The Darkest Crown (The Eternal Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

T wo nights later Adam’s contact arrived, and I met him in the library, accompanied by Adam and Eskel. It was my first time seeing Adam after what happened, and I felt awkward, but I buried the feeling and focused on the meeting at hand.

When I entered the library and first saw him, I nearly stumbled to a halt in surprise. William Abney, head of the resistance, didn’t look a day over fifteen. He was slight of build, with short blond curls and features that could only be described as angelic. He looked like a cupid doll come to life.

Adam introduced us, giving me a moment to recover from my shock. “Sarah, this is William Abney, a most trusted friend, and leader of the rebellion. William, this is Sarah Hughes.” He made no mention of my royal station, and I was glad for it. William knew I was queen. There was no point in saying it.

“Thank you for coming,” I said, holding out my hand.

William took my hand and shook it. “I’ll admit I was surprised by the invitation.”

I motioned to the table. “Please, sit.” I’d spent the last two nights practicing what I’d say, and once we were all seated, I wasted no time. “I’m sure you’re aware of what's happened, with me becoming queen and all.”

He lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I figured. I’ll get right to it then. A few of the elders are planning on taking me down, and I need your help to prevent it.”

He raised his eyebrows. “And why would I want to prevent it? Bringing down the crown has been my primary goal for the last two hundred years.”

I nodded. “I understand, but if they get rid of me, one of them will just take my place. Do you think you’ll be any better off when that happens?”

“I think we’d be better off to have no king at all.”

“I agree a democracy would be preferable, but that’s not likely to happen anytime soon. So realistically, what’s it gonna take for you to help me?”

William leaned back in his chair and regarded me silently for a moment. “We want the Strategio dismantled,” he finally said. “A new counsel must be formed, and they must be chosen by merit, not by age or power.”

I looked him directly in the eye as I answered. “Done. What else?”

His eyes widened a fraction before he quickly composed his features. “The new counsel must reassess every vampire law, and whatever changes they make must be enforced.”

“Done. What else?”

His eyes narrowed. “Your quick agreement makes me doubt your sincerity.”

“She means what she says,” Adam said.

William pursed his lips. “While I normally trust your judgment, Adam, you’ve only known her a short while. How can you be sure she’ll do as she says?”

“Because she’s not like them,” Adam said. “She’s one of us. She knows what it's like to have your free will taken from you. To have your loved ones ripped away. She’s compassionate," he looked at me, “and forgiving.”

I smiled at Adam with appreciation before turning my attention back to William. “I’ve only been a vampire a few months, and in that time I’ve been imprisoned, sentenced to death, given as property to a stranger, imprisoned again, and tortured. Believe me, I know the system is fucked.”

William nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess you do. Alright Sarah, you have a deal.”

I filled William in on my new powers and lack of control. I told him of my plan to ask the witches for help and reluctantly told him of Allie’s presence at the castle. Then he and Eskel hashed out the details, and though I knew better than to judge someone by their appearance, especially when it came to vampires, watching angelic-looking William make war plans was bizarre.

He would remain as a guest at the castle, and twenty of his best fighters would arrive within the week. His network of spies would discover who my enemies were, and what they were planning.

When the meeting finally came to an end, Adam took William to find a room. Eskel and I were just walking out of the library, when Godwin approached and told us Marc had returned, and was waiting in the great hall with a witch.

Eskel and I exchanged a look before hurrying to greet them. When we entered the room, the tension in the air was palpable. The witch stood in front of the crackling hearth, still wearing her coat, and Marc stood some distance away, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

I smiled in greeting as I crossed the room towards her, but she didn’t smile back. The hall was an enormous space, but even from a distance I could see her clearly. She wore loose black clothes that hid her shape, but she was easily as tall as I was. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight braid, leaving me a clear view of the scars that covered more than half of her face. Her piercing blue eyes were trained on me.

“Hello,” I said when I reached her. I glanced at Marc. “Welcome back.”

He smiled warmly and bowed his head. “My Queen.”

“Thank you Marc,” Eskel said, dismissing him. Marc nodded and departed.

