Sickly, Sweet - Book One

Ch. 4 - Dead End

Song of the chapter : Up in flames by Ruelle

Chapter Dedicated to @KenzDyer, my Watty friend and writing soul mate. Check out her book Blood & Honey, it's freaking amazing!

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'We forget that history is alive. If you can't find what you seek, it only means it doesn't want to be found.'

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It isn't easy to sleep, not with a new bite and a wayward task that I was presented. My mind is running in confused circles. I, somewhat, have a plan - to let them slaughter each other until there is not a drop of blood left in their bodies. I am intrigued by their complicated history and I want to know more. They spent a quarter of a millennium living together but the two Princes the Night managed to loathe one another for eternity. Something does tell me that they really don't intend to harm one another.

Valentine's control and Augustine's binding kept me from executing them both and undaunted actions may lead to various consequences. Whatever their reasons, a reckoning is required, and unpleasant truths would have to be revealed.

I find myself buried under piles of ancient books and records in my personal library, in hopes of finding an explanation. Unpleasantly, I come to a dead end. Most pages are missing and gaps between years were evidently ripped out. Doesn't make sense.

I pick up my cell to call a trusted advisor. "Hello," a voice answers with a slight Romanian accent.

"Vladimir, I need you to do some research for me," I say through the speaker.

I can hear him sigh through the line. "Saphira, I thought you said you had everything?"

I put the book down and sit by another mess of books I managed to barrel through. "I know. I need more, and also about Augustine."

He stays quiet for a fracture of a second. "Augustine, why him?"

"I need to know why he wants his own brother dead," I retort.

"Obviously, he wants power."

"I am aware of that, but I have been looking into their history and all I have seen was their peaceful reign over Numidia." I stand from my position and trail my hands over a row of leather bound books.

"Are you telling me you have yet to kill Valentine?" He asks, confounded by his realization.

"He keeps slipping from my grasp, I need another weakness. Please, Vladimir."

Vladimir hesitates for a moment before sighing in agreement. "I will inform you If I have found anything, but I cannot guarantee it. When Augustine was rebuked as King, he commanded that their quarrel was to be erased from all archives."

"That's why I need you, surely you know of something." I insist.

"I was not exactly there, Saphira, it was my father who assisted in eradicating that part of their past."

I switch the grip of the phone from one hand to the other. "Then you know of whom to get information from."

"Here we go again, Saphira, you know I am not on good terms with my father." His tone is not of interest, his father isn't necessarily fond of him. "And it isn't that easy."

"Vladimir, you have the entire royal repository to your advantage. Just find a way." I say without giving time to respond and end the call to return to my own research. It should not be this hard.

The phone rings just as I put it down. I smirk when the screen shows his name again. I knew he was just keeping things from me. Anyone with that much information and access to it, wouldn't need to research. Without letting it ring again, I push the button and answer. "Now, that wasn't so hard was it?"