CHAPTER 17
All thirty-five vampires herded back into the Main Hall and lined the walls. Declan, though he felt no kindred to them any longer, accompanied Colin, Viola, Annabelle, Lennox, Henry, and Mary to the middle of the room as representation of Lena’s family.
This was the custom. Declan had only witnessed three trials of this manner, all while living in Charles’s house.
Each of those had ended in execution.
There would be nothing Declan could do if this was to be his Lena’s fate. He could attempt to free her from the dungeon, since the execution would not take place until the full moon as was tradition. But he would be killed in the attempt.
Perhaps that was fine with him.
There would be nothing left to exist for.
Declan shook the cold thoughts from his mind and took his place behind Lena. He had to be stronger than that, at least for now. There was no time for self-pity.
It was odd that she held the human against her side. It took Declan longer to understand this than it would have under normal circumstances. His senses all seemed slow and dulled.
He had not fed in almost three days. Normally that would not be a problem for him. Lena, being so young, had to eat daily. But Declan could feed once a week with little activity. But there had been no lack of activity.
Ansell was the last to take his position beside Charles, and the verdict commenced.
“It troubles me when a family under my care goes so far astray. I’m aware that this happens, especially to the youngest families in our clan, but seeing it firsthand is never a desire I’ve possessed.”
“Upon getting to know this young one, I’ve discovered a specialness that is unprecedented. I wish to spend more time learning of her exceptional qualities as we get to know each other better.”
This meant Lena was not scheduled for execution. But Declan’s relief was brief. If she would live after all she had done, Charles was sure to have a reason Declan would not like.
“She has been stifled here, among this family, her growth sorely stunted.”
He could not control the rumble in his chest. Though Ansell’s attention was on him immediately, Declan could not stifle it.
He knew he would not like any of what would be said next.
“It is my decision that Colin be stripped of his position as Master. He may keep the ones he has sired himself, but may no longer reside alone in this dwelling.”
Involuntarily, Declan’s eyes shot to Colin. His face held no more expression than usual. He did not look angry, or protest in any way. But Declan could sense how he felt. It was as though his stomach had dropped out. Colin could not believe what had happened. All he had was now gone. It was that easy to tear down, what he had tried so hard to build.
“Do you understand, Colin?” Charles asked. He wanted the moment to be as humiliating as it could be. Charles wished to savor it.
“Yes,” Colin said in a normal, unaffected tone.
But Charles would not accept it. “What was that, Colin?”
“Yes, Charles,” he said, and the Vampire King raised his eyebrows and stared Colin down, forcing him to say, “my King.”
Charles nearly looked as though he was going to clap. He smiled with a nod and sang, “Once more, with feeling please.”
“Yes, my King.”
Colin’s expression never wavered, though he was fuming and utterly disgraced.
Declan turned his attention back to focus on Charles’s mouth now that Colin’s punishment was administered. He awaited the next words, holding his breath for fear that the sound of his own breathing would make him miss it.
When the words were spoken, Declan wasn’t positive if it had been simply imagining his worst fears, or if his ears had heard correctly.
“Lena will sire this human—”
Annabelle’s quick inhale of breath told Declan it was not his imagination.
His insides buzzed so loudly, Declan heard nothing else of what Charles said. There was no understanding it. It made no sense. Nothing had logic any longer.
Lena would not be allowed to sire a human of her own unless she no longer belonged to Declan. The only way that could be accomplished was for her to denounce him as her consort and join a new family. And he had yet to hear she has been taken in by a new family.
“I thought of a condition,” Lena interrupted.
Declan felt his heart leap into his throat. Only her voice could have brought him back from his thoughts.
“I will turn this human, but I won’t take him as my par…my consort. I will be responsible for him, but I won’t force him to be bound to me. He’ll be free to leave once he’s used to being like us.”
“This is quite unorthodox,” Charles began, but Declan already knew he would allow her to have this exception. The tone in his voice oozed curiosity. “But it is a small favor you ask. I care not if you take him as your consort.”
“Thank you,” she replied simply and bowed her head in respectful gratitude, an uncharacteristic gesture.
Charles continued. “Lena will sire this human and join my family immediately.”
Though he knew what it meant, he heard what Charles had said, Declan could not believe it. This was not something that happened. Ownership through siring could not be stripped so easily. It never had been before.
But this was Charles, the Vampire King. He made the laws. He could break the laws.
There was nothing more for him there. There was nothing more for him anywhere. Declan felt all hope, all possibility of contentment drain away. There was no longer a reason to keep taking in air, going forward.
There was no forward.
The buzzing in Declan’s head sounded like flies now, like he had died inside and they were swarming around the carcass that remained.
If anyone tried to stop him as he left the Main Hall, he did not notice.
If anyone said anything to him or stood in front of him to block his way, he did not notice.
Declan exited the Main Hall, then the manor and out into the night.
The sun would be up within the hour, but Declan did not care. Nothing mattered any longer. The world was dead to him, just as he was dead to it.