The Vampire Heir

by Juliana Haygert

  Drake snarled, jerking against the heavy chains around his wrists. “Leave her out of this.”

  “But why? It’s so much fun.” He glanced at me again. “We could have so much fun.”

  I ignored his ridiculous advances. “Why are you arresting him? I thought you were still investigating the case.”

  Another prince stepped to Alex’s side and leered at me. “We were, but we caught Prince Drake red handed.”

  “W-what?”

  The prince gestured to the mess behind him.

  I gasped as I finally made out what was on the ground. The body of another prince, deep wounds in his shoulders and chest, and dark red blood pooling underneath him. Another one pinned to the wall, but this one hadn’t been as lucky as Drake.

  I swallowed the bile rising to my throat. “What makes you think Drake did it?”

  Another prince started, “Because—”

  “We don’t owe explanations to a pet,” Alex snapped. “If I were you, I would step back before we charge you too.”

  I clenched my fists, ready to argue more, but when my eyes connected with Drake’s, so desolate, so worried, I clamped my mouth shut and stepped back.

  Thomas and I stayed to the side, almost out of sight, while Prince Alex laughed his ass off, gloating that he had finally caught the killer and would now avenge his lord.

  “What do they mean?” I asked Thomas in a low voice. The vampires could probably hear us, but I didn’t care.

  “I think … I think it means Prince Drake is going to be judged and, depending on the sentence, executed.”

  The air fled my lungs and I had to lean against the wall to stay upright. He couldn’t be executed. He wasn’t the killer; I was sure of that. But how could I prove it?

  Alex and the others dragged Drake down the hallway while Thomas and I watched. I wanted to reach for him, to tell him I would find a way to save him, to tell him how I really felt about him before it was too late.

  Drake kept his head high and his gaze straight ahead, but as he walked past me and didn’t even glance my way once, a pang cut through my heart.

  I knew he was only trying to protect me, but it still hurt.

  Thomas had to drag me back to Drake’s quarters, because I was too numb to move.

  Once Thomas closed the doors behind us, the numbness faded and a current of electricity coursed through me. My muscles trembled and I felt restless.

  “We have to do something,” I said, pacing the living room.

  “I agree, but what?” Thomas wondered. “We’re simply blood slaves. Everything we say, every request we make, the princes will laugh at us.” He paused, his brows furrowing. “And now that Prince Drake is gone, who knows what will happen to us.”

  I halted, pointing a finger right at his nose. “Drake isn’t gone! Not yet.” I sighed and resumed pacing. “There must be something we can do.”

  I racked my brain for an alternative, but nothing came up. I was a weak witch locked inside a hostile vampire castle. If I dared step foot outside Drake’s chambers again, there was no telling what could happen to me. Unless I found out where the heart was and retrieved it, I couldn’t see a way to save Drake—or myself.

  Tears filled my eyes and, feeling hopeless, I sank on the couch.

  “I might have an idea,” Thomas said at last.

  I perked up, but only a little. I didn’t want to hope. “What?”

  “It’s not about freeing Drake, but I think I can get to him in the dungeons.”

  I would do anything to see Drake again. “What?”

  “I’ll be right back.” Thomas disappeared through the door leading to the small kitchen. There was a small door there leading to a long and narrow staircase, which wound down to the big kitchen under the castle.

  At first, I was stunned Thomas had dropped that bomb then left me to my own thoughts, but while he was gone, I thought about the night before, when Drake had been the one pinned to the wall. Someone had sneaked into his quarters, and if the guards outside hadn’t been bribed to let someone come in, then maybe the culprit had come in through the kitchen. I knew there were locks on the door up the stairs and the one at the bottom, but what were locks to a vampire?

  I didn’t know anymore.

  Finally, after an eternity, Thomas came back, panting. “I got it.”

  I rose to my feet. “You got what?”

  “We can get to the dungeons.” He beckoned me to follow him. “Come on.”

