The Shadow Kingdom

Chapter 19ii

After the sun sets, despite my physical exhaustion, I find it difficult to sleep. Our bed is large enough that I can toss and turn a good deal without waking Adrian, but I decide it's better to get up and take a walk. I grab a robe and head down to the main level.

Going for an evening stroll in Seven Hills is like spending a night at a museum. The feeling reminds me of the dread I used to feel as a little girl when I went downstairs to the kitchen in the middle of the night. When I hear a tapping noise in the lounge, I shudder.

I follow the noise, and I find Tiberius in the lounge, seated in front of a chess table. For the first time ever, I find him wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans, something that he and Adrian both avoid like the plague. "Good evening," he says without raising his head. "Can't sleep?"

"I have a lot on my mind. Would you like some company?"

He gestures to the seat opposite him, and the chair pulls back all by itself. "By all means. Playing with someone else is always more fun than playing with yourself."

I take a seat, and we reset the table. Tiberius takes white, so he makes the first move. His fingers never touch the pieces though. All he has to do is think of a move, and the pieces shuffle into position on their own. "Can I ask you something?" I ask. Tiberius nods, never taking his eyes off the game board. "Why did your father launch that attack against the Neptune Empress? What exactly did he have to gain from that apart from spiting William?"

"For many of us, that would be reason enough. Anything that we can do to cause the Ashcrofts pain is in effect a positive outcome for us."

"But he is risking a full-scale war by doing this. If he pushes the Ashcrofts far enough, it's inevitable that they're going to start pushing back. And in my case, they already have."

"My father didn't count on Adrian being able to intervene in time the way that he did." Without even noticing the move, Tiberius's knight captures my queen. "He thought he could offer you as a pound of flesh to your father, and that would be the end of it. For him, it was a calculated business decision, nothing more. Sabotaging House Ashcroft today will weaken them tomorrow. If it does come down to a full-scale war, they would be at a disadvantage. And god knows, that day is coming."

I swallow a gulp of air before asking. "Was he the one who lured Adrian away from the apartment before the attack?"

"That, I cannot answer. I truly don't know." And in less than five minutes, the game is over. "Checkmate." It looks as if I'm a little rusty at chess.

"Why do you people risk all this violence in the first place? Just look around; you have enough wealth to last you fifty lifetimes! Money is a complete non-issue for you people. Is everyone in the Shadow Kingdom just naturally bloodthirsty and cruel?"

"Old habits die hard. You have to remember; our world has existed like this for millennia. Thanks to Adrian, many of us who exist today are centenarians or close. We were all taught from birth to be vicious and cutthroat. For us, it is more a matter of necessity than morality." Tiberius leans back in his seat and sighs heavily. "You will understand this in time. After enough people whom you love have been killed, you will realize how little this world cares about right and wrong."

"Do you think killing Selena and Nathaniel will make up for your sister and grandfather? Will that make you feel whole?"

"I know it will not. I've seen and heard a thousand stories of vengeance, and they all end the same way. What is that old saying? 'Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.' I already have my coffin ready. After House Ashcroft is destroyed, there is a good chance I will simply blow my brains out.

"My whole life, the only things I've ever done are kill, torture, maim, and destroy. Whenever my dad needs something taken care of quietly, he sends Diana. When he needs something done loudly, he sends me. It's what I was born to do, and I make no apologies for it. I know you think Adrian is different from the rest of us, but the truth is that he's just a product of his biology. He's a healer, and his powers allow him to sit on his high horse, judging the rest of us. The truth is that he gets just as much a thrill out of killing someone as I do."

"But what if you could change things? If you could reshape the world exactly the way that you wanted it, would it be paradise or perdition?"

Tiberius chuckles. "Are you asking if deep down, I'm just a kind and gentle hearted as my brother? No, I'm not. And that's the god-awful truth. They don't just call me 'the tank' because of my powers; they call me that because I don't feel anything. I may not be quite as deranged as Nathaniel, but when people piss me off, I have a tendency to make their heads explode." So much for a light conversation. I decide that this talk with Tiberius is more likely to give me nightmares than cure my insomnia, so I just smile and leave.

I make my way to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of orange juice. What if William never lets this go? Will Adrian be able to protect me forever? No, I cannot accept that outcome. With all that is at my disposal, I have to fight back. I have to make sure that William has no other choice but to cut me loose.

When I return to bed, I accidentally wake Adrian up. "Hey. Where were you?" He asks.

"I just went downstairs." I reply. "I ran into Tiberius."

"Yeah. He rarely sleeps." Adrian mumbles. "He hasn't slept well since he was five. Since the day that Augustina died."

"Were the two of them close?"

"As close as can be. They used to play together all the time. It took him forever to accept the fact that she is gone."

"I don't think he ever really did. We had an interesting conversation tonight. He made it his life purpose to wipe out the Ashcrofts."

"You'll be surprised how many of these kind of stories exist in this house. All of us have been hurt by House Ashcroft in one way or another."

I lean in close to Adrian, tucking my head against his neck. "Selena told me that they hate you just as much. I can't really blame them, considering everything we've put them through. You let Elena Ashcroft die, and I blew up their freighter. Do you think there's any chance we can just call it even?"

Adrian laughs. "Get some sleep. Your training is going to be hell." Don't I know that.