Immortals After Dark 12 - Lothaire

he sane today?” Stelian muttered as he and the other royal males traced into the council room.
    They’d asked to meet with Lothaire tonight to evaluate his new rule.
    Yes, his coherent and stable nights had been surprisingly frequent; tonight wasn’t one of them.
    Lothaire rubbed his tongue over a fang. I’ve got your evaluation.
    In the council room, there’d once been an ornate round table, indicating equality among those seated.
    He’d had the table destroyed, replacing it with a rectangular one. A throne dominated one end. No chair at the other.
    And if Lothaire got any pushback on his redecoration, there’d be no council at all.
    He was actually getting pushback on other things. Stelian was often too drunk to be afraid of Lothaire and so foolishly spoke his mind. Mirceo usually thought Lothaire was kidding, believing he could jest with his uncle.
    Without his Bride, Trehan cared not whether he lived or died. Viktor longed to battle his king, taking every offense in the mean spirit with which Lothaire intended it.
    Kosmina adored her new “foulmouthed but well-intentioned uncle.” Because, as she put it, “Perhaps we aren’t meant to understand him. Perhaps he’s as much a puzzle as he is a puzzle master.”
    Hear, hear, Kosmina. But I’m still sending your ass to Louisiana.
    Maybe the royals needed to witness a demonstration of Lothaire’s unmatched power. As yet, they merely thought him a besotted fool who’d been laid out by his female.
    Still reeling . . . After weeks in Dacia and numerous days of dreaming, Lothaire still had none of Elizabeth’s memories. His consciousness seemed to sidle at the very edge of them.
    He knew that vampires never saw anything in their visions from which they couldn’t mentally rebound.
    What lies in Elizabeth’s memories that could scar me worse than I already am?
    Stelian cleared his throat. “Before we get started, we’d like to talk to you about your queen.”
    Lothaire steepled his fingers. “Obviously, I have none.”
    Mirceo said, “You’re a monarch with a Bride, my liege. That means she’s our lady, and we serve her. Right now, she’s a target for your enemies.”
    An eighth of an inch of tendon. “I don’t bloody want to hear this!”
    Stelian said, “If for no other reason, you require your Bride for heirs.”
    “I need none. I plan to live—and rule—forever.” So heirs were unnecessary. But what about simply having children? He’d grown pleased at theidea of offspring with Elizabeth. Yet another thing she stole from me! He narrowed his eyes. “You scowl, young Viktor? My ruling for eternity doesn’t delight you?”
    The towering vampire stood, his fists balled. “Your agenda is not what we envisioned, Cousin . You seek to plunge us into a new war and believe we should reveal ourselves to all in the Lore? This will no longer be Dacia .”
    With his quiet intensity, Trehan said, “We vowed allegiance to a king and a queen.”
    Viktor added, “We swore to protect Queen Elizavetta—”
    In a flash, Lothaire lunged out of his chair, tracing forward to slam Viktor’s head against the table. “I told you never to mention that name to me!”
    Viktor freed his sword and launched a strike, but Lothaire caught the blade, squeezing it. “If you’re not with me, you’re against me.” His blood gushed over Viktor’s disbelieving face. “You’ve erred for ill.” Lothaire gave a brutal yank, hurling the weapon from him.
    When the others drew their own, Lothaire swept through the room with a speed they couldn’t comprehend. Claws bared, he disabled his opponents—rending a tendon in a dominant arm, slashing a hamstring. . . .
    Back to Viktor. He palmed his cousin’s head. “Now,” he grated as he began crushing Viktor’s skull. “Do we all concede that we do not fuck with Lothaire? That I might be your relative, but I will always be the Enemy of Old?”
    Stunned, reluctant nods all around.
    “Above all things, I am your king .” He stared each one of them down as they fought to catch their breath or stanch a bleeding wound. “You obey me . Your undivided allegiance is to me . Vow this.”
    Unlike Elizabeth, they’d be bound to him. But I’d wanted her loyalty more than anyone’s, more than anything.
    Once each royal had made his vow, he released Viktor, who crumpled to the floor. “Lothaire endeth the lesson.”
    They dragged Viktor away, then traced from the room, all but Stelian, who clamped a gushing arm. “You’ve