Dark Dominion

39. Punishment

Isaac was going to do it. He prepared himself, turning back into the cold, hard vampire prince he had always been – before a blue-eyed boy appeared in his life and made him forget, briefly, the decades' worth of expectation placed upon him.

Juniper was innocent, Isaac knew. He didn't deserve to be punished, not even this light punishment. But Isaac mustn't let his apparent affections for the boy cloud his decisions. Nothing was fair in this world. Juniper, as a quick-healing thrall, could handle this much, and then the matter would be laid to rest. Isaac would then root out those who were really responsible – and end them.

The sun had set, and a dark pall fell over the palace grounds, making it difficult to envision there the earlier bright smiles and silvery laughter.

It was time. Isaac left his office, with Ian following dutifully behind. They silently traversed through corridors and down staircases, heading for the deep underbelly of the old palace. All the while, Isaac willed steel around his mind... and heart. Though he preferred a different outcome than the pain he would have to inflict upon the delicate boy, Isaac realized he had allowed himself to indulge too deeply in the sweet pleasures Juniper had offered. It was better to stop further losing himself, lest he become a fool for love like his brother, Cormac. Crown Prince Isaac, heir to the throne of The Black Territory, must keep his mind sharp for the rigors of ruling. No one, no slave or supernatural, should hold such power over the prince, no matter how gentle and good he was.

The stairs they descended now were made of rustic gray limestone rather than the polished marble overlaid with rich carpeting in the main parts of the palace. The surroundings became chillier, darker. The redolent scent of old blood laced the air, traces of the ill deeds done in these dungeons, layered years upon years. Isaac buried the gnawing thought that rose unbidden in his mind, this is no place for my sweet boy.

The vampire prince tightened his jaw and focused his eyes ahead. He would quickly get this punishment over with, take Juniper out of there to recover, and then remain properly distanced from him going forward.

Ahead of them stood Charles, accompanied by two guards. They all straightened when they noticed who approached. Isaac walked passed, saying nothing, and they fell in line following behind him, down the echoing passageway towards Juniper's cell.

Isaac had heard it said that thralls could feel the presence of their masters, like a physical touch on skin. He believed Juniper could. The boy always seemed to know when he approached, even from behind and at a distance. He would be out on his balcony, standing at the far railing, singing or otherwise just soaking in the outdoors. Isaac would appear in the doorway, in the preternatural quiet way that vampires could, and still, Juniper would draw up his shoulders, then turn expectantly, that sunshine smile already on his face.

And as Isaac neared the cell Juniper was held in, an uncanny energy seemed to ghost over his own skin. He didn't have to ask Charles where his boy was; he was drawn like a moth to flame. Isaac halted before the iron-barred door, his retinue behind him in wait. He peered in and saw his sweet boy, back towards him and strung up taut by manacles and chain. The dim lighting didn't impede Isaac's supernatural eyes. He saw every quake and tremble. He saw the raw skin around the iron cuffs. He saw Juniper's head hung low and his curls fallen forward.

Rage tried to break through Isaac's hardened resolve. But he quashed it. He would get this task done with, then he could whisk Juniper out of this place. Perhaps he would look at the security footage and note who had handled his boy.

Isaac pushed open the cell door, and an awful screech broke through the stale silence. Juniper flinched and his shaking intensified.

I am the crown prince – unyielding, firm, and strong. Finish this and move on, Isaac forced himself to think, to believe. He and the rest filled the cell. Charles came forward.