As the Vampire Realm prepares for battle against a mysterious enemy, the city's captiol is thrown into mayhem once the lost Princess returns to reclaim her throne. There's just one small problem, the Princess is human.
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For a moment, I'm forgotten, and the topic of my bloodline is pushed on the back burner.
Josie's up on her feet hounding Comrade with a hundred questions in all of three short breaths. He puts his hands on her shoulders trying to calm her, his words fall do little to appease her. Panic has rendered Josie's body into a distressed coil, It's only when Callum crawls towards her, does she waver. The fear in her eyes haunts me, it bleeds onto her face as the words leave her mouth.
Everyone turns to her, Amelie wrenches her gaze from me, looking at the lost fighter.
"She's a dead woman then." Her words are soft interlaced with so much dejection. A faraway look on her face, she's probably imagining Veena's face in her mind, her voice.
And I do too, I remember the woman I met in the slave ship, chained just as I was. It was her words that resonated with me, set me free. Vye taught me my third lesson of life, one that I clung to now.
As long as you live, so does hope, there is always hope.
"Why would she be dead?" I ask, and the others turn to me.
Amelie, scowls at me distrustfully, perhaps she never did warm up to me. Josie's eyes brim with tears and the sight of it tears my insides, somehow I feel guilty.
"It's all her fault." Amelie crosses her arms, and flares at me. "We were fine before you came, no one ever got taken. But the second you show up, one of us gets taken by the Undead Army. Not to mention, your the daughter of the most vile woman alive." There's so much disgust in her voice that I have to look down.
It sinks in then,I'm the daughter of the woman whose unleashed her destruction all over Paris. And now her people have Vye, I can't help but feel responsible for my mother's actions. I can't help but want to find the reasoning behind her actions, there must be a reason as to why she'd behave this way, be so evil. But of course I don't tell the others what I'm thinking, that would make things worse.
"You have to be working with her," Amelie sneers at me before turning to Kieran. "She can't be part of this clan, she shouldn't even be here, in Losian! We can't trust her."
Kieran is contemplative, his face is indecipherable, the hard resolute leader coming into play.
But, surprisingly it's Comrade who becomes a voice for my defence. He shakes his head.
He shakes his head, giving me a once over. "She's not the traitor."
Josie collapses on the ground, holding onto Callum for dear life. He's mumbling something while playing with a broken toy car. She rocks him back and forth with a ragged exhale. The sorrow in her soul breaks the powerful exterior she's built around herself, her shoulders slump defeatedly.
The photo in my hand feels stiff as I walk to the weeping woman. Unlike the night on the ship, today Josie's sobs aren't for show, her cries are mute as tears roll down her cheeks.
"Get away from her!" Amelie shouts, I can hear her footsteps following me. I sit on my knees in front of Josie ignoring everyone else.
"Josie," I start, I look into her eyes "I didn't have anything to do with this. I promise you, Vye's my friend."
Comrade pulls on Amelie as she nears us, but she shakes out of his grasp. I can feel her hands on my shoulders, she's trying to pull me away. I hold steady, not ready to leave Josie, whose silently looking at me like I can never be redeemed again. Just as Amelie fists her hands in my hair and sharply tugs my head back, Josie speaks. After what seems like an eternity, her broken voice comes out in a whisper.
"Stop." A command for Amelie to stand down, to which she reluctantly obeys, opting to take a few steps back. "Veena, she's marked for death now."
"Why?" I ask breathlessly, her eyes are a tormented storm of grey.
Tears trek down her cheeks, "because a Blood Moon, means that the Army has caught Rebels."
"Rebels?" I echo in question, as Callum turns to his mother, his pudgy fingers fly to her face.
"Don't-" Amelie begins to say, but Josie cuts her off.
"Members of the Rebellion who stand against the Kingdom of Paris, and The Empress. People," she hesitates before continuing, "people like us."
So, there's a war going on, between my mother and the humans. She must not be a just leader, and yet, I find myself aggrieved at that fact. My own mother, how could she treat the humans in such a way they'd risk their lives to wage war?
"And since Vye has been captured, what happens to her?" I know I will dread the answer, so I can affirm that my mother is not an honourable leader. I know this answer means I will have to turn my heart to stone when it comes to her.
"She'll be killed and her blood will coat the colosseum. There is no saving her, the security of the Eiffel is impenetrable."
Comrade shifts restlessly.
"There has to be a way," I reject the idea at once, that nothing can be done.
Kieran's voice booms through the quiet, "there isn't."
Josie's face crumples at Kieran's words but she does nothing to challenge them.
I look at the clan leader, he runs his hand over his face as he walks into the adjoining kitchen. The sink squeaks before the faucet begins to run, Kieran splashes water on his face before turning toward us. I stare at him.
"What, so we're just supposed to let her die? Be a sacrifice for some cause?"
"You wouldn't understand, fledgling." Amelie hisses at me. "It isn't just some cause, your mother's forced us underground so we don't get turned into blood slaves. She has no regard for humans or her own vampire citizens, she only cares about herself and her court."
Kieran nods before adding, "and Vye knew the risks of being part of the Rebellion. Her death will be for the greater good, one that we mourn. She won't reveal any information so she'll likely be tortured, and then made a spectacle of in the colosseum." The way he speaks so monotonously about his clan members, about a family member is sickening.
"I don't agree with this-" I say
"You don't have to, but you will accept it, because it's your mother whose at the root of all of this." Kieran says.
I turn back to Josie, "I'm going to bring her back, I won't let Vye die." I show her the photo, "this gives me some say."
Amelie's snarky laughter chimes in while Kieran begins to shoot down my claim. I give Josie a hug, and when she moves to rise with me, I shake my head.
"You can't come, the vampires would sense you, and your in no condition to fight. I promise, I'll bring her back." I turn to the others, "I may be The Empress' daughter, but I'm not going to settle for Vye's death. Don't try to stop me."
"No worries," Amelie chuckles, "I'm dying to hear about the aftermath of this mission."
