Page 41 of A Bond Beyond Blood (The Butcher’s Daughter Trilogy #1)

“We never could agree on that, could we?” I asked without turning away from the fire.

“That humans have every right to live freely, just as we do.” I sighed.

“You really do leave me with little choice, old friend.” With a sigh, I straightened my shoulders, pushed the old disappointment aside, and braced myself to proceed.

Kingship truly was a terribly messy thing at times.

Heavy is the head, and all that.

“ Get on your knees for your king, traitor.”

Winston’s body jerked as he was forced to go against his desires and slip down from the chair, kneeling before me like the king that I was. Am .

I tilted my head as I looked down at his wavy black hair, perfectly styled on his head as always, then I shoved my fingers into it and tugged, forcing him to look up at me.

Motion to my left caught my attention as one of his brave little soldiers charged toward me, but I held Winston’s head with one hand and batted away the foolish vampire soldier with the other. He slammed against the far wall and fell to the floor.

“Fall in line,” I growled. “All of you.” Returning my attention to Winston, I said, “Your hunger for power will be your demise.”

He snarled, baring his fangs at me, and I chuckled as I wagged my finger at him.

“Such a naughty vampire you are, Winnie. I think I’ll collect those cuspids when this is all over.”

He closed his mouth but his fangs still protruded angrily against his bottom lip and the whites of his eyes had gone completely crimson.

“How many have you already enslaved?” I asked.

“All of them,” he growled. “They just don’t know it yet.”

I hummed as I nodded . Just as I suspected. Under the attractive guise of cooperation and cohabitation, the only outcome of this treaty would be the eventual annihilation of the human race—although it wouldn’t be by death , but by servitude .

“They are a food source , Elias,” Winston growled, “nothing more.”

Well, we certainly disagreed on that, didn’t we?

“You’ll have to take down the entire council, the people we’ve positioned,” he sputtered, “ humans —”

Unfazed by his ramblings, I tugged his head back until he gagged from the bending press of his windpipe. “Hush now, Winnie.”

Decades had passed since I last had this argument with the former head of my guard—and I was still just as bored with it as I was back then.

With a sigh, I snapped my fingers. “Right, then. I see time has only strengthened your ill-formed opinion on our human brethren. Pity, that. I had hoped we might have a happy reunion and come to an amicable agreement—”

“You’re weak,” he snarled. “You’ve never been fit to reign!”

I raised my brow in mock affront. “Such bold words from the one kneeling at my very feet.” With every word my tone grew deeper until I’d growled the last word right into his face.

The whoosh of displaced air caught my attention a split second before something pierced my shoulder and pain spread like poison through my chest and down my arm. My fangs extended and I breathed deeply through my nose, retracting them almost as quickly as they’d appeared.

“We are nothing without civility, am I right?” I asked Winston.

His eyes were wide, mouth still sputtering for air as his head remained bent backward at an awkward angle.

With a deep breath, I smiled as I rose to my full height once more, then focused on the spear sticking out of my shoulder.

“Well.” Looking down at Winnie, I commanded, “ Remain still ,” then I released him and chuckled when he didn’t even right his head so that he could better breathe.

Oh, I had missed the power of my own voice.

Bracing myself, I yanked the weapon from my shoulder and dropped it to the floor, scanning the eyes of Winston’s guards until I found—

“Ah, you.” I pointed to the one whose fear was battling against that arrogant tilt of his chin. “That wasn’t very hospitable.”

He ground his teeth, then growled, “You’re not a welcome guest.”

“Oh.” I placed my hand over my heart. “How many humans have you killed?”

He scowled. “What?”

I rolled my eyes and stepped toward him, pleased when his back straightened. “How many humans have you killed?” I repeated slowly.

“How the fuck should I know?” He snorted and I tilted my head to the side, waiting.

“Too many to count,” he finally said, “but still not enough.”

I inclined my head in acknowledgement and strode back to Winston’s side. Gripping his hair once more, I looked around at his personal guards. “This is one of those moments that will define your future, boys. Choose wisely.”

Similar to what happened outside, in the next moment, all but one of them dropped quickly to their knees and bowed their heads to the king. The one I’d thrown against the wall had recovered and now kneeled beside his comrades.

One guess as to which one remained standing.

“You,” I said, pointing to the spear-thrower. “Do you refuse to kneel for your king?”

He straightened his shoulders and jutted his chin, though his show of bravado could not mask the slight tremor of fear in his heartbeat that hadn’t been there just moments ago.

I lifted my brows and waited, then sighed when he didn’t make a move to submit. His hatred for humans would have been enough to warrant his immediate removal. If not that, then his attack on the king would have done it.

As it was, I found that this moment right here, his blatant disobedience, sealed his fate.

“Very well. Into the fire you go.” I pointed to the fireplace for emphasis and his eyes widened comically.

He swung his head from the fireplace to me, laughing uncomfortably as he said, “You’re kidding.”

I tsked . “I rarely joke about these things. Climb into the fireplace.”

His footsteps lurched as he moved closer to the fireplace, eyes wide, confusion creasing his brow as he obeyed me against his will. Until this moment, he’d likely thought only the one who sired him could bend his mind to their commands, but he’d never come in contact with a king .

Winston struggled in my hold. “ Stop! ” he commanded, and the soldier’s body jerked as it struggled to follow the direction of his maker while still obediently following his king’s orders.

His walk to the fireplace became a jilted death stroll resembling a marionette being jerked around on tangled strings.

“One of yours?” I asked Winnie, even though it was clear as day.

His eyes blazed with renewed hatred, an anger so strong it rolled off of him in waves.

“Pity. Losing a child is never easy.”

When he stepped into the fire, he screamed—

“Quietly, if you don’t mind.” I shook my head as his bloodcurdling screams filled the room.

“Don’t make a sound.” I shuddered as his screaming broke off and he climbed the rest of the way toward his final death.

The putrid scents of burning hair and melting flesh filled the air, the intense scent of copper stoking my hunger, but I stopped breathing to combat the assault on my senses and turned to face the Lord on his knees at my feet.

My trusted former guard.

Once upon a time, my very best friend.

A brother. A son .

“Rise to your feet, Winston Connelly.”

The vampire shuddered as he obeyed my command.

The others wretched and gagged as their former coworker burned to a crisp in the fireplace, but I had no sympathy for them or anyone else working for the council.

Surely, they knew they could stop breathing to block the horrendous scent of their fallen comrade.

Though that wouldn’t do anything to keep the sound of his crackling skin from reaching their ears.

Extreme punishments did not bring me pleasure, but war called for unpleasant things.

I did hope this would inspire the rest of Winston’s allies to fall in line so that I would not have to use such brutish force again, but I knew well enough that in doing what was right, in seeking and delivering justice, things were not always neat and tidy.

Casualties were inevitable.

When Winston’s angry gaze met mine, I said, “Call a meeting of the Council of Lords. It’s time to atone for your sins.”