Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl #1)(18)

Asher notices me looking. "So we can close the canals during an attack."

"From who?" I ask.

"Enemies my people have made. They live in limbo, the Outlands, beyond these walls."

I raise an eyebrow. "And how often are you attacked?"

"There are occasional raids. But first, they must deal with the archers on the walls. If they make it past, then we have soldiers on the ground." He speaks casually, as if this is the day to day of his life. Will I too, one day, speak of raids and battle so easily?

We pass the walls, and the temperature drops, and I pull my coat around me, shivering at such a sudden change in climate.

"We've entered my brother's realm, the Prince of War," he says. "It's miserably cold here this time of year."

Majestic mountains topped with caps of snow reach into the sky, and trees so tall I can't see their tops line the shore. In the distance, a castle forged from stone is carved into the side of a massive peak. Purple flags fly from two towers, depicting a white wolf. "Do other people live here?" I wonder out loud.

"Yes. Each realm has its villages, its center, and its populace. Most are demons but there are other kinds here as well. It's important you always stay within the realms. We aren't the only race inhabiting this land, and believe it or not, we're the good guys. You don't want to go beyond the gates, if you value your life. Or your mother's."

Asher's voice drops to a low rumble, and I shiver at the weight in his words. What kinds of creatures live outside the realms that would have vampires scared of them? I can't even imagine. "Speaking of my mother, when will I get to see her?"

"We will head there first, to set your mind at ease. Then you will be assigned a realm to begin your stay with us. My brothers were meant to decide the order while I retrieved you."

"The order?"

Asher looks over at me and smirks. "Yes, the order. You must spend time with each of us before you make your choice. You'll have a month with each prince. At the end of the seven months, you will decide who amongst us will be your mate and future king."

"So my mother has to live as a prisoner for seven months? What if I decide sooner?"

His smirk disappears and he leans closer to me, his cologne making my head spin. "Be very careful, princess. My brothers are ruthless demons who have lived more lifetimes than you can imagine. They have their own agendas and will do whatever it takes to accomplish them. Do not be hasty in this. Not only are you sealing your own fate for all eternity, but our kingdom's as well."

"Why?"

He blinks. "Why what?"

"Why leave such an important decision to an ordinary human? Why not just fight it out or use magic or something to decide the next king?"

He leans back and crosses his hands over his lap. "Why indeed. For starters, you are far less ordinary than you imagine yourself to be. And then of course you know the rest of the answer." He chuckles. "You are the chosen one, there is a prophecy, and danger, and, of course, my sexy charms. Isn't that what you said in the hospital? You weren't wrong, princess. You weren't all the way right, but you weren't wrong."

I glare at him. "Thanks. That clears everything right up."

Our boat turns, and the landscape changes once again. It's still cold, but not nearly the frigid weather of before. We are no longer surrounded by the ruggedly wild forests. Instead, we travel through a city full of tall buildings that look grown from stone and trees. A white marble tower blocks out one of the moons, green vines spiraling up from its base. Immaculate gardens adorn almost every dwelling, full of silver and purple flowers, their sweet aromas fresh on the wind. Everything looks smooth and polished: elegant symbols carved into the walls, delicate archways crossing over cobbled streets. This time I do see an occasional person walking around, alone or with one or two others. It's late, but the city is lit with light from glowing blue orbs that seems to hover in the air. "What is this place?" I ask.

The prince smiles, and for the first time it seems to be with genuine pleasure. "This is my realm. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Very," I say honestly.

"It is my pride," he says, then laughs. "After all, I am the Prince of Pride."

I can't help but laugh with him at his own stupid humor, and for a moment we share in a very normal camaraderie of two people enjoying something lovely together.

"My location is less than optimal," he says, "placed between the wild lands of War and the dreariness of Envy. Honestly, he really needs to do something with his life. His land could be beautiful, in its own way. It's heavy with red clay that bleeds like blood into the snow in winter, and he gets the most dreadful storms, but the rock formations that litter his coast lines are actually quite dramatic and stunning, if paired with the right architecture. Unfortunately, he has no eye for design and thus his realm languishes under his artless care." His voice is full of dramatic despondency, like a petulant child who didn't get his choice of toy for the holiday. "You'll see what I mean soon enough. We're almost there."

The canal twists to the right and our boat magically follows. As we turn, the trees become more dispersed, and instead the water is framed by pillars of rock and stone, slate grey and weathered by time and the elements. Our boat lurches and comes to a sudden stop, sending me spiraling forward into Asher, who catches me in his arms.