Crimson Crown Read online

  “But how will you defy Alexandru?” I asked her. “He will not go easily, and he has amassed many followers.”

  Imogen only grinned in that cat-like manner of hers. “I have a few friends of my own, big sister. And they are loyal to me to the point of death. I call them the Bloodbound.”

  * * *

  Wow. So that was how the feud between the sisters had started. Imogen had stolen Sadie’s husband—and her royal title.

  I wondered how long Alexandru and his daughters had survived once he’d married Imogen and made her queen. My bet was on not too long.

  I’d have to read further when I had the chance, but for now I needed to get some sleep.

  Tomorrow night was bound to be another long one, filled with duty and responsibility. I also had a big decision to make—whether to take Kannon’s and Eudora’s advice and begin influencing the Bloodbound, with my blood and my body, to continue serving loyally.

  Or to simply let the defections continue and take the chance we’d never need an army to defend us in an all-out war between vampires and humans.

  14

  A Matter of Survival

  Reece

  Rolling out of my cold single bunk, I dressed in my uniform and headed for the door of my room in the Bloodbound barracks.

  A dull headache throbbed in my temple, and I rubbed it in an attempt to soothe the pain.

  If I’d been in Abbi’s bed, no doubt I’d have gotten less sleep, but I bet I’d feel a hell of a lot better right now.

  Sleeping alone again was not a welcome experience. It had been a week since I’d been invited to her chambers, and each day the feeling of deprivation grew worse.

  Last night was particularly bad, with me tossing and turning and repeatedly drifting into dreams where I was with her then waking in disappointment over and over again.

  Frankly, I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. Several times.

  Kannon on the other hand, looked fresh as the proverbial daisy. He was in the corridor, waiting for me.

  “Hey there brother. Time to rise and moon-shine. Ready for the troop inspection?”

  His sunny grin and upbeat tone irritated me. “What’s got you in such a good mood tonight?”

  Kannon used to be as surly and cynical as I was. Lately though, he was acting like a goofy kid, in a good mood and joking around all the time.

  “Nothing. Just high on life my friend,” he said. “It’s a great night to be alive—undead, whatever.”

  He laughed and slapped my back in a friendly way.

  I responded with a not so friendly glare.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Kannon asked. “You’ve been in a foul mood for the past week.”

  Dipping my chin and raising one brow, I gave him a loaded glance. “Hmmmm, let’s see... what happened about a week ago? Oh, right. Someone told my woman to kick me out of her bed for appearance’s sake. That same someone also suggested she start taking other lovers. With friends like you, who needs enemies?”

  Kannon held up both hands in a surrender pose. “Sorry dude, I didn’t make the rules. You wanted her to be queen—it’s part of the job. Vampire life has its advantages, but it also has a few drawbacks.”

  I huffed a humorless laugh. “Yeah, a few. But Abbi doesn’t want to claim her rights with the Bloodbound—and I’m certainly not going to pressure her to sleep with other guys.”

  “Fair enough. Fair enough. I can’t say I blame you.” Kannon shot me an apologetic half-grin. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you when the shit hits the fan and it’s just you and me left to defend the place.”

  Despite his fatalistic words, I detected an unfamiliar bounce in Kannon’s step as we walked together through the caverns toward the stairway to the surface. He smiled and greeted everyone we passed.

  “Seriously. What is up with you lately? Why are you so damn happy all the time?” I asked.

  “I told you. Life is good. We have a queen who doesn’t torture us or kill people on a whim, we’re protecting more vampires than ever, and there’s a cure in development.”

  “I thought you didn’t approve of the cure.”

  Kannon shrugged. “I’m coming around to it. I mean, it is voluntary, and I’ve seen the proof that a lot of vampires do want it. Just because I don’t, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.”

  “That’s quite a change of heart. Though I guess you have been spending a lot of time at Larkin’s lab,” I prodded.

  Now he looked away, avoiding direct eye contact. Oh yeah—he was into Larkin. It took one to know one, and I knew what it was like.

  “The work needs protection,” he said in a casual tone.

  “The work,” I repeated with a chuckle then decided to have mercy on him and drop it. It wasn’t smart to throw stones when my own house was made of the thinnest possible glass.

  Reaching the surface, we surveyed the assembly of Bloodbound soldiers standing in formation in the meadow above the Bastion.

  Moonlight shone down on them, gilding their armor and black leather uniforms and making them look like chess pieces made of polished onyx.

  Other than Abbi’s personal guard and a couple of teams who were out in the field on missions, the full contingent was there.

  And there was a glaringly obvious problem.

  Kannon and I exchanged troubled glances, clearly thinking the same thing—our numbers were way down. There had been far more defections than I’d even realized.

  During her address to the full population, Abbi had told the Bastion’s citizens they could come and go at will.

  Far too many of the Bloodbound had taken her up on the offer.

  Though she hadn’t specifically mentioned the freedoms applied to her soldiers, she hadn’t strictly forbidden them from leaving either. I knew she didn’t want to force people to serve, but this was bad. We were vulnerable.

