"She's not human."
Kai scoffed and forcefully shoved Annesa away.
"Liar. He's human."
Annesa let out a tired sigh. "You see, there's a big misconception that a vampire's gene is always the dominant one between two parties. If a vampire and a human create an offspring, that offspring is a hybrid. Well, that's wrong. The offspring is whatever the strongest between the two is. In this case, the prince's dad was the strongest, thus had a stronger gene resulting in Iris to be completely human. His mother was weak; probably died after giving birth."
Kai hated to admit it, but he was at lost as to what to say. He was unsure if Annesa was telling the truth because so far all she's been doing is spitting out truths.
Still, he was against her words. "Liar."
Annesa raised her arms and shrugged. "Believe me, don't believe, I don't care. But know it's true."
"Why would you tell me this, anyway?"
"Why, because relationships should be void of secrets."
Again, he couldn't understand her context. The relationship between her and him? Or between him and Iris?
An explosion went off before he could decide. The already black sky was thickening with smoke and the fire from the villages was only growing by the second.
Kai clenched his hands into fists and pushed himself off the wall.
"I don't have time for this or you! All you've done is waste my time and manipulate me!"
Annesa quickly grabbed onto Kai's shoulder before he walked away, resulting in him whipping around and swinging his fist.
Annesa let out a groan, stumbled back, and grabbed her cheek. "You punched me!"
"I plan on doing a whole lot more."
"I'm on your side, Kai! These–these royal snobs with their punishments and obnoxious rules don't deserve you. They don't deserve a pint of our help!"
"Maybe that is true. Maybe they're all just coldhearted people that only want suffering for those who are different. So what? War isn't going to stop anything! Let's say you win, let's say this kingdom falls to its knees and helps you take over the rest. Then what? You're going to subject them into the same things they're doing to the vampires? That makes you no different than them! You want change, then make a damn change and not a more violent replica of what's already being done! They won't listen to violence they'll only respond with it."
"You don't understand, do you? Humans, won't, change! They never will! So, we must force them to. And if we must copy their methods, so be it."
"What difference does that make?"
Annesa growled and let out a frustrated groan. "You don't understand!"
"I do! But your...your...idea of..." Kai prolonged his words as his eyes drifted away from Annesa and towards the door that slowly crept open.
An identical face walked out along with one that made his heart race.
"Uh, but think about it! Is it really worth it? You'll get, what, possibly a hundred years of subjection but the humans will eventually rise with the help of the vampires who are against you. Have you ever noticed the disagreement between you and the vampires? Even they don't like your plans."
"They just don't see it yet. The greater cause."
Kai clenched his jaw as Zoe stalked closer to Annesa. Iris lingered near the door, staring at him with wide eyes.
"They will all see soon. They–" Annesa suddenly straightened out her back and whipped her head around.
Zoe let out a cry and tackled her sister to the ground.
"You psychotic bitch!" Annesa kicked her sister off only to be tackled and punched again.
Kai rushed over to Iris, arms extended, but Iris took a step back.
"Woah woah woah, watch the dagger!"
"Oh." Kai lowered his arms. "Does it actually work?"
Iris nodded and pressed it against his chest. "Dangerously."
"Give it to me, then. I doubt those pests will get far without a leader."
Iris glanced away from Kai to Zoe and Annesa. Zoe had blood dripping from the corner of her mouth but Annesa looked almost untouched. Not until Zoe grabbed a fistful of her sister's hair, tugged her head forward, and slammed it against her knee.
Annesa cried out and fell backward. Zoe took the opportunity to slide her arms under Annesa's, linking her fingers above her chest, and hold her partly still.
"Well do it!" she yelled. Annesa struggled in her hold, doing everything from thrashing her feet to trying to throw her head back.
"Let me go! They need to fall! They need to see the monsters they are!"
"Monsters are created," Iris said, carefully handing Kai the dagger. "Humans are just...uneducated. You...you created yourself. A sick version of a vampire. A real monster."
Annesa let out a throaty laugh as she watched Kai walk towards her.
"Kai! Oh, Kai. Of all people, you should understand!"
"Shut up."
"If you hadn't been so mistreated you wouldn't have obtained such a past."
"I said shut up."
"Oh, won't you let a dead woman speak her mind?" Annesa laughed again. "My own sister is turning her back on me. The one person I thought who loved me the most. Humans, well, back-stabbing is in their nature. They won't be kind to you forever."
Kai was only a few steps away when Annesa's grin became too casual for comfort. Not an ounce of worry was present in her eyes and she even went slack in Zoe's hold.
"You know, Kai, despite the threat in your eyes, the hesitation in your heart, your hatred for me....my offer still stands."
"I don't give a shit about your–"
Iris flinched at the sound of the dagger hitting the concrete and the sound of Kai's strangled howl of pain.
Violent flashed of blue and yellow sparked from the collar around Kai's neck. He clawed at him while falling to his knees, gasping and choking.
"Kai!"
