Page 32 of Queen of Darkness
“So, you just appeared? Out of nowhere? And people believed you were his long-lost son they never knew about? They didn’t question that?”
“Not quite,” Aaron said, chuckling. “He claimed that I was his real son. Vlad the III, Vlad Dracula. Whatever you prefer. The real Vlad III died in an Ottoman prison, but it was easy to say that I had actually escaped and lived as best I could while slowly making my way home.”
“I see. And the whole Vlad the Impaler business? What wasthatabout?”
“I told you,” he growled. “I’m not proud of what I did at the time. I wasn’t in my right mind.”
“So, you’re really Dracula,” I said, shivering unintentionally. “Out of legend.”
Aaron looked at me strangely. “Yes, I am a vampire, Jo. But so are you. We’re still just people.”
“It’s silly, I know,” I said. “But Dracula evokes a lot of imagery for someone raised on human media. None of it favorable. Not to mention, there’s a more real-life version still haunting this place. I mean, is he really on our side?”
“Drakul?” Aaron chuckled to himself. “He’s an insufferable old bastard, but he won’t kill you out of spite.”
That didn’tquitejive with the welcome Fred and I had received, but I let it slide. I didn’t want to interrupt.
“That would be the third son,” Aaron added quietly. “Radu ‘The Handsome.’ Though he’s currently imprisoned in Mordathu. So, you’re fine.”
“If you say so,” I said, still processing what I’d learned. It was a lot. Though, there was still lots missing. He might not be aware, but I knew he was glossing over his history with the queen. Something important had happened there. Not to mention, his return was still somewhat shrouded in mystery. How had he gone from hating feeding on humans to wanting to kill so many of them he became known as Vlad the Impaler?
“You can trust me, Jo. You’re safe here. It might not be the citadel it once was, but it’s still somewhere she’ll never think to find us.”
“For now,” I said, deciding not to push for more information onwhyshe wouldn’t come here. Not yet, at least. “It’s still creepy.”
“Maybe,” he agreed. “But we’d still have come here anyway at some point.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he said with a grin, “if we’re going up against that miserable bitch, then we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“Help?” I asked nervously, stomach sinking.
Aaron grinned. “Drakul hates Elenia as much as I do.”
“Great,” I moaned. “So, he’s going to be spending some time with us like an unwanted in-law?”
Cold filled his blue eyes. “You wanted to do this,” he said grimly. “You said you wanted to take Elenia down and sit on her throne. If you want to do that, andifyou expect to survive, you’re going to need help, Jo. Are you prepared to take any help offered to you? Because I promise you that you won’t like all of it. This is the way.”
I swallowed, having trouble meeting his eyes, though I made myself do it.
“I know,” I whispered.
Aaron’s eyes searched mine. “Then, are you ready to do what it takes?”
Chapter Seventeen
“Ithink so,” I said nervously, wondering what else he had in mind. Just who was he thinking we’d have to turn to for help?
We were interrupted by Fenrir and Drakul, who returned to the main chamber via another hallway. Drakul carried a chest.
“Return,” Drakul rumbled, speaking his broken English to Aaron instead of whatever language it was that Fred and Fenrir had used to converse with him. “Things?”
Aaron turned away from me to regard the old vampire as he set the chest down on the table.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“He thinks I’ve come back for my … stuff,” Aaron said, staring at the chest.