  While I supervised troop exercises and training, Kannon checked in by radio with our teams out in the field. He approached me, holding out his walkie and wearing a look of concern.

  “You need to hear this.”

  I took the device, speaking into it. “This is Reece. What’s going on there?”

  “Sir, we spotted them about twenty miles from the Bastion—ten Humvees—each of them with about five human troops aboard.”

  “Military?” I asked. “Or VSU?”

  VSU was short for Vampire Suppression Unit. They were like SWAT teams, only they dealt exclusively with vampires and had specialized UV rounds and liquid platinum ammo. They were operated by local municipalities while the military of course was under federal control.

  “Neither, sir,” the commander said. “I’ve never seen a unit like this one. Could be something new?”

  Kannon and I looked at each other. “Parker’s been threatening to form his own personal tactical force,” he said.

  “I really hope that’s not what this is. They are way too close for comfort.”

  Just the existence of the Bastion violated the terms of the Crimson Accord, which prohibited the assembly of more than ten vampires at a time in one location.

  If Parker’s personal strike force were to find the vampire sanctuary and stronghold, all its citizens could be sent to prison camps.

  Abbi, who’d escaped from a prison camp and was now leading the Bastion, would be severely punished and probably in a highly public way.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  I lifted the walkie to my mouth again. “Did you get any surveillance footage?”

  The device crackled to life as the field team commander answered. “Sure did. Bringing it back your way now.”

  About fifteen minutes later, the team returned, and the commander sought us out, handing over a tablet on which he’d captured video of the novel paramilitary unit.

  Just as he’d said, their uniforms weren’t Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force, and they weren’t SWAT or any other sort of police.

  Zooming in on one of the soldiers, I studied the insignia on his
shoulder patch. I tipped the pad toward Kannon. “Ever seen anything like this before?”

  He snarled. “Only in documentaries about Nazi Germany. That looks a hell of a lot like a swastika.”

  “I thought so too, except instead of a circle with a bent-armed cross inside, it’s two crossed P’s.”

  His expression was grim. “P.P... President Parker? There’s an American flag beneath the emblem.”

  I shook my head, rubbing my temples. “Damn. He did it—he created his own personal army. This is bad. This is really, really bad.”

  Turning back to the team commander, I asked, “Which way were they traveling?”

  “They were headed toward Quicksburg.”

  “That’s where the Shenandoah Caverns are,” I said more to myself than to the others. “Someone’s been talking. It’s no accident they’re in this area.”

  Kannon nodded. “I’ve been worried that Abbi’s policy of letting people come and go as they please might lead to discovery.”

  When I shot him a warning glance, he added, “Not that I’m questioning my queen. It’s just something that occurred to me as a possibility. She’s generous. She believes in personal freedoms. There’s risks with that.”

  “Well, they’ll find no vampires at Shenandoah,” I said. “Unfortunately they’ll probably keep checking the major caverns until they finally do hit the right location. The day is coming—sooner rather than later. We’ve got to be ready for it.”

  “Agreed. Which means we can’t lose any more Bloodbound. We can’t allow any more defections. It’s a matter of survival now,” Kannon said. “And as you’re the queen’s closest advisor—probably the only one she’ll listen to—I think you should be the one to tell her.”

  “Tell her what?”

  Though his expression was apologetic, his voice was firm.

  “That it’s time to pick a soldier... and invite him to her chambers.”

  15

  A Sure Thing

  Abbi

  When Reece showed up at my door, I knew immediately something was very wrong.

  He looked pale and nauseous, like he’d forced himself to eat five pounds of cooked liver—and vampires don’t eat.

  My stomach rolled, and my fingers and toes suddenly felt ice cold.

  “What’s going on? What happened?”

  Reece swallowed hard. “I need to... talk to you. Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” I stepped back to make way for him, scanning him from head to toe. Had he been injured during training? “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. There’s just something important we need to discuss.” His grimace contradicted his answer.

  “Okay...”

  Reece entered the room with dragging footsteps and collapsed onto the nearest of the two velvet-upholstered settees. I sat beside him, hands clasped tightly in my lap, rocking slightly as I waited.

  For the longest time he didn’t speak, just sat there, hunched over with his head drooped. When he finally lifted it, there was obvious pain in his eyes.

  “It’s time,” he croaked.

  “Time? Time for what?”

  It appeared to take a monumental effort for Reece to explain. He drew a deep breath then let it out slowly.

  “Abbi... you’ve got to... choose someone. You’ve got to choose one of the Bloodbound and invite him to your chambers—tonight. And you’ve got to give all of them your blood to drink. It’s a matter of life and death now.”

  “What happened?” I repeated, reaching out and grasping his hand.

  Whatever it was must have been bad for him to do such an about face on the matter. “Yesterday you were threatening to remove the head of anyone who touched me.”

  “Yesterday we didn’t know about Parker’s personal army—the army that’s making its way here. As much as you don’t want it to, it’s going to come down to war, and we won’t stand a chance if we don’t have enough warriors. You have to do whatever it takes to retain our current troops and reinforce their loyalty.”

