The room suddenly erupted in a blinding light. I barely had time to squint against it when it dulled to a soft orange glow. As my eyes adjusted I noticed a massive iron chandelier hanging above my head. It held at least fifty candles, all looking like this was the first time they'd been lit in decades.

And they weren't the only ones.

Throughout the room, rusty candelabras and wall-mounted torches were alight, revealing old cobwebs and dusty pews surrounding either side of the small pit I was chained in. And occupying those seats were dozens of snarling, red-eyed vampires.

They glanced from Gabriel to wherever Gildoroy was standing behind me, as if they were wondering what to do next.

"Stand down." I heard Gildoroy command lightly. "It is merely my son. I am quite certain I can handle him."

He came back into my periphery, stopping to my left and placing a hand on my head.

My skin crawled at his touch.

"You handle me?" Gabriel snorted. "Just as you handled me during our last altercation?"

Gildoroy gently weaved Nero's fingers through my hair, and then yanked up, stretching me until my chains were taut. Thankfully I was still numb from Aiden and Duke's blood --the hair pulling alone probably would have made me cry if I could feel it.

"Ah, but this time is different, is it not?" Gildoroy gazed down at me, eyes carrying a fake warmth. "Yes, your cronies are no doubt outside the cave, just as they were that day. With the exception of one lackey, or course." His head snapped up to leer at Dean Lachlan, arrogance marring Nero's young face. "How is the pirate, by the way? Dead, I presume."

Unable to turn my head, I gazed at the dean out of the corner of my eye. His chest was still rising and falling rapidly, but his face was a smooth canvas of impassivity. And though the rest of his body was rigid with anger, his voice never quavered as he bit out, "He lives, but barely."

"I see." Gildoroy spoke with a hint of amusement. "I should not be surprised; that swarthy prick has always been the most resilient of your subordinates. I can see why you chose him to be your second."

"Indeed." Gabriel gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Though his resilience is of little benefit to me at the moment, seeing as how he is comatose."

Lucius was still in a coma?

Why?

Was the bag of my blood not enough to heal him?

I tried to get a good look at Gabriel, to question him with my gaze, but Gildoroy had me by the roots of my hair. I was completely immobile.

"Comatose, you say?" Gildoroy seemed to light up at the news. "It is not death, but it is acceptable. He is out of the way, and I can devour our queen's lifeblood without fear of --"

An abrupt series of loud snaps interrupted Gildoroy, and one by one, the seated vampires fell from their pews, howling in pain. Out of nowhere, Lucius came to stand beside Dean Lachlan, his rugged face triumphant as he flicked his wrist in Gildoroy's direction.

With a grunt, Gildoroy released me to hit his knees. "You seem to move quite well for a comatose man." He chuckled, sounding pained. "I suppose we have our queen to thank for your miraculous recovery."

"The one and only." Lucius swept his arm out while giving me a courtly bow. "Apologies for taking so long to arrive, my queen. You shall be free in two shakes."

He seemed...chipper.

Was it because of my blood?

"How do you plan on accomplishing that, exactly?" Gildoroy was slowly rising to his feet, hurt scrunching up Nero's face. "In case you have forgotten, siren blood courses through Nero's body. And the only way to truly take down a siren, be it half-breed or pure, is through decapitation."

He was panting, sweat beading his brow. I wasn't sure what it was that Lucius broke inside Nero, but whatever it was was causing Gildoroy a great deal of pain. "So, unless you intend on killing the only male Royal left in existence I'd suggest you stand down."

"Wait, you're a Royal?" I stared up at him, confused.

Dean Lachlan never got around to explaining things to me, but I recalled him telling me I was the last Royal. It was the day after I had found the cave, the day everything changed.

My heart stopped. "But, if I'm not human," I could hardly get the words out. "Then, what am I?"

The Dean closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "A Royal," his voice was barely audible, but the awe in it was evident. "The very last one."

"Oh no, not me." Gildoroy was struggling to stand, legs quaking visibly under his weight. "Nero. He is the last male Royal. The true vampire king...your true mate."

A feather could have knocked me over.

