Struck (A Vampire Novel) ✔

Thirty-Eight

The march to Noland’s throne room was tense and had a tone of absolute gravity about it. I avoided the eyes of Noland’s vampires, afraid I would see those who had nearly killed me the night before. Instead, I tightened my grip on my bathrobe and hovered between Jacobi and Xander, Wyatt following close behind. Jacobi was only wearing a pair of dress pants he had been allowed on before the McElroy Coterie finally could wait no longer and insisted we go with them.

When the doors of the throne room appeared, I glanced up at Xander on the other side of me who caught my gaze and smiled before throwing me a charming wink. At least one of us wasn’t appearing to be too concerned.

As we entered, I half expected more dead bodies to be displayed across the room grotesquely. Instead, the room was well kempt and vampires were standing still as statues and silent about the room. On the floor in front of the throne-like seats, Corentine and Aveline were kneeling partially and watching us enter the room. While Aveline looked concerned and anxious, Corentine just appeared angry and her expression only deepened when she looked between Jacobi and me.

Besides the woman who sat next to him, Noland was the only other vampire seated in the front and center in his throne. His legs were crossed casually and he had his chin resting on his hand, his fingers covering his mouth as though in deep thought. His sapphire eyes narrowed on mine dangerously.

The members of the McElroy Coterie which had escorted us fanned out behind us as though leaving a clear message that they weren’t going to let us escape easily. I stayed back with Xander and Wyatt as Jacobi walked a few steps ahead of us, pausing in front of Noland’s seat beside his Kindred and his sister’s mate.

“What is it that’s so urgent, Noland?” Jacobi asked sarcastically, knowing full well what it was that had upset this boy Master. Noland’s eyes didn’t waver from my form, causing me to shift uncomfortably in my stance. For a moment, he didn’t even answer Jacobi. Then he slowly drifted his eyes from me to Jacobi.

“I am upset,” Noland stated simply, his words seething with anger. “I graciously accepted your pitiful gifts and cheap token. I ignored the fact that you tried to attack my guest of honor. I listened to your proposal with a kind and open mind. After all, you’ve been taking care of my Kindred for awhile now. And how do you and yours repay me?” I was surprised by Jacobi’s skill of not just going insane with rage towards this boy Master. How was killing those “pitiful” humans considered graciously accepting them? And had he forgotten that his “guest of honor” was actually a prisoner vampire hunter who attacked Jacobi first?

“Let’s skip the bullshit, Noland. What do you want?” Noland sat up in his seat, uncrossing his legs and glaring angrily at Jacobi.

“Your hunter set free Clio Lenne. My coterie is in danger now, Jacobi. That bitch…,” Noland pointed at me aggressively, “… nearly killed three of my men. And you nearly killed the rest of them!”

Jacobi scoffed. “I barely touched them and she’s too weak to do any real harm to your coterie. Like I said: What do you want?”

“I want your hunter and you damn well know it!” Noland stormed to his feet, tossing the empty seat to the left of him against the wall in a fit. He turned to us, anger seeping from his bones. “I know she is no longer claimed by your Kindred and her mate. That makes her free game on my territory. Hand her over and I’ll consider forgetting any of this happened.”

For a moment, nobody moved a muscle. I held my breath, watching Jacobi as he processed the request he had already known was going to be made. And then I lost my breath as his face broke out into a devious smile, full of self-satisfaction and the knowledge that he was one step ahead of this lesser Master. I felt my attraction towards him burn inside me and a deep blush painted my flesh regardless of the fact that his man wasn’t even looking at me.