Lorien’s expression underwent a great many contortions, all of which were uncommonly pleasant and surprised. He settled on a smile. “You mean one day, all of this will be mine, if something was to happen to you?”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Maddox cautioned him. “I intend to haunt this planet for many years to come.”
“Your heir,” Lorien said. “That’s nice.”
“It is.”
“Technically, then, I’m a prince. A vampire prince.”
“Yes. Technically.”
Lorien’s smile could not have been wider. He stood straighter and his eyes were brighter. “Vampire prince," he murmured to himself.
“Now that you’re happy, can we please find William?”
“I can get you Chauvelin. That’s it.”
“Good enough.”
They found Chauvelin sitting on his makeshift throne in the basement of the twins’ old home. Maddox was not surprised. The cocky little shit had always had nerve, and what showed more nerve than waiting for the vampire king himself to appear while sitting on a throne of one’s own construction.
“I’ve been expecting you,” Chauvelin said unnecessarily. He still had that dark, devious appearance, but otherwise becoming vampire had done wonders for Chauvelin’s complexion and general appearance. He was still a weaselly little bastard, but he was becoming a force to be reckoned with. Or perhaps one to be slain. That was yet to be seen and largely depended on the outcome of this meeting.
“Where is William?” Maddox demanded.
Chauvelin gave a little shrug. “How should I know?”
“I will stake you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I think you do care. I think you care very much.”
“I really don’t,” Chauvelin said, briefly inspecting his nails before turning his attention back to Maddox. “I have already died. I don't fear it. I’m not one of your crawling, sniveling subjects holding on to conditional immortality.”
Maddox felt a reluctant admiration for the fledgling. He would certainly have never had the nerve to stand up to an ancient when he was a young vampire. Chauvelin needed a harsh lesson in respect, however.
“You killed the ones I loved,” Chauvelin said. “Do you understand that others have feelings, Maddox? And that there are consequences for actions?”
“Well,” Lorien coughed. “This is a little awkward.”
“What?”
“I killed the twins. Not Maddox. He didn’t know anything about it until afterward and he was really not happy about it.”
“You!” Chauvelin looked Lorien up and down. “No. It’s not possible. You are too young and too weak to ever have slain such powerful creatures.”
“I poisoned them first,” Lorien clarified. “And then I… well… anyway. They shouldn’t have crossed me. They humiliated me. Painfully.”
“I suppose they did,” Chauvelin allowed. “That is a better reason for them to have died. Oh well.”
There was what might have been described as an awkward pause. Chauvelin really no longer seemed quite so angry, or at least, not so angry. He was a very hard creature to read. Maddox was not certain he had ever known anyone like Chauvelin, and he had known as many people as it was possible to know.
“Where is William?”
“I really don’t know. His father took him.”
Maddox stared. He did not know how to process that information. He'd had no idea that Ivan was so close. He realized suddenly that he had not had any idea of what was going on with Will. He had not only been lied to. He had been completely cut out. He had become a distant authority to be avoided and ignored. And now Will was gone with arguably the most dangerous creature in the world.
Chauvelin smiled at his reaction and then outright laughed. Loudly and without fear of consequences. His mad amusement pealed around the many empty rooms and halls of the old vampire residence, echoing out into the night.
“Argh! Fuck!
There was suddenly a great deal of screaming. Maddox had plucked the fledgling up and was holding him aloft with great fury.
“I have wanted to hurt you for quite some time,” Maddox told Chauvelin. Chauvelin’s soles were almost two feet from the floor, but the two were nose to nose with how he was being held. “The very first moment I saw you, I thought what a perfect ornament you’d make. Not a pretty one, but a perfect one.”
“Let me go, vampire king,” Chauvelin hissed. “Or you will never find your precious pup.”
“I have no doubt I will find him again,” Mads replied. “But first I will hurt you a great deal. Interfering with my boy is punishable by death, but I intend to ensure you survive this. I want you to have to endure it.” Maddox looked back over his shoulder. “Lorien, get me a toolkit.”
“What kind of toolkit?”
“One with a hammer,” Maddox said, his dark eyes boring into Chauvelin. “And some nails. It’s a little bit modern, but I feel like something Biblical is appropriate here.”
Chauvelin paled. “Listen. I was helping him. I didn’t know it would offend you, that was an unanticipated bonus. He wanted to meet his father, and his father came all the way here to find him. It was sweet. You’d have enjoyed it.”