I crept through the hallways of the estate, ducking into rooms whenever I heard footsteps. The mansion was a maze of opulent rooms and darkened corridors. Paintings of vampires stared down from the walls, their eyes seeming to follow me.
Voices drifted from a partially open door ahead. I slowed, my back pressing against the wall as I inched closer.
I froze once I was close enough, barely daring to breathe as the voices inside grew clearer.
“Taylor is growing impatient.” The unfamiliar voice held anote of caution. “He wants to enact the full range of plans immediately.”
My brow furrowed. Taylor? Who the hell was Taylor?
“Taylor will have to wait like the rest of us.” Valentino’s voice was dismissive. “These things cannot be rushed.”
“With all due respect, my lord, he’s becoming more... insistent.”
A heavy silence filled the room, and I imagined Valentino fixing the man with one of his bone-chilling stares.
“How many are we up to?” Valentino’s question broke the quiet.
“We hit a small village of fire demons last night. That puts us at approximately two hundred and fifty.”
My stomach lurched. Two hundred and fifty what? People? Prisoners?
“We need more.” Valentino’s voice hardened. “Double the effort. I want at least five hundred before I allow him to move forward.”
“My lord, if I may... are you certain you’re going about this the right way? Vacants aren’t meant to be controlled.”
Vacants?
My blood ran cold. Two hundred and fifty vacants? They had an army of soulless demons, drained of their light?
“How else do you suggest I keep the crown once it’s upon my head?” Valentino’s question slithered through the air like a venomous snake. “Power requires sacrifice.”
“Of course, my lord.” The man’s voice trembled slightly. “I have concerns about Taylor. He seems a bit... unstable. And now that Reve has renounced, he is the rightful heir.”
My heart nearly stopped. Taylor Luna? Sammy’s brother? The one who’d been presumed dead?
“Your concerns are noted and unnecessary. A blood oath keeps him in line. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. We both get what we want.”
My mind raced. If Taylor was alive and working with Valentino to help him become king... what did he want? What did he want badly enough to give up his birthright and commit such a heinous crime?
An approaching servant sent me scurrying across the hall as he knocked and waited before stepping into the room. “My lord, the meal is nearly ready. Would you like it served in the dining room?”
“The dining room will be fine. Set a place for my son.”
I didn’t wait to hear more.
If Valentino was plotting to take the throne and Taylor Luna was involved, Val might be the only one who could help us—assuming he wasn’t part of the conspiracy.
I slipped through the estate, checking rooms and dodging servants. Most of the bedrooms were empty and immaculately kept, with beds that looked untouched. I was beginning to lose hope when I walked through a door at the end of a darkened hallway and froze.
Val was sprawled across a massive four-poster bed. His normally perfect hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his skin had a grayish tinge.
He didn’t stir as I moved closer. His eyes were tightly shut, and his face was contorted in pain.
“V-Val?” My voice was barely a whisper.
No response.
I reached out, my hand hovering over his shoulder. Should I try to wake him? What if he was loyal to his father? What if he’d been playing Sammy all along?
