Her Dark Demons

Chapter Two: Maria, Oh, Maria

CHAPTER TWO

MARIA BEAUMONT

I absolutely hate peanuts. I hate them with a passion.

When Frost invited me to come along with him to go visit King Yosef, I'd expected the trip to be pleasant, seeing as I haven't been beyond the confines of Frost's kingdom since I got back to the land of the undead but it seems time and time again, I've been disappointed.

Not only has Frost forgotten to mention Yosef has recently become obsessed with peanut filled food but I managed to get myself seasick and I've been vomiting out everything I've eaten so far. I'm starving for blood and I honestly don't care if I have to empty the blood vessels of this damn human serving me those damned nuts but if I did so, Frost would reprimand me in front of Yosef and I don't feel like being treated like a two year old at this point in time.

To add more salt to my already painful wound, Yosef likes to mix his damned human blood with peanut extract. So his human blood, instead of tasting thick and mind numbingly pleasurable tastes like the ugliest thing that has ever made itself known to both humans and vampires. Pea-fucking-nuts.

"So, how's the food?" Yosef asks me expectantly.

I bite my inner lip and give Yosef my best sickly sweet smile as I raise the stupid peanut tainted blood close to my lips, forcing down at least half the liquid and pushing down the bitter taste of my vomit rushing through my esophagus. "Great." My voice comes out strained but I don't care, Frost asked me to play nice and I'm doing my best, especially under the current circumstance.

Frost, who's sitting next to me, kicks my leg. "She's always like this, when she loves food, she just eats it all up in silence. She loves it."

My smiles grows wider as my anger grows. "I absolutely love it, Yosef. But I'm very full." I pat my stomach which growls quietly. "I can't take another bite of this delicious," I almost choke on my next words. "Peanuty goodness."

Yosef claps his hands in glee. "I'm so glad you love the peanuts! There's just something about the nutty flavor that makes it much more tasteful than boring old human blood. If you want, I could get my chef to share all my peanut filled recipes with you."

"Thank you for the offer but," Frost kicks me again. I shoot him a glare. "I'm good."

Yosef laughs heartily. "Alright but if you change your mind, let me know."

Before Yosef can continue making more small talk with me, Frost cuts him off. "I'm sure you know why we're here."

Yosef looks at Frost, suddenly all his bubbling energy and glee dissipates and the expression painted on his face is akin to that of boredom. "No."

I stand up. "I'll just leave you two to—"

"Maria, stay. Please." Frosts says. I lower myself back onto the chair of the dining table. "Thank you." He then turns to Yosef. "The expiration date of our treaty has already passed. You agreed to three hundred years of peace and it's up. I'd like to renew it for another three hundred."

"No." He replies flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because, Frost, I hate treaties. I hate how there has to be peace. I want control over everything I can have control of and if one day, your kingdom is one of them, I don't want a stupid piece of paper to stop me."

Frost had told me beforehand to keep quiet. He didn't want my sudden outbursts to ruin everything but something in me compelled me to speak. "If I may intervene, Yosef."

Yosef turns to me and nods, "Intervene away, I doubt what you have to say will change my mind."

"Thank you. I understand that you feel this way but I don't understand why you underestimate the power Frost holds or the strength of our kingdom. For all you know, should a war break out, Frost would emerge victor and you'd have to hand over all your beloved possessions to him. You'd lose everything you worked so hard to take from others and all because you let your pride dictate your actions."