Page 38 of Crimson Born

No. I couldn’t even think about that. On the night we were both turned, Imogen had said Reece would eventually find his way home. This had to be him.

Whoever he was, the man was in trouble. There was a palpable tension in the air around me, an expectation of... something. I didn’t get the sense thatsomethingwas good.

He said nothing in answer, only stood before Imogen with his head bowed and his sickly body stooped forward.

I’d heard tales of holding cells deep in the cavern, though of course I hadn’t seen them. This poor wretch probably knew he’d be spending a long time in one—maybe eternity.

Staring down at him, Imogen gave a slight nod, and one of the Bloodbound stepped forward.

He drew his sword.

In an instant, the rogue vampire’s head was disconnected from his body and fell to the stone floor. His legs hinged, and he collapsed.

A scream ripped through the chamber.

It wasn’t until the vampires around me turned and stared that I realized it had come from me.

14

Take Me With You

Complete and utter shock caused my knees to buckle.

If Kelly and Heather hadn’t been standing on either side of me, each holding an arm, I might have hit the floor as well.

Heather, who was taller and better able to see over the crowd, leaned close to my ear and whispered, “It’s not him. It’s not Reece.”

I lifted my head. The thumping of my heart was definitely no illusion. Ireallyneeded those vampire biology lessons to understand how that was possible.

“Are you sure? You can see his face?”

She nodded rapidly. I had to see for myself, though. When the people in front of me dispersed, I hurried to the front of the room.

Heather was right. It wasn’t Reece.

This poor soul had been much older. Though I felt sorry he’d met such a swift and gory end, I couldn’t help but be relieved.

My eyes were so fixed on the shocking sight of him, I didn’t notice Imogen had left the throne until she came and stood beside me.

“Why did you do that?” I asked through lips that felt numb.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked.

“He was probably starving and desperate. He might have been out of his mind from animal poisoning. We have doctors. Maybe they could have helped him. You could have... I don’t know... put him in jail or something instead of killing him.”

Imogen used a tone of exaggerated patience. “You’re very young. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you’ll understand what I’ve come to accept—fear is the strongest motivator there is. If our race is to survive and thrive, we cannot have disobedience in the ranks. Strong leadership is essential, and our kind always does better with a queen who inspires respect, loyalty, and yes, a little fear.”

She left my side and walked toward the exit, speaking in the kind of blasé tone you could only have when you’d seen centuries of death.

“Besides, he was too far gone. At a certain point, it’s a mercy to end them.”

* * *

I wentthrough the next day in a daze.

The rogue’s public execution in the chamber didn’t seem to have affected anyone else the way it affected me, with the exception of Kelly and to a lesser degree, Heather.

I didn’t know what I was going to do or where I would go, but I was sure of one thing... I didn’t belong here.

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