The Kingmakers(144)

A shadow shifted along the wall, and Gareth dropped into a crouch with claws out. He saw two small eyes reflecting near the floor. A cat. The animal hissed at him, arching its back.

“Pet.” Gareth extended his hand. “Where is your mistress?”

The grey cat pressed himself against the floor, ears pricked forward. He growled low in his belly. Gareth quickly snatched the animal and stood. Pet snarled and clawed, but the vampire didn't feel it.

He left Adele's room and returned to the outer courtyard. He stood listening and scenting the air. The wind roared in his ears and carried hints of blood, but he couldn't pinpoint her. He moved toward the great hall and pushed open the doors.

“Adele!”

He saw the corpses of his cats strewn across the floor.

All the animals that had once charged out to meet him when he returned home now lay motionless at his feet. Pet struggled wildly in Gareth's arms, no longer growling with anger but howling in terror. He dropped the frenzied animal, who scurried into a dark corner.

Gareth knelt over a mound of stiff bodies. He saw one that he recognized and reached down to lift the small white kitten that gazed up with round sightless eyes. He stroked the cold matted fur. This was the small refugee he had named after Adele. Pet trilled from the corner, and Gareth turned to see the poor animal nudging a motionless companion with an uncomprehending paw.

Then Gareth heard the sound of paper tearing.

At the far end of the hall, he saw a figure seated in a chair.

Cesare.

His brother had his feet on a trunk. Gareth's library. In Cesare's hand was a book, and in the other hand was a page, freshly torn out. The younger prince smiled as he dropped the loose leaf onto a pile of pages beside the chair. He looked up pointedly at Gareth as he slowly ripped another page from the book.

“Hello, Gareth,” Cesare said. “I must say I'm surprised to see you.”

“Where's Adele?”

Rip. Another page went into the pile. “From your dreadful appearance, I'd say it wasn't an easy escape at least. I assume Flay is dead?”

“Where. Is. Adele?”

Cesare held up the mutilated book and tossed it aside. “Please tell me you just have these things as an affectation. You haven't sunk so low as to try to read?”

Gareth remained silent, gathering his strength.

The king-to-be reached down and lifted objects from behind the trunk, a rapier and one of Greyfriar's scarves. It was the one Gareth had given to Adele. Cesare took an exaggerated sniff of the scarf with a smile, and then he spread it out to conceal his lower face. His cold blue eyes shone over the edge of the cloth. “Does this make me look human?”

Gareth laid the little cat's body aside with a gentleness that belied the rage he felt. “I'm going to ask you one more time before I kill you. Where is Adele?”

“You won't be killing anyone. You can barely stand.” Cesare inspected the sword curiously. “It's too bad Greyfriar wasn't here to save her, because I drank her blood and threw her onto the rocks.”

“You're lying.”

Cesare shook his head. “If only I had gutted her when I first saw her last year. Ah well, life would be tedious if I always made the right decisions.”

Gareth leaned on a chair, gripping the wood until it cracked, imagining it was Cesare's neck. “And I should have killed you on your airship.”

“Yes. That was stupid of you.” Cesare chuckled at his brother's frailty and dropped the sword and cloth to the floor. He sat forward lazily, eyeing something in the back of the room. “Hm. I missed one.”

Gareth glanced over his shoulder to see Pet hunched at the door. He moved to block the cat from Cesare's sight.

The younger prince came to his feet. “Well, I had hoped you would see my coronation before you died, but that isn't possible now. I'm afraid, my prince, I must execute you here before the eyes of your last remaining subject. And then I'll kill it too.” Cesare raised his snarling face slowly to his brother. “Just like I killed our father as he lay in his own filth.”

Gareth charged, fueled by sudden flaring wrath. He impacted Cesare, who fell back against the chair, throwing up his arms in defense. Gareth's claws struck home on his brother's face and chest. Cesare grunted from the force.

Gareth screamed, “Tell me Adele is alive! Tell me!”

Cesare managed a callous sneer even while taking savage blows, but stayed silent. This enraged Gareth further, and he seized his brother by the throat to crush the breath out of him.

“You couldn't have killed her,” Gareth growled. “You're no match for her.”

“Then where is she, Greyfriar?” Cesare whispered. “Where is she?”

Gareth threw his brother against the wall. Cesare slammed into a polished shield and dropped to the floor. Gareth was on him, claws deep in his neck.