“That she made a deal with a demon.”
He nods. “A demon is powerful, we all know this. But not powerful enough to take control of an angel. They say a weapon was made by the king of hell himself, who was once an angel. He created this weapon, and now the queen has it. How she came by it, we do not know. But she has it.”
“I’ve never heard of that before.” His hand jumps out and stretches across the front of me, making me stop.
“I see you have brought another to the slaughter. You would think you would have learned your lesson already.” Bronik stands not too far from us, casually leaning against a tree and smiling as he holds a piece of grass in his hand.
“A weapon, hey? This is your belief?” Bronik’s smile drops after the words leave his mouth, as he looks at Melvon. “I would say you are correct,” he confirms, then focuses on me. “The queen requests your company.” He pulls himself from the tree and takes a step in my direction. When Melvon pushes me back a step, Bronik’s silver eyes flick to his. “Alone, of course.”
“Of course. She can have an army, but I have to come alone. Seems legit.” I nod my head. “You must be really stupid.” Bronik makes a hissing sound with his teeth before he moves closer, and I pull the knife out and hold it out until it touches his belly. Silver eyes drop down to it before they lock back on my face.
“Your friend is right… you don’t have the balls to do it.” He steps back and looks us over. “I suppose one vampire can’t hurt.” He starts to walk away and doesn’t ask if we are coming.
“We shouldn’t follow him,” Melvon says.
“They obviously know we’re here.” I nod to Bronik, who has stopped and is looking back at us. “We either go in as guests or go in as prisoners,” I say to Melvon and then start walking.
Bronik smiles, happy with my decision, as Melvon keeps a steady pace behind us.
We come into view of the castle, and I have to stop just for a second to take it in. It’s so dark and gloomy on the outside, yet the inside gives you a completely different vibe. Yes, it still feels cold, but it’s also beautiful.
“You will be happy to know she is eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
“You mean she is eager to kill me?” I laugh, keeping my eyes on the castle as we continue on our way.
“Well, you did just bomb one of her towns.”
I just barely contain the eyeroll.
“You mean she bombed her own, right? Where she grew up?”
“Semantics,” Bronik says. He’s still dressed in all white. Does he ever change his clothes? I guess that would be like asking if Grim does, too. And I know for a fact he doesn’t wear anything other than black.
“Do you want her?” I ask him, thinking of Grim. He told me that an angel does not feel for others the way a man would. But he can still do so if he chooses.
“She is my queen.”
Melvon scoffs at Bronik’s words.
Bronik turns a sharp eye to him. “You once readily served her as well, bloodsucker.”
“I see the error of my ways now,” Melvon comments back, keeping close to my side.
“Do you love her?” I ask him.
“No, we do not experience love. That is for lower beings.” His words shock me, and I wonder how much truth there is in his words.
“Are you ready to walk into hell?” Melvon asks, and I look to the castle and know that’s exactly where I am going.
My own hell.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
On the bridge stands two angels, both glaring at me as we get closer.
“Never fear, you are our guest,” Bronik says, waving us through. Melvon stays close to me as we walk into the all-white area. But today it isn’t all white. No, it’s red, silver, and black. Roses line the walls in sconces and a large black table sits in the middle of it all, with glass seats, which are see-through. I look up to find the queen at the head of the table, and to her left, standing there like the queen’s ward, is Tanya.
“You made it, just in time for the music.” The queen smiles and waves a hand to where two men start playing, one on a piano, and the other with a guitar. They are both exceedingly rare instruments, and I would guess the queen would be the only one to possess both of them.
Turning away from the music, I lock eyes with emerald ones the same color as my own. She doesn’t look at me with shock or fear, she just offers me a shy smile before she takes a seat next to the queen. I find it extremely hard to wrap my head around what is happening and who this person is.