Lothaire (62 page)

Nodding gravely, she sank onto the living room’s shabby couch, unleashing dog fur and dust motes to float through the sunlight streaming inside. Then she began to outline her new abilities and immortality, her need for blood. . . .

Once she’d finished, Ephraim appeared dazed. “Gonna have to ponder all this awhile. But the fact is: you’re a Peirce. No matter what you got turned into. And we do right by our kin. So just tell us if you’re gonna need”—he swallowed—“to drink or anything. I’ll hunt, help out where I can.”

Mama crossed her arms over her chest, huffily leaning back in her recliner. “I want to know more about the vampire that did this to you.”

So Ellie told them about Lothaire as well—leaving out the mind-blowing sex, of course—summing up with: “And then he gave me his heart in a box and told me to rot in hell. He didn’t even want to talk about what had happened, just sent me a kiss-off!”

“I’ll kill him,” Ephraim grated, his eyes glinting, which made Ellie choke up all over again. When he saw her blood tears, her uncle vowed, “I’ll kill him dead to rights, Ellie Ann. He sets one foot on our mountain and he’s a dead sumbitch.”

 57

Y
ou have a visitor, Lothaire,” Hag called.

“A
visitor
? In my supposedly hidden kingdom?” He bared his fangs at Stelian, who merely raised his brows. “By all means, show in my uninvited guest.”

It was Nïx, carrying a small gift box.

“How did you get in here, Valkyrie?”

She peered around, golden eyes wide, then whispered, “Get in
where
?” Her hair was windblown, and she had dark smudges under her eyes. She wore a crinkled peasant blouse, a long flowing skirt—and one boot.

“You’re getting worse.” Why didn’t he have the energy to hate Nïx as she deserved to be hated? On the island, she’d told him, “There won’t
be
a next match, vampire.” Because he couldn’t be bothered?

“You
were
getting better,” she said. “Before. Not so much now.”

“If you’re here to negotiate Elizabeth’s release, save your breath.”
An eighth of an inch. Took my goddamned happiness away.

“I’m not. I’m only a messenger from Elizabeth. You sent her your heart in a box, and she responded.”

At once, he traced to Nïx, snatching the package from her. As
Lothaire lifted the lid with a sense of dread, Nïx murmured, “Hint: it’s the middle one.”

Elizabeth’s fragile finger.
Seeing it severed like this brought on a visceral reaction—pain shooting through his own hand, radiating throughout his regenerated heart.

He closed the lid with a swallow, sentimentally pocketing the package.

“You gave her your heart, and she gave you the bird.” Nïx sighed. “Songs will be written about this.”

Stelian laughed, choking on his mead.

Then Elizabeth truly does hate me.

Don’t give a fuck.

“My coven went wild over this, by the way,” Nïx said. “Absolutely adored that feisty vamp. If I don’t find our queen soon, they’ll probably put her name on the ballot.”

So much for their tormenting Elizabeth. The Valkyries had never seen her coming.

“And now your queen is on to the next chapter of her eternal life.”

Which is, which is . . . ?

No, don’t care! Don’t—

Damn it! He seized Nïx’s arm, then traced her to his private suite, high in the castle. Too late, he remembered the state of his rooms. Since he’d allowed no one inside to clean, they were in . . . disarray.

“Remodeling, vampire?” She surveyed the area, taking in the furniture he’d destroyed and the wall he’d punched so many times it’d finally collapsed.

All because of Elizabeth!

Nïx frowned. “I liked it the way it was before.”

“
Before?
Naturally, you’ve been here?”

She shrugged. “So you don’t want to know what your Bride is up to?”

Can’t lie.
“I haven’t come for her, have I?”

She strolled to the sitting room window, peering out. “Understandable. They say even
you
are frightened of her. And by
they
, I mean
me
. But the rumor’s catching on. You’ll thank me for that later,” she promised,
sauntering to his desk and rooting through papers. “It must have taken you days to regenerate a heart. All that pain . . . If only I could find a male so romantic.”

