Chapter Twenty-Five

***KALLIAS***

I thought I knew what terror was. In training, we’re put through every scenario imaginable with magic. Our families dying, being forced to kill who we love most.

But when Xaden sinks his teeth into the pale white skin of Remi’s throat, my heart goes still.

And for the first time in fifty years, cold, helpless terror floods down my spine and into my arms.

Remi doesn’t scream, doesn’t thrash. Her eyes go wider than I’ve ever seen them before. She goes utterly still, paralyzed all over.

I’m warrior enough to know we’re both in shock.

Rhodes, luckily, is less affected by it. Or maybe his reaction implies he’s more distraught.

With a silent command from Kieran he moves on Xaden, his knives and shadows drawn.

I gulp.

We haven’t ever gone up against Xaden, not since the Great War.

And the Demon Slayer, any of us once we taste blood, are no longer ourselves.

Kieran rises from his makeshift throne. We have to be careful. One wrong move and Xaden rips out the Offerings throat.

“Xaden,” Kieran commands quietly. His face is a mask of steel, not revealing any emotion, yet you can feel his hell born power swirling in the room, attempting to break into the Demon’s mind and get him to release our girl. “Let her go.”

Xaden’s jaw clenches, and my hands are still into fists as he gulps.

He’s tasted her blood.

Somehow that feels even more intimate than what me, my brother, and our King all just participated in with her.

Lighting flashes in the distance, signaling the thunderstorm of Kieran’s true power. Rhodes and I have debated for days if Kieran could break into Xaden’s mind. Perhaps with his full power, he could, but was depleted and dying.

We might lose our Offering tonight.

Xaden drinks again. The Offering’s eyes are glued to Kieran, and jealousy stirs in my gut.

Rhodes and I can pace around Xaden all we want, but we’re completely powerless to help her.

Just like Vienna.

I call for her through our minds. She’s here in an instant.

Vienna has always had a way of getting to Xaden in a way that none of us can. They share a certain twistedness, brokenness.

When our redheaded sister walks into the room, she goes straight to the Demon Slayer.

To break from a victim once you start feeding is unheard of for a new vampire, but Xaden is older, almost as old as Kieran.

Vienna and Kieran exchange a look, and then I feel his power.

There are no right words to describe Kieran’s power. It’s more powerful than anything Rhodes and I have encountered, and we for centuries sold our services as a rouge to any of the highest paying courts.

But Kieran was the most powerful High Lord.

It earned our submission, our loyalty.

The wind picks up. Cold, painful, yet extraordinary magic fills the space with unyielding mercy. The candles go out, and despite it being the middle of the night, the whole sky outside the windows turns a soft light blue.

Like it’s suddenly dawn.

Xaden grunts. It takes me a minute to notice what Kieran is doing, what Vienna is doing.

But within seconds, the Offering is pushed to the floor and Xaden pounces on Vienna.

Our half-human sister. Half of what he wants.

The magic in her blood will sustain her until he’s full, then quickly replenish her human heart.

I know because once, in war, Rhodes and I fed from her.

Rhodes nods to Kieran for consent, but I’m already wrapping my arms around the Offering.

“Rein in your fucking pet or I’ll kill him myself,” I snarl at the King over my shoulder.

I pick her up, cut a glare at Xaden, and carry her in my arms to my bedroom.

Kieran can protest all he fucking wants. I’m not letting Remi out of my sight anymore.

Keep her with you, then. Sleep with her. Just don’t fuck her.

Comes Kieran’s voice.

Rhodes enters my bedroom and while carrying Remi, I slam the door behind him with my foot.

I’m boiling with a rage I can’t place, the soft cries of the Offering in my arm the only thing calming me down.

Rhodes stalks across our room and draws Remi a bath. He’s just as pissed as I am, but better at keeping it together.

She’s still bleeding from the puncture of Xaden’s fangs, but at the very least, our chambers do enough to distract her.

I can’t say I blame her.

Rhodes and I’s chamber was made for a King.

Literally.

When Kieran lost his magic, what was it, about a century ago? He gifted my twin and I the entirety of his rooms. But even the two of us can’t fill this space.


The bed chamber is grand, with high arched windows that let in the soft moonlight, casting an ethereal glow across the room. The walls and ceilings are a deep, velvety black, giving the space an air of mystery and elegance. Heavy, dark curtains frame the windows, ready to be drawn for privacy or left open to enjoy the night sky.

