you
are vampire? That you are my subject? You ask that I think of your life as
useless? How can you imagine me so cold?” Lanca’s voice cracked at the end, her
eyes burning with sadness.
Vital shook his head. “I am here
to serve you. That is why I exist, from now until the day I die.”
“But what if I die first? Then
you will have served for nothing.”
Vital stopped in his pacing
again, careful to hold her eye contact.
“You will not die. I will not
allow it. Neither will these friends with yours. I must say, befriending a
darkness mage at a time like this is not the wisest of decisions, but if you
had to befriend one” - he cut off Lisabelle’s protest - “I would hope it was
this one.” He didn’t look at my friend, but Lisabelle quieted.
Lanca stood up but continued to
organize papers while she talked.
“I can’t imagine you as nothing
more than my protector. It would be too cold,” she said. “My father was never
cold.”
“Your father knew that what was
necessary does not always feel good, “ Vital growled.
“And anyway,” Lanca continued as
if he hadn’t said anything, “how could you possibly want to sacrifice your life
for me?”
“I should get popcorn,” Lisabelle
muttered. “Never did have dinner.”
“You need a filter,” said Vital,
without looking at the darkness mage.
“I have a filter,” Lisabelle
responded coolly. “She’s about yea high” - she put her hand at around her own
hip height - “and blond. I tried to get rid of her with Drano, but she saw me
coming.”
Sip just glared.
“Who better to lead?” Vital
asked. “Who wiser, kinder, and more thoughtful? Who more deadly? You are to be
feared and respected. In the vampire world, there are no two greater
qualities.”
“Which must be why Castov wants
to marry me off and the factions want me dead?” said Lanca bitterly.
“Pretty much,” said Vital. “Well,
no, not really. They would want King Daemon’s successor out of the way no
matter who that successor was. They are probably more desperate because it’s
you, though.”
Lanca was about to say something
else when Vital interrupted her. Obviously he wasn’t entirely subservient to
her, because you didn’t interrupt a vampire princess unless you were either
very brave or very foolish.
“None of this, however, relates
to why I came down to find you.” He gave her a stern look.
“You are hopelessly nosy and your
concept of boundaries needs updating?” Lanca muttered.
“Neither of those is true,” he
growled, raking his fingers through his dark hair. “You must trust me. Your
life depends on it.”
“So does yours,” Lanca pointed
out.
“Which I have already told you
does not matter,” he said. “You are the most stubborn . . . irritable and
unreasonable charge I have ever had.”
“Oh, please,” said Lanca, tossing
a set of papers back on the desk right where she had found them. “This is the
first time you’ve agreed to babysit. I still don’t understand why.”
“Is that why you don’t trust me?”
Vital demanded, his eyes burning. “You don’t trust my motives?”
“Alright, I’ve heard about enough
of this,” said Lisabelle, rising from the corner. She looked tired and bored.
“Lanca, trust him. I do, and all the people in the world I trust are in this room,
minus two.”
“Who are the two?” Sip asked
curiously.
“My uncle and that one’s
boyfriend,” said Lisabelle pointing at me. “He’s a fallen angel, but even I
can’t hold that against him.”
“You could try,” said Lough.
Lisabelle smiled. “I did, the
first year, but he’s just so darn cute.”
“Watch it,” I muttered.
Lisabelle just laughed and shook
her head. “Yeah, like he ever looks anywhere but at you.”
I blushed and looked down. Being
reminded that I would see Keller the next day sent happy little flutters coursing
through my blood.
“Let’s get to bed,” said Lanca.
Her shoulders, normally pulled back, slumped forward.
are vampire? That you are my subject? You ask that I think of your life as
useless? How can you imagine me so cold?” Lanca’s voice cracked at the end, her
eyes burning with sadness.
Vital shook his head. “I am here
to serve you. That is why I exist, from now until the day I die.”
“But what if I die first? Then
you will have served for nothing.”
Vital stopped in his pacing
again, careful to hold her eye contact.
“You will not die. I will not
allow it. Neither will these friends with yours. I must say, befriending a
darkness mage at a time like this is not the wisest of decisions, but if you
had to befriend one” - he cut off Lisabelle’s protest - “I would hope it was
this one.” He didn’t look at my friend, but Lisabelle quieted.
Lanca stood up but continued to
organize papers while she talked.
“I can’t imagine you as nothing
more than my protector. It would be too cold,” she said. “My father was never
cold.”
“Your father knew that what was
necessary does not always feel good, “ Vital growled.
“And anyway,” Lanca continued as
if he hadn’t said anything, “how could you possibly want to sacrifice your life
for me?”
“I should get popcorn,” Lisabelle
muttered. “Never did have dinner.”
“You need a filter,” said Vital,
without looking at the darkness mage.
“I have a filter,” Lisabelle
responded coolly. “She’s about yea high” - she put her hand at around her own
hip height - “and blond. I tried to get rid of her with Drano, but she saw me
coming.”
Sip just glared.
“Who better to lead?” Vital
asked. “Who wiser, kinder, and more thoughtful? Who more deadly? You are to be
feared and respected. In the vampire world, there are no two greater
qualities.”
“Which must be why Castov wants
to marry me off and the factions want me dead?” said Lanca bitterly.
“Pretty much,” said Vital. “Well,
no, not really. They would want King Daemon’s successor out of the way no
matter who that successor was. They are probably more desperate because it’s
you, though.”
Lanca was about to say something
else when Vital interrupted her. Obviously he wasn’t entirely subservient to
her, because you didn’t interrupt a vampire princess unless you were either
very brave or very foolish.
“None of this, however, relates
to why I came down to find you.” He gave her a stern look.
“You are hopelessly nosy and your
concept of boundaries needs updating?” Lanca muttered.
“Neither of those is true,” he
growled, raking his fingers through his dark hair. “You must trust me. Your
life depends on it.”
“So does yours,” Lanca pointed
out.
“Which I have already told you
does not matter,” he said. “You are the most stubborn . . . irritable and
unreasonable charge I have ever had.”
“Oh, please,” said Lanca, tossing
a set of papers back on the desk right where she had found them. “This is the
first time you’ve agreed to babysit. I still don’t understand why.”
“Is that why you don’t trust me?”
Vital demanded, his eyes burning. “You don’t trust my motives?”
“Alright, I’ve heard about enough
of this,” said Lisabelle, rising from the corner. She looked tired and bored.
“Lanca, trust him. I do, and all the people in the world I trust are in this room,
minus two.”
“Who are the two?” Sip asked
curiously.
“My uncle and that one’s
boyfriend,” said Lisabelle pointing at me. “He’s a fallen angel, but even I
can’t hold that against him.”
“You could try,” said Lough.
Lisabelle smiled. “I did, the
first year, but he’s just so darn cute.”
“Watch it,” I muttered.
Lisabelle just laughed and shook
her head. “Yeah, like he ever looks anywhere but at you.”
I blushed and looked down. Being
reminded that I would see Keller the next day sent happy little flutters coursing
through my blood.
“Let’s get to bed,” said Lanca.
Her shoulders, normally pulled back, slumped forward.
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