"My true what?"

The true vampire king?

"I don't understand." I mumbled to no one in particular. "I thought Gabriel was the king?"

"...a king is nothing without his queen."

That's what Dean Lachlan once told me when I asked what he wanted with me. Did he lie to me that day, or was Gildoroy lying now?

"Is that right? Oh my, that's rich!" Gildoroy was smirking, still obviously hurting, but not letting it dampen his wickedness. "The only thing Gabriel is the king of is deception. Your true mate and the true king is Nero. The only other being in existence born from a vampire lineage. You see, Royals are not turned, they are created, birthed. Did Gabriel not explain this to you?"

I hesitated before shaking my head.

"Enough, Father!" Gabriel took a step closer, the flames engulfing his arms beginning to glow brighter. "You have had your fun. Now it's time to finish this."

"But I am just getting to the best part." Gildoroy stumbled to move behind me, his good hand clinging to me for support. "You know the one: how you killed me in a fit of rage after finding out about Nero and Audrey's betrothment. What was it you said as you tore into my flesh? Oh, yes, I remember! You said that my death made the arrangement null and void, and Audrey belonged to no one but you."

I gaped up at Gabriel, shocked. Was it true? Did he really murder his dad to keep me from marrying Nero?

"Bollocks! That is not why I killed you and you know it!"

"Perhaps...perhaps not. Either way, you have benefited greatly from my death. But that all ends now."

I heard Gildoroy drop to his knees behind me before his nails scraped against my scalp.

"I was going to take my time." He growled at my nape. "I was to fuck you before I consumed you, but my son is an insufferable cock-block. So now I am forced to eat and run."

My neck gave a loud pop as Gildoroy yanked it harshly to the side. I felt his breath on my skin, humid and yet somehow cold, and then his fangs clamped into me.

He drew my blood into him, groaning louder and louder with each nauseating swallow. Tears quietly bathed my cheeks, blurred my vision. I wanted to shout, to beg him to stop, but all I could manage was a barely audible utterance. "Nero."

And just like that, he let go.

Dean Lachlan was on his knees in front of me instantly as Gildoroy hit the floor behind me.

"I am so sorry, Miss Ridley." He was wiping my tears away, talking so fast I could barely understand him. "We had to let him have enough of your blood to give Nero the strength to expel him. Are you alright?"

I could hear a commotion at my back--kicking, snarling, cursing. Lucius ran over to check on things, giving the dean an apprehensive look as he passed.

I shook my head, body shaking as more tears spilled. "No. No, I'm not."

Gabriel cupped my face, his eyes full of anguish as his gaze searched mine. "This will be all over soon, I promise."

He glanced at the abruptly quiet scene behind me, and planted a chaste kiss on my forehead. "I love you, Queen Audrey. Never forget that."

Thick black smoke shot above my head, swirling as if it were alive, as if it were angry. Then it barreled toward Dean Lachlan and jumped down his throat like a tornado in fast forward. He went still after that; his head dropped and his posture relaxed.

Seconds ticked by with him sitting like that, when the sound of Nero coughing broke the silence.

"Nero?" Lucius sounded excited. "Is that really you?"

I tried to look over my shoulder, but couldn't turn far enough to see.

"Yeah, it's me." Nero's voice was painfully raspy, like he hadn't had anything to drink in days. "And I know what I have to do."

Some of the vampires Lucius had immobilized were beginning to stir, growling and hissing. He gave another flick of his wrist as he came back into view, and the rogue vampires fell back to the floor. "Are you sure you can do this? He is your brother."

I was weak from blood loss, but I managed to stand on my knees. "Do what?"

No one answered.

"Do what?" I repeated louder, panic slowly creeping in.

Duke and Aiden came in at that point, each wearing dark stains on their hands and up their arms. I tried not to stare at the stains and instead focused on their faces. They quickly closed the gap between us, with Aiden approaching Lucius to whisper something in his ear.

What's going on, Duke? I thought at the auburn-haired vamp to my right. What's wrong with Dean Lachlan?

