Page 68 of Our Sins in Silver (Coven of Sin 3)

The corner of the vampire king’s mouth quirked with a snide grin. “Not to mention his brothers’ deaths would mean he’d no longer have to wait his turn to crawl between your thighs.”

Daddy Dearest lifted his eyes back to mine, a baleful growl rumbling from his chest. “I’m doing you a favor, really. Any more lovers, and you’d have to start a ticket queue.”

My unshed tears evaporated with the boiling, tar-black hatred slithering through me. Clenching my teeth, I had to hold back my monster like I never had before. He was trying to get a rise out of me. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of succeeding.

Besides, I needed more answers. While he was giving them, I’d play nice. For now.

“Tell me why you turned Corry. It sure as hell wasn’t out of pity.”

“Pity is for the weak, little gem. You’ll come to learn that soon. We are Knights. We are a higher species, put on this Earth to honor and serve our master’s will.”

I tried to swallow down the fist-sized lump in my throat to no avail. “Satan?”

A purr as smooth as sandpaper rolled past Thomas Knight’s lips as they contorted into a yellow-fanged grin. “Satan.”

“And what is Satan’s will?” I asked, barely able to get the words out, in disbelief that I was actually saying them.

“To control, my dear. To rule. To revel in the bounties of this plane and take it all for ourselves. For our pleasure. But there are those who’d seek to take that right away. To maintain our power, we must surround ourselves with beings who will strengthen our house. Our coven is small, but it’s filled with only the most capable vampires. As the king, it is my duty to source such…assets.”

“Your point?”

The vampire’s lips thinned at my impatience. “The point is, I’ve seen countless men die at my feet. I’ve slaughtered and turned so many men that I have developed a sixth sense when making youngbloods. I know who will be physically strong. Who will have unrivaled reflexes. Who might maintain magic if they’d been capable of it in their mortal life.”

“How can you know all that if you’ve never met them?”

“By simply looking into their eyes as their life drains away.”

My belly flipped, and my heart beat a little faster. “What did you see in Corry Cross’ eyes?”

A rueful smile painted Dagon’s features, but the cavernous laugh that shook me to my core was all my father’s. “Death, little gem. In your youngblood’s eyes, I saw his future, and it was drenched in blood. Your youngest mate will age to be the deadliest killer of them all. Mark my words.”

“Y–you’re wrong,” I balked. I hated the tendril of uncertainty lancing my words. Corry was a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t cagey or broody like Vincent. He wasn’t edgy like Eros or dolefully romantic like Sterling. He was goofy. Funny. My partner in crime. My best friend. All that made it easy to forget that he was also impulsive, and his youngblood urges made him unpredictable. He hadn’t had the smoothest transition into vampire life.

Corry had murdered innocent people.

Then there was the story he’d told me that night at the burger joint. How he’d shown up at his family’s house one night. I didn’t know the details of what went down, but whatever it was, it had resulted in Sterling and Thomas Knight wiping the entire family’s memories.

By the prideful look on my father’s face, I was missing pieces to the picture. A grisly picture.

I wanted to pry more into Corry’s past, but this wasn’t the time and not the person to ask.

I dropped my eyes to my arms, where Sterling’s blood peppered my onyx gown. The moist droplets gave the rubies a sinister shimmer.

I braved a glance at Sterling. I almost wish I hadn’t, though. His throat wounds where the thorns dug into him wept like sap from a stump, black blood streaking his alabaster flesh. The bubbling hatred under my skin heated and jabbed at my ribs like a freshly forged blade.

It was my monster reminding me she was here, ready to strike.

Soon.

“And what about Sterling? Do you intend to murder him as well?

“Sterling,” my father whispered through a terrifying laugh. He leaned forward, flicking his serpent’s tongue out to lap a bead of his progeny’s blood from my nose.

He breathed in, chest lifting and heaving with a satisfying exhale. “The priest is mine. He’s always been mine. And he’s a vital contingency to this deal I’m offering you. He too will live but asmymate. You must relinquish him back to me.”

“Is this the part where I’m supposed to thank you for your mercy? Oh, thank you, Daddy. Thank you for letting Corry and me live. Murder and rape my other mates. Continue terrorizing everyone. Keep using this world as your playground and do whatever the fuck you want. Hail Satan, right?” I pushed out a brittle laugh of my own. “Do you actually expect me to take you up on your deal? Hand over Sterling after everything you’d done to him? Watch you take Eros and Vincent away from me? Just kick back while you terrorize and torment our people? Sorry to rain on your parade or whatever, but we won’t be renewing your reign of terror for a second term.”

His smile crumbled. Still, we kept dancing through the flames. “You’re a petulant little whore, aren’t you? That much is clear. But you’re not stupid. Take my deal. Live beneath my roof and save two of your princes by doing so. Your only other option is death.”

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