Page 43 of The Broken Prince

I hoped that would pull a smile at his lips, but it did nothing.

“And your wife and children are not powerless either. Your daughter saved my life and got me to safety. She rode our dragon through the sky and demolished our foes from the air. Your son led his men in battle and won. We may carry scars for the rest of our lives—but we are not powerless.”

He took several breaths before he slowly turned to look at me. He stared for a while, his beautiful eyes shining with his tears. Then he moved his hand to mine, grabbing it and placing it on our son’s arm, where he could feel us both. “I love you…more than I can say.”

I cupped his cheek, my thumb brushing away the tear that fell. “I know you do…”

THIRTEEN

HARLOW

I walked to Aurelias’s home, the cottage he’d taken from someone else, and helped myself inside. I expected him to be alone, but he stood there with his vampire kin, all of them speaking close together like they were about to conclude their conversation.

“Sorry.” My eyes went to Aurelias, who looked at me with his arms folded over his chest. “Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Aurelias gave me a slight nod, inviting me to come inside.

Now I was very aware of the fact that I was in a room with several vampires, distant relations of the Teeth, beings that could tear me apart and drain every drop of my blood. But with Aurelias there, I knew I was invincible.

I walked up to the man in black-and-red armor. “We didn’t really meet before. I’m Harlow.” I extended my hand to shake his.

He gave a slight smile before he took it. “Kingsnake.” He turned to the brunette beside him, a beautiful woman in matching armor. “This is my wife, Larisa. Don’t fear the snake around her shoulders. He’s harmless.”

I shook her hand then smiled at the snake. “He’s cute.”

The snake stuck out his tongue as he looked at me with his yellow eyes.

Larisa grinned. “He likes you.”

“And this is my brother Cobra.” Kingsnake indicated to the man in gold-and-black armor. “And his wife, Clara.”

I shook hands with them both. “Thank you for your help in the battle. And for saving Aurelias.”

Cobra smiled. “What are brothers for?”

“And sisters,” Larisa said.

“His sacrifice cured the humans,” Kingsnake said. “The least we can do is check on him.”

Aurelias listened to all of this with a hard expression, contrasting against them in his midnight-black armor with the golden snake in the middle of his chest. He was clearly the odd man out in the family. “They were just leaving.”

“Oh…” I felt out of place, intruding on a private moment. “I see.”

“I’ve asked them to relay my need for aid to my father,” Aurelias said. “We’ll see what happens.”

If it didn’t happen, I suspected we would all be dead. But why should the vampires care what happened to us? My father wouldn’t come to their aid if the situations were reversed.

Larisa moved to Aurelias, drawing near and sharing quiet words no one else could hear.

Kingsnake came closer to me. “Can I give you some advice?”

My eyes moved to him, seeing features similar to his brother, handsome and strong.

“Think of Aurelias as a boulder. The kind your dragon dropped from the sky. And you’re a tiny little hammer.” He pinched his forefinger and thumb together, leaving a small space between them. “It’ll take a lifetime to chisel your way to the center, but if you do, there’s a block of gold waiting for you.”

I wondered what Aurelias had said about me to make his brother say that, but I would never know. “I’ve encountered the hardness you’ve described…”

Aurelias finished his goodbye with Larisa, and then the vampires moved to the door to depart.