The King's War

27. Dissent

AVERY

I found some airtight jars in the kitchen and did the disgusting task of ladling the witch's corrupted blood into them. The smell of it was nauseating, like a butcher shop but worse — copper mixed with sulfur mixed with a host of scents I couldn't place. Magic sure as hell wasn't glamorous.

The soldier still lay unconscious on the table, his chest rising and falling as he breathed. I kept darting glances at him to make sure he was still there. I still wasn't sure I hadn't dreamt everything that happened. Once I was done with the ladling, I rose to check his pulse once again to make sure I hadn't imagined it. Sure enough, that vibrant drum beat was still there. His skin looked noticeably more flushed also.

He'd been cured.

An end to the vampire menace once and for all.

That was what the witch had meant. And the duke... He wasn't the monster I'd thought he was. True, he was still holding me captive, but that wasn't exactly his idea. And yeah, he was still plotting against Nate behind his back, but his true intentions were much nobler than anyone could have guessed.

That sly bastard. I didn't know whether I wanted to slap him or thank him. The witch may have done all of the heavy lifting, but the cure wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Duke. The idea had his fingerprints all over it.

I could barely contain my joy. The cure worked. It was possible. Nate could take it and become human again. We could start a whole new life together. Everything I'd dreamed of could finally be a reality.

But would he want to? Would he give up his title and his kingdom for a quiet, normal life with me?

Doubt began to creep in, and not just about Nate and me. How would other vampires react to news of a cure? Would they jump at the chance to be human again, or would they hold on to their privileged positions with everything they had? And how would the rebels react to news that their war was now going to be fought without violence?

I scooped up the now filled jars up in my arms and took them down to the kitchen, where I stuck them in the back of the fridge with a note saying 'Do not throw away under any circumstances!' I knew Lydia wouldn't touch the proto-cure or whatever that blood was, but Rowan and Chase were up in the air. Chase might empty the jars into the garbage disposal for funsies. I'd better warn the witch about that. I'd better start referring to her by name also. Morally ambiguous as she was, she did perform an incredible public service tonight.

My stomach growled before I even had the chance to close the fridge. I glanced inside for something to eat, but everything inside was moldy and expired. The freezer was a little more promising, but I wasn't about to heat up a bag of frozen peas for dinner.

The pantry had something more suitable for a meal. I grabbed a can of tomato soup and heated it up. Right as I finished eating, Lydia walked in with a handful of takeout bags.

I stared at her, flabbergasted. "You left the house?"

Belatedly, I realized that those were the first word's I'd said to her in weeks. The first words since we'd said goodbye to each other on her front steps, right before Travis took me to my parents' house. A bitter lump formed in my throat.

Lydia shrugged. "We need food. Besides, no one's looking for me out there."

Her being on the run from Northern authorities wasn't exactly my concern. "This is King Sheridan's house and it's supposed to be vacant. If someone notices we're here..."

"Why do you suddenly care what happens? Don't you want to be found?"

I clenched my teeth. I did want to be found, but if exposing the rebels meant ending the possibility of a cure, then there was no way in hell I was going to jeopardize their operation.