Iris barely took a step forward when a hand clamped around his mouth and his arms were trapped by his side. He yelled Kai's name, thrashed, kicked, and wiggled around until he was back inside and thrown onto the floor.
He heard shouting from outside, metal hitting metal, before ringing in his hears muffled the noises.
"Kai."
Iris pushed himself up when was pinned back down. His hands were held behind his back and a knee pressed against his spine.
He coughed. The pressure was greater than what he was used to training with.
A sigh was heard throughout the training hall. With the lights off, only beams of shaded moonlight came through the windows on the ceiling. Iris only saw silhouettes before people started revealing themselves in the light.
"It's just incredible how a simple press of a button can end a life in a matter of seconds."
Iris widened his eyes at the woman who stepped into the pool of moonlight. She tapped a remote against the palm of her hand. Her lips were stained red as she flashed her grin.
"Isn't it, little sinner?"
Iris jerked under the man holding him down. "Go to hell, Amilea."
The Queen laughed and turned around. She glanced over her shoulder with a look that was the pure definition of wicked.
"Shall we go somewhere more private?"
***
Iris grunted as his body hit the floor, dust whipping and flying around him. He coughed and slowly pushed himself up.
"Why am I always getting thrown around?" he muttered in a strained voice.
Amilea hummed and drummed her nails against the bars of a cell door.
"As much as I'd like for you to be confined in a room with nothing but walls, the block cells are all full. This will do, however."
Iris sat up and looked around.
They were no doubt in the basement, dungeon, more like. He was in a cell but not the ones they kept the vampire prisoners. This one was furnished with a stone bed and possibly a broke toilet and sink. Not that Iris cared. He was too busy trying not to inhale an excessive amount of dirt.
"You're pathetic" Iris spat out. "They only see you as luggage. The second you fail to be useful the second you're just another human they'll kill. Do you think you're something to them? You're not." Iris chuckled dryly and stood up.
Amilea just kept grinning. "Sweety, it's a mutual agreement. We'll share what we conquer. I'll rule over the humans they capture and they'll get to do whatever they want. No rules, no law, perfect deal."
"You're still nothing but a worthless, walking affair. You've done nothing but abuse the title of a Queen and–"
Amilea threw her head back and laughed. She gripped the bars and gave Iris an evil smirk.
"Is it really an affair of your father knew the whole time? I mean, that's what political connections are all about. You give for information. No man wants money if they have this."
Iris scoffed when Amilea gestured to herself.
"You're sick."
"At least I sleep with the respective gender."
Iris clenched his hands into fists and tensed as the Queen laughed again.
"What a sinner you are. It was bad enough you took those disgusting creatures' side but to sleep with one!"
"Shut up!"
Amilea reached her hand out and clutched Iris's shirt, tugging on it until his chest hit the poles.
"Weak, just like your father. He won't be too hard to persuade. I've been doing it all these years, this time won't be any different." Amilea let go. Her smile had dropped and her eyes became sinister. "But if he were to object.."
Iris watched as she lifted her dress to her thigh where a weapon was strapped to it. She slipped it out of its case and held it up.
"We'll see if he'll meet the same fate as the vampires do."
Iris studied the build of the dagger. The handle was shaped like a man and the blade had unfamiliar words engraved on it. Suddenly, it became hard to breath.
"You had one this whole time."
"I did. I was skeptical at first but once I tested it out I fell in love!" Amilea ran her fingers along the blade. "I chipped the blade a little, burned the particles to make deadly fashion." She held her hand up and wiggled her middle finger, which had a ring on it.
Iris immediately thought back to the memory of the kitchen where she slapped Sage. The cut bled and scared. A normal human weapon wouldn't have done that.
"You're demented.." he whispered.
"Perhaps I am. Perhaps I'll just forget to negotiate with your father and kill him instead. You'll be left down here to rot. With no king or prince, the crown goes to me. I'll rule over Vridora and have my way with those disgusting creatures. Everything will go as planned."
Amilea and Iris both looked to their right when footsteps approached them. A vampire glanced from Iris to Amilea before nodding at her. Amilea thanked him and slipped the dagger back into place.
"Iris, I hope you know, deep down, I truly enjoyed watching you grow up. However, I didn't enjoy it enough to feel bad for killing you."
Iris scoffed and Amilea smiled.
"On that note, I'm sure your real mother would've been proud. Goodbye, Iris. I wish I could say it's been fun, but, that would be a lie."
Iris widened his eyes and rushed up to the bars. He gripped them, wishing he could just rip them apart.
"You will not get away with this! Not only will my dad see through your tricks but I will get out of here. And so help me God, if you're not dead yet I'll have your head severed from your neck in the most painful way possible."
Amilea's smile faltered but not enough to alter her stretching grin.
"You must get your....creativity from your mother; if you got your dad's DNA. Shame, you could have put it to good use." Amilea then gave Iris a final smile before disappearing down a hallway.
Once alone, Iris fell to his knees. Something cold ran down his cheek as he pressed his forehead again the bars.
"Oh, Kai." Despite what he just heard, Kai was the only thing on his mind. "Please be okay."