  “I’ll give them my blood, okay? I’ll do it. But I don’t want to invite anyone to my bed. I don’t want to be with anyone else that way. I can’t believe you’re asking me to.”

  “You think I want this?” he said, looking like he was at the edge of sanity. “I’d rather drink molten platinum. It’s going to kill me. But better me than the whole population of the Bastion or the whole vampire race. Parker has to be stopped. Military force is the only way I know of to do it—and that means keeping the Bloodbound happy and loyal.”

  For a long time, I said nothing. This was a moment I’d prayed would never come.

  But all the while I’d put my hopes on a cure for vampirism or the impenetrable flash drive, this inevitability had been marching steadily closer.

  Now it was here. I was out of time and choices.

  “Okay.” The word was a breath, a whisper.

  Reece heard me loud and clear. His head snapped up, and his lilac eyes lasered to mine. “You’ll do it?”

  Feeling suddenly exhausted, I nodded. “Yes. Because you’re asking me to. Who do I have to sleep with? How many?”

  He swallowed several times as if trying to repress a surge of bile. “I’ve given it some thought. We’ll post a schedule in the Bloodbound barracks—that way there won’t be any fighting about whose turn it is, and the guys will all have hope that theirs is coming.”

  “So, all of them then.”

  He nodded morosely. “Eventually. The visits could be separated by a week—or two—I mean, there’s no rush, we’re immortal. The first one should happen immediately though, to prove you’re being forthright about it.”

  “I guess if I have to do it, that’s as good a plan as any. Who’s first?”

  “It would have been Chase, the soldier who shouted you down in your first speech to the people. He was next up in Imogen’s rotation, which is probably a large part of the reason he was so angry she died.”

  Reece shifted on the settee and dragged his palms down the tops of his pant legs. “Now that he’s banished, the next in line is Jason. He’s young, a little older than us. Kind of rough around the edges but a good soldier. Considering you could have him executed if he displeases you, I’m pretty sure he’ll be...”

  Cringing, Reece went on, speaking through clenched teeth. “... gentle with you. If not, he’ll be dealing with me.”

  I blinked. “But how would you... what are you planning to do—watch?”

  His complexion darkened. “No, but I’ll damn well be guarding the door to your chambers tonight.”

  “Oh Reece... don’t torture yourself like that. You don’t have to be there.” With his enhanced senses, he’d be able to hear everything that went on in the room.

  “Yes. I do,” he vowed. “I want every sonofabitch who goes in there to have to see my face on the way in—and out.”

  The knock on my chamber door caused me to jump.

  When I summoned Jason only minutes ago, I’d sort of hoped it would take him longer to make his way here. Maybe it was for the best—we’d get it done and over with quickly. It wasn’t like I was going to get less nervous about this the longer it dragged on.

  “Enter.”

  The door opened, and Jason stepped in. I recognized him as a soldier I’d seen around the Bastion, though we’d never officially met.

  Now I knew what Reece had meant when he’d described him as rough around the edges. Both of his arms, as well as the top of his chest visible where the neckline of his uniform shirt parted, displayed tattoos.

  Jason looked a little like Kannon, tall and blond, but he was leaner, wide-shouldered and muscular in a sinewy, less bulked up way. When I’d seen him before, he’d worn a reddish-blond beard trimmed in the Van Dyke style.

  Tonight, he was clean shaven, which made him look younger and a tiny bit less intimidating.

  If I hadn’t been in love with Reece, I would have said Jason was handsome. Well, I guessed he was handsome. It was just a fact.
<
br />   He was a Bloodbound vampire after all. It had nothing to do with how I felt—or didn’t feel—about him.

  “Good evening, my queen.” He bowed deeply. “You look beautiful tonight. You always do, but tonight you’re especially lovely.”

  Flushing at the unexpected, unwanted compliment, I instructed him to rise. When he did, our eyes met. His shone with excitement and clear anticipation. Mine probably resembled the shell-shocked gaze of a deer mesmerized by the sudden appearance of headlights on a dark country road.

  Okay, think. Settle down. You’re the queen. You’re in charge here.

  Suddenly I wished I’d read Imogen’s journals. They probably detailed this sort of encounter—which, gross—but at least I’d have had some clue about how to handle this.

  As it was, I really had no idea what to do. Yes, I’d been with Reece, but that was making love as opposed to just sex, and he’d led the way in those interactions.

  In this one, I was supposed to be the leader.

  Should I just tell the guy to strip and get in the bed? The whole thing was horribly awkward.

  Jason smiled. “Do you mind if I have a seat?”

  “No, of course not.” I let out a nervous laugh. “Forgive me for not offering. Would you like some wine or anything... else to drink?”

  His gaze darted to my neck then rushed back to connect with my eyes again. “Maybe later. Maybe you’d like to sit too?”

  While he sat in a chair, I lowered myself onto the edge of my bed, fiddling with my fingernails.

  “I want to thank you for inviting me here,” Jason said. “I’m happy for the chance to get to know you better.”

  The polite response would have been something along the lines of, “Yes, you too.” But I didn’t want to get to know him better—not in this way, anyway. Instead, I blurted the question at the top of my mind.