“Romantic? It was to mark the end of our relationship. Keep her at Val Hall forever, if you like.”

“Oh, no. She’s gone. Whereabouts unknown.”

His gut tightened. The cloaking tattoo around her ankle had faded with her transformation. Would Elizabeth be safe outside of the wraiths’ guard?

Who was he kidding? She was a vicious female—a vampire who’d taken
him
down!

“Ellie did mention something about seeing the world.”

He wanted to tell Nïx, “I couldn’t care less,” but his throat burned on the lie. “You do know that there’s a bounty on her head?”

“The one Kristoff posted?”

“Kristoff?” he bit out.
The Gravewalker will be receiving a visit from me—

“He’s on walkabout currently. He’ll be back at Oblak in a few weeks. If I remember, I’ll be sure to let him know you’ll be calling on him.”

“Do whatever you like,” he snapped.

“Fear not, very few Loreans would target Ellie. After what I’ve told everyone she did to you? Plus, they know better than to use her as leverage—since you seem not to want her.”

Don’t I?
He still reached for her in his bed, only to find himself clasping nothing. Upon every wakening, he roared with frustration, shaken anew that she wasn’t with him.

“You can keep up the façade, Lothaire, pretending how wonderful it is without her. But we both know you miss her.”

“Perhaps I simply miss a female—
any
female. I wager I’ll be the one vampire who will forsake his Bride and enjoy others.”

Starting
today
, he would. His plan to install concubines had been delayed by his regenerating heart. Then he’d lost enthusiasm for the idea because his new heart hurt worse than the other. But no more delays.

Nïx examined her claws, as if his statement was the height of absurdity. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?”

He traced in front of her, slowly backing her toward the wall. “Ah, flower, would you like me to demonstrate how quickly I’ve forgotten her?” he asked, voice dripping with innuendo.

In a breathless whisper, she said, “Yes. Kiss me, Lothaire.”

He quirked a brow.
Could any male turn her down?
Nïx was stunning—and apparently willing. He brushed her tangled hair back from her face.

I always knew she wanted me.
What female wouldn’t?

Elizabeth.
Because I’m ugly on the inside.

Ignoring thoughts about his Bride—and his contentious past with Nïx—he leaned in closer . . . closer. He grinned as he imagined Elizabeth finding out about other females in his life, discovering that he was bedding scores of them without a thought devoted to her.

Not a thought.
I’ll kiss Nïx—and it will be better than with Lizvetta.

Better than the night he’d first claimed his Bride, helping her take him inside her body? Better than the night he’d turned her? When she’d kneaded his flesh with her little claws as she’d fed from him?

The way his heart had beat in time with hers . . . the way she always ran circles around him . . . the way her chin would jut stubbornly, her gray eyes fierce . . .

Just before he reached Nïx’s lips, he froze.

Better with the Valkyrie?
Fool, it
can’t
be better
.

Rage erupted.
“Ahhh!”
he bellowed. “It’s her! That bitch has ruined me!”

He punched the wall beside Nïx’s head; she
yawned
.

“You knew this would happen! You knew we’d never kiss. Yet you said I defied foresight.”

“Doesn’t take a soothsayer to see how much you ache for her, Lothaire. She’s your missing puzzle piece. You’ll never be complete without her, no matter how many ethereally gorgeous Valkyries you bed.”

Elizabeth
is
my happiness,
he thought again. “I could hate her for what she did to me.”

“Because of one unsuccessful beheading?” She tapped her claw to her chin. “Wow. I never thought you were such a pussy. I’m rethinking our friendship.”

He bared his fangs once more. “It’s not about my neck! She
betrayed
me.” She’d feigned affection for him. For
him
. “I’ve had enough betrayal in my life. From my father, my uncle, from
you
.”

“Me?”

