke.

“Sit, Sister. I can see you’re distressed,” he insisted, pointing at the empty throne.

I hesitated, I’d spent my childhood climbing all over it, but since I was married off, it was a crime to sit on the royal throne.

“Sit, you are a Night when you enter this manor. Now, Liz, tell me what’s on your mind. I’m not busy until tomorrow.”

I nodded, slowly sitting down on the comfortable throne. I leaned toward Lucius, hesitating.

“The child must die, Lucius,” I told him.

Lucius shifted position so he could face me as well. The corners of his lips turned up slightly. “You seem very obsessed with this child.”

I rolled my eyes at him and leaned away. “I’m serious, Lucius.”

“Why? Why should the child die? What has she done to hurt you, me, or anyone?”

“She’s human!” I raged.

Lucius gripped my wrist to keep me from bounding upward. “I know that, Sister. And I know that you hate this human child. I think it’s because she’s a weakness.”

I peered at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“She’s a fault in the way things are, Pureblood families being on the top of everything, and everyone. A panther wouldn’t raise a squirrel. It’s going against nature.

“And not only is this child an abomination and a flaw in your family but she’s also insulted us! All of us, and she’s being freely protected, guarded almost like she means something in this world.

“It’s like a slave speaking up. She must be silenced. This is what you’re trying to say.”

“In a way, yes.”

“You’ve come here to convince me to join you in killing this child.”

I breathed out and pushed my hair out of my eyes, then nodded. “Yes. I will kill the child myself.”

“Tell me, Sister, why haven’t you already killed her?”

I felt a slow, sly grin spread across my face. “Because she’s so sweet.”

Lucius chuckled. “I’ll see, won’t I? When she comes to visit. I hope she comes soon. I’m intrigued.”

“You often are.”

Lucius smiled at me then stood up. He stood in front of me, folding his arms across his chest.

“You want to kill the child.”

“I do,” I replied, crossing my legs and facing him. Lucius frowned slightly and ran his fingers through his thick hair.

“You must be afraid of Demetrius’s reaction. Which is why you’ve waited.”

“I’ve also been away,” I admitted.

Lucius nodded. “I know, but if you kill the child, he will be on Rose’s side, and I’m pretty sure she’ll go after you.”

“I realize this, Brother. But she’s no threat to me.”

Lucius smiled slightly. “From memory, she could be.”

I scowled at him. “Lucius, I’ve thought this over many times on my way here and even before, and I think—”

“You can’t kill the child, or else it would be a crime, a pureblood crime. You know the punishment for murder.”

I frowned at him. “A crime? She’s not even a vampire! Let alone a pureblood vampire! This is ridiculous!”

“Not at all.” He smiled at me. “It makes perfect sense. She’s been adopted into the family. Therefore, she’s a Mcnoxnoctis. If you kill her, you would have to die yourself.”

He paused to move in front of me. He gripped the sides of my throne and stared into my eyes. I glowered back at him.

“So how do I kill her?”

“Turn the crime around. It’s time for a new law. It will reflect the law about humans staying ignorant.

“Our families will grow weak and small if they all start adopting humans, can you imagine? They’d stop having children, and they’d be such a drain on your lives.”

He gestured to me, getting all worked up. He was pacing back and forth in front of me.

“It would be dreadful,” I admitted. “Tell me what you want to do, Brother.”

Lucius stopped pacing and faced me, his blue eyes twinkling.

“There’s going to be a law against adopting human children.” He grinned. “For the sake of all the pureblood families. And I think most of them will back me up on this one.

“The punishment will be imprisonment for five hundred years, however, young Lady Rose will not be sentenced because it wasn’t in force when she adopted the child.”

He smiled, and I nodded eagerly.

“Perfect.”

“If I do say so myself.” He chuckled. “Now, little Lizzy, we need to enact this law. You know it will take time.”

“It always does.”

“Good, you can wait?”

“I can.”

He grinned. “I’ll start tomorrow night. The pureblood family leaders will have a vote. We’ll see from then on. But I’m very busy with other things too. I still want to see the child.”

“What happens if she doesn’t give her up once the law is enforced?” I demanded. Lucius shrugged.

“Do you think she would?”

“Definitely. I would do anything for Angus and Demetrius.”

Lucius nodded in agreement. “Well, we’ll have to force her. If she won’t give the child away, we’ll take her. Rose can’t resist us all.”

“We take the child, and I kill the child.”

Lucius nodded slowly.

“As soon as we take her, or Rose gives her up, she’s no longer a Mcnoxnoctis, and killing a human is not a crime,” I insisted.

Lucius smiled slightly and nodded.

“Yes, of course. Good. Now come, let us have something to drink,” he held his arm out, smiling I looped my arm around him as he led me out of the main hall.