I turned my attention back to the witch. “I’m Sarah.” I held out my hand, but she didn't take it, so I let it fall to my side, feeling awkward.

“My name is Selene,” she responded, her voice crisp and to the point.

“You’re American,” I said with surprise. “Thanks for coming all this way.” I gestured to the chairs surrounding us. “Would you like to sit down?”

“I know why you need me,” she said, ignoring my question, “and I’m willing to help.”

I blinked. Well, that was easy.

“In exchange, you will provide me with a small, ongoing supply of vampire blood.”

I looked at Eskel, and he shook his head slightly.

“Why do you want our blood?” I asked.

“For its healing properties.”

“You can heal with your magic,” Eskel said, and she shot him a look.

“We can, in most cases, but recently we’ve been under attack by a dark magic that’s beyond our capabilities.” She lifted a hand, gesturing to the scars on her face.

I frowned. “What do you mean by dark magic ? Who did that to you?”

“We don’t know what it is. It’s something we’ve never encountered before. And it's hunting us.”

“It’s something different from a witch or a vampire?” I asked. “What else is out there?”

“Nothing,” Eskel said.

Selene tilted her head as she looked at him. “Are you sure about that?”

Eskel grunted, but didn’t respond.

“How do you know vampire blood will help?” I asked, drawing her attention back to me.

“I don’t, but it’s our last chance. We’ve tried everything else.”

“You said an ongoing supply. How much exactly, and for how long?”

She lifted her chin. “Forever. And I won’t know how much is needed until I try it.”

“My Queen,” Eskel warned. I knew he didn’t trust her. I didn’t either.

“I’m the only one willing to help you,” Selene said, seeing my hesitation. “When your man spoke to our leaders, they turned him away. Witches and vampires don’t mix. We either have this deal, or you’re on your own.”

They didn’t want to help us. Fuck. “We’ll test it once,” I told her. “If it works, I’ll provide you with a reasonable amount while you’re fighting this thing. I assume you are fighting it?”

Selene nodded. “We’re determined to destroy it. Hopefully before it kills anyone else.”

“When you destroy it, the supply ends. You won’t need our blood any longer.”

“What if we’re unable to destroy it?”

“We’ll help you for as long as necessary. And if you help me learn to control my magic, maybe I could use it to help you.” Eskel touched my arm, and I knew he disagreed with my offer.

Selene’s eyes narrowed. “You’d fight for us, even after our leaders refused to help you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “What’s the point in having all this power if I don’t use it for something good?”

“No vampire has offered to help us before.”

“Did you ever ask?”

Selene blinked. “No.”

I looked her in the eye. “I don’t know what happened between vampires and witches to cause this separation, but whatever it was, it was two thousand years ago and the parties involved are all dead. I say we strike a new deal, right now, between you and I. If one of us is ever in trouble, the other will help.”

“We should discuss this,” Eskel said tensely, but I ignored him.

Selene stared at me silently for the longest time, and I got the uneasy feeling she was trying to read my mind.

“I hold no sway over the other witches,” she finally said. “I can only speak for myself.”

“That’s good enough for me,” I told her.

She lifted her chin. “Then I accept.”

I smiled. “Great! Let me go find a blood donor and we can try it right now.”

Selene’s brow furrowed. “You won’t do it yourself?”

My smile fell as I shook my head. “I would’ve been willing before, but since I inherited Marius’ power, I don’t think it's a good idea.”

“I see.”

“But don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’ll find someone, and then hopefully we can heal those scars.”

“No,” she said quickly, causing me to pause. “There’s someone who needs it more than me, and if there’s any chance this will be your only donation, it needs to go to her.”

I frowned. “I thought you came alone.” I could hear her heartbeat speed up. She was nervous.

“I brought another, but she’s unconscious. She-” She looked away for a moment. “Your man carried her to a bedroom upstairs. I fear she won’t last much longer.”

“Show me.” I looked to Eskel. “Get the others and meet me up there.”

“You should wait for me,” he warned. “This could be a trap.”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, already turning back to Selene. “Lead the way.”

