Page 91 of Crown of Death
“That is why when I tasted your blood, confirmed you were indeed a female descendant of a male Royal, I wished for your immediatedeath.”
“Because in four days, I would Resurrect, and you wouldknow.”
Finally, Cyrus raises his head, and he looks me in the eye. “In four days, I couldknow.”
Wife.Wife.
I could be someone I haveforgotten.
I could be Cyrus’wife.
The world. The entire vampire world, the entire House of Valdez. Eli—Rath. Theyallknow.
That is why they all have been watching me so close this entiretime.
“Why did you not tell me sooner?” I ask. My voice shakes. With confusion. With betrayal. With embarrassment. “This has gotten so complicated and tangled and now I… Why didn’t you tell me right away who you hoped Iwas?”
Emotion pools in my eyes. But as I meet Cyrus’, I see themharden.
His jawtightens.
His fingers clench harder around the blankets on thebed.
“Why?” Iask.
“Because sixteen years ago,” he says, his voice barely controlled. “I came to America to meet another female descendant. That of my enemy, Henry Conrath. A woman who had no knowledge of her birthright, of her world. But once she learned of it, she rose to her station and owned it well, even as ahuman.”
My heart drops into my stomach and I feel my expressionslacken.
I know where this story isgoing.
And I think I finallyunderstand.
“Sixteen years ago, I went to the House of Conrath with very, very high hopes. That after all this time, perhaps this woman would be the one.” A wicked smile curls on Cyrus’ lips. “And heartbroken Alivia, who had been forsaken by her love, she saw that hope in myeyes.”
My own hands tighten around the blanket. Tighten, wrinkling the fabric. My fingernails dig into my palms throughit.
“Alivia played me,” Cyrus says through his teeth. “With the expertise of a slithering snake. She whispered in my ear about time and castles. She pulled me close and looked at me as if I were the sun and she a bloomingrose.”
Cyrus’ eyes are unfocused, burning withrage.
“Alivia nearly broke me with hope.” His voice drops quiet.Empty.
I can feel his pain. So plain and laidbare.
“She let me believe,” he says. “She encouraged me, laid her head upon my chest and dared whisper the namehusband.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, wishing he would take back thewords.
“All the while she snuck behind my back with my most trusted spy.” His words are a whisper, so filled with betrayal. “All the while her heart still longed for Ian Ward. She let me hope. And in the end, it broke the both ofus.”
His head snaps up, and I quake from fear when his eyes meetmine.
I see it there. Iknowit.
He punished my mother for what shedid.
“So, I swore I wouldn’t do it again,” Cyrus shakes his head. “I would not let myself be led along by another. So, I did not tell you and commanded that no other would. So that you would be yourself and never try to toy with myheart.”