Catalyst Page 0,76

made that silly law, I was forced to sneak around behind your back." Sophia's black eyes narrowed to slits, her body tensing, but she didn't attack. The King continued, goading her and enjoying it immensely, "It made it fun at first, but now it's just a hassle. So, ask me, Darling..."

"Ask you what?"

"How many girls I've had since that law, you know, the ones that were forbidden - the girls from your private collection." He stepped toward her, his finger resting at the base of her throat. Looking into Sophia's eyes he said, "All but one, my Queen, and make no mistake - I will have her, too." The King's lips pulled back into a sinister smile, revealing his fangs.

Sophia saw them and froze. While her fangs were still forming, barely even points, Jared's were fully formed, coming to sharpened points. His finger was on her throat, trailing a line down her neck to Sophia's collarbone. He was close enough to kill her and strong enough to do it. Sophia went rigid, knowing she would lose. She didn't know how it was possible, but he'd had more blood than her. That was the only reason his fangs were fully formed, and if his fangs had returned, so had his other powers. "If you came to execute me, do it. I'm not your toy to bat around."

"Actually," he whispered in her ear, "you are." Pulling back, he dropped his finger and winked at her. Sophia hissed at him, but did not strike. The King grinned. "Fangs, Sophia - your transformation to the old ways is so near completion, but not quite." Sophia remained rigid, her shoulders squared off, watching her husband pace around her. "I'd planned on just slitting your throat and dropping a match, but what fun is that?" Snapping his fingers, Celticad walked up behind him and held out a glittering chain. The King tilted his head toward Sophia, "Wrap her up."

Celticad stepped toward Sophia. She shrunk back as the giant vampire came toward her. She noticed his smooth skin, the lack of translucence. While she could fight him and win, she could not defeat her husband. It was a fact, and yet, if she didn't do something, she would die. Sophia acted. Launching herself forward, she attacked Celticad. Her tiny body, slammed into the vampire hard. The force of the hit made Celticad stagger back a step and blink. When he looked down, he saw where the Queen stabbed him in the side with a dagger. Looking irritated, the vampire reached down and pulled it out. The blade came away stained with red blood. Sophia's eyes widened as she looked at the dagger. Without a word, she attacked again, screaming for her guards to do the same, but they stood there, blinking in shock.

"Enough," the King bellowed. He moved faster, hit harder, and had the Queen pinned to the ground at her brother's feet. Jared rested his hand on her face and the other at the base of her neck, exposing her throat. Without a word, he lunged at her, sinking his fangs into her neck. Sophia screamed out, clawing at him, trying to wrench herself free. But as the King drank, she grew weak. The burning at her neck faded, and soon she felt numb. Pulling away, the King, grinned down at her, his lips covered with her blood. "Just like old times, my dear. Ending it like old times will be much more fitting, don't you agree?"

"What do you mean?" she barely had the strength to ask. He'd drained all her power and she couldn't make her body move. She couldn't even bring herself to sit up. She needed blood.

Snapping his fingers, Jared pointed at his prone wife. Celticad brought the chains forward and wrapped them around her body, pinning her arms to her sides. The metal hissed on contact and Sophia cried out, "With the return of the old powers also comes the old ailments - silver, sunlight." He paused seeing the shock in her eyes, "Oh, you poor thing. You didn't know. To tell you the truth, neither did I, until that precious pet of yours stabbed me with a silver comb." He grinned as Sophia laid at his feet, squirming, her skin smoking from the silver. Looking up at Reggie, he asked, "The box? Or sunlight?"

"Why not both?" Reggie grinned.

Sophia's gaze cut to Reggie, "You planned this with him."

"I told you I'd kill you given the chance. The King was kind enough to