Page 11 of When Night Falls
But I know that really, my curse is not in the slightest under complete control. My ears ring with need and my pulse spasmsat the slightest sound of a heartbeat. My cravings drown me further into the depths of hell every time I see her.
But I can’t rush this trial, though I do have the means to marry right now. My fiancé, though not tethered to me, is anticipating our wedding soon. Again, no one quite knows that my anima vinculum is in play.
Marrying my intended would be the quickest route to unifying the kingdom and closing the gaps in our Society. But I can’t deny the pull to my soul, no matter how much I try to minimize the hold she truly does have on me. And beside that, I have other plans for my sweet sin.
I look over to Zharus who seems to be examining me, almost as if he wants my thoughts to verbally surface. But non-royal Nocturnes can’t read royal-blooded vampire’s minds, so my thoughts are safe in the confines of my skull.
Though I don’t deny him access to certain information, there’s somethings that I simply desire to keep to myself.
“Speaking of…” Zharus attempts to start up a new conversation, presumably about the subject of my marriage. But I cut him off knowing that I won’t be able to control the urges if we start talking abouther.
“I need to clean up. Find the guard on body duty, will you?” I command precisely, before turning to exit the dungeon, leaving the body as the ground it rots on is besmirched with blood.
Zharus gives me a curt nod before looking over at the mess I made just moments ago, recalling the screams coming from the tongueless pig was like music to my ears.
My dungeon is all concrete and wood furnishings, though expansive and little remains in here save a chair for torture, walls lined with chain for captives, and a few empty caskets. This is where souls go to rot and lives end if you’ve crossed my path in a dissatisfactory way, which many try their best to refrain from. And regardless of my ignominious craving for blood, I ratherplay by the rules and respect the Nocturne laws in regard to death. But regardless of whether I want to feed or not, I have to if I am to exert great force and hold influence.
“Right then,” Zharus starts as he follows behind. “Can’t say he didn’t have it coming, but I think the next question is . . . what the fuck was he hiding from you?”
I sit calmly at the head chair of the oversized table in the expansive room we call the great hall. It’s designed with beautiful dark wood beams along a dark gray stone-vaulted ceiling with only one window that sits high above, providing a sliver of natural sunlight or a shadow dance created by the moonlight, depending on the time of day. The room is rather dimly lit by black brass vintage sconces mounted along the length of the plaster walls that are lined with gold encrusted filigree where the wall and ceiling kiss.
"They claim it was someone from within Hollows Society." Zharus paces back and forth, obviously worried as he explains to me the intel he obtained from his secret lover of the Valor Cove Society.
There’s been two attacks reported on innocent Outsiders near The Valor Cove Society, only five hours south of here. Is the proximity the reason they'd place blame on this Society? Without any proof, their claims are baseless; they’re just trying to stir the pot because Viktrum, their king, has always been jealous of the empire my family has built. However, that stillbegs the questions . . . were the attacks intentional and malicious and by whom?
"If the Nocturne informant came from them, it would make sense as to why they sent that poor excuse of espionage into the compound. I'm actually surprised he agreed to spy given the treaty. But why would Viktrum risk one of his men for information he wasn't sure he'd obtain?" While the questions rack my brain, something else holds the majority of my attention otherwise.
"What makes them think the attacker is within these walls?" I ask as I skim the video footage I asked Zharus to bring me earlier.
In the last hour, Zharus managed to meet up with his gossipy cooperative for the information he's bringing to me now, while also having my security footage ready for my viewing. And by the looks of his wrinkled clothes and disheveled hair, I can also tell he had time for intimate activities.
"Word is, they believe that our Society is not . . . well…" Zharus struggles to get his words out but I remain unbothered as he stammers over how to say what he means to say. "They don't believe us to bemanaged accordinglyconsidering…"
"Considering what, Zharus? Considering I have not wed and taken my rightful place as precipitously as expected?” I put the tablet down gently on the wooden table. I look up at Zharus and make a forcible impression by locking my gaze dead on his tired hazel eyes, a gesture no one takes lightly around here.
