10 | THE KING

I reread the note, wondering why the hell the King wants to talk with *me*. After the little show in front of the Court, I thought he’d want to talk to Mikyle more. But I guess it’s just the way the Royals are. I had a one-on-one meeting with Mina last winter. *Maybe he just wants to see if I’m a threat for himself?* That seems to be the way this week’s going. Ms. Jin told me, last year when I was learning about the vamp world, that something like this could happen. That I’d have to appear before the Court and tested to see if I’m a threat to the existence of vampires.

Considering I can’t seem to keep my vamp instincts in check, it looks like the scales may be tipping out of my favor.
I let out a huff and leave my room, following the directions from the note and knocking on the door when I get to it. The wrapping sound is slightly muffled against the wood, but it opens a second later. The King stands on the other side, face as calm and relaxed as it was in the throne room. He says nothing, but takes a small step back, allowing me to see into the room beyond.

It’s an invitation. I take it, curious as I walk into what looks like a spare bedroom - or hotel room. The smooth walls are coated in a royal blue wallpaper, silver lines depicting a waterfall in the middle of lush woods. Behind me, I faintly hear the door click shut, but can’t seem to look away from the wall before me. I take in more of the scene, the way the thick trees lead through a path directly towards the waterfall. As I stare, I can almost swear the leaves on the silver trees move, the hush of water cascading from high above in thick sheets softly whispering in the background.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” William’s voice breaks through my thoughts and slams me back into reality. I whirl around, almost jumping out of my skin when I see him standing right behind me. He doesn’t make a move to step away from me, or seem surprised by my reaction.

“It is,” I agree, carefully stepping to the left and putting a good foot of space between us.

“We commissioned a daughter of Arachne to create all the artwork on the palace walls in fifty-three.” The King tells me and I blink, trying to follow his line of thought. I assume a ‘daughter of Arachne’ is some kind of supernatural I have yet to come across. But the most pressing question slips out of my mouth before I have the chance to second guess it.

“*Nineteen* fifty-three?” I ask to clarify, but there’s a sinking feeling in my stomach that the date is no where near this century.

“*Fifteen* fifty-three.” William smirks, glancing at me as he confirms my thoughts.

“That’s…” I blinks, trying to control the amazement and general spinning of my thoughts as even more questions begin popping into my head.

“Mina said you were a curious creature.” The King tells me, tilting his head as he studies me. I can’t help but feel a little offended by his words, though his voice is calm. “I can see in your expression that you have many questions.” He explains.

“You guys and Mikyle seem to know each other rather well.” I reply and his eyes darken a little at the mention of my ex-shadow.

“He’s our brother.” William states and my head swims. *Mikyle is the brother of the Queen and King of the US-branch-Coven*. I don’t know how to digest this. “And he seems rather taken with you.” I can’t help but laugh, a little hysterically, at how observant this man is. Though I’m sure it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how Mikyle is around me. Even from a glance.

“He’s…it’s complicated.” I croak lamely, giving him a sheepish and apologetic grimace to how stupid the cliché sounds.

“So I’ve noticed.” The King nods slowly and turns to face me fully. “May I?” William asks, extending his hand out to mine. I glance from my hand to his, not sure exactly what it is he wants as I reach out to place my palm over his. William flips my hand over, studying the lines on my skin for a moment, then he brings my pointer finger to his lips. Before I can react, I catch a flash of fangs before one tip pierces the pad of my finger. I jerk my hand back with a gasp as a spike of pain shocks up my arm.

“What the hell?” I hiss at the King, cradling my offended hand to my chest in horror. William’s eyes have gone wide, the color burning bright red as he stares at me. His aura flares with a more oppressive darkness - like I noticed before in the throne room. It’s smoke-like tendrils seem to grow and begin solidifying around him. Terror shoots down my spine as alarm bells are set off in my head. Both my Wolven and vampire forms cower away from the man as his true colors show through the regal demeanor.

“Such *power*…” William growls, his head tilting as though he hears something. And then he’s right in front of me, his strong, cold hand wrapped around my throat. I’m struggling to breathe as he lifts me from the ground and holds my throat firmly. “Such *potential*.” His words are almost accusatory as his fingers slowly begin to crush my airway. My vision grows spotted in a matter of seconds as my lungs become deprived of oxygen, heart pounding in my ears as that icy calm threatens to coat the world in red.

I’m still clawing at his hand when the doors to the room burst open and Mikyle rushes in with Mina and Fang in tow. Fang and Mikyle’s forms blur at the sight of the King, and I’m suddenly being pulled away from the King and towards the other side of the room, Mina’s arms wrapped around me protectively. I drink in the fresh air, letting out pitiful gasps and choking on my own whimpers of fear. *What the hell just happened?*

Mikyle and Fang each have one of the King’s arms in their grasp as the vampire fights against his captors. William’s face is a blur of shifting features, morphing into something all-too-familiar. Dark shadows have grown under his now bright red eyes, black veins distending under the skin of his face, stretching like spider webs and pulsing with raging growing and lightening color. His mouth and jaw are moving under his skin, elongating and shortening as if his body can’t seem to decide what it wants to do. His body’s fighting the same process - it seems - limbs creaking and groaning as they shudder from regular lengths to slightly distended ones.

