Page 71 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Cedric

Lily borrowed some clothes from the jet’s wardrobe—a dress and sandals—and waited as I put on one of Khalid’s suits.

I hadn’t bothered to ask permission. He’d offered use of the room, and I’d taken full advantage of his hospitality, something he seemed to find amusing as Lily and I stepped into the living area shortly after feeling the jet come to a stop on the ground.

“You look good in black, Cedric,” he said by way of greeting.

“I know,” I replied, eyeing his similarly dressed state. He obviously kept a wardrobe out here as well, and there appeared to be a second shower somewhere because his hair was still damp. I hadn’t exactly requested a tour of his jet, but I would be asking for one of his territory.

“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing to the already open door. As Emine was nowhere to be seen, I imagined that meant she’d already disembarked the plane.

I pressed my palm to Lily’s lower back. “We’re ready.” And we were. Because we were in this together now. No matter what.

Khalid noted the motion, his eyes falling to where Lily leaned against me, and then he turned to lead the way.

The humid air immediately made me regret putting on a suit, but I knew it would lessen when the sun set again.

We’d essentially chased away the night and half of the day on our way here, making it late afternoon on this side of the world.

Which made it early for us to be moving around, but I had no idea what kind of hours Khalid kept in his region.

A night schedule? Or was it like the old days when humans slept at night and worked during the day?

I would have an answer soon, as it was clear he’d taken us to Khalid City, which was formerly known as Dubai.

Dubai? Lily repeated.

Yes. A capital known for its massive buildings and unique landscape. It was quite a sight to behold a hundred and fifty years ago. But I’m not sure what it looks like now, as I haven’t visited since the new era began.

Most vampires didn’t travel outside their regions, and while I’d been near Khalid’s territory at the Blood University, I hadn’t really considered requesting a visit. It just wasn’t something my kind did. Lycans operated similarly.

The only region that constantly had visitors was Lilith Region, and that was only because Lilith City was considered the capital of the world.

Why Lilith had chosen to repurpose Chicago for such ventures was beyond me. While I liked the city, there were others I preferred more. London. Paris. I supposed Dubai would be on my list, too.

Minus the sweltering day heat.

Fortunately, Khalid had a car waiting for us. It was a black four-by-four, similar to the one we’d taken from the compound to his jet. Only this time, Khalid slipped into the driver’s seat. “Join me up front, Cedric,” he said, the command clear.

As Emine was already in the back, I didn’t really have a reason to disobey. So I settled Lily in beside her before joining Khalid up front.

He said nothing as he put the vehicle into gear, his silence ominous and underlined by death. But I was used to that with my kind, allowing me to focus on the scenery instead of his lethal presence by my side.

Lily confirmed she was doing the same, her mind filling with admiration as she took in the scenery. We were much closer to the ocean here, allowing some greenery to appear, something she seemed quite taken by, as she’d not seen much in life apart from endless sand.

I considered that for a moment before asking, “Can we drive along the coast?” If Khalid was leading us into a trap, perhaps he could grant us this final concession.

“I’ll do one better for you,” he replied. “I’ll take you to the residence I’ve set up for you on the coast.”

“You’ve set up a residence for us?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. “Without knowing my decision?”

“I already know that you’re going to accept, Cedric. I might as well make you and Lily comfortable while you come to that conclusion yourself.”

“And then what?” I wondered aloud, glancing at him. “Will we be moved?” He’d said he wanted me to become his sovereign, but he hadn’t told me which area yet.

“Most of my leadership resides in the main city because that’s where the reformed Blood University is located. The other cities in my territory are primarily maintained as a facade to meet Lilith’s expectations. When the war comes, it’ll be Dubai we all plan to protect. ”

“Not your entire region?” He owned most of the eastern half of the former Middle East—Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. It was quite the territory.

“There are areas of the region I want to keep, but I learned long ago that it’s best to focus on a central location when wanting to safeguard resources.

And we have everything we need here.” He turned onto a road that headed toward the city as he spoke, allowing us to see the sprawling landscape of buildings.

While he’d restructured some of them, the overall appearance remained similar to the ones in my memories.

Except these were slightly more modernized to current times.

