I blinked, and my attention slammed back down to the magic before me.
My jaw started to fall down, gaping wide as Cato lifted his arm out of the mixture. His arm was merely wet, but that wasn’t what held my attention. The golden chain he was dragging out of the cauldron did. Because I knew what that was. Every child learned about it at some point.
A blood-red jewel the size of my fist finally surfaced as Cato stretched the chain.
He pulled the necklace free of the cauldron, the jewel twinkling under the stars.
“The Original vampire amulet,” I breathed in awe. I reached out a hand, in a daze of wonder. “May I touch it?”
Cato quickly jerked it back, away from my reaching fingers. He shook his head once, his tone quieting in seriousness. “Only overlords can touch it without dying. Never try that again.”
I dropped my arm, and muttered, “What if I become queen?”
“Only overlords, Gwynnore.”
“You mean, only men,” I clarified. Then I crossed my arms in frustration. “That’s bullshit.”
“And yet it doesn’t change anything.” His head cocked, eyeing me.
I jerked my regard away from my loser father and found Adelie. She was standing off to the side, bouncing on the tips of her toes trying to see the Original vampire amulet. I waved her closer, offering, “Come and look before we begin whatever this is.”
She practically plowed into my back in her haste to take my place. Lord Belshazzar grabbed my elbow, stopping me from taking a header into the cauldron.
I muttered, “Thanks.”
He grunted and released me.
I moved to the side and let her through.
She stood blinking. And blinking. And blinking.
Cato bit his bottom lip and lifted the necklace, gently swinging it back and forth in front of her face. “You are getting sleepy. So sleepy—”
I grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back. I hissed, “What the hell are you doing?”
He tossed the most powerful vampire artifact back and forth between his hands like it was a baseball. “It was a joke, Gwynnore. I wasn’t doing anything.”
“That wasn’t funny,” I growled, studiously pretending not to hear all of the overlords chuckling at his kidding nature—if that was what you called it. I gently pushed Adelie toward the closest couch. “Go sit over there. I don’t know how long this is going to take.”
She followed my order without hesitation but kept stealing peeks at the jewel.
Who wouldn’t? It was magnificent and awe-inspiring.
And I didn’t feel any power coming off it at all. Weird.
My attention snared on the overlords. “What happens now?”
“For this Challenge, you must bleed on the amulet. We will then combine our powers to bring forth the men who are a possible match for you,” Lord Xenon issued the Challenge. “We don’t believe it will take long because most vampire bachelors of a certain age have already traveled to the castle in anticipation of this. Those doors will flood with males and will be unable to leave unless we allow them to.”
My lips pinched before I growled, “Do I even get a say in who will be my king?”
Lord Xenon explained patiently, “Remember, Gwynnore, he will not only be your king, but he will be the king of the entire vampire race.”
My eyebrows shot up. “So that’s a no?” Give me a damn straight answer.
I had been honest in this Challenge so far.
They could give me the same courtesy.
“Yes, you do have some say in it. In fact, you have the final word once we’ve narrowed down the candidates to five individuals.” His eyes roamed my features. “Overlords tend to pick well. There haven’t been any bad matches in over two thousand years.”
The righteous anger flooding my system dissipated—a little. “Fine.”
He blinked. “Fine? No argument?”
“There’s nothing I can say right now that will change any of this.” I shook my head slightly, my jaw grinding together. “This is currently the law.”
His head cocked. “Currently?”
I snapped my mouth shut. Too much information.
Lord Xenon stared, his gaze unflinching. “Candidate, you would do well to know that there have been plenty of queens in the past who have tried to change the law. But it never passes. And do you know why?”
My eyes narrowed, not speaking.
He answered anyway. “Because the magic won’t work if the law changes. And every vampire is made up of magic. Meaning, our race would be annihilated. So it is in your best interest to flush any ideas you have to change the law down the drain. If you don’t, you’ll only be setting yourself up for disappointment.”
I could only stare.
My heart was breaking.
My chest physically ached.
He didn’t move to console me. He simply waited for me to come to terms with it.
Eventually, I sucked in a mouthful of oxygen. “You’re lying.”
“I am not. You have my word on it as overlord.”
I shook my head rapidly. “There has to be something—”
Lord Xenon held up an instant hand, cutting off my words. “While these laws cannot change—the Original laws—there are plenty that…may…need updating. Laws that were enacted by Kings, not the Originals, long ago that are still in place.”
“How many are there against women?” I probed immediately.
“Too many to count.” His eyes roamed my features once more. “Do you wish to continue as the Queen Novitiate?”
My chest pumped hard with all these secrets coming to light.
But my answer was simple. “I do, Lord Xenon. I want to rule the vampires.”
The lord nodded, and the Original vampire amulet was placed in his palm. He simply held it in front of me, his direction easy, “Bleed on it. One drop will do.”
My fangs descended.
I pricked one of my fingers.
I held my finger over the amulet, careful not to touch it.
Ping.
One drop of crimson blood splattered its surface.
“Please move away, candidate,” he ordered—not unkindly. “We must work now.”
I stepped back until the backs of my knees hit the couch Adelie sat silently on.
She grabbed my hand and held it tight, both of our nerves raw.
Our dreams were crashing down on us.
But perhaps that was where new goals began.
If many laws still hindered women, I would handle those once I took the crown. One by one, I would change them. I would alter the future for women in our society.
I would be their advocate.
Their knightress in shining armor.
My knees gave out as magic suffocated the room.
My ass landed hard on the couch.
The overlords were working, their heads bent together over the cauldron. Whispers filtered in the air, but they were only wisps on an unseen breeze. I couldn’t catch them no matter how hard I focused. They were bringing the future king here…
The heralded announcement was met as expected.
S’Kir was alight with joy throughout the city.
Elex had led a team back into the cave to confirm the new cavern was there and just as magnificent as we had reported. The masters had made the trek themselves the next day, with Elex and me in tow.