Dark Skye (Immortals After Dark #15)(110)

Jasen answered, “He has recently passed on, my liege. I apologize for not saying something earlier, but I couldn’t reveal any details out of the assembly. And there is . . . much to be explained.”

—I’m sorry, Thronos.— Melanthe looked as shocked as he felt.

Working to make his tone even, Thronos said, “Be seated.” He led her to a chair, taking the one beside her. “How did he die?”

“He was murdered,” Jasen said. “By the king of the Deathly Ones demonarchy.”

Murdered?

“There is no king of that demonarchy,” Melanthe said. “I’m friends with Bettina, their princess. She’s half Sorceri. As of a few weeks ago, she was unwed.”

Jasen told her, “We understand that the male who wed their princess is a Dacian vampire who won her in a recent tournament.”

Thronos cast her a questioning glance. —Dacians actually exist? I thought they were a myth.—

—I’ve always believed they did. Thronos, I fear we’ve been gone for longer than we thought.—

—As do I.— Aloud, he asked the others, “What reason had this king to murder another?”

“There are those who say the act was purportedly carried out in retaliation for some perceived violence done to his Bride.”

Thronos frowned at Jasen. “Perceived violence?” Compared to Melanthe’s straight-from-the hip talk, this deferential speak grated.

With regret on her face, she told him, “A few months ago, Bettina was attacked by four Vrekeners. Though she’s a young, ninety-five-pound waif who’s never harmed anyone, they broke every bone in her body. Then they doused her with spirits, about to burn her alive. She was rescued just in time.”

He recalled Melanthe telling him that she and Sabine weren’t the only ones brutalized. Thronos expected denials from the knights. Any second the warrior males would staunchly reject the idea that a Vrekener could be capable of such a craven act.

The silence that reigned gave Thronos chills.

All eyes turned to Jasen to continue. Thronos supposed the male had assumed the role of leader in the absence of a king, which was surprising. Thronos would’ve expected Cadmus, their general knight of war, to lead. Yet Cadmus sat quietly, as if biding his time.

Jasen said, “The vampire took your brother and three of his knights.”

“From where?”

Around the table, eyes darted.

“From here. The male traced to Skye Hall.”

A leech had located this kingdom. “How is that possible? A vampire can only trace to a place he’s previously been. And what about our wards?”

“We have no idea how he did it—or if he’ll lead more vampires or demons back here. We’ve posted extra sentries.”

Hidden guards. So that was who’d watched Thronos last night.

“We’re ready to take more action. My liege, this has understandably sent shockwaves through the populace.”

All Thronos had wanted to do was wed Lanthe and come to an understanding with Aristo, or to endeavor to. Now . . .

I am king. The last of his line.

He could scarcely process that his brother was dead—and that the welfare of all these people rested on his shoulders. “Why would the vampire target my brother so specifically?”

Jasen said, “There might . . . there’s a chance King Aristo was one of the four who inflicted those injuries upon Princess Bettina, not understanding who she was.”

His brother might have tortured a tiny young sorceress, intending to burn her alive. Aristo’s voice sounded in his head: “Death to every last one of them!” Though Thronos felt like he couldn’t get enough air, he fought to keep his expression neutral.

“My liege, there’s more. The vampire stole your brother’s fire scythe.”

“This is a grievous loss, but there are three others.” And Thronos didn’t intend for the knights to use the scythes for sorcery harvesting in the future.

Because my word will be law.

“The vampire turned it over to Morgana. She perverted its purpose, using it to loose the powers from the vault. She has reclaimed them all.”

“She emptied the vault?” What else could she do with a scythe?

Jasen nodded. “She sent some of the powers out into the ether to reach their original possessors. We know this because a few of the Sorceri here received theirs.”

Melanthe asked, “Where are they?”

“They fled. As far as we can tell, one of them reclaimed a teleportation ability. The rest left with him.”

Fled. So they had been as miserable as Melanthe had said, escaping at the first opportunity.

Thronos gazed at her. —You were right. About everything.—



Lanthe didn’t necessarily want to be right, now that she’d signed on for life above the clouds. Nor was she pleased about being queen of the Vrekeners.

Queen of any other faction? Sure, why not!

But these people?

Another male rose to speak, another knight. Melanthe didn’t like the looks of him. He was waxy-skinned with light hair and eyes. He had one of the beefier builds among the males. Where the other Vrekeners struck her as still-waters-run-deep types, this guy seemed smarmy—like some of the Sorceri courtiers she’d known.

“My liege, four factions of the Lore have declared war on us. If we count the Sorceri’s age-old declaration, that brings the total to five.”