“Don’t play coy, Valkyrie. I know of your treachery. You warned Stefanovich of my impending attempt on his life. He
listened well
.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “I did tell him—but only after I explained to you that I intended to do exactly that. I repeatedly told you to be patient, to trust me, but you wouldn’t listen. You set out anyway.”

“You were my oldest friend! I never thought you would truly contact him.”

“I acted for your greater good, to turn your fate in a different direction, before tragedy struck.”

“Tragedy?”
He turned to pound his fist on his desk and it shattered into splinters, papers flying. “What could possibly have been worse than what occurred? I suffered six centuries of hell because of you! Do you know what it was like in that grave, to have insects boring inside my own living corpse, picking at my flesh? No idea when it would end . . . the blood tree growing
within
.” He lurched on his feet, memories threatening to overwhelm him. “It . . .
fed.
I prayed for death. Anything to make the pain end!”

“If Stefanovich hadn’t caught you, then you wouldn’t have your Bride.”

Inhale for calm. Exhale. Draw from the tie with Elizabeth. “What are you fucking talking about?”

“Have you never wondered why I would
betray
”—Nïx made air quotes—“you?”

“Because we are natural enemies. Instinctively you despise what I am. It was only a matter of time.”

She perched on the study’s window seat. “If you hadn’t been caught by Stefanovich, you would have died in the Horde invasion of Draiksulia.”

“There was no Horde invasion of the fey plane.”

She snapped her fingers. “
Exactly.
You, as well as all our Valkyrie allies, were spared. From just a whisper in your father’s ear.”

His lips parted.

“And had you perished then, you never would have made contact with Saroya—who would have killed even more while in Elizabeth’s body, leaving no time for an attempted exorcism.” Nïx’s vacant golden eyes shimmered. “I saw your Bride’s alternate future as clear as day. One fall morning, Elizabeth did the laundry for her mother, folding clothes off the line. Then she took her father’s Remington and walked into the woods alone. She tucked the barrels under her chin. Blood, brain, and bone splattered over leaves.”

He flinched.

“I saw it all. Still think me a betrayer?”

I wouldn’t have Elizabeth if not for Nïx’s actions.
He didn’t have her anyway! Then his eyes narrowed. “Why did you leave me so long in the grave? You were there the night Fyodor released me—I saw you in the woods.”

“My foresight doesn’t work with you. I was only able to find you by reading Helen’s fate. You know what she became to you.”

“Yes.”
My aunt.
“An embarrassment.”

“Speak ill of my dead sister again, Lothaire, and I’ll take my crazy somewhere else.”

“Somewhere outside of Dacia?” He waved his arm. “If you could find this kingdom all along, you might have told
me
how! I spent centuries searching. As you well knew!”

“You weren’t ready to find it yet. Would you rather have warred with them or become their king by invitation? All it took was patience, which is what I told you again and again. But you never listened to me.
You
broke the trust between us—not me.”

“Even after all the antagonism between us, I came to you for help just weeks ago. You turned your back on me and sent Dorada straight to my home! Don’t you dare deny it.”

“I was hoping Dora would find your addy okay. MapQuest is sometimes hokey.”

His fists clenched tight, his shoulder muscles knotting with tension.

“You wanted Elizabeth, and you needed Saroya gone—without breaking your vows.”

Nïx had sent Dorada to
help
him?

“My plan was brilliant.”

“And risky.” If Elizabeth hadn’t thought on her feet . . .
We’d both be dead.

“Great risk leads to great reward, does it not?” Then Nïx chuckled. “I do enjoy telling Loreans, ‘Be advised that your blood debt is now being serviced by La Dorada, effective immediately.’ ”

He was rocked by these explanations.
My millennia’s worth of hatred for Nïx was unfounded?

Who would be his nemesis, if not Nïx? In the entire Lore, she was the only adversary worthy of him. Which was one of the myriad reasons he hadn’t retaliated after she’d betrayed him.