Chapter 29: Gregor
The general assembly was far too tempting to pass up. I hadn’t had fresh human blood in weeks and the idea that the lockout was over and I could just grab any person at random and drain the blood out of them was hard not to bite into.
“It could be a trap,” I told Felix.
We were at the port’s control center, trying to figure out how we were going to keep ourselves fed. The moment we realized that we did the siege with just a few packets of blood to keep us from starvation, I knew that there was a possibility that Derek would just wait us out until we came out desperate for blood. Thus, I was pleased to find out that Natalie Borgia was in the island and keeping her hostage there wouldn’t bode well for Derek at all.
Felix shook his head. “One of my men was there when Derek stopped the riot. He swore that Derek just came up with it in the spur of the moment. Besides, what are they going to do?”
I stared at Felix wondering if I could trust what he was saying. He wasn’t the greatest strategic mind. Here’s to me hoping Eli was on my side. I grimaced, once again feeling the pain of betrayal upon realizing that my own subjects—ones I’d served for four hundred years while my son slept like a baby—could turn their backs on me. What I would do to them should I ever regain my power… They’re going to pay. I swear it.
“I don’t get it,” one of Felix’s men muttered. “Derek could easily just speed his way down here and kill us all. Why doesn’t he just do that?”
I raised a brow at him. “Interesting that you have so much faith in the capabilities of my son… I don’t care what you think. Derek Novak isn’t that powerful. It was I who sired him. I am more powerful than he is.”
Obviously, he had something to say to that too, but perhaps he was able to see that talking about my son in glowing terms was most likely going to get him killed, so he shut his mouth. Smart boy.
“So what are we going to do?” Felix asked.
“We get ourselves a bunch of humans to prey on. Let’s see Derek quell another riot after we do that.”
Our plan seemed perfect. I had no doubt in my mind that it would work. It was quite simple. Divide up the men. Some would stay at the port to make sure that we would keep it held, while the others would stake out the pathways that led from The Catacombs to the Vale. We didn’t need to attack the town square. All we had to do was create panic by killing the humans while they were on their way to the assembly.
I wanted blood so I chose to be with the group that would stake out the humans. Felix stayed behind to lead the guarding of the port.
As I hid myself behind a tree trunk from where the opening to the Black Heights was visible, I could practically feel the pleasure building up inside of me at the mere thought of once again drinking fresh human blood straight from a beating heart, pumping the liquid right to my parched throat.
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep myself from jumping at the first human that emerged from the cave. I knew, however, that we had to let a good number of them come out and pass through before we could attack. We couldn’t afford to have them warn those who followed after. I had to hold back my anticipation as we waited.
And that’s what we did the whole time. We waited. And we waited some more. Then we waited some more.
It felt like an eternity and I was furious that I hadn’t laid eyes on a single human. Once I realized that none of the humans were about to emerge from the caves, I was livid. “Let’s go in!” I announced out of pure impulse.
“Are you sure?” one of the men I was with asked. “What if there are vampire guards in there? The humans could still be in a lockout. It’s not the first time Felix would be wrong. I mean, he’s had some pretty messed up information before.”
A slew of curses escaped from my lips. “I don’t care! I want blood and I am going to get it!”
I should’ve learned my lesson. Anything I did out of pure impulse usually got me into a lot of trouble. We stormed the opening of the Black Heights and sure enough, the entrance that led to The Catacombs was sealed. They’re still in lockout. How?
I turned to the other side—to the area of the mountain caves that led to The Cells, the island’s prison system. My heart sank when Xavier emerged with twice as many men as I had. From outside, we could make out Yuri leading another group of vampires.
“Do you really want to die tonight?” Xavier cocked his head to the side. “Because I don’t share Derek’s beliefs that we ought to keep you alive. I really don’t mind ending your lives.”
“You insolent son of a…” I began to spit out, but paused mid-sentence when the men surrounding me began lifting their hands in surrender. “You cowards! The lot of you! All bloody cowards!”
I attacked Xavier and was able to send him crashing to the ground. I was about to rip his heart out but I was immediately held back by the other men. I knew I looked like a manic fool shouting out curses, but I didn’t care. I hated the idea that Derek had once again outsmarted me. The humiliation was more painful than the betrayal.
“It doesn’t matter. We still hold the port!”
At that, Yuri scoffed. “I wouldn’t say that. Derek’s a pretty good swimmer. So are Cameron and Liana.” He then narrowed his eyes. “Wasn’t it Cameron who rescued you from that shipwreck five hundred years ago?”
“I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you all!”
I had no idea how it had happened, but for the first time since I had established The Shade, I spent the night as a prisoner of the kingdom that I ruled. Sitting in a dungeon at The Cell, it felt like I was on the brink of insanity.
How could my own son do this to me? Doesn’t he realize that if I fail at my mission to take over The Shade, it would be the end of me?
I was whimpering like a child. How could I not? The darkness was never kind to those who failed. This is it. This is the end of me. He may not know it yet, but Derek just murdered his own father.