Cahira

Chapter 25 - The Truth

Katherine drops to one knee, bowing her head. "I am at your orders, Your Majesty." She says.

I open my mouth, astonished, while Dominic's jaw becomes even more clenched. "Get up." He orders.

Katherine does as he says. And when her eyes meet mine, they're shinning with happiness. "Finally. Finally we'll have our right King back!" She exclaims, delighted.

"Both of us. Danton wants his crown back too. We need to gather and make them be at our side before Danton can do the same." Dominic answers, his voice cold and calm. A voice of command. "Go to Starlyn and ask her help to call the leaders of each vampire clan on the face of Earth. I don't care how, Katherine, but I want them in the Throne Room at noon."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She says, bowing again before she gets out. Immediately after the door closes, Dominic looses his kingly composure. He looks at me, seeming lost. I want to come closer to him and place my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. But I can't. I chose him, it's a fact, but I do not trust him. Not as I did at least. He lied to me. He used me. And I am not sure yet if he was or not the one who killed my family.

"You promised me the truth." I declare.

"And will give it to you." He assures me. He points at my bracelet. He wants to show me his version of that day. Will I let him? "It's important. Easier than words. There's something you need to see, something about the Hunters. Please."

"I don't want you reading my thoughts." He is right in front of me now, his cold fingers touching my temples, his golden gaze enchanting me.

"Remove your bracelet and the memory will immediately appear. No time to read thoughts." I open my mouth to discuss but he continues, "And if it doesn't appear immediately you can always put the bracelet again."

You'll regret this day, Cahira. It was Danton's promise, made to me in a venomous tone. I need answers. Badly. And I'm willing to risk five seconds of my privacy to try to have it. Almost unconsciously, I take the bracelet.

The guard in front of us reeks of fear and panic which is enough to tell me something is wrong even if I can't understand what because his thoughts are too wild. A glance at Danton tells me he can't read his thoughts too.

"What do you want?" My Brother asks, too tired to be polite. I don't blame him, though. Lady Nadine is exhaustive especially if she is interested on you as is my Brother's case. I fight to hide the smile that wants to appears in my lips. Vampire Kings do not show emotions.

"Your Majesties, we... we... Her Grace... We..." The reference to our Mother makes my desire to smile die instantly. What the hell happened?

"For your own sake, it's better if you tell us what we need to know." My Brother declares, his voice cold and demanding.

The guard bows clearly finding the courage to say what he wants.

"Your Majesties, we are really sorry. We couldn't prevent it." The guard whispers.

"Prevent what?" I roar even if I do not need the answer. The guard's thoughts are finally clear enough. Hunters, skilled enough to reach Mother and kill her. By the guard's thoughts I can see my Mother, a stake carved into her chest, dark blood staining her green dress, her face contorted in an expression of pain.

I and my Brother roar in pain and rage and I run as faster as I can, listening the guard losing his head behind me but I couldn't care less. My Mother!

I reach Mother's quarters and shut the door open. There are two humans, a woman and a man, obliged to be keeled by the guards. They're clearly siblings, the same intense gaze - even though one has green eyes and other eyes are black, the same wavy black hair, the same delicate features. The woman is particularly beautiful by the human standard and that's clear even now with her face full of blood and dirty and her black eyes shinning with hatred. Her oval face, perfectly framed by the black hair she uses short, would grant her almost any man if she wants it and not spend her life trying to kill us. The golden tattoos in their arms confirm the guard's thoughts. They are Hunters.