Chapter 28: The Emperor’s Greatest Fear

••{RHIANNON’S POV}••

The first thing I notice is the silence.

Then a cold breeze brushes against my skin.

Slowly, I lower my arms from my face and when I open my eyes, my breath catches in my throat.

Towering trees stretch in every direction, their branches twisting together high above me and blocking out most of the night sky. The ground beneath my feet is covered in damp leaves and moss, and the cold breeze carries the faint scent of pine through the air.

Something catches my eye in the distance.

I narrow my eyes.

Through a gap between the trees, I can make out the silhouette of the castle.

It’s so far away that the massive fortress looks almost small from here, its towers barely visible against the night sky.

My heart suddenly skips a beat.

Nayeesha.

I spin around and my eyes widen when I find her lying motionless on the ground. I rush forward, dropping to my knees beside her and cradling her in my arms.

"Nayeesha, are you alright?" I say, my voice filled with panic. "Open your eyes."

A quiet moment passes but her eyes stay closed.

She doesn’t move an inch.

She doesn’t even make a sound.

My heart begins thudding painfully against my ribs.

"Nayeesha, wake up," I say urgently, frantically tapping her cheek. "Please, wake up."

Her head falls limp to one side and my entire body goes still.

"No..." I whisper, my voice trembling.

My breathing grows ragged and my eyes start to sting with tears.

I quickly press my head against her chest, listening for her heartbeat.

The moment I hear its steady rhythm, a relieved breath rushes out of me. But when I place a finger beneath her nose, my blood runs cold.

She’s not breathing.

"HELP!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "SOMEBODY, H—"

The words die in my throat when I remember exactly where I am.

If anyone is nearby and they happen to hear me, it’s surely going to be another vampire.

So I do the only thing I can.

I hold her tightly against me, letting out silent sobs.

꧁ ✧༺ ❦ ༻✧ ꧂

𖤐••{AZRÆL’S POV}••⛧

As I stare at the scorched floor where Rhiannon and Nayeesha stood only moments ago, the nobles begin pushing themselves to their feet around me, groaning and looking dazed as they try to regain their balance.

Lucærys pushes through the crowd and rushes to my side. With a serious look on his face, he plants a firm grip on my shoulder.

"Azræl," he whispers sharply. "What in the seven hells just happened?!"

For several heartbeats, I struggle to find the words to answer him. But anything that comes to mind dies before it reaches my throat.

The nobles exchange confused glances with one another as whispers begin to spread.

Then the whispers turn into murmurs.

"Your Majesty, what was that?" one asks.

"Why can’t I remember anything?" says another.

"That blood... it is unnatural."

"I couldn’t control myself."

"Who is that girl, Your Majesty?"

Suddenly I’m ambushed with questions from every direction.

Their voices grow louder and louder, blending together until I can barely make out a single word. Within seconds, the entire corridor is filled with people shouting over one another until I can’t even hear my own thoughts.

My breathing quickens, my chest rising and falling rapidly as my heart pounds against my ribs.

"ENOUGH!" I roar.

My voice booms throughout the corridor, followed by total silence.

Soon after, the crowd begins to part until my mother emerges with Azeria right by her side. While my sister’s expression is a mix of confusion and worry, our mother looks beyond furious.

She stops face to face with me, and for a moment she does nothing but glare holes into my eyes.

"Azræl Bloodbourne," she begins, her voice dangerously calm. "What have you unleashed on this empire?"

Azeria steps forward and grips Mother’s arm gently.

"Mother, please, can we not do this here?" she whispers as she looks around. "Everyone is watching."

Mother shakes her off.

"No. I will not be silenced," she snaps.

She turns back to me even more enraged.

"Who is that girl, Azræl?! Why did the scent of her blood drive us all to madness?!"

Lucærys... Azeria... everyone’s eyes are on me, waiting patiently for an answer.

I swallow but it does nothing to ease the tightness in my throat. And for the first time in a very long time, I feel...

Nervous.

"Answer me, Azræl," Mother says through clenched teeth. "How was mere human blood capable of doing something like this?"

I clench my hands into fists and raise my chin.

"The celebration is over," I say. "Everyone who doesn’t belong in the castle must leave immediately."

Instantly, gasps and murmurs break out across the corridor.

Mother’s eyes widen and her mouth hangs open, but not a single word leaves her lips.

I glance at my sister. "Azeria."

"Yes?" she replies.

"Have the guards escort them out," I command. "And make sure they close the gates."

Azeria hesitates, her eyes darting to our mother before returning to me.

"I will see it done," she nods.

Without another word, I turn to walk away but a hand grabs my wrist. I let out a sigh as I turn back to face my mother.

As we hold each other’s gaze, she slowly tightens her grip around my wrist, digging her nails into my skin.

"Don’t you dare walk away from me," she says, her voice low and trembling with rage.

My gaze drops to where she holds me, then I grab her hand and yank it away, sending her stumbling back a few steps.

Another wave of gasps ripples through the nobles.

I turn on my heel and begin storming down the corridor.

"Azræl!" Azeria calls after me.

"Azræl, wait!" Lucærys shouts.

I keep walking until their footsteps catch up and Lucærys steps in front of me, blocking my path.

"Azræl, enough," he says firmly, gripping my shoulders. "Enough with the fucking secrets."

"Azræl, I understand why you didn’t want to say anything in front of them," Azeria says softly. "But we are not outsiders. We are your family."

"Yes," Luke nods. "Please... just tell us what’s going on."

For a long moment, I stare at both of them until my shoulders sag and a heavy sigh leaves me.

"I’ll tell you," I say finally. "When I return."

Luke frowns. "Return from where?"

I remove his hands from my shoulders then walk toward the balcony a few feet away.

"Azræl, wait," Azeria says sharply. "Where are you going?"

I climb onto the railing before glancing over my shoulder to meet her eyes.

"To find my wife," I answer.

Then I step off the stone and take flight into the night.