The grin she graced me with was blinding. “My dear. If this is the Breaking Time, our joyous celebrations shall last through years. The people of S’Kir have kept the Lost God alive. That he will return to us and reunite us is cause for joy.”
She leaned in closer to me but stared at where Master Dorian had planted himself in the corner. “We may even be able to get a smile out of Master Dorian.”
My chuckle slipped out.
My baby’s engine purred down the winding two-lane roads of Japri. The small town could be viewed in the valley from our height winding up into the mountains, a village not too far off in structure from when I had laid down for my Rest. Two hundred years hadn’t done much for the buildings. Only the coloring of green and blue new roofs were the noticeable changes against the white stone houses. The tiny town square still housed a courthouse in the center with a pointed clock tower. The humans moved like ants along the roads, ready to be squashed.
If they only knew what lived in the mountains surrounding them…
I slowed, pulling back on the gas pedal as we neared the stronghold.
The forest was lusher, the trees robust and fragrant. The leaves danced in the breeze of the noonday hours. My heartbeat thrummed in fast cadence, the compulsion causing my hands to shake on the wheel. Birds chirped their merry tune above, and the wolves lurked in their safe havens below. I slammed on my brakes, chewing up the gravel beneath my tires, as a deer sauntered out of the woods onto the path.
Adelie leaned and rested one of her hands on top of mine. She squeezed ever so gently, whispering, “Breathe, Gwen. You will be fine.”
When she removed her hand from mine, I stretched my fingers out over the wheel, my eyes on the deer taking its sweet time to pass by. “Will this call end as soon as I’m in the castle? Did they tell you?”
She cleared her throat, her tone quiet. “They said it would lessen considerably, but if you try to leave without seeing them, then it will only get worse.”
I cracked my neck. “Fucking Original vampire amulet.”
My friend nodded in agreement. “That beast of a jewel is nothing to mess with. Only the oldest and most powerful can use it. And when the overlords do, it still costs them.”
“I know,” I mumbled. The deer finally flicked its little tail as it disappeared into the trees on the other side of the road. I pressed on the gas pedal again, taking us even closer to our destination. “I can’t even imagine the power the Originals had. One person to control theirs? That’s fucking insane.”
Adelie snorted. “Then the Original druid murdered our Original vampire…and only the newly appointed overlords were left to wield the Original vampire amulet. Blah, blah. I swear you are obsessed with the Originals. And, fuck, one of them is dead!”
I blinked. “I’m not obsessed. I just find it fascinating. That Original druid took our Original vampire’s power when he killed him. We shouldn’t ever forget that. If you forget history, then your future is screwed. The druids will always be a threat to us because of one man’s actions.”
She waved her hand in defeat. “Yes, you’ve explained that many times.”
I shook my head at her blasé attitude, but I lost interest in trying to push my ideals on her as the castle came into view. My insides—my organs—were thrumming with the pressure to race as fast as I could to the stronghold. So, naturally, I eased up on the pedal and cruised even slower. Managing power greater than your own was always a fun game I liked to play—beautiful torture as you achieved your goal.
The castle was older than me. It was born of magic and dedication by overlords many years ago, courtesy of the Original vampire amulet. There were a few castles such as these all over the world, but the overlords only lived in one. This one with its majestic swirls of black stone intimidating newcomers and polished marble to hinder climbing.
With the castle built into the mountain, all you could observe was the front.
It was menacing enough no one ever ventured inside who wasn’t invited.
I bit my bottom lip, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “There are no cars outside.”
Adelie instantly pointed at a side road. “Follow that. When vehicles became normal in daily life, the overlords created a new section to the stronghold. There’s a parking garage down below now.”
I turned the wheel, doing as instructed. “Is there anything else new?”
Her brown eyes lit up. “We have an indoor tennis court now.”
My lips trembled, and a snicker escaped. “Anything new that I would like?”
Tiny fingers drummed on the door. “Well…let me think. There’s a new indoor swimming pool, too—and the water is always the perfect temperature. Oh! There’s a top of the line workout area now with all the latest machinery. I bet you’d like that.”
The grin that popped up on my features was broad. “Yes, I think I will like that.”
Adelie flicked her finger to the left. “That way when the road forks.”
“Where does the other fork go?”
“Horse stables. The overlords won’t get rid of those.”
I rolled my eyes. “I bet Cato had something to do with that.”
Brown eyes flicked in my direction—quickly—then away. “Speaking of Lord Cato. How do you feel about seeing him?”
“I’ve practically forgotten what he looks like,” I dissembled.
Delicately, she cleared her throat. “He’s your biological father, Gwen. And you haven’t seen him in forever. I know his abandonment is hard to think about…but you should prepare yourself for seeing him before you go in front of the five overlords. You don’t want to mess up because he’s one of them.”
I drove my baby into the ornate opening in the mountain. Instantly, the car dipped, our destination down into the bowels of the stronghold. Much like where my father truly belonged—in the ground. Forever.
My sanity instantly returned full force as the call quieted to a mere buzz, like a bee flying far overhead and thinking you might hear something nearby. I stated calmly, “I won’t let that bastard ruin my chance. You don’t need to worry about that, my friend. I’m focused on the prize.”
She grinned, flashing her straight teeth. “And what a prize it will be.”
The crown. It truly was everything.
*
Adelie and I shuffled to the elevator, our arms laden with luggage and shopping bags. We bumped sides repeatedly as we staggered our way past all of the luxury cars. I had barely found a place to park, taking thirty bloody minutes.
I grunted as our shoulders bounced off each other again. “Where the hell is our complimentary service? If the fucking overlords want me here this bad, then why isn’t someone here to greet us?”
Cameras were all over this place.
There wasn’t a chance they didn’t know that we had arrived.
“Apparently, being a possible candidate doesn’t hold much sway.”
“No shit,” I grouched. “This is ridiculous. We could have stayed at Japri’s tiny ass hotel and received better care.”
Adelie nodded her head in agreement. “That’s the honest truth.”
A masculine throat cleared behind us, loud and clear.
As one, Adelie and I jerked our heads back.