And clearly bolstered by technology.

“What happens when Lilith visits?” I asked him, curious as to how he handled on-site visits. Manipulating camera feeds was one thing. Faking an alternate reality with the Goddess in your region was entirely another.

“We have a protocol for that,” he murmured. “But we’ve only had to enact it twice. She typically leaves me alone because everything she’s seen from me is exactly what she wants.” He glanced at me. “As you know, it’s all about playing the game.”

I grunted and returned my gaze to the scenery. “This entire society is built around political mindfucks.”

“It’s built on greed and gluttony. They’ll all starve eventually. Which is why most of the mortals in Khalid Region live here. It’s protected by an army of vampires—not human Vigils—and a handful of lycans.”

“Lycans?” I repeated.

He nodded. “I’ve provided sanctuary to several families over the years, and I plan to take in more when the revolution begins.”

“Lycans like Viper.”

“Yes, Viper will be one of them.”

“Which is why you don’t need to pay him—that’s what you meant by him getting more from you than money.”

“Of a sort,” he answered vaguely. “He’s one of my dragons.”

My brow came down. “Dragons?”

“A story for another day, perhaps. But it’s not important right now. What matters is this.” He gestured toward the city. “This is my proof of worth.”

With every mile we drove, it became more and more apparent that Khalid hadn’t been lying at all. If anything, he hadn’t been thorough enough with his explanation.

Because the moment we crossed into the city borders, there were humans roaming about, just like he’d shown on the feeds. Many of them were smiling. Some were not—which told me they were still distrusting of their fate. And others were just going about their day as one would have in the old era.

A normal city.

Filled with life.

Filled with purpose.

Filled with a sense of ease.

There weren’t many vampires out, likely because of the sun still being in the sky, but I had my answer regarding the structure of this world. “The mortals own the day, while the vampires own the night,” I marveled.

“Hmm, no. We provide them with options, though. Some prefer the sun, others are so used to the moon that they’ve maintained their old schedules.

Classes are only offered at night because the vampires are the instructors.

Dubai, or rather, Khalid City , has quite literally become a place that never sleeps. ”

“Do you prefer to call it Dubai?” It was the second time he’d called it that.

“I prefer to call it home,” he replied. “I might not have been born here, but I’ve made it mine over the centuries, and I intend to keep it.”

“What do the others call it?”

“Khalid City,” he replied. “Mostly, anyway. However, vampires have history, something I think we’ve discussed at length. So I don’t enforce the name. This place can be whatever we want it to be so long as we protect it.”

He turned down a street that led us past some of the largest buildings, causing Lily’s mind to spiral with shock and awe in the back seat.

Only for her to practically faint as we started approaching the coast. “Oh, Goddess,” she breathed, unable to hold in her excitement at seeing the ocean in front of us. “Is that…?”

“The Persian Gulf,” Khalid told her. “Yes.”

I was going to say ocean , she thought, but she didn’t voice that out loud.

Technically a sea, but similar enough, I murmured to her.

It’s beautiful .

Perhaps we can swim in it later? I suggested. If you trust me enough not to drown you.

I trust you , she promised, her gaze meeting mine in the mirror. You’ll just fuck me anyway.

Indeed I will, I told her, my lips curling a little. “Is there a beach by our new residence?”

“It connects to your residence, yes. So if you find it accommodating, you can remain there indefinitely. Or we can discuss your preferences and go from there.”

“You’re certainly promising us a lot,” I remarked, looking at him again. “Silvano isn’t going to like my transition, either. He might demand a visit.”

“If he does, I’ll entertain him in one of our facade districts. And you’ll join me. As my sovereign.”

“He’s my maker. He can issue demands.”

Khalid glanced at me before turning onto a coastal road. “I’m not afraid of Silvano. And he can issue whatever demands he wishes; that doesn’t mean either of us has to listen.”

“If he’s loud enough, Lilith may get involved,” I warned him.

“And do what? Demand I return you?” He scoffed at that. “You’re old enough to be considered for royalty if the right region were to become available. Lilith will see this as a chess move—me taking a powerful vampire and molding him beneath my control.”

He navigated into a drive that led to a parking area and killed the engine before facing me.