Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Stark ignored him. “Masie, I can protect you. Just trust me. Please.”
I didn’t know what to do. Part of me believed him because he spoke the truth about saving my life, and he hadn’t ever hurt me. Not physically, anyway. I couldn’t say the same for Lazlo. Of course, none of that mattered if I lost my sister.
My eyes teared. “Sorry, Stark, but I have a speech to give.”
I walked toward my husband and out into the smokey room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I stood on the platform in front of a few hundred vampires who looked like they wanted to break my neck. Well, not all of them. Lazlo was by my side, chin held high like a doting, proud husband wanting to show off his new wife.
And then there was Stark, who stood at the front of the crowd a few feet away. His pale blue-green eyes were locked on my face with a sorrow that drilled through my heart. I knew he was silently praying for me to change my mind and trust him over obeying Lazlo.
A man with ankle-length black hair, wearing a white suit, came up on the platform. “Esteemed guests, thank you for coming on such short notice to attend this emergency session of the Party’s council. As you know, I, Lord Bleyer the Second, have been issued a challenge for my seat.” He turned to face Lazlo. “I have received sworn statements from the Tennessee Vampire Co-op, stating that they have personally witnessed your wife pass several tests while in the home of Montgomery Stark.”
“Yes. This is correct,” Lazlo said.
Lord Bleyer II turned to face Stark, raising his voice. “Do you concur, Montgomery Stark?”
“I do,” Stark replied.
“Then we will proceed with the final test to prove if Masie Kicklighter—”
“Excuse me, sir,” Lazlo chimed in. “She is my wife.”
“Yes. My apologies,” said Lord Bleyer II. “Masie Stark.”
I looked at Stark and then at Lazlo. “Stark?”
“Montgomery is my brother,” Lazlo replied.
Like a deer in headlights, my eyes went wide, and my gaze whipped to Montgomery Stark. Why hadn’t he told me?
Instantly, their animosity made perfect sense. Rivalry between jealous men was one thing, but between brothers? Vampire brothers?
A cockfight for the history books.
I continued looking at Montgomery, whose expression offered nothing in the way of apologies for yet another grand omission. Rackin’ up them points, Stark.
Lord Bleyer II continued, “Masie Stark, you are claiming to be the reincarnation of Queen Anna Trehueger Stark.”
Did he say Treehugger? That was her maiden name? If yes, how could anyone believe I was Anna’s reincarnation? Don’t get me wrong. I loved trees. We Kicklighters believed in taking care of nature so it would take care of us. But we didn’t believe in snuggling with our firewood.
“I guess so,” I replied.
“Very good,” said the lord. “Then let us begin the final test.”
Test? Lazlo said I’d be giving a speech. He never told me that the final test was still happening.
Panicked, I started panting. “What am I supposed to do?”
The lord waved a woman up onto the platform. She carried a glass bowl filled with tiny clay tiles.
“Choose one and complete the test,” Lord Bleyer II commanded.
I hoped one of the tiles had something on it like making biodiesel or drawing a picture of the Tennessee flag.
I reached in and shuffled my hand around, grabbing hold of one. I handed the tile over.
He read it aloud. “Masie Stark, you are to choose five people in this room. Five vampires, I should say, who wronged you in your past life. And if you choose correctly, you will execute them.”
Kill five vampires. Holy Christ. But maybe I was getting ahead of myself. I had to guess correctly first.
“How’ll you know if I choose correctly?” I asked.
“Queen Anna kept meticulous notes for posterity, including a list of her enemies.”
I hated to point out the flaw in this system, but it seemed like something I should mention. “Someone coulda just given me the list.”
“Have they?” he asked.
“No.”
“Good. Because the list of names has never been made public—for the sake of peace among our kind. I am the only one who has ever viewed it. Shall we proceed?”
Unexpectedly, I felt a gust of cold air pressing against my head. I looked at Montgomery Stark. His expression was indifferent, but I knew it was him. Was he still pressuring me to change my mind?
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling.
The other faces in the dark room—at least the ones nearest to me—suddenly looked uneasy, like nobody wanted to be here. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult after all. I just had to scope out vampires who were sweatin’ bullets.
I stepped off the stage and wandered down the center of the room, trying to make out the faces and expressions. “Can someone turn on the lights? I can’t see in here.” The air was thicker than swamp fog.