Page 37 of The Vampire Court
“Don’t even think about trying anything.” His hot breath wafts against the side of my face.
He presses down harder, bringing my nose within an inch of grayish-green water. I push back until my arms tremble with the effort. He releases me then steps back. A second later a blast of icy water slams into my back, stealing my breath. I nearly collapse from the shock. Another wave is dumped over my head, slower this time. I’m surprised to find the water smells of pine needles and sap instead of sludge or worse.
One guard fists a hand in my tangled hair. Wrenching my head back, he guides me to sit up, while the other dumps more water over me, bucket after bucket until the shock from the frigid temperature slowly wears off, and I lose feeling in my body.
I ignore the quiet chuckles from behind, focusing on keeping my chin up. Not that I have any dignity left to preserve.
By the time they finish thoroughly drenching me, I can’t control the shivering that racks my body. A guard flings a towel at me. I grab for it, but my fingers are numb, and my reflexes are slow. It falls to the floor, soaking up a good deal of water.
“Dry off, and be quick about it,” the guard orders, hauling me to my feet.
The vampires holding torches keep the light in my eyes, blinding me to their faces. With each passing minute, they seem to grow bolder. The tentative way they approached me, hesitating then using their inhuman speed…
They are afraid of me to some extent.
A sliver of pride tugs at my lips. I am human, weakened by blood loss and a lack of food and water, and it still takes four of them to feel comfortable around me.
I fumble with the towel, drying off as best as can be expected. My wet clothes cling uncomfortably to my skin.
The same vampires who pulled me from my cell take hold of my upper arms again. They drag me from the alcove, through the door of this wretched dungeon, and out into the hall. There are no windows. Nothing open to the outside.
One of the torch guards walks in front, the other behind so that a vampire is on every side of me. I attempt to look over my shoulder.
“Keep your head down, girl,” one vampire snarls, pressing his fingers harder into my arm in warning.
I relax and focus on keeping my feet under me.
We walk for what feels like miles turning around through a labyrinth of halls with no distinct markers anywhere. Sconces are places equal distances apart, furthering the effect. We never leave this level, not by stairs or by an incline. I assume this is a tactic meant to confuse me.
It works.
Beads of sweat drip down the sides of my face, and I’m panting by the time we stop. I lift my head and stare blankly at the door before us. It’s similar to the ones that lead into the throne room but a smaller version. The wood is polished to a fine sheen, and in the center is the queen’s crest inlaid with silver.
The guard on my right drops my arm and steps up to the door. He knocks once. There’s a pause. Then it swings open. Sconces and candles are lit throughout the room. I sigh as warmth rolls out in a wave. It’s a welcome change from the constant cold. Holding me at arm’s length, my guards guide me inside the windowless room then release me with a shove at my back. I stumble forward and catch my balance after a few steps.
At the far end of a crescent-shaped table, the queen sits in a high-backed chair resembling her ornate throne. Her slender hand rests on Alaric’s forearm. On her other side sits Cassius, Lawrence, and six others I don’t recognize.
I plead silently for Alaric to look at me. He holds his head high and angled toward the queen, but his eyes remain downcast. His face holds no emotion, and for some reason, that twists my heart.
All four of my guards remain behind me, their gazes burning holes in my back.
The vampire at the end of the table stands and walks to the center of the room, blocking my view of Alaric. She has sharp features, hair the color of snow, and skin equally as pale.
“We have been called here,” she says, “because this human is guilty of slaughtering a vampire. The only reason she lives to stand before us today is because she has been claimed by our crowned prince.” She pauses and angles her body toward me. Bright pink eyes take me in from head to foot, her ghostly white brows arching. Then facing the court, she continues, “The law is simple; any human who dares kill a vampire for any reason must pay for it with their life.”
Murmurs fill the room. The vampires at the table lean in to whisper to one another. Their faces morph from shock and disbelieving to hate-filled.
The pale vampire spreads her arms. “The sentencing will—”
A chair scrapes the ground, the noise reverberating throughout the room. All eyes turn toward Cassius. He rises from his chair, and when he speaks, he looks only at me. “I think the human should be allowed to say for herself what happened.”
“What?” the speaker asks. She presses a hand to her chest as if a human speaking to a vampire offends her delicate sensibilities.
Cassius holds up his hands and walks around the table to stand in front of her. “I will not deny that Miss Valmont did kill Kerin. I was there to witness the fatal strike, but she should be allowed to explain the circumstances that led up to the murder.”
My heart thumps in my chest at his defense. Why would Cassius defend me and not Alaric? I look between the two of them, my breath caught in my throat.
“Vampires,” the queen’s voice booms. She stands, leaning forward, her long fingers splayed on the table. “You said as much yourself—she is a potential slayer.” Lavender jewel-like eyes narrow on me.