If I were to receive a secret of royal proportions…
I smiled with genuine delight as I flopped down on the crème-colored lounge chair and tucked my legs up under me. I tapped the edge of the envelope on my right knee, my grin never fading.
Knowledge was everything.
And I was about to learn a real secret held closely to the crown. I would hold it dear and never speak of it to anyone. Not even Adelie. I wouldn’t fail this Challenge.
With careful fingers, I opened the letter.
The wax cracked with a sharp snap, little red flakes falling onto my lap, dusting my black robe with the royal seal. With two fingers, I pulled the thick paper out of the envelope. I gazed at it as I held it before me, my brows lifting in surprise as I read the contents.
It was indeed the next Challenge.
But I was foolish to believe the secret would be told through a letter. The Council would never operate that way with delicate information—where anyone could steal a simple missive and read it. No, I was to meet the eldest lord in his private chambers for this one. The words would be spoken in a quiet setting.
I nibbled on my bottom lip as I set the letter aside.
Lord Belshazzar was ancient.
It was one thing to deal with him while the other lords were around and in the public eye, but another entirely to speak with him alone in a secluded location.
Every aspect of the ancient one was deadly.
From his looks. To his personality.
To his charm. To his power.
Out of all the lords, he frightened me the most.
The man had plans within plans within plans.
Within evenmoreplans…
Every word he spoke had meaning.
Why? Because he planned everything he said, too.
Lord Belshazzar was conniving and dominant and potent to everything he touched—whether it be a new law, a kind word, the swing of his blade, an arch of his brow, or his fangs ripping out a throat.Everything he did was pure power.The entire vampire world knew it. Hell, all the druids knew it. The Original druid was even intimated by him. While the lord had ruled as king, absolutely none had tried to pull one over on him—because he had beat them to it.
He was a ruler no one had seen coming.
And they never forgot him.
The man was that good. And old.
I wondered vaguely how old he actually was.
There was no literature on that. Anywhere.
I attempted to swallow down my nerves and stood up, brushing off the tiny flakes of wax onto the floor. I watched each one flutter to the thick carpeting, and as they did, I calmed myself.
The lord is scary-ass-frightening…
But I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want me to be.
That was powerful in itself.
Though, I would keep my smartass nature in check.