Two enormous beds dominate the room, each separated by at least thirty paces of open space. My bed is on the left, a testament to my fascination with the ancient and the arcane. Various artifacts are arranged on shelves and tables around my area, some collected from distant lands, others gifted by grateful kings and lords. Each item tells a story, a piece of history captured and preserved.

Rhodes' bed is on the right, his space an altar to the celestial. Star charts cover the walls, intricate diagrams of the heavens meticulously plotted. Crystals of various sizes and colors are scattered about, catching the light and refracting it into shimmering rainbows. It’s the most intimate parts of us laid bare, a physical manifestation of our passions and pursuits.

In the center of the room, a grand chandelier hangs, its crystals catching the light and casting intricate patterns across the walls and floor. The fireplace, massive and ornate, crackles softly, its warmth a comforting presence in the vast chamber.
Beyond the main room, a set of double doors leads to an outdoor bath that’s more like a pool. Protected from the weather by powerful wards, it overlooks the eastern part of Kieran’s land. From the edge, one can see directly down a valley in the mountain range, a breathtaking view of dark green wilderness, forests stretching as far as the eye can see, untouched by the city or its people.
Rhodes busies himself with the bath, the sound of water filling the air. I watch as Remi takes in the room, her eyes wide with awe despite the pain she must be feeling. The grandeur, the sheer opulence of it all, it’s enough to distract anyone from their troubles.
“This place… it’s incredible,” she murmurs, her voice soft and filled with wonder.
I smile, though it’s tinged with a hint of sadness. “It’s home,” I say simply, knowing that words can’t fully capture the essence of what this room means to us.
Rhodes glances over at me, a silent understanding passing between us. We’ve shared this space for so long, its vastness is both a blessing and a curse. But tonight, it offers a sanctuary, a place of comfort and safety.
As Remi steps into the bath, the warm water enveloping her, I can see the tension begin to melt away. The wounds will heal, given time, and in this room, surrounded by the things we cherish most, there is a sense of peace.
“Well leave you,” I say, ever the gentlemen.

Remi is broken, and sad. She offers no response.

My brother and I linger by the doors separating the bedrooms and the open air.

“Why do you think Kieran gave in tonight?” I ask.

Rhodes draws one of his blades and starts sharpening it methodically. “I’m not sure. But I’m glad he did, or I…” my brother trails off, sneaking a glance at Remi. “I was until Xaden went psycho.”

The night air growls at my brother's anger. Xaden may be stronger with magic, Kieran, too. But Rhodes and I could kill them both with shadows and spying and planning.

“Do you think Xaden will ever admit he wants her?”

Rhodes laughs and strikes his blade again with a stone. Sparks fly. “Biting her instead of fucking her was a blessing. Remi wouldn’t be able to handle him giving in to her. He knew it, Kieran knew it, so maybe the Offering will be smart enough now to fear him.”

My cock hardens at the memory of sliding my cock into Remi’s mouth.

Rhodes and I have shared women before but she…she wasn’t even that good at giving a blowjob but still I came faster and harder than with anyone else.

But the consequence of Xaden. I’m not sure if it was worth it.

“Maybe we should have stayed home tonight.”

Rhodes shakes his head. “I can sense something shifting in her,” he says, and I lift my chin because Rhodes has the gift of reading emotions. A volatile and confusing magic because humans are volatile and confusing beings.

“It’s the same feeling you get when you recognize a good future Commander among a class of new recruits.”

“She’s not one of your new recruits,” I say, always so quick to defend her. “She’s just a girl, an innocent, sheltered princess who didn’t ask for any of this.”

Rhodes smirks. Was anything about her tonight sheltered or innocent? You underestimate her brother.

“Good point,” is all I say.

The moonlight reflecting off the surface of the outdoor bath shimmers. Remi is shy when she exits, wrapping the towel around her perfect little body far too fast for my liking.
“I’ll get you some clothes,” I offer, turning and heading straight for my wardrobe. When I pick out my favorite shirt, Rhodes says in my mind.

You’re spoiling her now.

Ignoring him, I walk across the room and give Remi the shirt.

I want her to think she’s safe. That Xaden biting her was not something we support.

Rhodes snorts through our bond. Not something we support?

I cut him a glare.

And what are you going to do, dear brother, when it comes time for us to drink from her?