“A change—” Volencia laughed, the sound like glass breaking. “A change instrategy? You were given explicit instructions. The sacrifice was non-negotiable. And now all of us who sit assembled haveourpower threatened andourpolitical surety shaken because ofyourimpudence.”
“And yet…” Raziel gestured vaguely toward Nadi. “Here we are with a far more valuable asset than a momentary blood rite to some distant, upstart local gang lord with dreams of grandeur. This momentary upheaval from the Toths and the Rosovs can be dealt with in the same manner we always have, and you know it.” He waved a hand dismissively. “By maneuvering or violence, they will fall in line. She is something far more rare and worth purchasing at any price.”
Volencia’s eyes narrowed, and Nadi felt the weight of her scrutiny like a physical pressure. “Step forward, girl.”
Nadi moved one pace ahead of Raziel, lifting her gaze to meet Volencia’s. She had practiced this moment in her mind—not too defiant, not too meek. A balance of respect and strength.
“You were human mere days ago,” Volencia said. “Now you stand before the Nostrom council as one of us. For the time being, at any rate. If we deem you unworthy, your severed headwill be placed upon a stake as recompense for the broken rite of sacrifice. So I will begin with this question. How do you find your new existence?”
A direct question. Permission to speak.
“Overwhelming, Lady Volencia.” Nadi’s voice was soft but clear. “But I am…grateful and honored for the opportunity to serve the family in this new capacity.”
The vampire matriarch studied her for a long moment. “And how exactly do you imagine you will serve us?”
“However I am directed, my lady.” Nadi lowered her eyes again, with a gesture of submission that twisted a knife deep in her soul. Raziel might be the only one who understood what that sentence cost her. But even still, he might not.
Mael shifted in his seat, drawing attention. His golden eyes flicked over Nadi with an expression that might have been concern, might have been calculation. “She seems to have adjusted remarkably well. Most fledglings can barely form coherent sentences so soon after turning. If she has adapted so well this quickly…he may not be lying about her capabilities and strength.”
Raziel’s expression revealed nothing, but Nadi felt the tension in him ratchet higher. “Monica has always been exceptional. That was the reason I kept her.”
“Exceptional,” Lana repeated, her tone making the word an accusation. “Yes, we’ve noticed her…exceptionalqualities.”
Volencia raised a hand, silencing her daughter. “The council has not gathered to discuss the girl’s physical appearance or the merits thereof. We are here to address the consequences of your actions, Raziel.”
She stood, and the entire room seemed to hold its breath. Even Nadi felt the instinctive urge to freeze.
“The sacrifice at the ancestral estate is not merely tradition,” Volencia continued. “It is a demonstration of power. A signal toall vampire clans that the Nostroms maintain the old ways and the strength they represent. The strengthwerepresent.”
She began to pace, her movements deliberate and graceful. “By failing to complete the sacrifice, you have significantly weakened our political standing. The Rosov family, in particular, has taken note.”
“The Rosovs are opportunists,” Raziel countered. “They’ve been looking for any excuse?—”
“Silence!” Volencia snapped. “You do not interrupt me in my own council chamber. Not after what you’ve done.”
Raziel’s jaw tightened, but he bowed his head.
“The Rosovs control the eastern quarter of the metropolis,” Volencia continued, addressing the entire council now. “They’ve been encroaching on our territory for decades, but this? This display of weakness has emboldened them. Braen Rosov has already reached out to three families that we once called allies, suggesting that perhaps the Nostroms no longer have the strength to protect their interests. If we do not act,and act quickly,we will lose a large portion of the city we control and be cut off from our supply of the drugs that we gather from below to fund our operations.”
Murmuring filled the chamber, concerns passing from mouth to ear in a wave of disquiet.
“However,” Volencia raised her voice slightly, silencing the whispers, “the situation is not beyond salvaging.”
She nodded to Lana, who rose to stand beside her mother.
“My daughter has offered a solution.” Volencia’s pride was evident in the slight softening of her expression. “One that will not only repair the damage done but potentially strengthen our position beyond what it was before.”
Lana stepped forward, her sequined dress catching the light with each movement. “I will marry Zabriel Rosov.”
Gasps echoed through the chamber. Nadi kept her face carefully blank, but internally she was reassessing everything. This was no minor territory squabble—this was a major power shift in the metropolis.
“A marriage alliance?” One of the elder council members shook his head. “The Rosovs have refused such arrangements for centuries.”
“Zabriel is more…progressive than his siblings,” Lana replied, her smile enigmatic. “He understands that our families have more to gain from cooperation than conflict.”
Nadi didn’t miss the flash of calculation in Lana’s eyes. There was more to this arrangement than she was revealing. Nadi tried to think what she knew about Zabriel Rosov. Only that he was the second of the four children. Braen was the eldest, followed by Zabriel, and then his two sisters, Nabrisi and Asha. Braen and Nabrisi both had reputations for being brutal and cruel in their own unique ways—for making peopledisappear.But there was little to nothing known about Zabriel and Asha. That in and of itself made them likely the more dangerous of the four siblings.
Panic started to buzz in the back of Nadi’s mind. But she had too little to act on. There was nothing she could do to stop the trainwreck happening in front of her.
