Page 44 of Queen of the Crimson Throne (Queen of Blood and Stardust #2)

44

LENNOX

Two days later, Luce transported Luka, Declan, and I to the small town outside the Southernmost border of the Blood Court. After much debate it was decided Nico and Kara would stay back—we figured the smaller number of unannounced strangers arriving to the family’s home the better. Only Luka and I would try to talk to the family, while Luce and Declan would stay out and stand guard outside.

We headed through the dense woods the map Astria had given us deposited us at, finally coming to a cottage with smoke rising from the chimney.

“Someone’s home,” Declan noted. “Luce and I will stay hidden out here. Let us know if you need us.” I grasped the purple stone around my neck; we had no idea what we were walking into, the stone’s connection to Luce could save us if we needed. I released the stone and turned toward the cottage.

Our boots crunched on the snow as we approached the dwelling. Snow hadn’t reached the North yet, but winter was in full swing in the Southern part of the continent. The cottage reminded me vaguely of Hecate’s, if her’s has been upkept. It was larger, but not by much, and had no front porch, instead, there were two wide wooden stairs leading to the door .

Both of us hesitated at the threshold—there was no going back after we knocked on the door.

“Ready?”

“As ready as I can be.” I was trying to muster as much confidence as possible. I knew we were likely not going to like what we found out today. Or what we might have to do. The thoughts had hung heavy over the both of us for the last two days. I rested my hand on the handles of the daggers at my side as Luka knocked on the door.

There was shuffling on the other side before it finally opened.

A young male opened the door. His dark hair curled around his face in loose waves as he stood with his hand on the door frame. “Can I help you?”

“We’re looking for the Galtain family,” Luka said. “Is this the correct residence?

The male paled slightly. “Yes, this is the Galtain residence.” He moved so his body covered the majority of the door frame. “What business do you have?”

“We were hoping to speak to the head of the household,” I interjected. Keeping my voice as level as possible to not frighten him any more.

“Son, who is it?” Another male approached the door. This male’s dark skin creased around his eyes and he had the same dark curly hair as the younger male, father and son I assumed. The male held a pot in his hand, a towel in the other as he dried the dish.

“This is my father,” the younger male confirmed, stepping back to let his father into the door frame.

“Silas Galtain. And you two are?” His dark brows furrowed as he looked between me and Luka.

“We’re travelers passing through, we heard you might have a story to tell us.” The lie we had practiced slipped easily off my tongue .

“We’re not interested. Sorry folks.” Silas moved to shut the door, but Luka was quicker, blocking the door with his boot.

“You’re going to want to let us in,” Luka insisted.

Silas crossed his arms. “And why’s that?”

Luka and I shared a look. He rose a brow and I dipped my chin in confirmation. We had anticipated this, not expecting we would be let in without revealing our true identities, but it was worth a shot to see if we could remain anonymous.

I turned my attention back to the males and removed my hood, tucking my hair behind my ears, revealing their delicate points. “You’re not going to leave the High Queen out in the cold now are you?”

Both of the male’s eyes widened.

“Or your prince?” Luka removed his hood.

“You’re—” Silas looked between the two of us.

“Holy stars,” the son mumbled.

“It can’t be,” Silas mused.

“High Queen Lennox Adair and Prince Luka Rossi at your service.” Luka bowed dramatically.

“Please come in.” Silas stumbled as he moved aside. “Please excuse my behavior. I—I never would have said such a thing if I knew who I was talking to.”

I put my hand on Silas’ arm gently. “No hard feelings. We cannot blame you for being cautious.”

“Have a seat.” Silas gestured towards the small kitchen area. A large rectangular table took up the majority of the space. Counters lined both of the walls, piled with dishes and cooking supplies. Heat radiated from the small stove in the corner, a kettle steaming on the top. Eight chairs squished around the table, the center piled high with dishes and other utensils.

“You must have a big family?” Luka noted as he took a seat next to me, his eyes wandering around the home.

Silas smiled. “I do. Auden here is my youngest.” He placed a hand on Auden’s shoulder. “He’s the only one still living at home. My wife is out in town right now. We have four other children, two daughters, and two sons, all married off and living on their own. Lots of grandchildren too.” Silas beamed.

