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Reggie uards were at his back, his insane sister in front of hi for you? Out for a bit of fresh air?" he asked s his coat open

Sophia stood before hi in the wind like a bloody strea her pointed teeth, "Nice to see you, brother Have you brought ifts? Or perhaps returned the one that was stolen frouards When she looked back at her brother, she lifted a delicate brow to indicate she aiting for a reply - and it better not suck

Reggie clasped his hands behind his back and s happened When I left yesterday, I et lost in the storm Tho irl"

Sophia stepped toward hiry "Where are they? You found both of the, not exactly sure how to play his hand since his salvation ran off and didn&039;t coirl "I did They&039;re here now I set the her back to you, when they disappeared I heard there was soht, and I wanted to present them to you myself, but I&039;m not a fool"

She folded her small arms over her chest, "Apparently you are, dear brother, because I&039;ve yet to see young Williairl"

"Yes," he said nervously, but still sift, sister They are here Your guards know it They&039;ve seen theers iuards that escorted Reggie in fell in front of Sophia, bowing lowly "Did you see the girl? Or Will?"

The guards rose "Yes, Your Majesty They were both in the truck when your brother arrived The girl fell out the door, and the boy ran after her We sent a pair of guards after the like they were toddlers incapable of understanding her, "where are they?"

The guard&039;s looked at each other for a split second, and then lowered their gazes to the ground "On the grounds, My Queen" One of theinald They were charged with capturing the girl and bringing her back"

The Queen listened, tapping her ruby red nails together, which ust of wind howled and she stopped It yanked her dark hair hard, pulling the curls loose Sophia felt her hairstyle unraveling, but she didn&039;t uards, she hissed, "Find theuards turned to scurry off, but stopped in their tracks The front door to the palace was thrown open and light cut across the dark snow, cutting a wedge of light on the sparkling lawn Sophia&039;s lips parted, before curling at the corners "Hoeet My husband has returned"

"I don&039;t think he&039;s bringing you presents, sister," Reggie said after stopping next to Sophia, and leaning to her ear "He tried to drain her, you know Bit her neck, and nearly lopped Kahli&039;s head off So her blood for you" Reggie trailed off as he saw theonto the lawn

Sophia reid wind as she watched her husband walk confidently toward her The King stopped a few paces from his wife "Sophia," he said once, but didn&039;t incline his head as was the custo stood there, looking dashing as tiny flakes of snohipped around hi his nah with hiether, she tolerated much, but this was the last straw Sophia sauntered to hi her slender hips as she went "It&039;s been drawn to my attention that you tried to drain hed like it was funny, "Prized possession? I hardly think she was your prized possession That would be your ed, haven&039;t they Sophia?" He s Celticad&039;s shadow stretched out across the ground behind hiirl Where was she?

Sophia&039;s lips curled back into a vicious ss She licked theue, a slow stroke, the way she did when she was younger, when they &039;s eyebrows lifted as his lips pulled into a ss, "Well, this ie who had drawn back when the King strode across the lawn The vaht that doused his dark hair, for, and with the old ways, old tiie inclined his head, his full lips twisting into a smirk, "So it would seem"

Sophia&039;s eyes darted between the two and for the first ti They were referring to so from their past But their lives didn&039;t intersect They never had Sophia&039;s gaze narrowed, "Enough of this If you are here to take what is mine, do not dishonor me with such idle chatter Jared, the butcher&039;s child, son of a peasant - I gave you this life and I can end it"

The King remained calm, "Then you better do so, h of you to last a lifeti faster than the eye could see The King shouldn&039;t have seen it, he shouldn&039;t have had ti to the side, the Queen flew by, co hard on her feet, Sophia screamed and rounded on Jared "You drank her blood," she accused

The King shrugged, "It was there and I had nothing better to do, since you removed all my previous pastimes"

"Hus

"I never kept theh to have a relationship,and drained them But since you made that silly laas forced to sneak around behind your back" Sophia&039;s black eyes narrowed to slits, her body tensing, but she didn&039;t attack The King continued, goading her and enjoying it immensely, "It made it fun at first, but now it&039;s just a hassle So, ask "

"Ask you what?"

"How irls I&039;ve had since that law, you know, the ones that were forbidden - the girls froer resting at the base of her throat Looking into Sophia&039;s eyes he said, "All but one, my Queen, and &039;s lips pulled back into a sinister ss

Sophia saw the, barely even points, Jared&039;s were fully forer was on her throat, trailing a line down her neck to Sophia&039;s collarbone He was close enough to kill her and strong enough to do it Sophia went rigid, knowing she would lose She didn&039;t knoas possible, but he&039;d had s were fully fors had returned, so had his other powers "If you came to execute me, do it I&039;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 his, Sophia - your transformation to the old ways is so near coid, her shoulders squared off, watching her husband pace around her "I&039;d planned on just slitting your throat and dropping a ers, Celticad walked up behind hi 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 sht him and win, she could not defeat her husband It was a fact, and yet, if she didn&039;t do so herself forward, she attacked Celticad Her tiny body, slammed into the vaer back a step and blink When he looked down, he sahere the Queen stabbed hi irritated, the vampire reached down and pulled it out The blade came away stained with red blood Sophia&039;s eyes widened as she looked at the dagger Without a word, she attacked again, screauards to do the sah," the King bellowed He round at her brother&039;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 screa to wrench herself free But as the King drank, she greeak The burning at her neck faded, and soon she felt nurinned down at her, his lips covered with her blood "Just like old ti it like old tiree?"

"What do you th to ask He&039;d drained all her power and she couldn&039;therself to sit up She needed blood

Snapping his fingers, Jared pointed at his prone wife Celticad brought the chains forward and wrapped the her arms to her sides The metal hissed on contact and Sophia cried out, "With the return of the old powers also co the shock in her eyes, "Oh, you poor thing You didn&039;t know To tell you the truth, neither did I, until that precious pet of yours stabbed rinned as Sophia laid at his feet, squirie, he asked, "The box? Or sunlight?"

"Why not both?" Reggie grinned