  I didn’t think twice. Actually, I didn’t think at all. I followed Thomas down the dark, winding stairs, my heart racing with anticipation.

  “How?” I asked as we went down. I knew he would understand my question.

  “The cook likes me, and she has a relationship with one of the dungeon guards,” he said. “I remembered her telling me how much her vampire admires Drake and wants him to take over for Lord Reynard. So, I asked her to ask him to let us sneak in.”

  My heart raced at the prospect of creeping into a dungeon heavily guarded by vampires, but more than that, at the prospect of seeing Drake again.

  Pure gratitude filled my chest. “Thank you,” I said, my voice breaking.

  Thomas stopped and glanced at me, half of his face covered by the shadows in the stairwell. “I confess … at first, I hated you. You seemed like a spoiled woman who would put my prince in danger. But then, you changed, and he changed.” He offered me a half smile. “Despite everything, I think you’re bringing our Prince Drake to his full potential.” His expression darkened. “Now, if we can find a way of saving him …”

  I didn’t answer, because I had no idea how to save him. Right now, my only hope was to find the heart of my coven, but how could I do that if I couldn’t—shouldn’t—walk around the castle while Drake was imprisoned?

  One problem at a time. Right now, I needed to talk to Drake.

  Thomas led me to a huge, industrial kitchen with six people—all humans—working and cooking as if there were no tomorrow. One of the cooks, a girl who didn’t look much older than I did, approached Thomas and me.

  “I’m in the middle of something,” she said in a low voice. “Go outside and wait for me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Without a word, Thomas led me to the hallway outside the kitchen. It was simpler than the rest of the castle, the floor rougher, the walls barer, as if this place wasn’t meant for guests.

  While waiting, I fidgeted with the straps of my dress, the nervousness in me eating my insides and making me crazy. Thomas didn’t look much better as he paced in front of me, biting his nails.

  Over half hour later, the girl joined us outside.

  “Sorry,” she said, her tone still low. “I had to finish a dish before taking a break.” She glanced around. “Come with me.”

  I was probably crazy for following strangers into dark corridors, but what choice did I have? Thomas seemed to trust her and I knew Drake trusted Thomas. After turning a few corridors and passing a few doors, we followed the human girl down another dark staircase.

  She knocked on the thick wooden door at the end of the stairs and waited.

  A minute later, the grinding of locks turning echoed around us.

  A vampire with pale skin and dark eyes greeted us. “Come quick,” he said in hushed tones. “We don’t have much time.”

  Once more, I didn’t question it. I only followed.

  For all I knew, they could very well be leading me to the dungeons to imprison me, or to some kind of vacant basement, where they could kill me and I would never be found.

  Still, I followed them, because they were my only hope of seeing Drake again.

  We crossed a long, narrow corridor with many thick wooden doors, reinforced with metal bars, until we halted in front of the last one, at the end of the corridor. This door was even thicker than the others, with more steel bars running across it—vertically and horizontally.

  The vampire drew a ring full of keys from his pocket and unlocked the several locks securing the doo
r. He glanced to the other side of the corridor, then at me. “The other guards are patrolling the other levels,” he said. “They will be back soon. Be quick.”

  My heart hammered in my chest when I stepped into the dark, damp cell and magic sizzled around me—this place was reinforced with a witch’s magic. The light coming from the half open door behind did little to illuminate the interior, but even I could see Drake kneeling in the back of the cell. Shackles bound his neck, wrists, and ankles to the stone wall. His shoulders were sagged, his head lolled to his chest. I had never seen Drake like this.

  Tears burned the back of my eyes.

  Drake lifted his head, his eyes wide, and the light showed me the already healing bruises on his face. “What are you doing here?”

  I pushed the tears back down and knelt in front of him. “I had to see you.” I cupped his face, careful not to touch any bruise, and he leaned into my palm. “Are you okay? I mean …”

  “I know what you mean,” he said. “I’m okay. For now. But it seems someone is trying to either kill me or get me killed by framing me, so I don’t think I’ll be okay for long.”

