“Can we not talk about that?” I say. “I’d much rather discuss—”
I’m cut off by the sound of stamping feet outside my door. I feel a bunch of vampires rush by in the hall.
One of them stops on the other side. He’s about to raise his fist to knock, but in my excitement to see him I pre-empt the attempt by arriving there first. I fling the door open.
“Raul!” I exclaim. I want to embrace him—but stop short when I see the Queen watching us from behind.
His expression is ghastly. “James has escaped,” he tells me without preamble. “And the humans are rioting. We think this is an attempt against The Haven, but—” he glances back at his entourage, “—we’re not sure.”
“Why? An attempt? By whom?”
“Who else?” the Queen laughs. “By my husband’s coven.”
Raul turns back to me. “If it’s true, we have a fight on our hands. I need you to stay here, where you’re safe—”
“No!” I prompt. “I’m not going to be cooped up while you face the danger.”
“Eleira, you’re newly made,” he tells me in the same tone one would use explaining something simple to a child. “You have no conception of your powers, or the dangers you might face. You’ve done a spectacular job controlling yourself so far—” he glances at the ring on my finger, “—but in a free-for-all, where nothing can be predicted or controlled—that’s too much stimulation for you. There’s no telling what might happen.”
“If this is an attack against The Haven, I want to help defend my home!” I proclaim.
The Queen arches one prim eyebrow. “You already consider this your home?” she asks softly.
I curse inwardly. I must have spoken in the heat of the moment. But I can’t take the words back now.
“Home or not,” Raul continues, ignoring both me and his Mother, “you’re safest here. There are spells protecting the castle.”
“If she wants to go,” Morgan says thoughtfully. “Who are we to stop her?”
Raul growls at his Mother as she sweeps by him and extends her hand. “Come with me, child,” she tells me. “I thought I would need to give you three days, but it seems you’ve already made your choice.”
She smiles, then, and I can’t help the feeling it’s the smile of a cat who’s just caught a canary in her claws.
***
When we get to the underground caverns where the humans are held, it’s absolute madness. From our vantage point high above, I see a clear divide in the mass below me. On one side stand all the villagers—yelling, screaming, shouting their lungs out—and on the other, a wall of vampire guards keeping them away from the exit.
The Queen takes one look at it and strides to the front of our group. She stops at the very end of the jutting-out rock, and hits her staff against the floor three times. On the first, nothing happens. Neither does anything on the second.
But on the third, an enormous blue flame flares from the tip. It soars into the sky where it coalesces into a bright orb like the sun. Then, with a thunderous crash, it explodes, sending blue streamers of light down like a thousand fireworks.
That gets everyone’s attention.
Her voice rings out into the sudden quiet.
“What,” she demands of those below her, “is the meaning of this?”
The humans all shy back, having witnessed the power of their ruler.
“Leonardo,” Morgan addresses a guard below. “You were the one charged with keeping the peace.” Her voice is icy-calm, which makes it all the more dangerous. “Tell me how this all got so out of control.”
“My Queen,” the singled-out guard drops to his knees immediately. “The prisoners complained they were hearing voices.” His inflection leaves no doubt as to how ludicrous he thinks that is. “They said a strange voice began telling them the caverns would collapse. They demanded to be let out. We refused. As per your orders."
“Voices?” the Queen asks. “What sort of voices?”
“We heard nothing, my Queen,” Leonardo replies, motioning to the other vampires. “We considered it a ruse, an excuse for the humans to cause trouble. With your permission—” his eyes flash, “—we could select the troublemakers from their midst and remind them of their place.”
“No,” Morgan says immediately. “You know the rules. No human blood is to be shed except on the night of The Hunt.”
“It was only a suggestion,” Leonardo mutters.
“An ill-placed one,” the Queen says. She turns and addresses the villagers, who are huddled together in frightened packs. “My guards claim you heard voices. Is this true?”