Audrey, he thought back solemnly. There is no easy way to say this, but in order to ensure Gildoroy's death we had a witch trap him in a body. A body born of his flesh. And in order for Gildoroy to truly perish, that body must also perish.

I slumped, crushed by the weight of what Duke was thinking.

Gabriel didn't want it to fall on Nero, so he volunteered. Duke added.

I shook my head vehemently, more tears pooling up to blind me. "No. No, please, he can't --"

"It is too late." Duke interrupted morosely. "Gildoroy is already locked away inside Gabriel. There is nothing we can do to stop it now."

My heart ached. There had to be some way to save him.

Suddenly Dean Lachlan's head snapped up, and a set of black eyes narrowed at me. "Even in defeat I have won, for I have planted the seeds of doubt. You will forever be left to wonder if it is really love, or if it is merely blood lust that tethers your vampire lovers to you."

His eyes changed colors after he spoke, going back to their original shade of blue. "Do it now, Nero! While I still have him subdued!"

Without hesitation, Nero began whistling. It was a low and rapid tone, one that reminded me of falling down a cold, dark, bottomless pit. It sent shockwaves of pain through my skull. I cried out and tried to cover my ears just as the standing vampires were doing, but I was still chained to the floor.

That's when a set of firm hands glided down to cover them for me.

I looked up to realize it was the dean holding onto me, protecting me. I yelled for him to stop, begged him not to sacrifice himself. He didn't listen. Instead, he leaned forward to press his forehead to mine, just like he did the day he showed me his most painful memory.

And just like that day, my mind was flooded with warped images.

They fired off like a high-speed slideshow. Images of my parents, of extravagant dances and toothy smiles. I could hear laughter and singing, I could feel the warmth of love engulfing me down to my very core. And then I saw her... propped up in bed with a mound of fluffy pillows.

My mother.

She smiled at me as I sat near her feet. She was humming a strange tune and rubbing her extremely swollen belly, and I could feel the warmth swallow me up again.

"You know, I think Audrey can tell when a vampire is around. Even before one of you speak." She said in a breathy tone. "She's usually doing cartwheels in here, but when any of your kind are near," she paused to shrug. "She just settles down."

"Perhaps she grows still from fear?" I suggested, disguising my own lingering fear as curiosity. "Perhaps she can sense my kind and stops moving in order to conceal herself for fear of discovery?"

She let out a light chuckle, and gave her belly a gentle tap. "It'd be pretty tough to hide this, don't ya think? Plus I don't think that's it at all. I think you bring her peace. That's how it feels to me. A warm, peaceful feeling. Like home."

My heart swelled at the thought. "She feels like home to me as well, Vanessa."

The image quickly faded away, replaced by a man with long hair white as snow, and bulging blue eyes.

"I will do with them as I see fit!"

The man spat at me.

I was trembling with fear, with anger. I put my hands on his shoulders and searched his face. "Please, Father, you can't. Nero is your son, and Audrey...Audrey is our queen. You cannot use them to--"

A cold hand connected harshly with my cheek, cutting me mid-sentence.

"I SAID I WILL DO WITH THEM AS I SEE FIT!" He bellowed. "I will use Nero's body to breed with the queen over and over, until I tire of it. And when I am satisfied with the Royals she has yielded, I will drain her of blood and use it to awaken a new queen and start the whole delicious process all over again."

Everything went black as white hot fury washed over me. When I came to, the white-haired man was on the floor with his entrails lying in a heap beside him. Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I glanced up to see someone running. "Issac! Isaac, wait!"

That image swirled, morphing into a dark night on the shore. The heady scent of blood perfumed the air, sending all the moisture from my throat to pool uncomfortably in my mouth. There was a small body lying face down in the dirt, blood gushing from her throat like a fountain. I was bombarded with emotions. Fury, heartache, panic, they all fought for control as I sped to the motionless woman.

"She barely has a pulse." Duke said behind me. "She does not have long."

I knew what needed to be done, what I had to do to save her, but I doubted she would approve. Without preamble, I knelt by her side and picked up a sharp rock. Gently, I scooped her up into my lap before puncturing my neck.