My mind raced as I followed Selene upstairs. Was it a trap? Did I just make a huge mistake? If there was an injured witch upstairs, would vampire blood help her? What would happen if a witch died in the vampire queen’s castle? What if none of my friends were willing to give their blood to a witch? We had an endless supply of bagged blood on hand, thanks to the many vampire owned blood banks, but it was all human. Shit. I should’ve waited for Eskel.

Selene’s heart was pounding as we entered the bedroom. The sound, combined with the scent of her fear, was distracting. I stepped into the room, and when I saw the woman lying on the bed, I stumbled to a halt.

A loose white dress that looked like an old-fashioned nightgown covered her from head to toe, leaving only her face and hands visible. She had scars like Selene, but they were so much worse. Her hair was gone, and her twisted skin was gray and sunken, causing her bones to protrude at sharp angles. She looked like a corpse. I stepped closer, listening for a heartbeat. It was so faint, and so slow.

“How long has she been like this?” I whispered.

“Two weeks.” Selene gently took the woman's hand in hers. “It wasn’t this bad at first.” She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. “I was attacked, but she saved me, taking most of the darkness into herself.”

Fuck. I took another step towards the bed, just as Eskel and the rest of my guards entered the room. Adam was with them. They all stopped when they saw the woman on the bed. Marc knew what to expect, but the rest of them looked horrified.

“Vampire blood might help her,” I told them. “I won’t force any of you, but-”

“I’ll do it,” Adam said, stepping forward. His eyes went to the woman on the bed.

“Are you sure?” I asked, stepping closer to him.

He nodded once. “I’ll do it.”

“It might be too late,” Eskel warned.

“Her heart still beats,” Selene insisted.

Adam pushed up his sleeve. “Then let’s not waste any time.” He sat on the edge of the bed and used his hands to gently open the woman's mouth. Then he bit the inside of his wrist, and the scent of his blood filled the room.

I inhaled sharply, suddenly frightened for both Adam and the poor woman on the bed. Adam held his wrist over her mouth, letting his blood pour into her, and Selene made a choking sound, like she was trying not to cry.

Please work. Please work.

Suddenly, the woman coughed, causing blood to fly out of her mouth and splatter Adam. Then she swallowed, and we all let out a collective sigh of relief. Adam continued to feed her, and after a moment her fingers twitched and curled around Selene’s hand, and she opened her eyes.

“Mom!” Selene gasped, choking on her tears.

Selene’s words made my world tilt. It’s her mother. For two weeks, she’d been watching her mom slowly die. I remembered that feeling.

The woman looked at Selene, then her eyes slowly closed.

“Mom!” Selene cried, leaning closer.

“She’s just sleeping,” I said, and Selene looked at me frantically. “Her heartbeat is stronger already,” I assured her. “I think it's working.”

Adam pulled his wrist away and looked at me, and I smiled to convey my thanks. He stood, stepping away from the bed, and Selene immediately took his place, leaning over to hug her mother’s frail body.

“We’ll give you some privacy,” I murmured. I glanced at the others, and they followed me out of the room. Eskel was the last one out, closing the door softly behind him. For a moment we all just stared at each other, the ten of us crammed together in the hallway.

“Alright,” Eskel said, breaking the silence, and his men all nodded to me before heading back downstairs. Eskel followed, leaving Adam and I alone.

I grabbed his hand and lifted it, looking at his wrist. It was bloody, but the skin was already healed. I ran my thumb over it, then looked up at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded, and I started to release his hand, but he wound his fingers through mine, holding me tight. I looked at our clasped hands, then lifted my chin to look up at him.

“I told you I’d do anything for you,” he said softly.

“You don’t have to,” I insisted. “I already told you, I forgive you for changing me. You don’t owe me anything.”

He smiled sadly. “I can’t help it. I feel the need to atone. Not just for what I did to you, but for the monster I used to be.”

I moved closer and leaned against him, resting my head against his chest. He wrapped his free arm around me, holding me close, and I closed my eyes, remembering how it used to be when it was just the two of us.

Our time together had been brief, but wonderful. I fell fast for him, and I fell hard. Part of it might have been due to him changing me, but part of it was just because of who he was. Adam had made me feel alive for the first time in years. He made me want to live. And I would always love him for that.