Page 62 of Bound By Blood

Much to Landon’s surprise, Loxton stood before him, the other elder he had spoken to when he first found out about the connection between him and Carly. The man was covered in blood, probably from the guards he had just killed. His eyes were clouded by the darkness of his own monster, and his fangs were extended. For several moments, the two of them stood there staring at one another.

Landon wondered if Loxton was there to kill him as well. He wondered if he wanted to silence Landon permanently to keep him from revealing that he also knew about the bond Landon and Carly shared before Drayton did. He knew that if Loxton attacked him, he would lose. He was too weak to fight a vampire that was still at full strength, but he would try. He wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

“Still in one piece?” Loxton asked, his voice shattering the silence Landon had grown accustomed to.

“Relatively,” Landon replied hesitantly. His voice was hoarse and weak. It also sounded foreign to his own ears as it had been so long since he used it. “But you won’t be once my father sees what you’ve done to his guards.”

“They are easily replaceable and won’t be missed,” Loxton retorted with a wave of his hand.

“What are you doing here, Loxton?”

Loxton folded his hands in front of him and lifted a shoulder. “Your father sent me to see if you’ve chosen your side yet. And if not, he wants me to talk some sense into you.”

It figured that his father wouldn’t face Landon himself. He probably believed that Landon hated him and would attempt to kill him on the spot. He wasn’t wrong, but it just went to show how much of a coward his father truly was at heart. Drayton liked to pretend that he was all-powerful and that nothing scared him, but Landon knew the truth, and his absence now only solidified it.

“Save your breath, Loxton,” Landon spat. “I’m done with my father. You can tell him that if I ever get out of here-”

“What? Are you planning on killing him?” Loxton interrupted pointedly.

Instead of responding, Landon chose not to say anything at all because that was exactly what he planned on doing. He turned away from Loxton so that he didn’t see the anger and rage that was building up behind his light blue eyes.

Not dissuaded by Landon’s silence, Loxton continued, “Because if that is your plan, I have an idea that might be helpful to you. A way to give you the upper hand and the chance to end Drayton once and for all. I just need to know if you are serious about it.”

Landon spun on Loxton, his eyes narrowed. The vampire sounded sincere, but he couldn’t believe it. Why would an elder want to help him kill their leader? It didn’t make any sense. Unless it was a trap, a trick thought up by his father to see where his loyalties were. He wasn’t going to fall for it though, he wasn’t that far gone yet.

“You expect me to believe that you want my father dead, Loxton? What kind of idiot do you take me for?” Landon asked bitterly.

“Drayton is not the ruler we need, Landon,” Loxton told him calmly. “He is evil and getting worse every day. He doesn’t care about the vampires as a whole. He only cares about himself and his power. This is not the way things should be for us. Like you, I believe we are deserving of happiness too. We shouldn’t be living in fear, cowering before a ruler who does not have our best interest at heart.”

Loxton’s ability to be so nonchalant was irritating. He was acting as if they were talking about the weather and not the murder of the vampire leader and Landon’s betrayal. And the way he was talking led Landon to believe that Loxton had a replacement for his father in mind already.

“And what? You think I should be the one to replace him?” Landon laughed hollowly. “You’re delusional.”

“Am I?” Loxton took a step toward him. “Think about it. Ever since you met Carly, you’ve changed. We’ve all seen it. And I don’t mean that in a bad way either. You are not so blinded by some sick and twisted quest for power, so you can see there is more out there for us. More than just violence and fear and bloodshed. With Drayton out of the picture, we can do better.”

Landon was beginning to believe that this wasn’t a trick after all. Loxton was being sincere, he could see that now, and his saying such things about his father would get him killed. He wouldn’t do that unless he had a good reason to. Which begged the question: why was Loxton coming to him about all of this?

Loxton was right, Landon did believe that the vampires could do better now. He believed that they could be happy too. He was proof of that. It was only because of his father that he felt they were undeserving of anything than what they already had. He also knew that they would never get the chance to find out how much better they could be with his father in a position of power. But what could he do about it? He was a prisoner.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not really in a position to take my father down, Loxton. If you want him gone so bad, take him out yourself,” Landon said simply.

“I think we both know that I am no match for your father. Besides, I’m a pacifist,” Loxton replied with a shrug. Landon cocked an eyebrow and looked down at the severed heads by his feet, causing Loxton to chuckle. “Well, for the most part, I’m a pacifist. Besides, you know that the law states whoever takes out the leader must take their place. I have no desire to be in charge of the vampires. I’m not cut out for it. But you? You could make a real difference. You could change our lives.”

“Right now, I couldn’t give a shit about you or any of the other vampires,” Landon spat venomously. There was only one thing he cared about, and it wasn’t the vampires.

Loxton nodded as if understanding completely. “You only care about Carly. But my plan will save you both. Hell, it will save us all.”

Landon’s arms, which had been folded across his chest, fell to his sides as he let out a breath. “C-Carly’s still alive?”

He almost didn’t want to believe it. It had been so long that he had thought for sure his father had killed her out of spite. He had been trying not to think about it though because knowing Carly was gone would have sapped him of his own will to live. It would have taken away his desire to survive. Knowing that she was still alive would give him a renewed sense of hope.

“She is. And still as feisty as ever. We all hear her screaming at those who take her meals.”

Landon’s lips tilted up into a small smile. He was both relieved at the confirmation that she was still alive and amused that she was giving his father’s men hell. He would expect nothing less from her. She was his little firecracker, a fighter. He was also glad to hear that she hadn’t given up, and he found a whole new sense of determination to get them both the hell out of there.

“How do I know I can trust you, Loxton?” Landon asked, though his voice no longer held much doubt. “Oakley was the one who turned me into my father in the first place. How do I know you won’t do the same?”

Loxton rolled his eyes at the mention of Oakley. “Oakley is a weak sack of shit. I am not,” he said pointedly. “I am risking my neck here too, you know. If you fail, I go down right alongside you.”