Page 6 of Queen of Darkness
“I know.” My eyes flicked up the stairs in the direction of my mother’s room, where she lay in an almost comatose state due to the drugs she took.
Drugs that prevented her from shifting during the Wild Moon, keeping the darkness inside her at bay. A darkness that had been born into me and that had found its freedom three weeks ago. My vampire heritage was now loose on the world, making me a threat to everyone.
Especially Elenia, queen of all vampires. There was a rule in the vampire world that only females could sit upon the throne. A matriarchal society, which in theory sounded like a good idea. Except when a psychotic killer rises to power and begins killing off anyone who could ever become a rival to her throne.
It was now a royal decree that any female vampires must be killed. On sight. That was why my life was in danger, and my mother’s would be, too, if she ever stopped taking her pills while Elenia was on the throne.
Which is why the queen has to die. For me, but also for my father, who has been deprived of his mate for twenty-two years and stuck caring for her, keeping her in that comatose state as per her last coherent wish. He deserves to be able to see her again.
And selfish as it might be, I wanted to meet my mom. I knew my mother, but I’d never met mymom, the person behind my mother. I wanted to know what she was like.
And I would.
“It’ll be for the better this way, Dad, trust me.”
“I do trust you, my dear Jo-Jo. I trust you completely. I just don’tlikeit. This is your home. I’m your father. I should be able to keep you safe.”
“And you did,” I said with a sad smile, blinking back tears. “You kept me safe for twenty-two years. You protected me and taught me to be the woman I am today, Dad. All that I am is because ofyou.”
Wordlessly, my father embraced me again. I let him.
“I wish I could do more for you.”
“You’ve done so much for me already,” I said, squeezing him tight. “But if you insist on doing more, then you canbelievein me, Dad. I’m spreading my wings and making my own life. That comes with choices and decisions. Sure, maybe we both don’tlikethem. But that doesn’t mean I’m not doing it.”
My dad loosened his grip but still held me by the shoulders so he could look at me. “I want you to know, Joanna Alustria, that no matter what you do, no matter what decision you make, I am proud of you and who you’ve become. I am proud of the strength you’ve shown through this trial. Most importantly, I want you to know that I love you. I’ll always love you, no matter what you become.”
Now it was my turn to hug him again as I furiously tried to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.
“Even if I become the queen of the vampires?”
“Ha!” he boomed in his trademark laughter. “Especiallythen. Why, I’ll basically be royalty at that point. Maybe they’ll finally give me a discount down at the pub.”
I groaned.
“Can you knight me? Is that a thing?”
“You’re not actually a vampire, Dad. Be grateful for that,” I pointed out, but I couldn’t help my smile.
Trust my dad to find a way to lighten the mood when it grew overly dark. He was great at that.
“I know. But still. Gotta try.”
We hugged again, and this time I took a step back, glancing around the interior of our little farmhouse where I’d grown up.
“Where’s Aaron, by the way?” Dad asked, looking past me at the door. “He’s not waiting outside, is he? He knows he’s welcome.”
I chewed on my lip. “No, Dad, he’s not here. He and I … I need to do this on my own. This is my problem to deal with.”
My dad’s eyebrows lowered in a frown. “You two get in a fight?”
I shrugged. “He thinks this is madness.”
“Is he wrong?”
“No,” I said. “I agree. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have to do it. This has to end. I’ve got to find a way to stop her. He’ll come around. I hope.”
My dad nodded slowly. “Bit of a lunkhead, that one.”
