46. Raiden

46

RAIDEN

I have never felt more calm and collected in all of my life. Adrenaline courses through my veins, but it doesn’t leave me jittery. No. It’s almost soothing.

Running my fingers over the velvet fabric on the arms of the grand seat beneath me, I sigh. I haven’t been here long, and I know I won’t have much longer to wait, but there’s a part of me that wants to drag this out forever.

It’s the child in me. The remnants of hope and joy that I thought I could replicate after watching Adrianna with her sister and father.

I was wrong.

Life is a bitch sometimes.

This is one of those times.

The door creaks in the distance, bringing me back to the present as I stretch my legs out, waiting patiently for my prey to appear. The roar of the fire in the far corner of the rooms ripples to life like it always does as the footsteps near.

Everything about this house runs off the presence of one person. It’s only now that I see it. That I realize it. With the remnants of Brody’s statement vibrating in my mind, I finally see what I never dared to admit before.

“I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Ah, so he does know I’m here.

Drawing my gaze from the fire to the man at the doorway, shaking off his coat without meeting my stare, I search for any soft emotion toward him but come up short. What’s worse is I don’t even feel anger. Not even an ounce of disappointment.

Just… nothing.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to visit, but here we both are.”

“What can I do for you this evening, Raiden? I’m a little preoccupied.”

“What’s keeping you busy, Father?”

His eyes meet mine, a flash of uncertainty dancing in his gaze as he purses his lips. “With your mother no longer with us, I have had to take control of a few things,” he states, teetering around the fact that my mother is no longer with us because I killed her.

“I’m unsure what it is you have to take control of, Father. Her position at the academy is no longer necessary now that there’s no need for said academy. Her role within The Council is also irrelevant now that the queen has taken her place on the throne. I don’t recall her announcing you in her declaration to the kingdom. Did she give you a role I wasn’t aware of?” I ask, tilting my head at him as his eyes narrow just a fraction.

“Someone has to feed the vampire's promises, Son. Not all are happy with the revelations that have unraveled in recent weeks.” He opens his liquor cabinet, sweeping his fingertip over the bottles as he considers his poison of choice.

Bourbon.

Of course.

“What’s unraveled, Father?”

He shrugs, downplaying the issues he just brought to the surface, but I hunker down, staring at him as he sips from his glass, waiting patiently for him to fill me in.

“The queen isn’t to everyone’s tastes,” he states slowly, trying to see if his choice of words will get a rise out of me, and I nod.

“That makes sense. No one is always to everyone’s tastes, but alas, that is democracy. She was voted for by the kingdom, the majority believe in her, now we have to see where that path leads us,” I offer, aware that my words are going right over his head.

“Excellent statement, Raiden, but to some, only a vampire should be in power.”

“And who falls into that loose category?” I ask, cocking my brow at him, and he waves me off.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve just heard rumors,” he insists, and I scoff.

“Heard them, or created them?”

His eyes widen as he moves to stand in front of the roaring fire. “Why ever would you say that?”

“Why ever would I not?” I retort, leaning forward to brace my elbows on my knees.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Son. Do you want a drink?” His attempt to step away from the subject he brought up is poor, but I go along with him.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” He busies himself pouring me a glass of neat bourbon before placing it on the table beside me instead of in my hand. I smirk at him, but before I can speak, he gulps down his own drink and sets his sights on me again.

“Why are you here, Raiden?” He scurries back to the liquor cabinet, pouring himself another. He’s as erratic as ever, but a part of me wonders if it’s always been some kind of guise.

“I’m here because I’ve come across an issue. One that leads me right back to you.” The words are heavy in the air and it takes him a moment to meet my gaze.

“Are you sure? I’m not aware of any kind of issues that would lead you here,” he insists.

“You wouldn’t be, but I think that’s because you underestimated me. You always have. It’s somewhat amusing, but I guess I’ve always underestimated you too. You can stop with the slight hand trembling now, I know you’re not shaking.” His hands pause, the ghost of a grin at his lips disappearing just as quickly as it came.

“Raiden, I?—”

“Today I had the pleasure of learning that frenzied vampires are controlled by dark magic. Not just any dark magic, either: blood magic. I also got to witness a strong and courageous fae take down a whole fucking gathering of them with just her mind alone, but my celebrations over the latter are tainted by the facts as they pertain to the former. And that’s exactly what brings me here.”

“Dark magic? I didn’t even know there was such a thing,” he states, filling his glass up twice as high as the last before he takes a seat in the chair beside mine.

His skittish tendencies, and he seems intent on trying to put me at ease with his presence. It’s foolish to think I’ve ever been at ease near him.

Running my finger over the rim of my glass on the small table between us, I smile. “Not only did I learn about the possibilities of dark blood magic, I also learned the location of the missing key we’ve been searching for. I know who the frenzied vampires are connected to. It’s fantastic news for the kingdom. We’re going to be able to live a more peaceful life now that they won’t be with us much longer,” I explain, his eyes watching my mouth form every word.

The tic of his jaw is obnoxious as he sweeps his tongue over his bottom lip before gulping down more of his bourbon.

“It wasn’t your mother?”

