It’s on purpose. He wants me to do something. And fuck, I want to.
Helma, give me strength.
Aurelia was somewhere in the palace. I could feelher. My magic was searching, reaching out to her, but it could only spread so far.
I was still angry at her for leaving in the middle of the night. Even more so for the stupid stunt she was about to pull. I had been on my way to save Vesper when alarms went off and Atlas’s people pulled me back into the clan.
I had gotten an earful from the vampire who thought I had stolen the princess. Imagine my surprise when she told me Aurelia wasnotback in bed like I thought she was but already on her way to the Castle palace to meet with her brother.
The entire time all I could think was…how could she? How could she just up and leave us?
Leaveme?
And now I was stuck with an egomaniac vampire who was dragging me around to every corner of the earth to try and get Aurelia backand feeling useless.
Atlas shifted in her seat and swirled the cup of blood in her hand.
“Don’t worry,” she murmured. “She’s well trained.”
Fuck, I’m going to kill this vampire.
We needed Vesper for this. I wanted to go to her first, knowing there was no way Aurelia’s brother would let his sister go. Not when she had offered herself up so prettily to him.
Unfortunately, or fortunately enough, as long as she was of value to him, she wouldn’t be harmed.
Vesper, on the other hand…
Adrian smiled at Atlas. A playful smile that told me he was having the time of his life watching both of us shrink under his gaze.
He thought he was above us. It was clear in the way he did everything. His chin propped on his hand. The permanent smirk. The way he was so casually spread out on the chair in front of us when I was forced to stand at the vampire’s side.
“Atlas Nox,” he finally said with an amused tone. “Are you here to offer my sister your hand in marriage?”
The rumor that she was getting married spread across the continent like wildfire. Every day, Atlas forced us to sit through an update on the current proposals.
Last I checked, there were fifty-six, and each new name made my blood boil.
“I am,” Atlas replied noncommittally, though I knew she was freaking out inside. I had come to know the vampire more and more over the last few weeks, and she cared about Aurelia more than I originally thought.
Something I was none too happy about.
Though I should have known it from the moment she showed up to “help,” it was more than obvious now that said help extended to Aurelia and Aurelia only.
“Well, that’s a waste,” Adrian said as he stood from his chair, running his hand down his long fur cape. “She already said no. Maybe I would have considered forcing her if you’d come the other day to declare your loyalty, but sadly, you were absent.”
I had urged Atlas to come, but she wouldn’t, saying it could be a trap. Though I couldn’t see how sitting across from him right now in his own palace while his guards watched us was safer.
My eyes went to the door. There was a vampire standing there, watching us.
The one that killed Levana.
He gave me a smile and waved his fingers at me.
Bastard.
Atlas raised a brow. “No? Vampires all over have been vying for my hand in marriage for decades. Marrying me would give her all the power in the?—”
“She said no.” Adrian cut her off and motioned her away. “End of story.”
