Chapter 3

I did as he commanded without hesitation, using the front door to aid me as my legs began to shake and bend at the knee, my fear making it increasing difficult to obey; all I wanted to do was run. I wanted to get as far away as I possibly could, hide and hope that no one finds me.

But that just wasn’t possible, my father had tried to run, he had tried to take me and mother with him, but we were caught at the border of Scotland, we never made it to the free tribes and he was foolish to think we would.

He had tried to fight them off when they came, he had been rebellious until his last breath, never once showing fear; though I knew that he had been afraid. I could sense it. Since then, my mother had been placed onto a list, a donor list. She had to give them her blood regularly, and use her ability to read a mortal’s mind to aid them whenever they asked, never really having a choice.

We are one of the rare families that are owned directly by the crown, but not the mortal crown. No, this was much different, and I didn’t understand why he had come all the way from across the ocean just to see us. It made no sense. We were already on constant watch; we had a vampire with us at all times. So, what had gone wrong, what had changed?

I turned to look down at Noah, his entire form coated in his own blood, he had been foolish to challenge royalty, to think that he could bully another vampire into submission, that is not how they worked. Not how any of them should act.

His bulky frame was unmoving and utterly broken, every bone seeming to have been broken in one way or another, his heart no longer residing within his chest. I took a long breath, holding it in my lungs for a few seconds before allowing it to exit my mouth, attempting to calm my heart rate down.

I knew that with their heightened senses, Silas would be able to hear my heart beating within my chest, and he would know how afraid I was, and depending on the vampire, that would either piss him off, or please him.

“Did … did you kill him?” I asked bravely, or stupidly; I wasn’t quite sure which as I found my balance, finally able to hold my own weight.

“Yes, I did.” He said slowly, taking a step towards me as he continued. “You are old enough to know what happens to those who disobey the crown?”

I nodded, bowing my head in a sign of respect, “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He smiled, baring his fangs. “Now follow me.”

Silas moved past me and opened the front door, revealing several vampires on the lawn, each one staring at me; waiting for me to run. But I had no intention of running, I didn’t want to die, and that is all running would get me.

Besides, I wouldn’t ever make it down the path before they caught me, the vampires were much faster than me, they had an unnatural speed that no one else could master, at least; not that I knew of. I looked down at my beauty and the beast nightwear and sighed, there would be no time to change, or even put on shoes; I would have to go to wherever they had planned as I am. They didn’t care that it was a cold night, they couldn’t feel the cold, not like I could.

After a brief moment, I looked back at the stairs, wishing that I could say goodbye to my mother, and hoping that they didn’t kill her. She had done nothing wrong, only ever doing as they asked without hesitation; she wasn’t like my father, she understood that she had no choice.

That running would only mean death, for the both of us. Fear didn’t matter, not in this life, even if you run from them because you are afraid, the outcome would be the same. Your life would be over.

“That was not a request Luna Marshall.” Silas growled deeply, viciously grabbing my arm.

I gasped when his hand tightened around my wrist, my head snapping towards him as I felt something move within my stomach, unable to decide if it was my supper or my power trying to break loose.

But I couldn’t allow either of them to rear their head, I couldn’t vomit, or I would be punished; and I certainly couldn’t use my powers against the vampires. That would surely mean death, I would not see any mercy from these creatures. Not if they found out what I could do.

The vampire prince dragged me through the door and onto the front lawn, leaving Noah’s dead body behind, I didn’t know vampires could die. I thought that it was impossible to destroy them, yet clearly, I was wrong, I knew that they could be rendered immobile, so that they couldn’t attack you.

That is what we had managed to do when we ran, but to kill one? No, none of us knew that to be possible. Not until now. But how did he do it? How does one kill a vampire?