Lost Kingdom: The Darkfell Vampire Clan : 3 by L.A. McGinnis

Author:L.A. McGinnis [McGinnis, L.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fools Journey Press
Published: 2022-01-18T05:00:00+00:00

27

Cyrus

I surveyed the chattering, brightly dressed courtiers surrounding me. Their empty words and shallow praise skimmed off me like flat rocks across a still pond. There was a time when I’d aspired to this indulgent existence. A time when all I wanted to be was accepted as an equal by my kind.

But admiration was not respect, and their acceptance was as empty as my wine glass.

Back then, I was young and foolish and naïve. But the draw of living in the royal palace had been impossible to resist, and while I hated this life on so many levels, there were certain perks.

A wave of my hand had a servant filling my glass, and music filled the vast chamber choked with burning candle wax and heavy perfume.

I rolled my shoulders beneath the heavy armor, the neckline of my undershirt cutting into my throat. Tonight, I was on duty, but even a Knightsguard had to eat.

Sipping my wine, I watched my Queen at the head table, laughing, eating, flirting.

On the table before Queen Lyra were the remnants of the Yule dinner—the deer carcass nearly picked clean, half-filled wine glasses, the stems of grapes, bread crusts. Vane Carpathian sat to her right, standing in for my cousin tonight, called away on some family emergency.

It was unlike Deston to miss a grand event, but I didn’t miss his cutting sarcasm nor his arrogance. And while I didn't trust these people as far as I could throw them, Lyra enjoyed their company, even their hollow flattery.

Perhaps she’d just grown used to their lies, perhaps she didn't care anymore.

I knew I didn’t.

I was only here for the wine and the women and the…

The air in the room shifted, it became charged with electricity and I searched for the reason why. There was a disturbance near the door, some hushed argument. Settling back, I motioned for more wine. If I had to endure these fools, I’d best get as drunk as possible.

Then a female screamed.

I sprang to my feet, unsheathing my short blade.

Commander Fontaine would not be pleased if something as mundane as an argument ruined the royal banquet on our watch. Doubly so, if he discovered I was sitting on my ass getting as drunk as possible when I should be on duty. I straightened my armor and circled the table, heading toward the open doors leading out to the foyer.

I was closest when the first attackers came through, five of them, fully armed with swords, magic coating their hands.

While I grappled with how that could be—Fontaine had activated the dampening wards, so no one could use their magic here—my training kicked in, and I raced toward them, drawing my blade.

The royals fell before the intruders’ onslaught, some crawling away, only to be finished off with a sword through their neck. Others were killed where they stood.

On the other side of the room, Fontaine and three Knightsguard shoved through the crowd to reach my position, but they’d be too late to save anyone. A flare of light had me ducking; but the stream of red-tinted magic brushed my face on the way past.

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