Page 22 of Empire of Death
“Even if you defeat the Southern Isles, the dragons won’t serve you just because you’re the victors. They’re sentient beings?—”
“But they serve her. And if she’s my wife, there will be no issue.”
“Lily Rothschild would never submit to an invader.”
“Trust me, I don’t expect her to. And that’s where all the fun lies.” He cocked his head playfully, arrogantly.
I hadn’t felt bumps across my skin since I was a mortal man, but I felt them now, ominous and heavy. Lily tried to explore ways to free me from the underworld so we could be together, but even if there were a way, it wouldn’t matter—because I didn’t deserve her. Because I actively aided the enemies who sought to destroy her. It didn’t matter that I gave her far more powerful gifts than I bestowed upon him. My treachery and betrayal were unforgivable. The moment I told her the truth, her bright eyeswould grow dull for me, and she would know what I really was…a monster. She would reject the gifts I’d given her and possibly lose the war—and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Regardless of the consequences I would face from the Covenant, I needed to make sure she prevailed.
“Turn me, Wrath.”
My mind came back to the conversation I’d floated far away from.
“Grant my request.”
“Why a vampire?” I asked.
“Because an army of vampires will defeat their human soldiers with no contest. And I’ll live forever. So as long as I don’t get killed in battle or in a political coop, you’ll never be able to collect your payment.”
“And you think it’s wise to openly admit this?”
“You already agreed to the terms.”
“I said I would consider it.”
“Alright, then I’ll consider telling the Covenant that you want Lily Rothschild as much as I do.” He cocked his head slightly.
I was being blackmailed by a mortal. I’d never felt so worthless. “You won’t enjoy the taste of food. You’ll have to subsist off the blood of mortals. You’ll live in a warm climate with long days of sunshine, but your skin won’t be able to tolerate the sun exposure after so long, and you’ll die from the toxicity.”
“The more you try to dissuade me, the more I want it.”
“Then you’re a child.”
“I’m a mortal who can’t be manipulated by a god—and that drives you mad.”
What drove me mad was my part in this tragic tale. How I’d led these assholes right to the woman I would gladly serve as my queen if I were worthy enough to be her pawn. “You can attain immortality by fusing with the dragons of the Southern Isles. That’s why King Talon Rothschild doesn’t age.”
This was clearly something he didn’t know because he turned quiet.
I believed in Lily’s ability to win, but the quicker her defeat, the greater the likelihood she would survive. An army of vampires that marched upon the kingdom from the south while the golden ships took the sea from the north could be catastrophic.
“How do you fuse with a dragon?”
“I’m not sure.” It had to be consensual unless forced with dark magic, but I lied straight to his face.
He considered that for a long time before he nodded. “Then you will make my general a vampire. Half of our forces will be nightwalkers, and the other half will gain immortality by forcing these dragons into servitude. And if they refuse, we’ll make them into vampires too. Dragon vampires…can you imagine?”
Fuck.
“Grant my wish and begone, Wrath, God of the Underworld. I need to prepare to conquer not only the Southern Isles, but the Northern Kingdoms and everything around it…as I take this world for my own.”
8
LILY
I paid for a room at an inn for the night. I wanted a real bed for a change instead of the lumpy bedroll stowed away in my pack. When I checked in with Zehemoth, he said he and Movack had already eaten monkeys for dinner and were prepared for sleep on an uninhabited beach somewhere else on the island, so no one could sneak up on them in the night.
Have you checked in with Hawk?I set all the pieces of my armor on the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed in my clothes. There was a bathroom with a shower, so I would take advantage of that while I was there. But it was hard to focus on anything when my brother hated me…and Wrath wasn’t speaking to me.