My own blood flowed a bit slower than hers, but it would be enough to heal her...if she could manage to drink it. And for a long moment she didn't do anything; she didn't move, didn't drink, didn't breathe. Fear and utter despair latched on to me, bringing about tears and a deep pain in the middle of my chest.

I couldn't lose her. Not again.

Abruptly, she started gagging, and relief nearly floored me.

"Drink," I softly commanded, biting back happy tears.

"Gabriel, no." Duke pleaded. "She didn't want this!"

"Would you rather her die?" I shot back. "Please, Miss Ridley, drink."

She obeyed. At first she was tentative, taking small gulps, but soon she was clinging to me like a lifeline. I shared the sentiment. She was my lifeline, my very reason for holding on, and I never wanted to let her go.

Suddenly I felt like I was dunked in ice water. My eyes flew open as I struggled to catch my breath, confused as to where I was. Everything was quiet, eerily quiet. Gabriel was lying motionless in front of me, his ears and nostrils sooted as if there had been a fire in his head.

"Dean Lachlan?" My voice was a timid whisper. "Dean Lachlan, are you okay?"

He didn't respond .

Fear took me in a choke-hold, I couldn't breathe. "Dean Lachlan, get up. Please, just get up. Gabriel, please!"

Gildoroy was dead.

His vampire witnesses were dead.

But Gabriel? No, no way. He couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, Audrey." Duke mumbled as he snapped the restraint off my left wrist. "But he is gone."

Lucius broke the other restraint and I made the beeline for Dean Lachlan. I was crying, consumed by guilt and heartbreak. "Why?"

Why didn't you show me those memories sooner?

Why didn't I try to forgive you sooner?

Why did I fall in love with a martyr?

Remembering what he showed me, how he'd saved me by giving me his blood, I decided to return the favor.

"Audrey, please, don't." Duke took me by the elbow before I could make a move. "This will only serve to cause you more pain. He is gone; there is nothing we can do to bring him back."

I tried to wrench my arm out of his grip. "Let me go, Duke. I owe it to him to at least try."

He held steady. "And if it works? If you succeed, what kind of condition do you think he will be in?" Duke paused, allowing me a second to reconsider. "His internal injuries are so severe that he will feel starved. And a starved vampire is an insane vampire --he will be unable to stop once he starts feeding on you."

I gazed down at Gabriel thinking about the way he said my name, how he always looked at me like I was the only woman in the room, how he told my mother that I felt like home, and I knew I had to try to save him...even if it killed me.

Thoughtlessly, I sliced my palm against a rough piece of stone on the floor. I held it up for the rest of the vampires to see. "I'm doing this. So you guys can either stay out of my way, or you can hold Gabriel down to keep him from killing me."

If it works. I added to myself.

Aiden, Nero, Lucius, and Duke gawked at the blood racing down my hand and I had to supress the instinct to run. Even though I knew they wouldn't hurt me, seeing four hungry vampires staring at me like I was a steak dinner was still pretty terrifying. But I held my ground.

"I'll help." Nero, who looked positively haggard, came to kneel by his brother. "I'm not sure how much good I'll be, considering," he paused to hold up his slung arm. "But I'm willing to try."

"If king foot long is in, then so am I." Aiden said, coming to Nero's side.

"Count me in as well." Lucius sauntered over, a strand of his ebony hair escaping his signature white string. "Can't have you young ones showing me up, now can I?"

It wasn't clear if they were doing this for me or for Dean Lachlan. Either way, I was touched by their comradery.

"Well, Duke," Lucius patted Duke on the shoulder. "What be your decision?"

Duke glanced down at his hand still wrapped around my elbow, and sighed heavily. "Since I am clearly outnumbered, I have no choice but to assist you."

He let me go to prop Dean Lachlan's mouth open. "Are you ready?"

I nodded.

He looked at the other vampires critically. "And the rest of you, are you ready?"

They each nodded in turn before placing their hands on Gabriel. Lucius and Aiden had his legs pinned, Nero had his left arm, Duke his right, and I was at his head, shifting to place it in my lap.

"Okay," I inhaled. "Here goes."