“How many grandchildren?” I asked.

“Five.” He smiled as he moved towards the mantel, picking up a framed portrait on top. “And one more on the way.” He handed me the frame. I couldn’t help but smile at the large family captured in the photo. I could pick out Silas’ children easily, they all had the same dark hair and tawny skin with bright olive eyes.

“You have a beautiful family,” Luka admired as he leaned over my shoulder.

“Thank you.” Silas put the photo back on the mantel, taking care that it was put back in the right place. “Can I get you two anything?”

“We’re fine, thank you,” we replied in unison.

Silence filled the room.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re here,” Luka broke the silence. Silas halted, his back going straight before he sat in a chair across the table from us, next to Auden.

“I am, I’m assuming you’re not here simply to visit.”

“There is no use in dancing around it—” I shifted in my seat. “We’re looking for Astria’s journals and we believe you have them here.”

Silas’s jaw ticked. “And why do you assume I have those journals?”

“Astria herself told us your family has them,” Lukas’s tone offered no room for debate. “And she gave us a map leading us to you.”

“Holy shit,” Auden murmured.

Silas elbowed his son. “Manners,” he hissed.

Silas turned his attention back to us. “Are you telling me you spoke to the Goddess?”

“We did,” I confirmed.

Silas sighed deeply, looking at his son and back at us. “Those journals mean a lot to my family. If I did have them, I have no desire to give them up.”

Luka leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the table, “Why are they important to your family?”

“You don’t know?” Silas looked between the two of us. “Astria didn’t tell you?” We shook our heads.

“Tell us what?” I pressed.

Silas scrubbed his hand over his face. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Silas took a deep breath. “Astria gave my great-great-grandmother the journals before she returned to the sky.”

“Why would she do that?” Luka and I asked in unison.

“She claimed it was her way of saying sorry, her explanation as to why she did what she did.” Silas laughed, the sound bitter and hollow, causing a pit to form in my stomach.

“What did she do?” Luka leaned forward further.

“She turned her into a vampire.”

“Wait—your great-grandmother was the first vampire?” I gasped.

Silas nodded.

“You’re the original vampire family,” Luka mused. “But why couldn’t I find your family name in the Populus?”

“Our history as the first vampires isn’t something we—or anyone in the Blood Court—boasts about. If anything, we’re viewed as a disgrace. I’m sure the palace went to great ends to hide our identity, to pretend we no longer exist.”

“That’s terrible,” I muttered.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.” There was a sadness to his tone.

“But why are the journals so important?” Luka pressed, turning our attention back to our task.

“The journals detail everything that happened between Astria and my grandmother. They wouldn’t mean much to anyone else—but to our family—one that is viewed with such disgrace—” Silas gave his son a small smile. “It’s a reminder that it was all worth it.”

Luka and I shared a look. That it was all worth it?

“Astria and my grandmother were in love, but the story is more complicated than the one told across Lethenia. My grandmother, Elesebetta, escaped home to avoid an arranged marriage to a cruel male. Her family was extremely poor, her father promised her to a wealthy male in exchange for a large sum of money without her consent. The night before her wedding she ran. That was when she met Astria.

“They fell in love and planned a life together. But somehow my grandmother’s family got a letter to her. Telling her if she did not come back and marry her intended, her younger sister—who was far too young to be married—would take her place.”

My stomach twisted and Luka tensed beside me.

“So Elesebetta left Astria in the dead of night without saying goodbye. Only leaving Astria a note telling her she had to leave and go back because she was already married and pregnant with his child. She lied to Astria about the child—she knew Astria wouldn’t let her leave otherwise. She hoped lying and saying she was pregnant with the male’s baby would prevent Astria from killing the male. Elesebetta hated him—but she didn’t feel he deserved to die because of her.

“Astria was furious at Elesebetta for leaving her. For months she plotted her revenge. At this time she had already experimented and created the other types of Fae, so she figured why not create a type of Fae that would not only curse Elesebetta, but her entire family for the rest of time? A curse seemed like a far better punishment to serve than death.”

