Page 54 of The Dark War

As I explained to Odessa about the Queen of Vermillion requesting me to bring her back for the duke because he said she was his mate, Odessa shook violently. Her bright eyes grew dark, her face paled, and Creed’s worry seeped through his dragon. Smoke filled his nostrils and the ground shook.

“Please, Odessa, tell me what happened. Obviously, you don’t think the same and I need to know why.” Leaking my calming aura, Creed’s anger slowed, and Odessa’s eyes softened, I was no longer provoking the fear into her as I once was.

My mother ruled differently than I did, I knew that. The lessons that I had been taught were my mother’s ways. I wasn’t going to rule as she did, I had to do this on my own, and seeing this shaking human before me reminded me of that. I could see my mother returning to Odessa without a second thought because what would a human know about a mating bond? Paying attention and looking deeper was what I should have done from the beginning.

My hand came across the table, rubbing Odessa’s knuckles. “I promise, I won’t take you back. I just need to know.” An elf woman, one that might have been Odessa’s friend, whispered to her. Creed’s arms relaxed, watching us both.

Odessa gripped Creed as a lifeline. Words fell from her lips like a gushing waterfall, my shock and horror must have been written on my face. Kane continued to growl behind me at the obscene torture this woman went through.

Humans had been brought to Bergarian forcefully, being used as blood bags by high-ranking nobles such as the duke. My hand covered my mouth, the sickening feeling in my stomach as I realized I could have sent her back there if I did not listen.

Odessa paused, her body shaking, rocking herself back and forth. For six months, she endured more than anyone I knew. To be bitten, to be sucked dry, to become weak. Humans could do nothing, their life hanging by a thread. All those humans still left there had a very short amount of time.

“Fuck,” Kane whispered, running his hand through his hair. “Good thing we didn’t send her back,” he murmured. “Good job, baby,”he linked.

“This is terrible.” I placed a hand on my chest. “Taliyah is being lied to and manipulated!” I slapped the table with my palm. The table jumped, but I was getting too upset to hold back. “Mind-link Jasper, have Taliyah search the duke’s basement,” I snapped at Kane. My hands trembled, shaking as Kane linked our friends.

Gods, this keeps getting worse.I pulled my hair, feeling the burn in my scalp. Earth was being dragged into Bergarian. How in the heck were they getting here? The portal? We had to close it.

Jumping up from the table, I rubbed my forehead over and over. My eyes glazed over, instantly linking my father. “Father? I need advice.”

“Shouldn’t you ask your mother?”He grunted.

“What? Listen, I need advice about the treaty with the Golden Light Kingdom,” I countered.

“Oh,”he muttered. “I’m allowed to help with that, then.”

What the fudge nuggets?

“Father, we need to talk about that, but later. Listen, Vermillion’s nobles are harboring humans as blood bags. Taliyah and Jasper have no idea.” Father paused, his wolf scratching inside his mind. His claws were racking up and down the walls.

“You need proof. Physical proof. Once you get it, then the Golden Light and Cerulean Moon Kingdom can band together without question and take over according to the treaty. I doubt Vermillion has the soldiers to rid of the problem, they’re broke.”

Cutting my father off the line, I turned back to the table.

“I need proof,” I spat out. “My parents need proof that there is probable cause before we demand answers, or we will start a war.” Kane shook his head, now rubbing his scruffy chin.

“Taliyah’s soldiers were in the area,” Kane whispered. “They went to check the basement of the duke’s home. There were no humans.”

“He moved them then! He had to!” Odessa screamed. “I’m not lying!” Looking at Odessa, I knew she spoke the truth. I continued to pace, rubbing my arms. Kane pulled me from my worry and had me back in his lap.

“I believe you,” I reiterated. “I’ll never let you go back. Abuse is not to be tolerated, mate bond or not. It’s unacceptable. Your emotional scars are clear in how you are trembling.”

“Even if Clara believes you, we need proof. We can’t start a war over a mate.” Kane growled. He leaned back in his chair. “This is a delicate situation. The duke is the tipping point of the rogues going against the crown. The duke deciding to side with them would be disastrous if we go poking our noses in his business,” Kane said sternly.

“So, you leave the rest of those humans to suffer?” I growled at Kane. A whimper left his lips, his eyes softening back at me.

Poop, now I feel bad.

“I’m just stating facts, love. I don’t like it either. It is just wise that we have concrete evidence. I can’t imagine why the duke would be her mate and torture her like that, but some people, like vampires, are evil enough to do it.” He rubbed my arm, defeated.

“Not all vampires are bad, like Sebastian… We can’t group them all like that,” I whispered. Kane rolled his eyes.

“You need physical proof?” Odessa murmured.

“This will cause a war if I pry too deep without evidence. We would need the alliance with the Golden Light Kingdom to help us and, per our agreement, I need evidence of wrongdoing. Vermillion has been sitting on the edge of a new age for a while. Even with a new queen on the throne, it is unsteady. The entire Parliament is corrupt, and I’m afraid Taliyah just isn’t prepared to handle it either. Even she, herself, cannot see that many of them are out to get her.” I slumped back in her chair. “It will take two kingdoms not to just destroy the rogues, but also rebuild it. I need Osirus’s help to succeed.”

Odessa pulled away from Creed, setting her arm on the table, palm facing up. The entire room gasped, staring at the many holes in her arms. “Fucking shit,” Kane spat out. “The bastard didn’t even use his venom to heal her. Did he even numb it beforehand?” A tear fell down Odessa’s cheek, landing on one scar. I cradled her delicate hand. It was riddled with scars, deep marks, some indented deeply.

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