Chapter 6 Chapter 6

SERA'S POV

The morning sun woke me up, way more earlier, but maybe it was also my racing heart that kept me up at night after what happened last night.

I got down slowly, my legs almost giving out but I still pushed myself forward. I dragged myself slowly to the large mirror.

Sure enough, where the dull ache on my neck was, two small puncture holes stared back at me.

I traced the holes, shock flooding through my body again as I remembered the feeling of the mad kings teeth sinking into me, drinking greedily, the ache filling my heart—

“Good morning.”

I gasped and turned around as Morgause walked into my room. “Morning.”

She stopped and immediately, her eyes went to my neck. I raised my hand up, covering the holes.

“Do you feel any different?” she asked, her eyes where I covered.

I shook my head. “I just feel tired,” I replied. “I think Caspian might have drank a bit too much.” I admitted, remembering how the feeling of my blood being sucked out of my body made me feel.

And worse, I wanted to beg to experience it again.

“You'll be fine,” Morgause said in a matter of fact tone. “All you need to do is rest, and eat more, but most importantly, rest.”

“I guess you should know,” I retort. Morgause eyes narrowed on me, but I ignored her, walking into the bathroom. I needed a cold shower to stop the annoying thrum that still echoed in me.

I took off the gown I wore the night before, and walked into the cold water stream coming from above.

“Use this period to rest,” Morgause said from outside as I heard her move up and down my room. “The next feeding will soon come.”

I held the wall, cold water pouring down my hair to my feet. I watched the water twirl before it slowly went into the drainage and it slowly turned silver.

Fuck, think straight Sera.

“Fine,” I said, shutting the shower off. Morgause was standing at the door, a large towel in her hand which I took with a pleasant grunt.

“You need to be fast,” she snapped. “The kings have requested you join them for breakfast.”

“Have they?”

“Yes now,” she raised her brow up. “You need to start treating them with respect. Like what they are.”

Never, I thought, slipping the red gown she laid on the bed for me. She helped me lace up the corset, my breasts almost spilling out of the cups and the long sleeves with red lace trimmings.

After she did my hair in a beautiful French braid, letting some curls spill down my face, she pronounced me ready.

“Remember, respect.”

I don't bother telling her I would never respect them. They are vampires, and that's all they'll ever be to me.

All of this, I reminded myself, all of this was for my Elena.

There was a guard standing outside my door when I opened it. “He’ll escort you today.”

I followed him silently, noticing how busy this part of the castle seemed today. Slaves and servants are walking past me in determined strides, their heads low, carrying all sorts of things. Brooms, baskets, clothes. Yet, they all managed to shift away, almost like they were avoiding colliding with me, even as I felt their stares on me when I walked past.

The east wing was quiet as we walked passed, the sounds of the mad cries that usually filled the air gone.

“Are you sure?”

Who said that?

I saw two girls huddled together, their gazes low but they were definitely mumbling beneath their breaths. “Yes,” the second girl hushed. “He slept peacefully. I have never seen anything like it.”

“He has never slept in 500 years,” the first maid gasped. “Do you think she might—”

“I don't know.” Their voices trailed away as we left the East Wing but it was clear.

Caspian slept last night. Was the madness that troubling, to steal sleep from him?

The guard finally stopped in front of two large doors. “They are here,” he said, bowing low as he opened the door for me.

I straightened my shoulders and ground my teeth, very much aware I was walking into a room to be alone with three predators.

Oh.

Dante sat down at the end of the table alone. His dark hair was tousled, like he just rolled out of bed and his black eyes were trained on me, following as I took the seat that was close enough, but as far away from him as possible.

“You're early,” he smiled, showing his canines. “Keep it up.”

I glanced at him. Was that another lie? Should I call him out?

“Are you—”

“How was last night?” Dante asked, cutting me off as he rested back against the large chair. “The feeding, with my brother?”

“It was fine.”

Dante’s eyes darkened. “Hiw did you feel? Was it…unpleasant? Thrilling? Exhilarating?”