“Astria knew my grandmother, and she used the knowledge to her advantage. She knew Elesbetta had a kind hearted soul—she hated seeing others hurt. So Astria created a curse that would require Elesebetta to hurt others in order to survive. Elesebetta had drained Astria of all joy in her life so she would be cursed to drain the very lifeblood from others.” Silas looked at the floor. “When Astria found my grandmother she gave her no time to explain before she turned her into a vampire. Her desire to feed was immediate.”

I sucked in a breath.

“It was only in the pleading sobs of Elesebetta’s sister as Elesebetta feasted on another that Astria learned the real story of why Elesebetta left. Astria left in a fury of shame over her actions. No one saw or heard from her for months, until one day she returned to find the male Elesebetta had married dead—my grandmother having killed him with her new powers, with her newfound thirst for blood. Elesebetta was so overcome with anger for Astria that when she showed up out of nowhere my grandmother tried to kill her. Astria dropped off the journal and fled. No one ever saw or heard from her again. Until it was told she fled to the sky.”

We all knew the history of vampires, the legend of Astria—but not really. We had all been told a version so far from the truth. It wasn’t out of revenge—it was hurt that Astria created the vampires. All this time we viewed Astria as a vengeful Goddess cursing the vampires, but it was out of heartbreak—losing the one she loved.

“We bring out the journals every year—” Silas continued, “we share the true history of our family with our younglings—even if the rest of Lethenia views us as the family who brought this plague upon us all—our family will grow up knowing the truth. It was not of our wrongdoing that we were cursed—our ancestor was brave. She gave up her happiness to save her sister.”

My chest constricted. The story hit a little too close to home.

“Maybe it’s a crime to share the story of the Goddess' mistake, but we’ve never been punished for it. If anything, I feel like she has blessed us. We always have enough food to go around. Even in years when harvest is poor—there’s enough to get us through the winter. When we thought we had gotten to the last of our coins we found one more in the jar. Maybe it’s blind hope, but I think Astria is watching over us.”

Even if Astria was looking over the Galtain family, it didn’t explain why Astria wanted to keep the journal hidden. Why she wanted it destroyed.

“Can we see the journal?” I needed answers. I doubted they laid in the journal, but we were this close, I needed to see it.

Silas nodded solemnly before turning his attention back to Auden. “Go grab it, will you?”

Auden returned a few minutes later, a worn black leather journal in his hands. He returned to his seat, sliding the journal across the table.

I took it in my hands gently.

“This is it?” Luka murmured.

“That’s it,” Silas confirmed.

My hands shook slightly as I moved aside the leather strap holding the book closed, leaving a strip of leather that was lighter than the rest.

I flipped through the worn pages carefully—although the journal was hundreds of years old the parchment was still fresh. It had likely been spelled to resist aging.

Luka and I sat shoulder to shoulder as we read the book in silence, taking in every page until the writing ceased. I flipped through the empty pages at the end, but there was nothing more. No damning information. No shocking reveal. The journals contained as Silas had promised—the story of Astira and his grandmother. I was about to slam the journal closed in frustration when a sliver of gold writing glinted in the firelight.

I elbowed Luka as I tugged at the paper, causing an entire page to come loose. It was a folded-up square that had been worn with time—unlike the rest of the journal.

I opened up the paper to reveal the scrawled script. Where the journal had been practiced and perfect writing, not a smudge in sight—this paper was a mess. It was the same handwriting, but notes were scrawled in the margins. Lines were crossed out and written over.

Blood .

Spell.

Bloodthirsty monsters.

“Holy stars.” I continued to scan the page. “These are the notes she used as she tried to figure out how to create vampires.”

Luka leaned in close as we continued reading. The writing was all nonsense—scrawled notes. Details about trials and failures in her experimentations.

I flipped over to the back to find more of the same, except—at the bottom, there was a note that was written more cleanly than the rest.

Dragons blood was circled several times over next to a note that read, to ensure the spell can never be undone. My blood ran cold as I read the final note. If anyone tries to reverse the spell, all creatures created after the original will die .