“I wish. They would have all dropped like flies the moment I killed her,” I muse, watching his grip tighten around the glass in his hand.

“Raiden, you wouldn’t wander in here and pretend to have harmed your mother, would you? That’s a tasteless lie to your father, admitting her blood stained your hands. I loved that woman fiercely. I?—”

“Please do shut the fuck up,” I grumble with a sigh, lifting the glass from the table and watching the liquor inside swirl. “Ours was never a family forged from love. Not a single ounce of it. If anything, you’re grateful she’s no longer in your way.”

“In my way?” The confusion is painfully inaccurate in his tone.

“She always was the stronger one.”

His nostrils flare as he downs the rest of his glass. “How dare you say such spineless things to me?”

“How dare you do such spineless things to me?”

He bolts to his feet, pacing in front of me as he wipes his hand down his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Raiden, but I don’t care to hear anymore of it. I want you to leave.”

“Oh, please, don’t rush me out the door. I won’t be here for much longer anyway. It’s almost time.” I grin, eyes narrowing as I leer at my father.

“Time for what?” He snaps, fixing the blazer of his expensive gray suit, and I wag my finger.

“Ah, ah, ah. I don’t think you’ve earned the right to know the answer just yet,” I tease, watching the anger flourish across his face. “Maybe if you tell me why, then I might give you a snippet of information.”

“Why what?” he growls, his hand slamming against his chest as he rubs vigorously at the spot.

Standing, drink in hand, I come toe to toe with my father. “Why is the blood connected to the frenzied vampires mine?”

Silence.

Thick, palpable, weighted.

“Or that’s what I’m supposed to believe, isn’t it? Tell me why that’s what I should believe?” I insist, watching his brows pucker in confusion.

“I don’t know what you’re talking?—”

“Quit the bullshit, Father. Make it your last dying breath. Why does the magic linked to the frenzied vampires lead back to me.” My words are venomous, my tone heavy as I bite back a snarl.

I’m certain he’s going to continue with the same denial, but to my surprise, he heaves a sigh, taking a step back as he looks out the window. “It was your mother’s idea.”

“To link them to me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He shrugs. “Because she knew you would likely be against it. So she wanted something to be able to control you with.”

“She wanted something to hold over my head if I didn’t fall in line,” I reiterate, and he nods.

“That’s about right.”

A huff rips from my chest, parting my lips as I stare at the man before me. Really stare at him. “But you didn’t like that idea, did you, Father?” I can see it on his face. I don’t need him to confirm or deny. It’s in the crinkle of his eyes, the vein protruding at his temple, and the tightness of his jaw. “It wasn’t to protect me though, was it? It’s because you couldn’t give up the control.” He watches me, his pulse rippling at his neck as I assess him. He doesn’t deny it. He doesn’t say a single word. Instead, he watches, observes. “So maybe the question shouldn’t be why is my blood linked to the frenzied vampires, and more along the lines of, why is your blood spelled to replicate my own?”

His lips part an inch, his eyes widening just a fraction, and I know I’m right. Brody promised me, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I had to see it for myself.

“It may have been easy enough to trick Mother into believing it was my blood, but I have powerful friends who are able to see through the facade you’ve created. It’s a good thing we realized just in time, though. Otherwise I would have given my own life to watch the fall of the frenzied vampires, and it would have all been for nothing.”

“Life?” My father breathes, a scoff tainting his lips. “Do you truly believe you can take my life to save the kingdom from the wrath of the frenzied vampires?”

“That’s why I’m here,” I admit, tucking my free hand into my pants pocket as I swirl the glass in my other hand.

“Do you truly believe you can kill me? Your own father? Talk me through it. What do you think you’re going to do? Don’t be foolish, boy. I’ve outlived your mother, I’ve outlived Councilman Drummer and his ridiculous brother. That wasn’t all in vain. I won’t die here tonight. But please, excuse my rambling, and tell me what your plan was to take me down.”

“I don’t think I’m going to do anything. I already have. You’re too predictable,” I admit, holding up the glass between us. “After a night at the whorehouse, my father stumbles on home, heads straight for his office, where the fire is already burning, and fumbles through his liquor cabinet to make the pain go away. Sound accurate?”

His eyes widen, the empty glass in his hand tumbling to the floor, shattering into a million pieces as his hand shifts from his chest to his throat. “The bourbon.”

“The bourbon, the whisky, the vodka. All of it. I had to be sure. You see, the concoction my friend offered worked with any liquid except water, and let’s be honest, I don’t think you’ve ever drank anything so mild. So I was safe.”

His legs give out beneath him and his knees slam into the floor. Placing the glass back on the side table, I crouch before him. “Ah, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for,” I state, plastering a sincere smile across my face. “I would love to say your presence will be sorely missed throughout the kingdom, but quite frankly, no one’s going to give a shit. They’re never going to know you controlled the monsters roaming the streets. They’ll just know they’re gone. Your legacy, or whatever it is you were chasing, means nothing. I’ll make sure of it.”

He topples sideways, body rigid as his mouth moves, but no words come out. He’s still there. Just a little. Just for a moment longer, and I lean in, making sure I’m the very last thing he ever sees.

“Goodbye, Father. May you never rest in peace.”