  “What happened? Why were you arrested?”

  “I was restless last night and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I decided to do something. I went to Reynard’s office to search for some clue about where the heart of your coven is hidden.”

  Pride filled my chest. “Oh, Drake …”

  “Prince Albert found me in the office. He told me Alex is trying to buy the other princes, so they will side with him and I would be charged faster. After talking a little more, we both left the office, but I went back, because I had found something.”

  I perked up at that. “You did?”

  “Reynard kept journals and I found interesting information there, so I went back for the journal, but then I found Albert pinned to the wall right outside Reynard’s office.”

  My hand flew to my mouth. “No …”

  “A second later, guards arrived, followed by Alex and a couple of other princes. They all saw me standing in front of Albert. I was in shock, but Alex was quick to say I had done it.”

  “And the others believed him.”

  He nodded. “They did.”

  I groaned. “Ugh, if I ever find the coven’s heart, I’ll make sure to teach Alex a lesson.”

  Drake offered me a weak smile. “I would like to see that.” Then, his smile was gone. “In his diary, Reynard doesn’t mention where he hid the heart, but he does mention a place where he kept all his treasures. I had planned on reading more of the journal once I had it safe with me back in my chambers, to see if he detailed more of the place and how to get there, but since my plan was derailed …” He exhaled through his nose.

  “But tell me what you know,” I urged him. “If I can make sense of it and find the heart, I can restore my power, and then I can come back for you. We’ll set things right.”

  A soft knock on the wall made me jump. “Guards are coming,” the vampire guard said. “Let’s go.”

  Drake held my hands in his. “There’s a hidden passage underneath the dungeons, a long staircase that leads deep into the earth and to this treasure room. That’s all I know.” He squeezed my hand. “Please, Thea, be careful.”

  I leaned into him. “Have some faith in me.”

  “I do. I don’t have faith in the other people living in this castle.”

  The knock came again. “Hurry!”

  Drake tugged my hand and arm until I practically fell on top of him. He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me hard and deep and fast. “Go.”

  Dizzy from the kiss, I stumbled to my feet. A hand closed around my arm and yanked me out of the cell before I could say a proper goodbye to Drake.

  The door closed with a finite thud, and the vampire guard pulled me into an empty cell in the middle of the hallway. He covered me with a spare blanket that was lying on the dirty ground, its foul scent burning my nostrils, but I understood what he was doing—masking my scent so the other guards wouldn’t find me.

  Footsteps echoed through the hallway. Once they were faint again, the guard grabbed my arm again and led me out of the dungeons.

  “Go now,” he whispered.

  “Thank you,” I whispered back.

  He nodded then closed the door between us.

  A wave of determination coursed through my veins as I ran back the way I had come. I enjoyed feeling like this, as if I had a plan and could follow it and win. Because there was no other choice. I had to win.

  24

  Drake

  I had felt hopeless before Thea showed up in my cell. Now, I was worried. Because of me, she was about to roam the castle, close to the dungeons, to find the heart of her coven.

  If only I could get free and help her, buy her some time.

  I jerked against the chains holding me to the wall. I hadn’t tried yet, but I was sure I could break free of the chains. However, I could do nothing about the walls and the door. Once the locks fell in, magic enveloped the cell, making it impossible to break through, even with my strength.

  A pair of guards unlocked the door and stepped inside the cell. Without a word, they unchained me from the wall and held on to the chains. I wanted to ask where I was being taken, but I didn’t want to look curious or worried. Besides, I had a good idea where I was going.

  Outside the cell, four guards, all armed with long spears, flanked me. Another four guards joined us outside the dungeons. It seemed the others were worried I was going to attempt to escape if they thought it was necessary to send ten guards to retrieve me.

