Page 91 of The Depraved Prince
“Overthink tomorrow,” I grit out as I close my eyes tight and twitch with euphoric sparkles.
A roarand a loud thud woke me from my dream. The memories of Thanksgiving last year came back to me in my deep slumber, and now they’re gone because something jolted me awake.
What awakened me?
I jump from Hayden’s bed, palming the bed sheets for support. I look vehemently at his bookshelves, his turned-off TV, and his front door, which is still locked. I pant and place my hand on my chest to calm my thundering heart. I search for any vampires, red or blue glowing eyes, but nothing, and no one is here to harm me. I keep expecting to turn around, and the Southern King will be here, rising from whatever realm he went to and finish the job he so desperately wanted to do.
Hayden had told me to stay here, but curiosity always gets the best of me. I swallow my nerves and fix my hair by placing it into a ponytail with a vibrant chrome scrunchy Hayden bought me. I climb out of bed, put on my slippers, and head for the door, hoping Charles or any other guard isn’t there to stop my investigation.
31
HAYDEN
“You’ve fooledaround with her enough, Hayden! Initially, I approved of her marrying you because maybe I do like seeing my troubled son find some type of peace. A new leaf he’s turned since meeting her and a break from his demented outbursts and immaturity. Now that I know she doesn’t want totrulyjoin our family, kill her and initiate your powers! Since she’s a Valkyrie, her memory doesn’t erase after you drink from her. She’s a risk. A risk that is too golden to let go to waste!” My father roars, with eyes so heartless they look empty. As usual, he’s disconnected from me and unable to understand that I’ve fallen in love with a person who is forbidden. He doesn’t understand what that’s like. His journey with my mother was always smooth sailing.
I plan to change that when I become King. When Immortals find themselves a Valkyrie, it’s written in what we deem our version of the bible and commandments that we must leave them alone because the sin of Greed will lead to lust for power. Terrible, terrible sins that lead to carnage and bloodshed amongst each other.
I was keeping her alive for my selfish reasons, and it paid off because the Southern King jumped at the opportunity to steal her back, and now I have evidence that this was his evil planfrom the beginning. Keeping her alive spared me from going to trial…and it worked. I got my revenge, but what I hadn’t planned for was to fall in love with Millie. But now that I have, everyone and everything can go fuck themselves because there’s no way I’m ever letting her go. I’ve always been selfish, and now that I have someone that makes me feel alive? I’m supposed to just let her go?
NO.
She is my prey, and I am her hunter. She is the ethereal of light in my vast, never-ending darkness. She is my undeserving forgiveness for all of my mistakes. I know she is. She has to be. Why else has God made us cross paths?
Before her, religion held no place in my blackened heart, but after meeting Millie. There is a God.
“Killing Valkyries is against the law!” I remind him of the laws put in place after the war between all Vampire Kings took place centuries ago in Europe. “Why would I tarnish the Drago name by putting our family line at risk by doing that? Millie and I love each other!”
“You forced her to!” he interjects. Spit flies out of his mouth as he snarls. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s been going on between these halls of our Cathedral!” His eyes are beaming red, expecting me to recoil from his horrifying outbursts.
It won’t work on me. Not this time. Not ever again.
I transform and let my emotions take over. I fix the cuff of my sweater, as I always do when trying to keep the monsters in my head at bay, especially when it comes to my own family.
“I will marry her, Arthur. She wears my mother’s ring perfectly. I have my mother’s blessing, and that’s good enough for me. As soon as I take reign, I will propose a new law that says we can marry a Valkyrie. They’re rare, and we haven’t encountered one in hundreds of years. But if another immortal has the luck to find one and fall in love, then they should beallowed to marry them. When it comes to the powers, well…I’ll leave that up to the council to decide. All I care about is marrying her. I don’t give a fuck about the powers!”
His nostrils are flaring, and his long, thick fangs glint underneath the red stained glass illuminated by the sun outside.
“Don’t you talk to the King like that!” Holland blares over our snarls. He walks with a cane and gets in between us as if he’ll be able to de-escalate the situation when he only riles me up even more. Kallum stands in the corner, watching with fear, drinking blood from a red crystalized cup.
I smirk; it’s sinister and conniving. Hollands hates it when I grin because he knows whatever comes next out of my mouth is never good. I’ve never given him a genuine smile. He grips his cane and takes a step back.
“His reign is over,” I tell him, slow and unremorseful. “There’s a new King in the North. I’m marrying Millie this week. We don’t need a grand wedding. She doesn’t care about money or such things like that.” I grab my cigarettes and take one out. “I take it if you’re such a rule follower,father, you know that once my marriage to Millie is finalized, you can retire with my mother and move to Europe like she’s been wanting. You can’t stop me. The only thing that can stop me from taking reign is my demise. But you wouldn’t dare do that to your”—I tap my chin mischievously—“your villainous son? I think that’s what I remember you and Mom telling me. That’s what I’m good at, right? Playing a villain when I need to be?” I challenge him.
He stands there quietly and lets out a heavy breath.
“Big brother, why are you so invested in her? You know how your relationship will end if she doesn’t consent to turning.” My body runs colder when he brings up the facts I’ve been pushing far back into my head, hoping I’d forget about the truths.
I turn to Kallum and light my cigarette. The bitterness kisses my tongue harder than usual. I look at Kallum as he swallows theblood in his cup, and he meets me with those brown eyes he got from our mother.
“If you turn her, her heart will stop beating, and you will unlock your powers whether you want it to happen or not. Everything about her is forbidden,” Kallum continues nonchalantly.
“I’m hoping that marrying her will cancel out that fact. There’s a law in place allowing us to marry humans. And at the end of the day, she is a human,” I retort, throwing my cigarette to the floor.
“You’re living on hopes and dreams that will send you to your damnation in the Inferno,” Holland cuts in, his eyes sending daggers my way, but I send them right back with glares of my own.
My father has checked out. He sits on the couch and pours himself a drink of red like he’s given up on me. Good. I don’t need him to tell me that Millie isn’t mine. She’s mine and always will be, despite the truth.
“It doesn’t have to be hopes and dreams, Holland. We’re living on laws that were made centuries ago. It’s time all Immortals change with the times,” I spit back venomously.
