CHAPTER 165: CARDI B - BE CAREFUL

Damien stared at him. But then he nodded, a silent agreement laced with gratitude and worry. "Be careful," he said. "I need you alive for when this child starts asking uncomfortable questions about history."

"I’ll make a study guide," Veyron replied.

*****

"No!" Luna sat up with the determination of a woman who’d risen from near death simply to argue.

"Luna..." Damien stepped closer, palms out, trying to calm her.

"I said no!" she snapped, yanking the blood drip from her arm in one swift, defiant motion. "You’re asking one of your citizens—someone loyal to you—to break the law? You’re the crown prince, Damien. You are supposed to protect them, not drag them into your sins!"

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "There is nothing else we can do, Luna. Without the extra blood, you will die. And so will the child."

"I’d rather die trying to find a way than stay alive under illegal sacrifice!" she shouted.

"I will get the legal quantity."

She pushed back the blankets and slid her legs to the side of the bed. Damien reached to steady her, but she waved him off with annoyance. "And I need clothes. Because I’m going to see Morvakar."

Damien’s eyes widened. "You want to travel while your blood level is one step above ’ghost’? You cannot."

"He’ll have a solution."

"And if he doesn’t?" Damien asked. His brows furrowed as he studied her face.

Luna didn’t hesitate. "He must," she said simply. It was a declaration.

But Damien couldn’t breathe through it. His throat tightened. "Luna... please," he said, stepping forward and taking both her hands in his. "I can’t lose you. If I had known that a child—our child—would ever hurt you in any way, I swear by the goddess, I would never have prayed for one."

She stilled.

Just like that, all her fury softened. She blinked up at him, surprise flickering in her wide eyes. "You prayed for one?"

Damien smiled. "With everything I had. I prayed for a child who would have your fighting spirit and maybe—just maybe—my patience, cause goddess knows the size of patience is that of a mustard seed."

Luna chuckled, the sound a fragile relief between them. Her shoulders dropped as she swung her legs off the bed. "We will make it through this," she said, lacing their fingers tightly. "I’m strong enough."

"Just give me what is allowed. No more. We’ll make do with that. We have to. Damien, have you even considered the consequences of getting a vampire baby addicted to blood before it’s even born?"

Damien’s smile faded slightly. "Yes," he admitted. "But it’s easier when it’s born. Then we condition it—just like we do with turned vampires. Discipline. Measured intake."

She nodded slowly. "Go to Morvakar, Damien. Find another way. There has to be one."

He hesitated, his hand slipping from hers. He ran a hand through his thick dark hair, frustration leaking out in the movement. "I don’t... goddess, I’m not even king yet and the crown already feels heavy. Like it’s sitting on my lungs. I have to worry about rogue vampires, a looming war with Kyllian, my own death, and now..." he turned to face her fully, "now I have to add losing you to the list."

Luna reached forward and rested a hand over his heart. "You won’t lose me. And I sure as hell am not going to lose you."

"We’ll be fine," Luna said. "We’ll scale every obstacle and laugh about it down the road. Probably while covered in spit-up."

Damien chuckled, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease completely. He stood and went to the window, staring out into the Blood City skyline.

He sighed, turning around to face her. "Each citizen is allowed a quarter liter of blood per day. That’s the law. Anything more is flagged by the blood bank, and trust me, we don’t need more eyes on us. I’ll need to get your name officially registered. Yours, combined with mine... it might get us somewhere close to what the baby needs."

"We still need to keep it under wraps that I’m giving you my ration. Veyron will not be happy that you disagree with his plan though."

"I need you to trust that I can do this and everyone else will believe it. I can do this. Trust me."

"I do. I always have."

"Will you be okay without me tonight?" Damien asked softly. "I have to go see Morvakar."

"I’ll be fine, Damien," she said, squeezing his hand. "I am fine already. I just need rest."

With one last kiss to her forehead, Damien turned and left.

*****

)

Morvakar stood on the doorstep of his home.

He watched his guest—his student—walk down the path. William had been showing up every day now. Asking questions. Taking notes.

Morvakar waved him off.

The moment William disappeared around the bend, the smile slipped from his face.

It was getting harder and harder pretending with his father.

He suddenly heard the sound of an approaching car and ducked behind the thick trunk of a tree.

Down the road, a car sped toward Morvakar’s building.

William peered out cautiously as the car zipped past.

Prince Damien.

He exhaled and stepped out from the shadows. "Tonight’s going to be interesting," he muttered to himself.

William retraced his steps quickly but carefully, his footsteps muffled by years of staying out of the spotlight. He moved like a shadow, his breath light. Back at Morvakar’s castle, he didn’t bother knocking.

Instead, he raised both palms and whispered the ancient incantation, his fingers glowing faintly as he cast a cloaking spell that would shield him even from vampire senses. It wasn’t perfect, given that his human body was almost useless but it would give him enough time to spy.

He slipped in just as Damien form turned the corner moving down towards Morvakar’s parlour.

Morvakar was hunched over a kettle. He didn’t even turn around to see who it was.

"Prince Damien," the sorcerer greeted. "I thought you forgot all about me."