Chapter 70 Chapter Seventy

Chapter 70 Chapter Seventy
 “Get ready tonight. We're going out.”

Briar wanted to snap at Amara that wasn't going anywhere but thought better of it. If she so much as made a face, Amara would use the collar on her. The pain the collar brought was unimaginable. Like her blood was boiling hot inside her body. She flinched just by thinking about it now. 

“Where?” 

“The castle. We're going to kill the Royal family.” 

“What?” Briar sputtered. 

“You heard me.” Amara said without looking at her. She was at the desk in her office, writing something. 

“Why would you want to kill the Royal family?”

“So I can rule Diamond Ridge, Briar. Try to keep up. And don't ask me why. My reasons are not your concern.”

Briar frowned. “Is this what you wanted me for? To use as your killing machine?”

“Precisely, yes. Your method of killing is very efficient. No one would suspect me. Killing them openly would arouse too much suspicion. So I'll have you do it. There'll be a party tonight so it will be the perfect cover.”

Briar went back to her room, mulling over everything glumly. She hated this. She hated this and she missed Alaric. It felt like she hadn't breathed properly in the past week. She wondered where he was now. What he was doing. If he was coming to save her. 

She passed by some witches on the walk back to her room. They spoke to each other but their tones were loud enough for her to hear. She suspected it was intentional. 

“Look it's the vampire slut.”One of them said.

“Couldn't even keep it in her pants when she was human,” Another giggled. 

“Abandoned her kind for a good fuck. I low-key would though. That Alaric looks like he's packing.”

Briar's hands curled into fists. Fuck this. She turned back in a blur of motion and gave all three of them a punch in the face. 

“You fucking bitch!” The first one shrieked. 

“If you're going to talk shit about me, you say it to my face.”

“We're going to tell mother,” the other said, clutching at her face. 

“I dare you. She can't kill me. She needs me.”  

Amara might punish her for this but ultimately there was no touching Briar. When she went back to her room, there was a dress laid out for her on her bed. The dress she would wear for the party then. It was red and plamatching her hair and eyes, sleeveless with only a thin strap for the shoulders and it had a high slit. She ran her fingers over the fabric. Silk. At least Amara had taste. 

Briar mulled over all the ways she could get out of killing the Royal family but none seemed promising. She hated the thought of Amara having even a sliver of power. This was good though. Staying close to her, being her lapdog brought her one step closer to killing her. 

Night came quickly and Briar put on her dress. It hugged her body in all the right places, the slit high but not high enough for her preference. Nothing could compare to the gown she wore on the feast of Beltaine though. Good times.

A knock sounded on her door. “Are you ready? It's time.” Said a female voice she didn't recognize. 

Briar opened the door to see a blonde haired witch, all dressed up in a black gown for the occasion.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Morgan. I'll be taking you to the party.”

“Where's Amara?”

“You can't be seen with her. You're a stranger and can arouse suspicion. You'll stick with me and do your job.” said Morgan.

She should stall this. “I'm hungry. I haven't fed since this morning and I need to be at my full strength.”

Morgan rolled her eyes like this was an inconvenience to her. She thrust out her wrist. “Here. Feed from me.”

Briar narrowed her eyes. “I usually prefer to drink from male humans.”

“There's no time for this. And you're not allowed to drink from the guards. Take it or leave it.”

“Fine.”

She took Morgan's wrist and brought it to her mouth and began to drink. Morgan hissed at the first contact of Briar's fangs on her skin. Briar didn't bother to be gentle. She had to admit it tasted good though. 

She pulled back, licking her lips, relishing in the taste and Morgan's look of disgust. Maybe she should start feeding from these witches just to spite them.

“Let's go,” she said, clutching her bleeding wrist. 

Morgan led her to a car already waiting for them outside. A man was in front, his hands on the steering. He drove off immediately they got in, Morgan in the passenger seat and Briar at the back.

Briar watched as they drove further uphill, enjoying the view of the city. She spotted a vampire flying overhead and her heart caught in her throat. Who was that? 

The castle stood at the highest point on your bridge, glittering like the night sky on a starry evening. It was brimming with all sorts of people dressed in finery and looking happy. None of these people knew what was going to happen tonight. 

“We'll go into the castle with the rest of the masses so we can blend in with the crowd. Understood?” Morgan said.

Briar nodded. 

“Once we're close enough, you do what you're hear to. Clear?”

“Crystal.”

Morgan and her made their way into the castle, following the crowd. They made their way up the stairs to the room overlooking the throne room. 

Briar spotted the King and Queen immediately. They were the most decorated people in the room and their crowns were extravagant–diamond studded. She saw Amara too, at the high table, laughing. Odd. She didn't know the witch had a sense of humour.

“Get ready,” Morgan to her. 

No other way out of this then. She closed her eyes, seeing the threads of the King and Queen, frayed at the edges but full of so much life. The space that was supposed to be Amara's threads were…blank. Weird. Everyone had threads. The thing that wove the very fabric of their souls.  Briar had never tried it because of the collar and Amara was always watching her like a hawk. But now…

“Wait,” Morgan said. “Where's the princess?”