I laughed, shocked rather than amused. ‘But that’s blackmail. Did you agree to this?’ I asked, turning to Violet.
Before she could say anything, Eaglen cut in. ‘It was Violet’s idea.’
My mouth fell open, as did everyone else’s. ‘Is that true?’
There was something unreadable in her eyes and expression as she nodded. ‘He’ll agree to it,’ she said, defiantly. I ran a hand down the back of my head. I had to hand it to her. She had guts. ‘He might be family, but it’s a risk that has to be taken. He can’t stay in government, I know that.’ Her words were not directed at everyone, but at me, and me alone.
Father leaned back in his chair, sighing in one of those rare moments he was stunned. ‘It’s flawed, but we don’t have much choice.’
The talk descended into logistics – the general consensus was that Lee had arranged for the rogues to be at the borders at one o’clock the next afternoon. Nobody knew if he was aware of who his daughter was.
It was another hour before anything definite was agreed. Violet would stay within the walls of the mansion, despite her protests. Most of my family would too, save for Arabella, who would join the Sagean Princess, Joanna, and Eaglen, alongside some of the more trustworthy members of the council who had been charged with bringing Lee back. In theory, it would work. In reality, a lot could go wrong. We didn’t know what Lee’s plans were. We didn’t know how he would react. We didn’t know how Violet would react: she couldn’t go soft on her father. There was a mounting sense of unease in the pit of my stomach. This had been too easy and I didn’t like it.
‘There is one more thing,’ Joanna said, standing up as the meeting headed towards a natural close. ‘As the Lady Heroine has declined My Majesty’s protection, the Lady Autumn Rose has requested the presence of Lady Violet and the council at court, in Athenea, as soon as possible. I understand that it is inconvenient, but we have the capacity to welcome as many as—’
Father cut her off with a wave of his hand, standing up. ‘The court will spend the winter season in Athenea.’ A wave of shock passed around the room. I stared, aghast, at my father. The court had not moved from Varnley since the Forties and even then, that had only been for a few weeks. ‘I suggest you communicate with your families to inform them to ready themselves. We leave in two weeks. You are dismissed.’
Most seemed too stunned to speak and silently filed out. I remained rooted to my seat until one of the attendants appeared by my father’s side, as he instructed him to inform the sizeable court of the move. Distracted by that and Henry, beginning to formulate more detailed plans for the next day, I didn’t notice as Violet slipped towards the door. But my father did.
‘Violet,’ he called, not bothering to look up from the notes he was writing. She froze, hand on the door. ‘You cannot leave this dimension and enter Athenea as a human.’
Her eyes widened. The meaning was implicit. She had to turn, and she had to turn soon.
FIFTY-NINE
Violet
I think Kaspar saw the fear in my eyes when he told me he was going to hunt. I think he knew I would sit on my bed with my arms wrapped around my knees, curled into the most uncomfortable position so I wouldn’t fall asleep. I didn’t want to follow him in my dreams, which was irrational. I knew that soon, I would have to hunt too. I had to turn. I had no choice now. Whether I wanted it or not – which God, I did – was irrelevant. But it was more than that. I didn’t want to know his thoughts. I didn’t want to know what he wanted to do to my father and I certainly didn’t want to know what he had been thinking when he left me to die.
Maybe that was why as he swung his cloak around his shoulders, he caught my hand and said sorry.
There was so much to think about and yet he was thinking about her. Not that he minded hugely. It was better than lingering on the thought that in twelve hours, Lee would be within a hairsbreadth of Varnley’s borders. It was not an event that he would ever have foreseen before the previous July and he felt a familiar anger rise towards the surface, which he didn’t try to quench. There was no point trying to hide it from her. Lee was the man who had consigned his mother to death; he had a right to be angry. It was bad enough staying restrained in public. He couldn’t do it in private as well.
He was thirsty but most of the deer had fled to where the Sage camped, drawn to their high-pitched laughs, which settled amongst the canopy. It sent a shiver down the figure’s spine. The Sage might move in harmony with nature, but they were not of this Earth – no creature that could kill a man with one word was of this earth. The cloaked figure sighed. It wasn’t hard to see why Athenea was the most powerful Kingdom. Nobody dared question their authority. Either way, he was glad he was not a slayer having to face them later that day.
But what he really needed was human blood. In fact, he needed the city.
A small smile broke on his lips. That’s where he would take her, when all of this had died down. To Victoria, on the south coast of Vancouver Island, or the bigger Vancouver. It wasn’t so far from Athenea. In fact, any city in the first dimension would do, because the humans knew about vampires. Some were willing to be bitten; most would panic when they knew vampires were about. There was nothing like hysteria on a hunt.
He stopped, realizing his thoughts were straying to where they shouldn’t. She would be following him, if she was asleep. But he couldn’t stop his tongue from gliding over his lips in expectation, especially as he glimpsed the white flash of a tail amongst the trees to his right. Only a rabbit, but it would do. Without making a sound, he etched nearer to the creature, which was completely oblivious to the predator until the light from the moon, creeping between the pines, was blocked by a large shadow. Startled, it kicked at the earth with its hind legs, making to run. But the cloaked figure stooped down and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck before it could get far.
There was a snap. Might as well be merciful.
I woke up in a cold sweat, half-naked on top of the sheets, patting the bedside table with my hand until I found the lamp.
Will I ever get used to the killing? I thought, struggling to shrug the dream off. I doubted it. I knew it was possible to not kill to drink, but it still felt like I was betraying my vegetarianism. As to drinking from a human … well, that was plain cannibalism. He could take me to every city in the world and I would not kill a human.
Yet you are worried about controlling yourself, my voice added. And you have no qualms about drinking donor blood. What is so different about drinking from a human?