Page 82 of The Court of Truth

“It’s you, Raiden. Their blood is linked to you.”

46

RAIDEN

Ihave never felt more calm and collected in all of my life. Adrenaline courses through my veins, but it doesn’t leave me jittery. No. It’s almost soothing.

Running my fingers over the velvet fabric on the arms of the grand seat beneath me, I sigh. I haven’t been here long, and I know I won’t have much longer to wait, but there’s a part of me that wants to drag this out forever.

It’s the child in me. The remnants of hope and joy that I thought I could replicate after watching Adrianna with her sister and father.

I was wrong.

Life is a bitch sometimes.

This is one of those times.

The door creaks in the distance, bringing me back to the present as I stretch my legs out, waiting patiently for my prey to appear. The roar of the fire in the far corner of the rooms ripples to life like it always does as the footsteps near.

Everything about this house runs off the presence of one person. It’s only now that I see it. That I realize it. With the remnants of Brody’s statement vibrating in my mind, I finally see what I never dared to admit before.

“I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Ah, so he does know I’m here.

Drawing my gaze from the fire to the man at the doorway, shaking off his coat without meeting my stare, I search for any soft emotion toward him but come up short. What’s worse is I don’t even feel anger. Not even an ounce of disappointment.

Just… nothing.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to visit, but here we both are.”

“What can I do for you this evening, Raiden? I’m a little preoccupied.”

“What’s keeping you busy, Father?”

His eyes meet mine, a flash of uncertainty dancing in his gaze as he purses his lips. “With your mother no longer with us, I have had to take control of a few things,” he states, teetering around the fact that my mother is no longer with us because I killed her.

“I’m unsure what it is you have to take control of, Father. Her position at the academy is no longer necessary now that there’s no need for said academy. Her role within The Council is also irrelevant now that the queen has taken her place on the throne. I don’t recall her announcing you in her declaration to the kingdom. Did she give you a role I wasn’t aware of?” I ask, tilting my head at him as his eyes narrow just a fraction.

“Someone has to feed the vampire's promises, Son. Not all are happy with the revelations that have unraveled in recent weeks.” He opens his liquor cabinet, sweeping his fingertip over the bottles as he considers his poison of choice.

Bourbon.

Of course.

“What’s unraveled, Father?”

He shrugs, downplaying the issues he just brought to the surface, but I hunker down, staring at him as he sips from his glass, waiting patiently for him to fill me in.

“The queen isn’t to everyone’s tastes,” he states slowly, trying to see if his choice of words will get a rise out of me, and I nod.

“That makes sense. No one is always to everyone’s tastes, but alas, that is democracy. She was voted for by the kingdom, the majority believe in her, now we have to see where that path leads us,” I offer, aware that my words are going right over his head.

“Excellent statement, Raiden, but to some, only a vampire should be in power.”

“And who falls into that loose category?” I ask, cocking my brow at him, and he waves me off.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just heard rumors,” he insists, and I scoff.

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