Page 4 of Ruthless Royals

“I haven’t seen Istinia in over twenty years.” His fingers trembled as he held a book between them. “The king protected my station here, so sorcerers could access spells and other items they may need. Now he has passed away, I will need to leave soon. The vampires,” he spat, his face contorting with anger, “will come and raid this place soon, without the king's protection. Even with my spells, I can’t hold all of them off. The city will descend into chaos. I have accepted my fate, aiding not only our people, but the mortals here too. You must accept yours.”

I parted my lips, a lump forming in my throat as I assessed him through the dim light. Beads of sweat collected between my brows, and I averted my gaze, hating how much emotion I gave away on my face. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Alexandra.” He mocked. “Azia said you would come, Seraphina.” He enunciated each letter, the name leaving his tongue like a weapon. “The immortal sorceress.” He paused. “Are you ready to fulfill the prophecy?”

My breath hitched, and I glanced nervously at the door. “Yes. But I need help.”

His eyes glistened as he focused on me, as if I was so much more than I was. “You will bring death to all these creatures.” He glanced at the door, his voice barely a whisper. “What you require, I cannot provide. But I have this.” He hobbled down the step from the desk, hurrying to the back, behind a door left slightly ajar. He returned holding a leather-bound black book. “This is a grimoire. It has hundreds of spells you won’t find in your local sorcery store. Any books I have on Salenia will be information you can find anywhere. I won’t pretend otherwise to take your stagma. But this will give you everything you need so you can take her on when the time comes.”

Hesitantly, I took the book, feeling its power thrum into my palms as if it had a life of its own. “You are a friend of Azia?”

He gazed at the book. “An ally. He thinks the vampires can be saved,” he spat. “It is a vital difference of opinion preventing us from being anything more than that.” He glanced at the door. “The vampire outside. He is your husband. The prince,” he deducted.

“Yes,” I admitted, as there was little point in denying anything anymore.

“You would let him die?”

“No,” I admitted, but not wanting to tell him the truth about the meaning of the prophecy. He would be a great asset should I need anything else. If he believed I was going to rid him of the race which had trapped him all these years, then he’d be more willing to aid me. “Sebastian lost his family. He wants to be mortal. I plan on making him that, before I kill Salenia. She has the Elixir of Mortality.”

He nodded slowly. “I sense there is a spell on you.”

“A cloaking spell from Azia,” I explained.

“No wonder I didn’t recognize you.” He reached out slowly, touching my arm with a beat of magic pulsing into my veins. His eyes latched onto mine, intrusiveness in his unwavering stare. “We are with you, Seraphina. You have more support than you know. Even in the other kingdoms. We want the vile creatures gone as much as you. I can feel it,” he said, sliding his fingers down my skin. I wanted to push his hand away, but reminded myself he was an ally and someone I might need. “The gods' magic. You’ve been touched by death, more than once.”

My stomach churned, my heart pounding when he stepped back. My grisly death at the hands of Hamza came flooding back. I clamped my eyes shut, not allowing fear to immobilize me again. I had to remain strong. People needed me now, more than ever. “I won’t let you down,” I promised, opening my eyes. It wasn’t a total lie. I would fulfill the prophecy, but it wouldn’t mean death to the vampires. I wondered if giving them the ability to die and ascend meant they would be more wary about giving into their darker natures. Without the underworld and knowing of eternal damnation, the desire to do the right thing would be met with a greater reward. After all, the gods were our judges.

I clutched the book to my chest. “How much?”

“No cost foryou.”

“Thank you, Charles.”

He bowed his head. “It is an honor, your majesty.”

I swallowed thickly. Hearing that for the first time, instead of highness, made the hairs on my arms stand on end. I forced a small smile, then headed out the door. I felt Charles’s eyes bore into me as I stepped out into the drizzle of rain. Vampires hurried around, speeding from one end of the market to the other, blood splatters still showing on their clothes and lips.

Sanmorte was a harsh example of the truth most mortals didn’t want to accept—without consequences or fear of damnation as it came anyway, most would choose to do the wrong thing. I wished it wasn’t true, but asides from the few like Erianna, Sebastian and Zach, the vampires didn’t give me much hope. Then again, they were more darkly inclined, with Salenia’s curse bringing out the worst in them, but still. My husband was an example that they could choose to do better.

“The storms passing,” I said, looking up at the fading gray sky. A rain drop landed on my lip, and I grabbed Sebastian. “I’m sorry about what happened inside.”

He shook his head, sliding his hand around my waist, holding me close. He planted a kiss against my head, then whispered into my hair. “You shouldn’t be. I trust you. I just…” He trailed off, and I grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers. He didn’t need to say anything more. The fear of losing me again was palpable enough through our bond. “What’s that?”

I looked down at the leather book, rubbing my thumb against the smooth edge. “A spell book. You couldn’t hear us?”

“No.” His expression turned stony. “He must have a spell up, so no one can eavesdrop.”

I blew a sigh of relief. I’d wondered why Sebastian hadn’t come flying in the moment he heard the sorcerer knew about the prophecy or who I really was. Because so few knew, and if word got out, the result would be deadly. Every vampire would be out for my blood, even if I explained the misinterpretation. “He couldn’t find a book with information abouther,” I explained. “But he said this would help me strengthen my magic.”

He nodded and walked us back down the beaten path, around dumpsters and rain-soaked garbage permeating the air with human waste and dead rats. I didn’t tell him anything else. I couldn’t. I was keeping more to myself than ever before. Secrets and lies were like poison in my chest, slowly eroding my heart. Because, as much as I trusted him, he was scared, too. It would take very little for him to whisk me away from here, not allowing me to go after Salenia. Scared people did the worst things. I knew that. I’d seen it repeatedly.

We turned the next corner, striding past the apothecary and apartments above it in the four-story, stone building. The door swung open, and someone walked out. I turned on my heel, frozen to the spot as I came face to face with an aniccipere.

Dizziness consumed me, my eyes blurring as Sebastian’s voice reached me through the sheet of shock. As if the world had descended into slow motion, I was drifting. I didn’t know when I started crying, but I grappled for Sebastian, clutching his chest when I looked back over my shoulder and saw the vampire. I blinked twice. He wasn’t an aniccipere at all. He was taller than average, but he was a sangaree, not a disgusting soul vampire.

“I’m sorry,” I spluttered to the confused man as he slowly stepped out from our view, his brows knitted as he walked away, glancing back twice. Sebastian wrapped his arms around me, in a strangled hug as I attempted to catch my breath. “I… I thought.”

“I know,” he cut me off, planting another kiss on my head. “It’s okay, love. You’re safe now.”