I can’t find her amongst the circle of aunts, sisters, and cousins. She wouldn’t have left, not during a time like this. I strain to hear the familiar sound of her heartbeat, but my own is too loud.
At last, one of my sisters presents me with a small compact mirror. Beatrix. Her face—the makeup expertly applied—gives nothing away. She may wear intricate gowns every day, her ultimate purpose to secure a wealthy husband, but she’s more warrior than any of us. Never have I seen her shed a tear or express concern about her Awakening.
I accept the mirror from her, sending a wordless plea with my eyes. What’s happening? Why won’t you tell me? Though Beatrix doesn’t turn away, her expression is stone. With no other choice, I turn to the small object I’m holding. There’s a slight tremble in my fingers as I open the mirror.
Brilliantly lavender eyes stare back at me.
“No,” I whisper. “This can’t… it isn’t…”
When I lift my gaze again, there’s several feet of space around the bed. It’s suddenly easier to breathe.
They’re distancing themselves from me, I realize. I can’t exactly blame them, since we all understand what this moment means. Not only was my mother foolish enough to betray my father, but she did it with a human. Lavenders are the scourge of our society. Abominations, Father has called them on more than one occasion. Half-human, half-vampire, they are rejected by both species and belong nowhere.
Being human would be better than being a Lavender—they aren’t impure. They aren’t the complete opposite of Father’s elite vision for New Ve. While we may have the same color eyes, humans have more rights. They can rent an apartment. They can get married. They can bear children.
Before I’m able to say a word to my family, who are all starting to gather near the exit, eyes wide and unblinking like a tree full of owls, the door flies open. It bangs against the wall and sucks any remaining warmth from the room.
“I had to see it for myself,” a voice says. Everyone in New Ve knows that voice. It’s made of rich blood and moonlit skies.
My aunts and cousins instantly part for the white ray of light that is my father. As he moves to the foot of the bed, my pulse quickens and becomes thunder in everyone’s ears. I breathe hard, unable to bring myself to raise my gaze from the duvet I wish would swallow me up. The crown glints in a slow-moving ray of moonlight.
“Look at me,” that voice hisses.
Flinching, my eyes inch upward until they land on his… and then my entire world shatters.
The Vampire King’s eyes are, fittingly, golden. The mark of a true leader. Decades ago, due to the Weeping Virus, humans became an endangered species. Someone needed to step forward. Someone needed to establish order and control. That’s when the Six rose to power. Five other vampires that were alive during the dark ages… and Alexander Travesty.
The vampire I’ve called ‘Father’ my entire life. All this time, a lie. And my mother knew—she knew.
Standing unnaturally still, the king stares into my eyes. His own fill with bright fury. I am living evidence of Cassandra’s defiance. I am a slap to his face. I am the deepest humiliation.
And yet, all I can think now... is that it makes sense.
My siblings and cousins are lovely and vivacious. Growing up, I’d always felt apart from them. From my aunts and uncles, too. Not just in my feelings toward humans, but physically, as well. The rest of my family can break human limbs like they’re made of Styrofoam, while I can barely hold my ground against a strong gust of wind.
Apparently your bones know things before your mind does—I just always believed my weakness was due to the irregularity of my feedings. Never in a million years would I have guessed the truth.
And neither had anyone else. Even the ancient Vampire King.
I clutch the sheet to my chest as if that alone will protect me from the creature I thought was my father. There’s murder in his eyes now, gleaming like molten gold. It’s as if I imagined the adoration I once saw in those depths.
The stillness in the room rivals a mausoleum or a tomb. I know Alexander is considering whether or not to end my life. A sob lodges in my throat as I wait for him to fly at me. Remove my head with a single blow.
The entire room holds its breath.
After another hushed, endless moment, the ancient king moves. My heart is a canon, lurching as it booms. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the inevitable burst of pain.
Instead… a gust of air whispers over my skin.
I open my eyes to see that he’s turned away. His movements are tightly controlled as he crosses the room in long-legged strides. The crown still rests on the bed, but now it’s been broken in half. The golden pieces shimmer like tears.
“Get it out of my fucking sight,” he says to the guards.
It. The word sends my world tilting. In a twisted moment of déjà vu—was it only a few hours ago my mother walked away from me?—the king leaves. That’s what I am to him now. Human. No, worse, a halfling. Even the word is dirty.
Father reaches the threshold and waits for his security team to give the all-clear. I know that once he leaves, I will never see him again, and my fate will harden to concrete.
“Father, please,” I cry.
Gasps sound throughout the room—never has a Lavender laid eyes upon the king, much less addressed him directly.
Father doesn’t turn around. Now, like my mother, he can’t even bear to look at me. “You’re lucky I’m not putting you on the wall,” he murmurs.
Horror trickles through my veins like ice.
The wall. It encircles the entirety of New Ve, and in certain parts, where income is low and crime more rampant, its surface is adorned with corpses. Slaves who displeased their masters, criminals who were put to death, and the Lavenders. It’s not even considered an offense to kill one.
This time, when the Vampire King walks away, I remain silent. Once he’s truly gone, the rest of the room empties quickly. As everyone leaves, my eyes land on Gabriela standing near the door, her gaze cast downward. My composure cracks and I fight the urge to run into her arms.
“Good luck,” someone says. Startled, my gaze snaps to Valerie’s hard, lovely face.
We’ve never been close, but I admire her. She doesn’t take part in the inevitable drama or vicious gossip, choosing instead to study war strategy and spend hours at the royal shooting gallery. She also treats her feeders kindly.
I’m so surprised by her kindness now that by the time I think to respond, she’s already through the door and gone. I’m never going to see her again.
As a wave of grief crashes over me, two humans from the security team come in. Raphael and Mei Lien. I’ve known them both for years. Last month, I brought Mei Lien a cake for her birthday, made from scratch.
Neither of them say a word, but they don’t need to—we all know they’re here to remove me from the mansion grounds. My eyes flit over their faces, hard and devoid of emotion. They’ve learned to remain expressionless, though they usually break this rule around me, offering winks or smiles when no one is looking.
But now? I may as well be just another monster, for how they’re avoiding my gaze.
“Am I allowed to take anything?” I ask, my voice hollow. I don’t know who I’m asking, exactly. It’s strange to be asking humans permission for anything.