Page 9 of When Day Breaks

"Whatcha doing up so late?" she asks. Her voice is spunky, almost as if she's speaking in bubbles.

"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in the Royal castle?" I look behind her to make sure no one else is going to jump out at me, but also to make sure she didn't cause too much noise to bring attention to us.

"I couldn't sleep," she twirls a strand of hair from one of her pigtails around her index finger, giving me a small pout while doing so. "My father and I just settled in a few days ago and I wanted to see my future husband." She winks at me, and I shiver.

"Future husband?" I ask, but then it hits me. "Birdania?" I peg her with my confused eyes, the greens likely clouded by the dim lighting, but nothing can fog the blues in hers.

"Ugh, I hate that name." She rolls her eyes as she leans a shoulder against the wall nearest her. "Call me Birdie." Her smile holds its place, curling up at me as she lets her eyes gaze over my pajama-clad lower half and my shirtless top half.

"I think I'll stick to Birdania," I tell her, knowing that it will piss her off.

I've never met my betrothed before. I've only heard my father talk about her on occasion. And I was in attendance when my father had a meeting with her father about such plans. They come from a different Society due to a contract made between them and my father. I was thirteen then. I'm almost eighteen now. Meaning I've been engaged to the perky blonde in front of me for nearly five years now and as I take ten seconds to get a good look at her, I can't say I'm impressed.

"How old are you?" I ask her, not expecting a straightforward answer seeing as I intentionally disrespected her. But she ismore than happy to oblige as she reaches out and traces my abs with her fingers.

"Just turned nineteen. I like the idea of you being the younger of us two, what do you think?" She smirks and I watch her, not caring if this is something she might actually want. This is not a game to me.

People's lives are not little colored plastic pieces on a square gameboard that we can just move three spaces forward or force back to start. Those who like playing games like that are sadistic and I want no part of it.

I hear Birdania gasp, and I look down to see her pull her hand away quickly. My scars and fresh burns likely catching her attention. Strange. I didn't even feel her touch me there.

"What happened to you?" Her face morphs from happy-go-lucky to disgusted real quick and it gives me all the ammunition I need to push her out of my way.

That look. That's the look my father gives me before he leads me into the dungeon. It's degrading and rude. Like I'm not worthy. Like I'm nothing.

I walk past her turning the corner, but she doesn't hold back from being hot on my heels.

I don't want to get married, especially not to her. This whole life is pointless without someone who loves you, someone to love back; at least that's what my mother always said. I won't be forced into pretend love and stupid games of power. I have no purpose here other than to carry on some stupid legacy of being the next king. But I don't want it.

Fuck this life.

"Where are you going?" Birdania follows me down the hall as I walk angrily toward the main part of the castle.

"None of your business. Go back to your compound before I have the guards take you." I don't even spare her the glance asshe tags along behind me, skipping as if we're going on a field trip.

"The guards don't scare me," she teases.

I stop and turn my body to her, pushing her up against the closest wall, caging in on her.

"Kaci-" I start to shout the name of my father's Factotum. Not a guard in fact, but the scariest and oldest vampire in the castle.

Birdania freezes up and jumps to her tiptoes, bringing her hand to my mouth and scowling at me.

"Don't," she begs, and I just look at her in amusement. Dumb girl.

"Don't touch me ever again." I grip her arm, making a scene to squeeze it a little harder than I really need to before tearing it away from my mouth.

Her face morphs to frustration as I walk away leaving her behind. Fiancé or not, I don't have time to play house with idiot girls who have no sense of anything other than being someone's wife. If I'm expected to take the crown someday,shecan't be the one promised to me as the next queen.

I leave her behind, not feeling the smallest ounce of sympathy as I make my way toward the blood room. Maybe if I can cut the power off in the room somehow, I'll be given more time to come up with a plan before I'm forced to my destiny.

The blood room is the room that stores vials of blood, keeping it fresh for free consumption or for times like…

Screams echo in the hallway causing me to turn my attention the other direction. I freeze, waiting to see if I hear it again, standing still and even holding my breath, but instead I'm met with silence. I shake it off, yearning to get to the blood room. It could have been anything. Nocturnes chasing an Outsider for the thrill. Someone watching a horror film, or…

"Why don't you do it?" A woman's voice carries over my thoughts and flits through the empty hallway.

This time, I don't stop and think, I walk.

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