Page 69 of Wedlock
“Surely the Queen can’t believe that?” I gasp.
“The Queen and her niece are behind it all,” Wolf mutters. “Revna basically admitted it, and whatever Falcon said to her last time they met sent her into overdrive with her plans to off you.”
“And my baby,” I whisper as I chew my lip and put my hand into my pocket to feel the phone I have on me still, my safety blanket. It’s clear I’d made things worse by visiting the Queen,and I’ve made things doubly worse by staying. My presence in Falcon’s life is driving the Princess to more bizarre behaviour. I have no idea why she’s so determined that the baby must die too, especially when she knows Falcon wants an heir to this seat, but I’m not going to stick around to find out. I need to leave and join Yin before I’m murdered.
‘Why would Revna care if the baby lived? After all, they’re going to have pure vampire babies once they’re married. I wonder how that works? Why can’t he marry a vampire and have pure vampire babies anyhow? Is it just because she’s a future queen? Oh fuck! That’s why Eleanor was so adamant that Falcon couldn’t marry the Princess. He’ll be a template for the old King. Oh my God! Revna will become the Queen, her mother will take her body when she takes the crown, and Falcon will become the King consort. He won’t be himself any longer, just a body, a shell for The Families.’
“Jag!” I shout, startling them both. “Falcon can’t marry the Princess. You can’t let him marry the Princess, no matter what. We have to find another way!”
“Good God!” Wolf throws his hands into the air, scotch sloshing out of the rim of his glass. “Don’t you think we’re trying everything we can?”
I stand and point my finger at his bemused face.
“Try harder.”
52
I finish drinking the blonde and nod to the guard to come and let her out.
Like most court feeders she isn’t allowed to be drained to death; she’s under royal thrall and will be a feeder for at least a decade before she’s killed. Being under a thrall she heals quickly and has the capacity to give blood more regularly and more of it than an ordinary human would. And of course, her blood is of the highest quality. If I had to guess I’d say she was of Icelandic heritage. Pure, clean blood, reminiscent of the way humans used to taste.
Since my incarceration I’d had the same feeder every day, and I’m quite used to her walking in, drawing her hair to the side for me to feed, and leaving without a word.
Tonight is no different, except as she turns to leave she presses a phone into my hand and gives me a quick look before walking out, the guard slamming the door behind her.
After his steps have retreated and I hear the lock turn in the door at the end of the hallway, I pull out the phone and see one missed call.
Turning my back to the door, I walk towards the rear of my cell and dial the number.
“Falcon.”
“Attracta?”
“We don’t have much time. I have information about your father that can help with your case, if you use it wisely.”
My fangs run out as I narrow my eyes.
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“I was unaware of the thrall bite,” she sighs. “Asumpta was working with Viper alone, and I have abjured her. Your mother can vouch for this.”
“My mother,” I snort, “the keeper of more secrets than the Queen’s crotch.”
“Just hear me out,” she whispers, her words quicker now. “Your father was in love with Spider’s mother long before she became Countess Dartlore. The Count bit her and put her in a thrall prior to the marriage, but before that she was promised to your father. He never stopped loving her or trying to get her back. It’s said she grew to love the Count, or maybe she stayed for the children; no one really knows. Either way, she cut all correspondence withyour father and this escalated his long-running vendetta against the Count’s house.”
“You know all this, how?” I frown.
“Interviews with those who knew them both, Court documents, hearsay, bits and pieces put together. I’ve been looking into this since you asked me about it last year. I knew a little before, from your mother. The fact remains that although your father married your mother a few centuries later, as required in order to get an heir, he was still obsessed with the Countess.”
“So obsessed he killed her,” I mutter.
“That was by design.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“There was a fight, a battle to the death between your father and the late Count. You were deliberately left in the dark about this to spare you wanting to participate. I believe you were on a mission for the Queen at the time.”
“Yes,” I nod.
