Page 132 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

Thoren looked around the boat. “Willem has no idea that his children are alive,” he reminded us. “He’s only shown his ugly face because he’s after one thing.”

Thea stepped closer to me as everyone looked to her. I wrapped an arm around her.

“We aren’t using her as bait,” I said with deathly calm.

“Why not?” he countered without blinking. “From what I’ve seen, she can hold her own.”

“She’s pregnant!” I roared.

“We know,” Jacqueline started to say, but it was Thea that cut her off.

“And I will do whatever it takes to protect our child. We will never be safe as long as my father is alive.” She leveled a stare at me, her mind totally blank.

I knew what she was doing. I sucked in a ragged breath, searching for that piece of her I carried in my soul—the spark of pure light that guided me. Finally, I nodded. “You’re right.” I swallowed. “But what if he’s in Venice. We aren’t returning to the season.”

She held my gaze. “We have to. I cannot abandon the throne. Not until...” She trailed away, knowing I would understand the condition she had on her reign. We’d spent enough time talking about it that her desires were completely clear to me. Thea wouldn’t abandon her seat of power until things were righted, until we knew who had murdered Ginerva, until we were certain the throne would not fall into the wrong hands.

“We can’t go back there,” Camila sputtered, uncharacteristically shaken. “They tried to kill you.”

A cruel smile spread over our mother’s face as she cast a look of approval at Thea. “The Council won’t expect it. They’ll expect you to run, to hide.”

Thea lifted her chin, looking every bit the Queen as she spoke, “I am through hiding.”

“Will you fight?” Sabine asked.

“In my own way.”

Thea...

But she turned in a circle, taking us each in, in turn. “You’ve all seen battlefields. War.” She paused and lingered on Camila who had the decency not to correct her. My sister was the only other creature present who had never gone to war. “And there may be a time when that violence is unavoidable, but what if...what if we just outsmarted them? Benedict.” She turned and looked at him. “You have been spinning things for the family for years. All that time dealing with politicians has to be useful.” Her eyes swept to Thoren who stood next to him. “Am I right to assume you question the intelligence of fighting?” A pause before he nodded. “Lysander knows more than the rest of you have forgotten over the centuries. Sebastian has friends everywhere.” Next she pointed to Jacqueline. “Who couldn’t she charm?” My best friend tilted her head as if to say true.

Thea’s eyes met mine for a brief second before she turned to my parents. “And you have seen enough battles to know how an enemy thinks, or am I wrong?”

My mother stared at her, but my father’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “You are not.”

“Lovely sentiment,” Camila interjected, “but what about you? The Council tried to assassinate you.”

Thea didn’t shy away from her searing glare. “I have magic.”

“Magic you don’t know how to use.”

But Thea simply smiled. “Then I learn.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

THEA

“That was quite the speech,” Julian said when we were finally alone.

We’d taken the boat back to the island to pack, and most of his family had come along. Dominic and Thoren had volunteered to return the yacht to its dock in Cuba as a matter of precaution. Since the Vampire Council had tracked it once, it seemed prudent. I doubted any of us believed they couldn’t find us here, even with Julian’s increased security.

I swept my hanging clothes into my arms and carried them to the suitcase on the bed. It felt like I’d just unpacked. “Someone had to stop the bickering,” I said lightly. “Was I out of line?”

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. So far he hadn’t packed a single item. “Thea, you’re a Queen.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “They bow to you.”

“Sabine doesn’t.” I snorted.

“She didn’t argue with you.”

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