Page 67 of Our Sins in Silver (Coven of Sin 3)

He hummed through an off-kilter chuckle. “You aren’t like Dagon. My son is nothing but a disappointment. A fool. Which is handy, given the current circumstances. Still, he’s not worthy of the Knight name. But you, you inherited more of me than I would have ever thought possible. Perhaps you are worthy of the name. You will never be my heir, but I think I’d like to see you live beside me in my home as my daughter. With your loyalty, I can trust you to keep an eye on the Elders. I’d like you to fill Sharpe’s seat. The one who disposed of the traitor in our midst has earned the right to take his position as my advisor.”

“I didn’t kill him for betraying you to Dagon. I killed him for betrayingusfor Dagon. And for keeping your lie going for fucking years. For making me believe I had a fucking heart condition!”

“A small hurdle for a vampire princess and a brief span of your life if you consider how long you’ll live.”

Acid burned the back of my throat. “You took everything from me.”

“And you have the opportunity now to allow me to give you something. Your life. I’ll allow you to keep your heartbeat so long as you agree to cease this futile struggle against me. Bow to me as your king, and you may keep your title as princess.”

“And my mates? You still plan on killing them?”

“The fae hybrid must die. I know it was he who slew me.”

I didn’t bother holding back the rueful smile lifting the corners of my mouth. “Are you afraid Vincent will do it again?”

Ignoring the obvious taunt, the vampire king continued. “And the reaper’s death is also non-negotiable. He’s a weapon that’s become too unwieldy. His betrayal would be inevitable. But the youngblood...” The ancient vampire chewed on his lower lip as he contemplated the words to come next.

“I haven’t forgotten why I turned the youngblood in the first place. The other princes are a disappointment, but he has the potential to live up to the Knight name yet. So long as you meet my other conditions, I will permit him to live and remain as your bonded mate.”

Chapter twenty-nine

A Nightmare and a Mask

Istaredblanklyatmy father, struggling to make sense of what he’d just said.

Of all the crazy things that could’ve come from the mouth of the psychotic vampire king, an endorsement for Corry was pretty high on the list of things to say to completely mind fuck me.

Was he joking? Was there a punchline coming? Or maybe this nightmare-fueled, magical mind fuckery had finally broken me, and I wasn’t processing this shit right. More than likely, Thomas Knight was playing games with me.

It was hard to play the game, let alone win it, when I didn’t even know the rules.

A viperous smirk cracked across the face of my brother as the eyes of our father burned into me, hotter than the inferno that jumped and cracked around us as if urging us on like an applauding audience.

We danced faster and faster, everything smearing into a blur. My heart beat quickened like it was trying to leap out of my mouth, and sweat rolled down my back in buckets. My feet screamed with every rapid-fire step.

I barely kept up. But I did. I had to. Even if it felt like my skin had been set on fire, sinking down to my bones and turning my marrow to lava, it wasn’t real. Sterling wasn’t being hung from the ceiling. His library wasn’t burning to ash. The pain was an illusion.

I had to push through it. I forced a terse smile, even though my nerves were melting. “Wh–why? Why would you let Corry live but not Vincent and Eros?”

Dark mirth churned behind my father’s gaze. “He’s not like the others. He’s…malleable. He can be beaten into respecting me over time, or the more savory option is to buy his submission.”

“Corry may not be as strong as his brothers, but he’s not a coward. He won’t bow to you out of fear.”

“No. But he will out of lust. If that hole between your legs is enough to melt my priest’s ice-encased heart and tame the dark-fae brute, it will be enough to sway the youngblood.”

Black ice filled my chest when the ancient vampire slowed, our steps falling in beat with the chilling organ music sliding into a languid tune that sent shivers down my back.

I fought back tears. I would not cry in front of him.

Since arriving at the Knight Mansion, I’d been through a lot of shit moments. But this had to take the cake for most fucked.

Lots of little girls dreamed of dancing with their dads, but this...? This was all wrong.

What had I done to deserve it?

The vampire king’s gaze slid to my mother’s choker around my neck. His attention then wandered lower, to where a portion of Corry’s mark peeked out from my gown’s plunging neckline.

“There aren’t many males who wouldn’t betray his den brothers if it meant securing a mate of your caliber. Think about it. You’re a princess and the daughter of the most powerful vampire to ever live. Your mortal blood makes you the sweetest of blood whores, and your functioning womb a prize worth waging wars over.”

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