Page 147 of Treasured

Honestly, this was almost adorable. They thought they could win against me? I had over twenty centuries on my side. Thrice, I’d dealt with challenges to my throne, and thrice, I’d won.

My victory tonight would be sweeter than all those combined.

I would show them why I was the queen of this gods-damned country. Of all the things I’d done during my reign, all the decisions I’d made, the people I’d killed, the laws I passed, this Fledgling was the one I regretted the most.

Listening to my Fortune Elves and allying myself with Ipotha had been a mistake. I should have ignored them when they told me of the coming darkness. And when Ciro, Ithiar damn his soul, had brought up the Binding, I should have killed him right then.

I had many regrets, and they all stemmed back to her. Pure malice ran through me, leaving an acrid taste at the back of my mouth. They wanted a fight?

I’d give them one they’d never forget.

Hoarfrost Hollow

SEBASTIAN

“Since we have laid the challenge at your feet, Queen Marguerite, we wait for your choice of location,” I said.

Every vampire knew the rules related to issuing a challenge to the throne. It was simple, really.

One party challenged, and the other chose the location.

Hopefully, she didn’t want to fight here. This banquet hall wasn’t exactly an ideal location for a battle to the death. Tables, upended chairs, and benches were strewn around the room from when the vampires had made their hasty retreats. Half-empty goblets of wine were a testament to the speed with which the feast attendees had fled.

The queen pursed her lips. “Where shall I choose?” she smirked. “I could pick any number of places, you know.” She circled us once more. The click-clack of her heels echoed through the room.

Beside me, Luna tensed. We needed to get this over with.

“A location, Your Majesty?” I growled.

She smirked. “I’m thinking.” A moment passed, then she added, “Do you have a preference?”

As if she cared.

“None,” I snarled.

The location didn’t matter. Whether she wanted it to be a public battle in an arena for all her people to watch, in the Caves of Death to the south, or on the Ice Fjords in the west, we would go.

“Hoarfrost Hollow.” The queen’s voice echoed through the cavernous space, and my heart dropped.

Luna hitched a breath. Where is that? Is it like the Forgotten Passage?

I wished we were returning there. Anything would be better than Hoarfrost Hollow. Already, my skin crawled with the thought of what we might encounter.

Sebastian? Luna’s voice grew more urgent. Where is Hoarfrost Hollow?

Beneath my gloves, my hands grew clammy. I swallowed. It’s as close to a graveyard as vampires get.

Of all the places in Eleyta, this was one I would never have dreamed of taking my wife. No one in their right mind ever went there, and for good reason. It was haunted. Powerful, ancient magics resided in Hoarfrost Hollow.

But the queen was not sane.

We couldn’t change it now that she’d spoken the location. Gods-given laws governed Eleyta, and this was one of the rules we all had to follow. There was no way around it.

I nodded, drawing shadows around Luna and me. “We’ll meet you there.”

We had no choice.

The challenge was underway.