Chapter 7: Heartbreaker

I TOOK a step closer to Maximo, patted his shoulder, and whispered in his ear. “I may have forgotten how to use a gun, but I haven’t forgotten how to kill, Maximo. So, consider this your lucky day. Since I’m still mourning, I don’t feel like killing anyone today. Through this, I hope you could stop worrying uselessly about your Queen. Worry about your tongue instead. Better yet, just give all your concern to your friends who could lose their eyesight any moment.”

I glanced at my wristwatch and yawned. “This is exactly what I am talking about. I had already wasted three minutes of my time. If only you are wealthier than me, I would have asked you to compensate me for those minutes wasted. But since you cannot afford my time, I would be considerate just this once. If you test my temper again, you will lose not only your tongue, Maximo. It’ll be your heart the next time around. So, if you can’t beat me, at least, don’t annoy me. Do you understand?”

Maximo’s eyes looked at me with absolute disgust and rebellion. I could see how much he wanted to twist my neck. But since he didn’t have the capacity to do that, for the first time, he held it in. Good. Now, we’re even. I wiped the blood off my hands using the hem of his shirt. The thing that I was confident the most was my speed.

Between Terrence and I, I was faster although both of us were equal when it came to strength. The only reason why he was chosen as the ruler when Leonel died was because he was a male. But I was the second option.

“If you find it hard to answer your Queen’s question, at least, nod your head, Maximo, unless you want to be punished again for disrespecting me.”

There were tears in his eyes when he forced himself to nod. I smiled. “You should have been this obedient a long time ago. Then this wouldn’t have happened. Well, at least, you’ve learned your lesson now.” I glanced around. “That will be all for today, gentlemen. Show’s over. Thank you for coming.”

“You are as splendid as ever, my Queen,” Gonzalo, one of the seniors, said while clapping his hands along with the others. “You made us very proud. We made the right choice. We picked the perfect person for the position. Then and now, you could turn whatever you are holding into a weapon.”

My smile widened. “I know. Thank you.”

Then and now, this was how they taught Hunters a lesson. Through violence. Gentleness does not exist in the guild. I could see the seniors looking so triumphant as they gazed at me as if they were looking at their favorite creation performing on stage.

If I don’t exercise my powers as early as now, they would trample over me. While I’m still here, I have to do a good job of being their Queen.

“Take these brats to the hospital. I don’t want them to scatter more of their blood on the floor,” I commanded as I raised my chin and stepped out of the room. I needed to plan my next move right away. That battle would be my only way to escape. It had to work. Lilia and I should get away from the guild now more than ever.

When I went back to my quarters, Lilia quickly turned on the flat screen television. The room was soundproofed but she still raised the volume that it was almost deafening.

And when her knees could no longer keep up, she fell on the carpet and wept.

I wanted to comfort her and lift her up, but my knees were shaking, too. I leaned on the headboard. The only sweetness that I knew in this world was Terrence. He was only a few minutes older than me but he acted like a true big brother.

Although we didn’t see each other for the past two years, I was comforted by his calls and text messages. He may be rough in front of the Hunters, but each time he was with me, he would always go back to the same Terrence that I knew, the Terrence who loved me more than his life.

“We will weather these storms together, sis. Trust me. I will get you and Lilia out of this. I’ve found a way. For now, just hang in there,” I remembered Terrence saying when he called me three months ago. That was the last call I received from him.

He sounded anxious at that time as if he discovered something. His voice was unsteady like he had been crying. That was the first time I had heard him that heartbroken. I even thought that Lilia had something to do with it, that the two might have broken up.

Terrence refused to tell me anything at that time and I understood his reason. His room was bugged. There were always eyes and ears secretly watching and listening to his every word.

There were so many things that I wanted to ask him. Why was Terrence in the Vampire’s domain? We exchanged messages. He knew I was no longer there. And why did he go alone? What was he thinking?

Was Alucard behind this again? I clenched my hands. I hope I was wrong. I had hoped that Alucard would spare him at least, for old time’s sake.

“I know that many of the viewers tonight, especially the women, had been waiting for this. As a matter of fact, they had been bombarding our site and lines with messages after finding out about our very special guest for tonight. I will not make you, guys, wait any longer. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Zachary Collins!”

It was a shame how even with my heart breaking, it still managed to race with the mere mention of that name. My head whirled to where the television was. And there, I saw him again. This was a surprise. It was not like him to appear on shows like this. It was a live footage abroad.

The Vampire King had led a very private life. He reigned over the Vampires, but the humans knew him, too, as the man behind the Collins Empire, although none of them had the chance to meet him yet. He had businesses in North America, Australia, and Europe. The public had always been curious about Zachary Collins. The elites had always dreamt to get to know him. But each time there would be gatherings, he would only send another Vampire to represent him.

I didn’t know why I was suddenly filled with so much desire to see him again, to run back into those arms. That night, while I was inside those arms, it was like nothing in the world could ever hurt me.

Everything about him exuded dominance, power, and prestige as he walked toward the female host.

As soon as he came out, the audience became wild. It always happened when we were still in his city. The King had always been a heartbreaker. He could melt even an iron barrier with that face alone.

He looked every inch a King tonight with his three-piece black suit. His shoulder-length wavy blonde hair was neatly tied.

“Good evening, Mr. Collins. It was a pleasure to meet you,” the host stuttered. She was blushing so hard as they shook hands. “Thank you for finally saying yes to this interview. Please take a seat.”

Zachary sat gracefully. He looked as if he owned the studio which became smaller because of his presence. When he took the microphone from the host, my eyes automatically followed his large hand. His fingers were long and elegant, no one would have believed that he used those hands to kill.