Chapter 6 I’m the Vampire Queen
The heavy glass of the balcony door slid open with a sharp, mechanical click.
Aria let out a strangled gasp, rushing past me before I could even authorize the movement. “Julian!”
Julian didn't walk in; he practically fell into the room, his weight dragging against Aria’s smaller frame. I caught him by the collar of his jacket before they both hit the floor, hauling him toward the velvet sofa. My nose flared as the scent of iron and magic filled the air.
It was a lot of blood. Too much for a warlock who was supposed to be safely tucked away in the coven’s quarters.
“Aria,” Julian wheezed, his silver magic flickering weakly around his fingertips like a dying candle. “They’re… they’re moving. It wasn't just the nine witches. They’re hunting now.”
Aria was already on her knees beside him, her hands trembling as she hovered over his chest, trying to find the source of the bleeding. “Who, Julian? Who is hunting?”
“I don’t know,” he choked out, his eyes rolling back slightly. “Everything went dark. The shadows… they were alive.”
I placed a firm hand on Aria’s shoulder, pulling her back slightly so I could inspect the wounds. They weren't teeth marks. They were jagged, rhythmic slashes, the work of enchanted steel. “This wasn't a vampire,” I said, my voice like ice. “This was a ritual blade.”
Aria looked up at me, her face pale. “But everyone thinks it’s your kind. If they find out another witch was attacked right after our ceremony…”
“Then the truce is dead before the ink on the contract is dry,” I finished.
I stood up, crossing to the small bar in the corner. I poured a glass of the heavy, dark amber liquid a high-proof spirit infused with herbs that aided healing. I brought it back and pressed it to Julian’s lips.
“Drink,” I commanded.
He swallowed, coughing as the liquid burned its way down. After a few moments, the frantic rhythm of his heart began to steady. The silver sparks in his veins settled.
Aria didn't move from his side. She looked at Julian, then back at me, the weight of her choice in the council room clearly crashing down on her. “I was trying to buy us more time,” she whispered, almost to herself. “I know you’re not personally responsible for this, Kael. None of you are.”
I watched her closely. Her heart was steady. She wasn't just defending me; she was stating a fact she had seen in that mirror of hers.
“That was very brave of you,” I replied, moving toward the kitchen area of the suite to grab a clean cloth. “But bravery without information is just a slow suicide.”
I returned and handed her the cloth. I watched as she began to clean the blood from Julian’s face. She worked with a focus that ignored the luxury of the room around her. She wasn't a Queen in this moment, or a bride. She was just a girl trying to keep her world from crumbling.
“Did your mother ask you to marry me, Aria?” I asked, the question finally slipping out.
She looked up in genuine surprise, a small, bitter laugh escaping her. “No. Not at all. I didn’t even tell her I was going to propose. Actually, she might be considering where to bury my body once this is all over.”
“Once what is over?”
“When we catch whoever is doing this,” she said, her gaze hardening. “Then we can get our marriage annulled and go back to our lives.”
Annulled. The word tasted like ash.
I looked at the way she held Julian’s hand the way she moved to protect those she cared about. She wanted to go back to being a "void" in her coven. She didn't realize that the moment she stepped into my world, there was no going back.
“I have business to attend to,” I said, my tone shifting back to the King. “The council is meeting in an hour to discuss the security breach. Julian stays here. He’s safe in this wing.”
Aria stood up, wiping her stained hands on her dress. “I’m coming with you.”
“It’s a vampire council, Aria. They won't be welcoming.”
“I’m the Vampire Queen of Seattle as of an hour ago,” she countered, her chin lifting. “Whether they like it or not, I’m part of the solution now.”
I looked at her—blood-stained, magic-less, and utterly terrifying in her resolve. A faint curve touched my mouth.
“Then I suggest you change your dress,” I said. “If we’re going to face a den of vipers, you should at least look like you’re ready to lead them.”