“Just so you know, so there are no misunderstandings, I—I was considered a beggar. Dirty. T-trashy.”
Now he stiffened, his eyes slitting dangerously. “By who?”
“Everyone.”
“Looks like I’ll be tearing this world apart, after all. The citizens are amazingly foolish. What you grew up with, around, doesn’t define who you are. And you are the best person, human or vampire, that I’ve ever met.”
Tears. Those stupid, stupid tears were forming again, burning.
“My turn,” he said, as if he hadn’t just destroyed her so exquisitely. “I was a beautiful child, and most everyone loved me.” He peered over at her, as if waiting for a reply. What did he want her to say? She’d tell him anything. Finally, though, he gave up, shoulders sagging a little, and continued. “My father was commander of the king’s army, and my mother cousin to the queen. I—”
“Wait. So you’re royalty?”
“Yes.” He said it simply. As if the confirmation didn’t make her want to puke.
“Yeah, but royalty?”
“Yes. Isn’t that wonderful?”
No! “Go on,” she croaked out.
“Well, it was clear early on that I was destined for greatness.” Again he paused, waited. Again she remained silent, unsure of what he wanted to hear from her. His shoulders sagged a little more. “At a very young age, I could defeat even my father. So, I was recruited into the army. I climbed the ranks quickly, until a few years later, I was second in command.”
Back to an image she could handle. McKell, kicking ass. “What kind of battles do vampires fight in those tunnels?”
“We are a monarchy, and rebels sometimes sprout up. They must be extinguished. Also, twice a year we must leave the underground and hunt humans up here, bringing them below to be our food-slaves. I’ve told you that before, haven’t I?”
Food-slaves, yes, but she hadn’t realized they were hunted and incarcerated. After the Schön were taken care of, she and McKell might be taking a trip to those caves and freeing the “food.”
“Anyway,” he added, and his eagerness intensified her confusion. He liked sharing about himself? Well, of course, she thought next. With his past, why would he want to hide it? “My father died while fighting a nefreti.”
“A what?”
“A vampire too powerful to live. Like Bride. Remember, they possess every gift you can imagine. Mind reading, teleporting, invisibility. The nefreti killed the former king and my cousin the queen, and Manus, their oldest son, took over.”
Backtracking. McKell had been engaged to Bride. She’d known that. The all-powerful, wonderful Bride. She’d known that, too. As Ava had told McKell earlier, she thought they were over their jealousy issues. Apparently she wasn’t. Hearing him even say Bride’s name made her want to sharpen her nails into dagger-points.
“As you can imagine, nefreti are difficult to kill. When my father fell, I assumed control of the army, and I’ve been leading them ever since. Until recently, of course. Anyway, that was centuries ago.”
Her eyes almost bugged out of her head. “Centuries. You’ve been alive centuries?” Yeah, they’d talked vampire lifespans before, but she must not have connected the dots. He was old. Experienced.
“Yes.” He watched her intently, gauging. “Don’t you see? I’m strong enough to fight this queen and her disease. You have nothing to fear. I will defeat her, and all will be well with your work, your … life.”
He’d sensed her anxiety, she realized. No wonder he’d been so eager to talk about himself. He’d wanted to prove to her that she could rely on him. He was the sweetheart. “Thank you.”
“Welcome.”
He was soothing her, all of her. Gentling her. Oh, yes, she had a decision to make. To turn or not to turn being the most glaring. Though, after watching Johnny hit that window, she wasn’t sure that was a viable option. Yet that was the only way they could connect. Truly connect.
Forever.
Still such a scary word, but not as scary as the thought of losing him. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she could try. “So why were you kicked out of the underground?” she asked, picking up their conversation.
“For allowing Bride to live. For lying to the king about who she was. For bringing her back with the intension of wedding her.”
Bride again. Ugh. “You once said lying was for people who feared consequences.”
“Yes, and I feared being without her.”
Stomach … twisting … Old fear alert, old fear alert, her brain screamed. She couldn’t stop it, though. Bride had been his first choice. He’d lied for her, given up everything for her. So what did that make Ava? Second choice? Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. Yes, old fears. They’d never really left her, she realized. They’d merely waited for their chance to pounce.
She was tired of them. So tired. Which meant she had to fight them.
She squared her shoulders. “Do you ever think about going back underground?”
He began tracing the veins in her hand again. “At first, yes. I think some of the army would follow me, did I ask, and attack the royal house. Which would need to happen for my successful return.”
“And now? Do you want to go back?”
“Now I know too many lives would be lost. Besides, I have no desire to rule the vampire world. Palace life …” He shuddered. “The balls, the deciding of everything for everyone. People constantly invading my space, touching my things. No. Unless …” He frowned. “Would you like to be a queen?”
“No.” Hell, no.
“You’re sure?”
A queen of vampires, each one with a special gift and lethal fangs? Her, just herself. “Completely sure.”
He pushed out a relieved breath. “Good.”
Had he been considering fighting his people? For her? “Are you sure the king won’t send that army of his to hunt you? The ones who wouldn’t follow you if you returned?”
“Not completely, but he knows I could destroy them all, and I doubt he’ll risk it. He hasn’t yet. Now tell me a secret,” he urged, leaning closer to her. “Something you haven’t told anyone. Even Noelle.”
The car stopped, and she peered out the window. Dallas’s building came into view, and disappointment sliced through her. “Yet another thing for us to do later,” she replied, and commanded the door to open. Not that she knew what to tell him.