Chapter: 146
"Some don�t believe you�re fit for the crown."
"That�s nothing new."
"Perhaps not, but the vocal majority is growing louder by the day. There are rumors�spurned on by House Duchanes�that House Redthorne framed Renault for the attack, murdered two innocent vampires, and possibly even murdered Renault himself, all as retaliation for his interest in Armitage Holdings."
"That�s ridiculous. Renault disappeared from Ravenswood the moment his bloodsucking sycophants attacked Charlotte."
"Which only lends credence to their theory. House Duchanes and their bonded witch are claiming Renault hasn�t resurfaced. They fear he�s dead, Dorian."
"I don�t buy it. If they truly believed he�d died at my hand, they�d be banging down my door with torches and pitchforks."
"Yes, well. At the very least, they�re putting on a good show of it, and it�s riling up the other families. Many of them remained loyal to our line only out of their abject fear of Father�s retribution. With him gone�"
Colin didn�t need to complete the sentence.
With their father dead, what cause did the others have to support House Redthorne? Nothing but memory and tradition, Dorian feared. And in a world that valued money and power above all else, memory and tradition were little more than the dusty relics of a time long past.
"They�re reaching out to all the vampires and witches who attended the fundraiser," Colin said, "asking for anyone who witnessed the attack to step forward."
Dorian seethed. "The only witness to the attack was the victim herself, and I�m not going to put her in any more danger than she�s already in, nor expose her to the cutthroat world of supernatural political maneuvering."
"Of course not," he said softly. "I just thought you should know. How is Charlotte, by the way?"
The kindness and authenticity in his question took Dorian by surprise, and he didn�t know how to answer.
"She�s� well. Sleeping in the bedroom." Despite his dour mood, Dorian�s lips curved into a smile as he pictured her in his bed, her auburn hair fanned out across his pillow, her rosy lips parted. He reached for his drink, eager to finish it off and get back to his woman. "Thank you for the update, Colin. I should�"
"Dorian, wait. There�s more. It�s� it�s about Father�s work."
Dorian�s hand stilled on the glass, his heart thudding. "Have you deciphered the mysterious illness?"
"That�s just it. There was no illness."
"But he was searching for a cure. I�m certain of it."
"Yes, but not for any ailment." Colin sighed, his voice dropping so low, Dorian had to strain to hear him. "He was searching for a cure for vampirism. And I believe he found it."
"What are you saying?" Dorian�s own words were a whisper now too, the pounding of his heart nearly drowning them out.
"Father cured himself of vampirism. He was in the process of turning human again. That�s what killed him, Dorian. Without his immortal blood, his body began to rapidly age, his cells deteriorating much faster than they could heal or regenerate. Essentially, he aged two hundred and fifty years in the span of a few months."
Dorian�s ears rang, his mouth turning to ash. After a long pause, he finally said, "But why? Why would he do such a thing, knowing it would kill him? Knowing it would kill us? Bloody hell, if word got out, it could be the end of all vampires."
"Not just vampires. It looks like he found cures for shifters and demon-occupied humans alike, though I haven�t been able to locate the specifics." Colin�s voice dropped again. "I don�t know how long he spent on such work, but one thing is certain, Dorian: Father gave his life in an attempt to usher in the end of supernatural existence as we know it."
Dorian�s head spun with this new information. As much as his rational mind railed against it, he knew�deep in his bones�that Colin was right.
And he knew, with equal certainty, that if word got out, it would unleash a war the likes of which their communities�despite a long, blood-drenched history�had never seen. JrNovels.com
"That�s nothing new."
"Perhaps not, but the vocal majority is growing louder by the day. There are rumors�spurned on by House Duchanes�that House Redthorne framed Renault for the attack, murdered two innocent vampires, and possibly even murdered Renault himself, all as retaliation for his interest in Armitage Holdings."
"That�s ridiculous. Renault disappeared from Ravenswood the moment his bloodsucking sycophants attacked Charlotte."
"Which only lends credence to their theory. House Duchanes and their bonded witch are claiming Renault hasn�t resurfaced. They fear he�s dead, Dorian."
"I don�t buy it. If they truly believed he�d died at my hand, they�d be banging down my door with torches and pitchforks."
"Yes, well. At the very least, they�re putting on a good show of it, and it�s riling up the other families. Many of them remained loyal to our line only out of their abject fear of Father�s retribution. With him gone�"
Colin didn�t need to complete the sentence.
With their father dead, what cause did the others have to support House Redthorne? Nothing but memory and tradition, Dorian feared. And in a world that valued money and power above all else, memory and tradition were little more than the dusty relics of a time long past.
"They�re reaching out to all the vampires and witches who attended the fundraiser," Colin said, "asking for anyone who witnessed the attack to step forward."
Dorian seethed. "The only witness to the attack was the victim herself, and I�m not going to put her in any more danger than she�s already in, nor expose her to the cutthroat world of supernatural political maneuvering."
"Of course not," he said softly. "I just thought you should know. How is Charlotte, by the way?"
The kindness and authenticity in his question took Dorian by surprise, and he didn�t know how to answer.
"She�s� well. Sleeping in the bedroom." Despite his dour mood, Dorian�s lips curved into a smile as he pictured her in his bed, her auburn hair fanned out across his pillow, her rosy lips parted. He reached for his drink, eager to finish it off and get back to his woman. "Thank you for the update, Colin. I should�"
"Dorian, wait. There�s more. It�s� it�s about Father�s work."
Dorian�s hand stilled on the glass, his heart thudding. "Have you deciphered the mysterious illness?"
"That�s just it. There was no illness."
"But he was searching for a cure. I�m certain of it."
"Yes, but not for any ailment." Colin sighed, his voice dropping so low, Dorian had to strain to hear him. "He was searching for a cure for vampirism. And I believe he found it."
"What are you saying?" Dorian�s own words were a whisper now too, the pounding of his heart nearly drowning them out.
"Father cured himself of vampirism. He was in the process of turning human again. That�s what killed him, Dorian. Without his immortal blood, his body began to rapidly age, his cells deteriorating much faster than they could heal or regenerate. Essentially, he aged two hundred and fifty years in the span of a few months."
Dorian�s ears rang, his mouth turning to ash. After a long pause, he finally said, "But why? Why would he do such a thing, knowing it would kill him? Knowing it would kill us? Bloody hell, if word got out, it could be the end of all vampires."
"Not just vampires. It looks like he found cures for shifters and demon-occupied humans alike, though I haven�t been able to locate the specifics." Colin�s voice dropped again. "I don�t know how long he spent on such work, but one thing is certain, Dorian: Father gave his life in an attempt to usher in the end of supernatural existence as we know it."
Dorian�s head spun with this new information. As much as his rational mind railed against it, he knew�deep in his bones�that Colin was right.
And he knew, with equal certainty, that if word got out, it would unleash a war the likes of which their communities�despite a long, blood-drenched history�had never seen. JrNovels.com
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