He’s in the middle of shifting into a Revenant.

“William, please,” Mikyle growls at his brother, his eyes flaring a bright and terrifying red. William turns sharply to hiss - literally *hiss* - at Mikyle. The sound is more like that of a cat and less like the growling-screech I’ve come to associate with a Revenant.

The few times I’ve been in the presence of one - or anywhere near and partially transformed vampire, I should say - was last year. Hale had healed after Craven snapped his neck and was partially transformed into what I know to be the soulless embodiment of evil. Something very old vampires or crazy vampires have a possibility of becoming. Something that seeks out blood without conscious and seeks to destroy everything and anything that moves.

The other…it was in a vision where I became a Revenant. The sound I associate with them coming directly from my point of view while transforming into one. Thankfully - that never happened. After Blue and I decided to confront the Reiniers/my grandmother before they could ambush the Azures, we avoided a lot of bloodshed.

“William.” Mikyle says again, searching his brothers eyes the way he used to for me - back when I mentally fought my way through the haze of the vamp transition. I notice how concentrated of a look Mikyle’s giving his brother and the slowly humanizing look from William as the King’s body slowly begins returning to normal. Mina lets out a breath behind me, relaxing her hold around me. She only releases me once William has completely shifted back.

His skin stays that weird ashen-grey, heavy circles line his eyes, and some of the hair on the King’s head is in the process of growing back. Soon, the bits of his hair on the ground are the only sign the man ever lost control. Still, Mikyle and Fang keep an iron-tight grip on the King’s upper arms.

“I…Mikie?” William slurs at Mikyle. At the sound of his name, Mikyle releases his brother’s arm and wraps him in a firm hug.

“Welcome back, Willie.” I hear Mikyle mutter to his brother as Fang takes a step away from the, and looks to Mina.

“I’ll take it from here, Mica.” Mina moves to her brother’s side, gently placing a hand on Mikyle’s shoulder until my ex-shadow extricates himself from the still worn-out looking King. “You two should take your meals in your rooms tonight.” She adds, looking pointedly at me, though I know her words are for Mikyle.

“Right.” Mikyle mutters back, blinking as the raging vibrancy of his red eyes dies back to the usual glowing embers. “Right.” At the second utterance of the word, Mikyle turns to look at me, seemingly seeing me now. His form blurs a little, then he’s right in front of me, a forced-mask of nonchalance overriding the look of alarm in his eyes. “I’ll take you to the room, princess.” He tells me, but we’re already moving. One of his hands at my back, guiding me swiftly out of the room and back to my room. He says nothing to me the entire way, though I’m not sure what I’d want him to say because of the heaviness that’s settled in me.

Something overcame the King when he tasted my blood. Why the hell he decided to taste it in the first place is in the top ten of my trillion questions to ask. But I don’t get a chance to. Mikyle’s fast pace and the confusing torrent of slowly comprehension in my shock-addled brain has left me with absolutely no time to say anything the whole way to my room.

“Mica-” I blurt when he opens the door to my room and all but pushes me inside.

“Stop.” Mikyle orders, holding up a hand to prevent me from speaking. “Not right now, princess. I know you’ve got questions, but I can’t right now.” He warns, his voice shaking slightly. I note the slight tremor in his hand as he draws it into his chest and let out hiss of frustration, glancing over his shoulder. “We can’t talk about it here. But I swear, the second we get back to Kiwina…” He takes deep breath and mutters a curse in some language I don’t understand. But the harshness of the string of words make it clear what he means.

“You’re not safe here.” He breathes, more to himself than me as he reaches for the door, pulling it tightly against his body so he’s the only thing visible now. “I swear, so long as you don’t leave this room, you’ll be fine. There are enough blood bags in your duffle to tide you over until morning. Everything will be better in daylight.” He mutters the last part - again - almost to himself. He’s so shaken I don’t try to say anything else. After about the third time he looks over his shoulder, I decide to just nod. It’s the cue he seems to have been waiting for. “I’ll be right out side the door. But don’t go near the windows. And…if you hear anything, just yell and I’ll come running, okay?” He rushes, pulling the door even closer to himself, like he’s trying to force himself out of my room.

“Okay.” I agree, choking back the questions wanting to rush up my throat and fill the brief silence as he looks me over once. For a second, I think he’s going to say something else, but he only nods and closes the door shut behind him as he leaves. Leaving me alone with the weird certainty that I won’t be getting a single drop of rest for the next few days.