Page 58 of A Kingdom of Broken Bonds

I am speaking out of turn, in fact, I’m being impertinent and could very well be punished, but I don’t care. Everything I say is true. My life has been forfeited for the good of my people, and this is something I accepted as I knew I was doing what was necessary to save them. Years of my life have been spent here, learning about the other lands and how to be the perfect bride instead of spending time with my family or making friends like other young vampires. Now, it was all for nothing, and my kind is suffering regardless.

Raising a brow at my tone, the king clears his throat as though to remind me who is in charge. “We decided it was best not to tell you with everything going on. Plus, we have not made this public knowledge, and we plan to keep it that way.”

While I understand it is important to keep news of this calibre under control until they know more about what’s happening to avoid panic, I can read between the lines. They want to write this off as a few random feral vampire attacks and nothing more.

I’m utterly horrified, and even Eli’s steady hand on the small of my back does not help settle me. My eyes shift to Finnik. His expression is hard, his body seemingly frozen, but as our gazes meet, I can feel his anger, horror, and frustration at the situation. Without our tentative, fluttering connection, I would never know the turbulent storm going on within him or know with pure certainty that he had no idea about this.

A heavy pause falls over us, the king intending for us to feel the weight of the unspoken order in his words. We are not to tell anyone of what he told us.

Drath strokes his chin as he watches me. “I have scholars working on the prophecy to see if there are any other ways we can fulfil your part with or without Havoc.” He might not have said it aloud, nor did he mean to give himself away, but his anger at his son and his catastrophic actions bleeds through his composure and into his voice.

I never understood why the king would choose to name his sons such names. Princes Desolation, Ruin, Anarchy, Chaos, and Havoc. He is certainly living up to his namesake. His name causes me pain, making me want to wither away into nothing, but Eli’s bond strengthens me, bolstering me against the onslaught of the rejection.

I take a moment to make sure I am in control of my voice. Havoc has made me look weak enough, and I will not allow that to continue. Clearing my throat, I meet the king’s gaze. “Where is he?”

The king scowls, and his advisors shuffle anxiously behind him. “He has absconded, but when he returns, I shall deal with him.” The dark promise in his words is laced with animosity and bitterness. “I am sorry I cannot accept your request, but you may rest here, in the safety of the city where I have access to you as needed.” He glances down at the papers on his desk, waving a hand in my direction. “Return to your bed, you look exhausted.”

It’s a clear dismissal, and I know better than to argue with him, especially with the dark mood he seems to be harbouring. I glance at Finnik, and his gaze tells me the same—do not push the king, not now. I do not want to leave the study without him, yet I am getting the strong sense that I need to go now. Finnik will find me later, and we can speak then.

Dipping my head and lowering into a shallow curtsy, I turn and leave the room, my entourage following close behind.

Disappointment weighs on me like a heavy shroud, clouding my mind and view of the days ahead. However, what stirs in me the most is the sense of dread and fear over the vampire attacks. I should be with my people during this time. If this is truly linked to the prophecy, then there is a possibility that I can help them, but instead, I am stuck here. There is not a single doubt in my mind that the king would hunt me down and drag me back if I were to leave without permission, so that is not a viable option.

What is becoming clear to me, however, is that I need more information, and if I cannot leave the city, then I will discover as much as I can from here. First things first, I have to know how much my companions know.

We slowly make our way back to the vampire wing of the castle, seeing less and less beings the closer we get. By the time we reach the bridge that attaches the wing to the main castle, we are alone. I look at Geoff and find him frowning, lost in thought.

“Did you know about the attacks?” My voice is quiet, but the question is strong, demanding an answer.

“No,” he replies instantly with a shake of his head. Thankfully he doesn’t seem offended by my direct question, instead, he continues to look thoughtful. “I heard of one attack at the castle back in Trador, but I assumed it was a one-off incident—a turned vampire going feral and attacking. It is not all that uncommon for the changed. I never would have thought…”

He is right, occasionally there is an attack, usually one of the newly changed vampires. On its own, although tragic, that information would not be anything to be worried about. Knowing what we do now, it’s a horrifying factor. If there was one and this… disease is spreading across vampire kind, then who knows how many were affected.

Everything he said adds up with his shock and outrage when the king told us, but I had to be sure. A weight I did not know I was carrying lifts from my shoulders now that I know he was not concealing anything from me. Yes, I almost died, but I needed to know this information. I pause at the entrance to the bridge, leaning against the stone wall.

“No one knew?”

“Not as far as I am aware, Anthea. It was kept from us all.” Geoff is clearly outraged.

Eli moves over to my side, leaning against the wall and looking down at me with an intense expression. He says nothing, but his body shelters me from view, and I know he is silently assuring me that he will do everything he can to protect me.

At this moment, protection is not what I need, but answers.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath as a wave of exhaustion washes over me, making me lightheaded. My mind spins with ways I can help my people while being stuck here, and as I open my eyes once more, I look at Geoff. “We need to know more. I need to speak to some of our people and find out if they have heard anything.”

My attendant shakes his head, his frown growing impossibly deeper. “The king will not allow you to leave, and the vampires who live within the castle are loyal to the king. They either will not tell you what they know, or they will genuinely know nothing at all.”

These were all facts I anticipated, and a plan begins to form in my mind. Humming to myself, I press my hand to my chin. Yes, I will do anything for my people, and I know a way I can do that whilst still following the king’s rules.

“Then we speak to the vampires in the city.” A small smile stretches my lips, the action feeling foreign as I look between Eli and Geoff. “I know exactly the place.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Despite weeks having passed since I last visited the slums, there is still much work to do from the floods. Everywhere I look, I see people in need. Disease has been spreading among the camp, the water supply contaminated. Enough have died that the king was finally forced to admit he needs to do something to help. Thanks to his money, physicians have been set up in several stations dotted throughout the area, where they are able to treat all ailments.

It had not taken much to convince the king to give me permission to continue to help in the slums. I had managed it before without issue, and it keeps me out of his way. He still has not located Havoc, and I know that he is getting tired of my daily attempts to get more information from him. I have spent many hours in the library, trying to work out what this curse that has fallen upon vampire kind is, and how we can treat it.

There are several faces I remember from before, and they greeted us and pointed us towards the area that needed the most help. Working in the slums gives me a great sense of gratification, because this is something I can do, unlike my part of the prophecy. However, I have another reason for coming out here.

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