I pulled back, my stomach twisting, and stood, looking down at her.
“I will get the information my own way. If I have a chance, I will save him. But that is not my focus right now.”
Her smile never wavered.
“Go on now, sweet witch. Your lovers are getting impatient.”
I bowed my head and turned to leave, but she gave me one last parting gift, her voice trailing after me.
“If you change your mind, the orb will be at your fingertips.”
I left the fake office building with a shiver running down my spine.
Maybe it’s time I leave the witches for good.
Aurelia
Cedar was keeping something from me. I could feel it in the way she averted her gaze.
Is she feeling guilty about something?
I prodded the bond, but nothing gave. Vesper was an open book with her emotions, but Cedar was getting better at hiding them from me.
I felt something happen when she went to deliver the body of the general, but we never got an answer from her. Days later, she hadn’t divulged anything.
Until now.
We were all gathered for a secret meeting with the other royals. Our numbers had almost tripled since the last one, with more and more people seeing just how crazed my brother was becoming.
The ploy with the general helped. Regardless of his twisted actions, Adrian’s reaction was extreme. Crazy even to some. And that scared people.
The unpredictability.
That was why the royals tolerated my father. While he might have been cruel to his own people—his daughter and wife included—he would never make waves. Not with the royals.
But my brother didn’t care about that. All he cared about was his own power, and the more powerful he became, the easier he was to snap at a moment’s notice.
My eyes shifted from vampire to vampire, taking in every single one of them. Their mannerisms. The small things they gave away when they thought people weren’t watching.
I had no idea if I could trust any of these people.
But I have to try.
We had moved from one permanently wet and smelly place to another, this time with a longer table that could house most of the heads. Their right hands stood behind them, brushing shoulders with the people they’d never dare be caught in a room with before.
I sat at the head, chess pieces spread out before me. The king and his bishop stood together, pawns surrounding them.
“Fredrick first,” I said and looked at the familiar face. It pleased me to no end that Dalia was able to convince her lover to join. She stood behind him, her true husband next to her. They were the first to call me out on my supposed loyalty to Adrian, so I knew they would be safe.
“We caught three seemingly rogue vampires canvassing the edges of our property last Saturday,” he said, his low tenor spreading through the tense room. “We didn’t know they held the Castle uniform and patch until after.”
I nodded.
“Any discernible features?”
He shook his head.
I knocked three pawns down.
