Silence - By Kailin Gow Page 0,33
the vampires have let loose one-handed.”
Briony groaned. That was Vigor, al right. A more important thought popped into her head. “Did Marcus get the scepter? Has he already opened the gates?”
“Scepter?” Archer said.
Vigor looked down at her. “She’s babbling.”
“I am not! Marcus wants the scepter to open the gates, and he was going to… he was going to…”
“You’re safe now,” Vigor said, and it was almost as unexpected as anything there. “Are you sure Marcus wants the scepter?”
“Yes,” Briony said. “He wants it to open the gates.”
“You said that.”
“He wants to join up with al the vampires in the mortal world,” Briony said. “He said they could take over Palisor, then go back to take the world.”
Kneeling next to her, Archer shook his head.
“He’s mad. The scepter is safe with King Waltham, Briony. Even if Marcus got it, it would never choose to stay.”
“Choose?” Briony echoed. “The scepter’s alive?”
“It holds the essences of our ancestors,”
Vigor snapped. “Of course it’s alive.”
“Alive enough to destroy anyone who tries to possess it when it doesn’t want to be,” Archer said with a reproachful look to the Prince. “Alive enough to go missing rather than be used for evil.”
Which would make it total y useless when it came to plans for world domination, Briony guessed.
“Do the vampires know that? Because they sure seem set on getting their hands on it.”
Vigor gave her another contemptuous look.
“If I real y thought that the scepter was in danger, do you think I would be here trying to save you rather than protecting it?”
Briony matched his look with one of her own. “I never asked to be saved, Vigor.”
“Because you were doing such a wonderful job of escaping alone. What was your plan? Sleep until they forgot about you and went away?”
“Why are you even here?”
“Sophie and your dragon insisted.” Vigor said. “Wel , mostly Sophie.”
Briony couldn’t help noticing a little more softness in the Prince’s voice as he said Aunt Sophie’s name. Aw, Vigor had a crush!
“She insisted I go after you on the dragon, while she fought off the remaining vampires at the castle. It seemed a foolish plan, but she would not stop until I agreed. Now, are we going to get back to her, or are we going to wait around for the vampires to show up?”
Archer extended a hand. “Vigor is right, my princess. We need to go. Marcus has made things very dangerous.”
“More dangerous than they were anyway?”
Briony said with a shudder.
Vigor nodded. “He has let loose some of the vilest creatures kept in this kingdom. Creatures my… our father should have cast out, but did not wish to inflict on the mortal realm. The vampires attacking the towers released them from the lower reaches.
Though they are few, they are strong. We real y must go now. Can you stand?”
But it was too late. Footsteps sounded and the door to the room swung open. Marcus stepped inside. He had a sword in one hand, while the other held what appeared to be a severed head by the hair.
Briony fought the urge to throw up. Was it some vampire who had angered him? No, that didn’t work.
Vampires didn’t leave remains.
As Marcus held the head up, Briony recognized it as that of King Waltham’s physician, Malwinn.
“I see you’ve managed to lure out two of Waltham’s most loyal men,” Marcus said, as though he weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary.
“Excel ent. And what I had hoped. Even if you do not know where the scepter is, human girl, you have brought me two who wil .” He tossed Malwinn’s head down before Briony, making her wince. “You should know we have found a way to communicate with the vampires from your world. Now, where is that toy I took from our headless friend?”
With his now free hand, he pul ed out a smal bal of glass, holding it up. It swirled with colors for a moment, before showing a greenish-blue dragon flying through the air. First he was in Palisor, then he was flying through a mist, and final y, the dragon was over a green pasture with a brook and trees.
“Wicked Woods!” Briony guessed.
Marcus nodded. “Exactly. Waltham’s
personal dragon volunteered to go through the gates for us. He was persuaded, of course. He couldn’t stand to see his beloved king kil ed. And that is what would happen if Waltham came out of hiding.”
“Why would he do that?” Briony demanded.
Marcus reached out with his sword, the very tip of it touching Briony’s hair.
“For you,