Blue Flames

Chapter 70

A few broken fingers later, Doyle gave us the name of the vampire from whom he bought the venom. It was one of the castle guards.

Arthur then knocked the bastard out, and we stuffed him in the trunk of the SUV, bound, blindfolded and gagged.

We left the maid and the guards in the mansion, with orders from my father to wait for further instructions from the castle. The little girl, Ciara, was reluctant to leave the maid's side. We found a bar of chocolate in the kitchen and bribed her with it into my arms.

She clung to me with her little arms. So fragile and light, one small hand clutching the chocolate and the other the back of my shirt. Children were so vulnerable. I looked at her innocent dark eyes. Had I ever been this small, this innocent?

I had always held a weapon, even in my earliest memories. My childhood had been a blur of fight and survival training. I never really got to play with toys, never got to wear frilly dresses and bright colored shirts.

I didn't blame uncle Robert. He had done the best he could with me, considering the circumstances. But I found myself yearning for the person I might have been had I been raised in my parents' arms.

As soon as the feeling blossomed in my chest, it fizzled out of existence. That would not have been me. I couldn't reconcile the image of a princess raised to be a proper royal with the person I was today. I didn't know if I could have tolerated it, being stuffed into a role where expectations and propriety mattered more than anything.

I may be a product of a twisted past, christened in blood and death, but looking at Arthur's hand on my own, feeling the bond stretch and hum between us, strong and immovable, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ciara shifted in my lap as the car skidded to a stop. We spilled out of the car.

"Ciara!" The waiter called, running down the steps from Charles' side.

"Papa," Ciara whispered, squirming in my arms. I set her down and she ran up to her father. The sight made the entire ordeal worth it.

Arthur put his arm over my shoulder. "What a heartwarming sight."

There was a wistfulness to his voice. The bond whined with longing. I linked our hands on my shoulder. "Yep. It makes the whole ordeal of coming to Europe worth it."

"The only thing that will make this morning better is a little bit of torturing, don't you think?"

I snorted and jabbed my elbow in his side, smiling at the roguish look in his eyes. Naoh stopped beside us. "Very busy, this afternoon."

The courtyard was full of fae. News of the poisoning must have spread, and people came to see the spectacle themselves.

My father joined us as we went up the steps.

"People came to see the vampire-fae breed lose her mind," I mumbled.

"Good," my father said, his eyes dangerous. "A great opportunity to send a message."

He barked orders to a few guards nearby. They moved to the car and pulled a groaning Doyle out.

The waiter's eyes shone when we reached him. He bowed his head deeply my way. "Thank you."

I shifted on my feet. He looked at my father, his daughter still in his arms. "I'm ready for my punishment, your highness."

"What punishment?" I asked, looking between him and Orion. The latter raised a brow at me.

"The fact remains that he was the one who fed you the poison."

"Yes, but it was under duress," I said with a frown. "You can't possibly punish him for it."