Why did he want to know? Ugh, my head throbbed so much.

“I guess my blood calmed him down,” I replied, shrugging non-committally. “I guess I did what I was meant to do.”

Dante lips lifted up at a corner. “Really?”

I shivered, dragging the sleeves of my gown lower. The gown Morgause left had left my shoulders and neck exposed, and I knew he could see the teeth bites on my neck.

Some servants entered the room with trays in their hands, placing them on the table. I smiled at them and muttered my thanks, even though they refused to meet my gaze.

When the room was empty again, I opened a tray and put some food onto my plate. “So tell me,” I said, breaking the silence, “how many other catalysts have you guys had?”

Dante smiled. “What have you been told?”

I cut a piece of egg and chewed slowly. “Four catalysts. All dead.”

“That's correct. Each of them had a different effect on us,” he said, not eating anything. “They were all useful, I suppose.”

But they did not break the curse.

“Are you scared?”

His question pulled me out of my head. “What?”

“Are you scared?” he repeated. “You'll meet the same fate?”

I closed my eyes and thought about it. Dying would be nothing to me, no, what was worse than dying is never finding Elena.

“I don't think so.”

“That's a good thing to hear,” Dante said. “I can assure you, you are safe here. With us.”

Something about how he said it, the way he stretched his hands across the table, leaving forward and his dark eyes looking much clearer than usual…

I believed him.

I cleared my throat. “I thought your kind fed on blood,” I muttered, changing the conversation. “why are you having questions?”

Before he responded, the door opened. Cold air wafted into the room, an icy cold that made me regret not protesting this gown. Lucian walked into the dining room slowly, his hair slicked back straight and his blue long robe sweeping behind him. He walked towards where Dante sat and dragged a chair, then sat down with his blue eyes piercing into me.

He tilted his head at Dante, and the other man tilted his back, a secret greeting amongst themselves.

“Well isn't this exciting?” I bit out. “All of us here, for breakfast.”

Lucian’s cold eyes met mine, and before I could say something, he glanced away almost immediately.

Like he was insulting me.

“Did you get the letter from Althea?” Lucian asked Dante.

“Who's Althea?” Ugh, why do you care Sera, I groaned internally.

Dante's lips are still stretched in a devious smile. “She's someone you'll love,” he replies. “She's quite…,” he pushed his lips together, “important.”

I bit my inner cheek, my fingers tightening around the fork. “That’s interesting,” I muttered, stabbing the meat.

“You can calm your tits,” Dante laughs, “Althea is our advisor, she helped train our previous catalysts.”

Ohh. Well then. I hated the fact that I relaxed, my hand felt lighter. Maybe when she comes, I could learn more about what exactly I am, what it means to be a catalyst.

And more importantly, how exactly I can use this blood that's so precious against the three kings.

Lucian ignored me, while Caspian didn't show up at all. Neither of the two kings are, but I finish my food slowly, the venison the most sweet thing ever I had tasted.

I placed my cutlery down. “Excuse me—”

Crash.

I raised my head up in shock, staring outside. “What’s that?”

Before they could answer me, the crash came again, coming from the way wing. I heard what seemed like glass break, and then the hurried sounds of footsteps and murmurs from the closed door.

Caspian.

Before I could think, I pushed the chair backwards and stood up.

A large body stood in front of me, blocking my path. “Be calm.”

I stared up into his black pools. “How can I be calm?” I asked, the sound of crystals crashing resounding across the castle again. “What is going on?”

“He is fine,” Dante insists, his hands on my shoulders. “Right now, blood might not be enough to calm him down right now, but believe me when I say, he is fine.”

Believe him? Dante?

His eyes scanned my face, and I bobbed my head, barely listening to what he was saying. “He is fine, Sera. Right now, he is at his most reasonable.”

“Okay,” I muttered.

The minute he relaxed, his hands left my shoulders.

“Sera.”

I couldn't stop. My legs pushed faster than ever and the only thing that echoed in my head was his name.

I had to get to Caspian.