“Renard only passed a month ago. I understand the urgency in taking the crown but do they really think because I have yet to solidify my marriage, it gives cause for my Nocturnes to be running around in the middle of the night killing Outsiders without reason? You know better than anyone that this Society has held the grandest respect in regard to theAffinitasTreaty. This scheme, this tedium agenda of theirs has the rathermediocre taste of the guilty pointing the finger at someone who looks weaker than them," I declare, unmoving my eyes from the screen before me.
"You might be right, but that's just it, Rivian. Welookweakto them. That's all they need to go off on. If we don't do something to fix that image, the treaty-"
"Zhar, you've been my Factotum since the day I was born. I have never once asked you for more than your undying loyalty and your due diligence. I can see how things may look, but there is no reason to cause any belief behind the idea that we are responsible for the blame that is being pointed our way." I swipe the camera feed to focus on a new angle. “Now, do you personally have any reason to believe that one of our own is the force behind such a treason?”
"No, sir. I suppose I don't." Zharus stops at the other end of the table and though I’m not looking at him, I know he’s looking up at the crystal chandelier with his hands in his front pockets and is probably wondering why I’m not taking this information as seriously as he would like me to.
If another Society gets convicted of treason or is even suspected of much, it could lead to Society lockdown, suppression of blood source, restrictions, war, or even massacre of our entire Society provided swiftly from the Nocturnes of the Faction. And though Viktrum seems to have taken the matter into his own hands by sending in an amateur agent, I am not thoroughly convinced that he has any factual information that would lead him to think Hollows is involved. Nor am I convinced that the attacks being spoken about are even remotely legitimate, other than what Zharus claims to have heard from his lover. Zharus may trust his word, for the sake of maintaining their sexual relationship, but I, however, do not.
TheAffinitasTreaty is a truce that was put into effect years ago due to the recklessness of my father. It’s designed toeliminate unsolicited wars between societies as well as ensure peace between kingdoms and the Outsiders that reside in their towns. Probable cause of death would be a being of threat or a being who has enlisted victims of their own. So the compelled crony that trespassed my compound was rightfully slaughtered by me, seeing as he posed a threat to my kingdom.
No matter what any other Society might believe to be true, the basis of accusations is something that isn’t taken lightly and it was wrong to react by invading a Society's space for any reason. Part of the Faction’s job is to investigate the death of any Outsider or Nocturne and determine if it was of foul play or not. Viktrum could have simply waited for them to have done their job instead of taking it into his own hands, but what good is power if we can’t have a little fun with it?
I continue my conversation with Zharus, noticing that he displays more worry than I do in the matter.
“It's not up to me or Viktrum or any other Society to decide who might be the culprit behind such threats. That's something the Faction will have to investigate and handle, if such a threat truly is present. So, I suggest you inform your little lover boy to tell his king to back off our kingdom and to put greater effort into finding the real cause to his ridiculous problem. It seems to me that they’re the weak ones considering they can’t keep their Outsiders from being subjected to a potential disobedient Nocturne. Rather, don't waste your breath. I imagine he'll come looking for his failed spy soon enough and he and I can engage in a lovely chat.” I smile and swipe to the next angle of my video feed.
Zharus seems satisfied by my response enough to allow him relaxation of his muscles as he sighs a calming breath.
“Who is your secret tryst anyways, Zharus? I would love to meet him someday.” It’s a sarcastic suggestion, only a hope to find out more insight about what some of the people in mykingdom have been up to with their time. Maybe I want to look into performing a background check on the subject of Zhaurs’ desires, only to ensure that his partner can be trusted.
“With all due respect. I’d like to keep that envelope sealed for now.” His apprehension would alarm me if I, myself, didn’t have secrets to keep.