Vampire Apocalypse #2 Cataylst Read Online Free

just another
piece of vamp decor to socialite status, drawing attention and
turning heads. No one looked at him the same way anymore. He was
lucky to get a reprieve between feedings. The Regent would have
tried to tap him tonight if the Queen hadn’t requested him. They
noticed Cole, now. They watched him closer, and he didn’t like it.
That made everything he worked for harder, but there was no way he
was giving up now.

CHAPTER 4

    Sophia sat on her throne admiring her
reflection. A large mirror with white gold gilding sat directly in
front of her dais. The warm silvery tones gleamed, reflecting an
image that was ghostlike in appearance. Sophia grinned. It was the
effects of the girl’s blood. She knew it. That shimmering likeness
was a hollow display of her beauty. The reflection was fading and
soon, with enough blood, would disappear entirely. It marked the
restoration of her former power. Everything would return to the way
it was. “Just like old times,” she said, pleased.
    “Yes, sister.” Reginald rolled his eyes. He
sat slouched in his chair, next to her, head leaning sideways on
his hand. “Exactly like old times. You sat in front of the mirror
even when there was nothing to see.”
    Sophia’s eyes cut to her brother. Why she
allowed him to return was a mystery. Fickle was how the Regent
described her actions, but Sophia knew why she called him back.
Reggie had a way of bringing out the worst in her, and she’d need
that soon. Very soon.
    “Remind me why you’re still alive?” she said,
sighing, like she was bored.
    “So you can rub my face in your returning
power.” He straightened in his chair. “Power isn’t much fun without
someone to flaunt in front of.” Bitterness filled his mouth. That
girl should have been his. Instead of watching his vapid sister
fading from that looking glass, it would have been his reflection
that was nearly gone. Reggie tried to hide his jealousy, but he
couldn’t completely mask it—which was why Sophia kept him around.
They both knew it.
    “Ah, yes,” she grinned. “Flaunting is the
perfect reason to spare your insignificant life.” After gazing at
the glass for some time, she tilted her head. A dark ringlet fell
over her shoulder. She touched it gently, twisting it between her
fingers. “Reggie, dear. What did we do before?”
    He glanced up at her not following her
meaning. “Pardon?” He straightened in his seat, leaning forward
slightly and feigning interest.
    Sophia sighed. Why did he pretend to be a
fool? She knew he was far from it. Sophia resisted the urge to roll
her eyes. “Before, when we were powerful and had no reflection at
all...how did we dress? How did we know what we looked like? It was
so long ago.”
    It was long ago, but Reginald recognized this
as another snub from his sister. She remembered. “Servants. Slaves.
Tell them to make you pretty. If they fail, kill them, and then
choose another.” He uncrossed his legs and sat forward in his
chair. “You act like it was so long ago that you can’t
remember.”
    “I’m not sure I do remember everything,” she
said, still primping, while she could make out her fading image in
the mirror.
    “Come now, sister. Good blood should draw
memories back, not exile them completely.” When Sophia didn’t
answer he looked over at her. She continued to fuss with the curl,
trying to drape it over her shoulder with the other cascading dark
locks.
    Reggie wondered if she really couldn’t
remember, if it wasn’t an act. As he watched his sister primp and
fuss, he wondered why. Was there a reason she hadn’t obtained her
former power? Was the girl too defiant to be fed from? Something
was wrong with her, otherwise his sister would have devoured more
blood by now. Those who don’t grab power while it’s within their
grasp don’t live to see the sunrise, and yet, Sophia was sitting
like she had all the time in the world. There was only one
explanation for it in his mind—something was wrong with