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He had known he would not be able to stay away.

The animal king was, if nothing else, predictable.

Predictably petty. Predictably venal and cowardly. Predictably cruel.

Now the creature smiled, studying Charles’ face openly, his cracked-crystal eyes holding a predatory interest.

“Was it worth it, friend?” the vampire inquired.

His voice rolled out of him in the way of his race.

Silky. Coaxing. Faintly sexual.

Everything about these creatures was artifice, camouflage, manipulation, deception. Their king would of course reflect these qualities in even higher quantities than his subjects.

Faustus felt his lip curl in distaste.

That this creature would call him “friend” now, even as a taunt.

It was a bit much.

“It will not matter,” Faustus told him. “My death. It is too late. They know of you now. They all know of you. And humans do not leave alone that which is different.”

His lip curled more.

“They are even less likely to ignore your kind. You are the stuff of their nightmares, bloodsucker. They had myths of you even before you showed them your true face. You live off their blood. What compromise can you expect, when they are literally your prey? When your entire evolution revolves around honing your species’ ability to murder them? To murder their children? Their very illusions of their own free will?”

Feeling the truth of his own words, Charles smiled.

He couldn’t help himself.

He couldn’t even slow the curve of his lips.

“They will huntyounow… friend. They will hunt my bitch niece. They will hunt her mate. All of you will live in fear. Forever. Whatever pretty words you coax out of the worms, whatever treaties you sign… it will all be meaningless in the end. They will never trust you. They will never stop looking for ways to exploit you for their advantage. They will never leave you alone. Never. It is not in their nature.”

The vampire’s mouth twitched.

“Oh, I agree, cousin. I agree indeed.”

Faustus glared back at him.

“Then how can you condone this? What my niece and nephew have done? How can you give all this power back to the humans? You know your numbers cannot withstand them… or withstand their weapons… no matter what you pretend. The skirmish at the border confirmed that. My armies would have destroyed you, and most of your kind––”

The vampire let out a melodic, musical laugh.

Faustus fell silent, studying the colorless eyes warily.

Betial continued to smile at him, his expression almost fond, verging on affectionate. His Louisiana drawl came out stronger when he broke the silence..

“Oh, Charles. You are just so charmingly predictable. Still so certain you are the smartest creature in the room, even against all evidence to the contrary. So certain your threats will hold weight… even when you have dropped all your cards.”

“Funny. I was just thinking the same of you.”

The vampire smiled. “I am quite certain you were.”

“Your race isdying,brother. It is already dead. You have just not accepted it yet.”

“Yet yours is the one I see so little of now.”