The buzzing of my doorbell had me slithering off the stool and opening the front door.
“Are you ready forv-a-c-a-t-i-o-n?” Hannah singsonged.
I shifted my gaze from her to her husband Mark, who looked as exhausted as I was.
“You have no one to blame but yourself, Mark. You married a morning person.”
He hummed. “Come on, let’s get your bags and go.”
The ride to the airport was pleasant because no sane person was up at this hour. We got through TSA in ten minutes—which was amazing—and that meant we had way too much time on our hands. Our flight wouldn’t arrive for another hour.
“Oh, lookie!” Hannah thrust a magazine in my face. “Prince Julian Davaros is doing an island tour for a whole month. Maybe we’ll get a glimpse of the heir apparent while we’re there.”
Prince Julian Davaros was on the front cover ofRoyalty Magazine, and he was gorgeous. Truly. His dark-blond hair was swept back away from his face, his gray eyes in shadow against the light, and he wore a black tuxedo. The man stared at the camera like it was prey and he was the predator, and the power emanating off him in the photo sent a shiver up my spine.
“I’d probably stumble and accidentally shove him into oncoming traffic if I met him.” I snorted.
Hannah giggled. “Hey, you only tripped twice in the airport. That’s progress.”
I was clumsy, no way around it. There wasn’t anything wrong with me medically, I just…okay, my head got lost in the clouds sometimes and I’d been diagnosed with ADHD in high school, so that could have something to do with it.
I needed my brain and my body to get organized. I’d tried meds, and they helped, but at the end of the day my ADHD brain was gonna do whatever the hell it wanted. I just had to hold on for the ride and keep the casualties low in the process.
“Oh!” Hannah smacked my arm. “That’s our flight!”
I hadn’t heard the announcement nor felt the notification on my phone. This was why I couldn’t travel alone; I’d either miss my flight or end up on the wrong one.
My carry-on in hand, I followed Mark and Hannah to the gate. Excitement bubbled in my stomach as I walked through the sky bridge toward the airplane. This was going to be a trip of a lifetime. Memories would be made and dreams fulfilled. I couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER TWO
Julian
The vibrant fearthat shone so brightly in his eyes moments before had begun to dim. My face, inches from his, sucked in his final breaths through shaking lips. I tightened the rope slightly, and he released a gurgle that was music to my ears. The whites of his eyes started to flood with red, and I was mesmerized by the art of it all. Even the stench of his defecation couldn’t ruin this for me.
His rigid body sagged, eyes unseeing, all breath gone. I kept the rope tightly wrapped around his neck, making sure every speck of life was drained from him.
Many years ago, on my first kill, I hadn’t kept the rope on long enough and a minute after I’d thought they were gone, there’d been a gasp. Now, I’d perfected my technique. I lay atop the naked corpse, rope taut, and waited. At the four-minute mark, I relaxed my gloved hands and stood.
I hovered over him and removed my coveralls that were littered with his DNA, blood, and urine. I dropped it onto his carcass and wrapped him in the tarp he was lying on. Lifting himwas the hardest part, but it was why I worked out as much as I did. The crematorium owned by the royal family was only ten feet from me, so I tossed him in and fired it up.
My skin was covered in sweat, my blood was pumping, and a small spark of joy ignited inside me just from watching this man’s corpse perish in the flames. It was the only time I truly felt anything, when I’d taken a person’s breath from them.
I knew someone would come and deal with the ashes, so I grabbed the robe that had been left on the hook for me and headed up to my room to shower.
My tour of the islands began tomorrow, so I had the evening to relax. Well, if you called having dinner with my entire family relaxing.
I didn’t have to dress formally, but a certain dress code was required. I slipped on a fitted gray button-down shirt with black slacks. My jacket matched the pants, and I finished the ensemble with a pair of loafers. Everything was high quality and well fitted. It was how Mother always wanted us to look for family dinners, and so I complied.
My watch indicated that I had five minutes to make it to the dining hall, and I’d make it in three. I took the stairs instead of the elevator—I was young, I had time, and I despised feeling confined.
Staff were all around, some skittering off quickly once they saw me and others bowing, many not making eye contact. They feared me, most not understanding why—just a feeling, I supposed. Only my family, the butler, and my private head of security knew of my special proclivities. If any staff or anyone outside of my family were to uncover the truth, well, they’d simply become my next breath.
The double doors were opened for me upon approach, and I stepped into the hall. Everyone but my sister was there already.
Father and Mother were at each end of the table. August sat closer to my father while Felipe was near my mother. I’d sit beside my father as well, and as soon as Grace arrived she’d be near Mother. It didn’t make a gap because the table was adjusted when we didn’t have company.
“Good evening,” I said as I pulled out my chair and sat and at that moment, Grace rushed into the room.
