Page 28 of Crown of Death

There is a big moment of both of us holding ourbreath.

This is themeat.

The bigness that’s coming to sweep overme.

I might not yet accept that this is real. But once Cyrus shares this information, I don’t think there’s any goingback.

“There are a lot more of us than you might think,” Cyrus says. “We’ve been around for thousands of years. There are generations and generations, families. Wars. With thousands of us around, there has to be some kind of governance. There has to be a system in place to keep our kind asecret.”

He slowly rubs his hands together. There’s weight in the way he speaks. History. As real and tangible as Paul Revere, or Harriet Tubman, or Nero. This is Cyrus’reality.

“There are twenty-seven Houses throughout the world, spread out by population,” he continues. “There are three kinds of vampires in the world. The Bitten, who are created, by accident usually, when a vampire drinks too much of a human’s blood but does not kill them. The creation of a Bitten has been illegal for several years now, and there hasn’t been one reported in…seven or soyears.”

That, in itself right there, sounds like a huge story. A big piece of history that he summed up in just a fewsentences.

“And then there are the Born. Common citizens, you might call them.” Cyrus’ fingers roll, forming a fist on his left hand, his knuckles turning white. “And there are the Royal Born. The ones with Royal linage. These are those who are given charge of ruling the world from the shadows. Of keeping our kind—in all their forms—incheck.”

I realize I’m leaning forward, listening, on batedbreath.

“Here in the United States there are three Houses,” he explains. “Your mother, Alivia, rules the House of Conrath, based in Mississippi. She governs all of the South. Edmond Valdez, who you met last night, is the second son of the ruler of the House of Valdez, based in Las Vegas. The situation in the north east, where your cousin will one day rule, is a bit more complicated until she comes ofage.”

“My cousin,” I say. “How is shetied?”

“Your mother, while still human, fell in love with a man who did not realize he was, in fact, a Born.” At my confused expression, he waves a hand. “We’ll get to all of that shortly. But this man, Ian Ward,” again, tightness sounds in his voice. It seems Cyrus’ experiences with everyone in that region are not positive. “Has a younger sister,Elle.”

But athername, his tone softens. “She wanted to escape the never ending drama Alivia brings with her, so she moved to Boston. There was bad blood between your mother and the ruling family there—the Allaways. Charles Allaway wanted to punish Ian. So he took Elle, and artificially inseminated her. It took. She became pregnant with a Royal heir. She killed Charles Allaway before the child was born. So now, Elle and her husband—I don’t recall his name—are raising her to be the kind of leader they wish her tobe.”

So much. So big and so complicated. This world. This family Cyrus claims I am a partof.

“Back to the Houses,” Cyrus changes direction. “There is also a House in Vancouver, which rules over the North West region of the States, as well as western Canada. Every section of the world is divided out, and responsibility given to a family or group of RoyalBorn.”

“Which is what you say I am,” I clarify. “You say I am one of you, but I don’t have fangs. I’ve never had the strength to rip anyone’s head clean from theirshoulders.”

“Because you have not died your first deathyet.”

The words settleheavy.

“A Born, common or Royal, is conceived by a human mother and a Born father. But eventually, when that human dies, their vampire DNA is sparked to life. You will lie there, dead for all the world to believe, but in four days’ time, you will Resurrect, as your true self. ABorn.”

“Resurrect,” I whisper theword.

Cyrus nods. “We get to experience two deaths. One as a human. And eventually, always under bloody circumstances, as avampire.”

“Is that supposed to mean vampires are immortal, if it takesviolence?”

Cyrus’ lips form a thin line. He nods his head, his eyesdark.

Looking at Cyrus, I search for signs. To my eyes, he appears to only be in his upper twenties. But the way he speaks, the power he wears like a crown, I have towonder.

“How old areyou?”

His expression does not change or give anything away. “Old.”

We stare one another down. Neither giving in. Neither confessing that any of the words spoken in the last twenty minutes are ajoke.

But still, I huff a laugh. I shake myhead.

“So this is why you say I have to die,” I state, letting my eyes wander the room, not really seeing anything. “Because you will kill me. But after I’m dead, after four days, I’ll wake back up. As avampire?”