  Ten guards. I glanced at them from the corner of my eyes. They were mostly young vampires, not even a hundred years old. I could easily take down half of them. I might struggle against the other half, but I was sure I could win this round.

  Without ceremony, I was pushed in the courtroom, where Sarki, the princes, and half of the vampire residents of the castle were seated in high chairs, looking down at me.

  I stood in the middle of what felt like a stage—because everything that was about to happen would certainly be as entertaining as going to the theater. To make the show better, the guards hooked my chains to the stone floor, as if I couldn’t break through those either.

  My chest trembled, but I forced a lungful of air in, willing my breathing to remain calm. I wouldn’t let them see how this bothered me, how I hated being in chains in front of everyone. Up until a few hours ago, most of these vampires looked up to me, and now I was being dragged and tied like a wild animal ready for the butcher.

  Dressed in a fine black suit with the silver cross pin secured to the lapel, Alex rose to his feet, a rolled parchment in his hands.

  He started his speech formally addressing all the vampires, as he had done many, many times before. The only difference was that never before had a prince stood where I was now.

  With long gestures and unnecessary waves of his arms, Alex unrolled the parchment. “Prince Drake DuMoir, you’re accused of killing Lord Reynard DuMoir and his personal guards, and Prince Albert DuMoir.” I pressed my lips tight before I could bark back. It wouldn’t do me any good. He turned to the others, making a big show of it all. “Guards saw Prince Drake entering Lord Reynard’s office earlier tonight, followed by Prince Albert. According to the guards, Prince Drake and Prince Albert argued about their plans to take over after having killed Lord Reynard. Apparently, Prince Albert supported Prince Drake at first, but when Prince Albert decided he wanted to take over, Prince Drake retaliated.” I clenched my fists and closed my eyes, willing myself to remain calm, to stay cool. “Prince Drake killed Prince Albert the same way he killed Lord Reynard.”

  Murmurs started around the room. Most of the vampires were hearing the facts for the first time. Hell, I was hearing it all for the first time.

  Bastard.

  “Is there anything else?” Sarki asked, her voice steady.

  Her eyes met mine and I thought I could read what was going on in her mind. If she opened her m
outh and told them she had saw me after I was attacked the same way Lord Reynard and Prince Albert had been, I would be quickly discarded as a suspect. But then there would be another problem to worry about: how did I survive the attack? Eventually, the princes would connect the dots and find out about Thea, about how she healed me, and why she was in the castle.

  And I couldn’t let that happen, and she knew that.

  Besides, I doubted Alex would let me off the hook that easily. He would spin another tale in matter of seconds just to incriminate me, no matter what.

  “Yes,” Alex said, eyeing the parchment. “In fact, we recently learned Prince Drake has been conspiring against Lord Reynard for a few decades.”

  I snarled. “That’s a lie!” I clamped my mouth shut before I said more. If I lost my temper now, things would only get worse.

  “Is it?” Alex grinned, a bright, victorious twist of his lips that made me dizzy. “What’s all this, then?” One of his lackeys dropped a stack of leather bound books on the table in front of him. Alex picked up the first one. “Look here.” He opened the book. Inside, the pages had been swapped with handwritten ones. “These are Prince Drake’s journals. He hides them inside normal books so they won’t be easily found. But we found them. In these books, Prince Drake describes his hate for Lord Reynard in detail and all of his thwarted plans to kill him over the centuries.”

  “I never wrote those!” I yelled.

  “Then how come it’s your handwriting?” Alex asked.

  It couldn’t be. “I never wrote those,” I repeated.

  Sarki leaned over the journal and read a page. Her dark eyes widened and she stared at me. “It is your handwriting.”

  I jerked against the chains. “It can’t be. I never wrote anything like that!”

  “And yet, here it is,” Alex said, a triumphant tone to his words. “All the schemes, all the plots, all the failed attempts … And more. Prince Drake goes into great detail about his love for his human blood slaves, in particular the newest one.”

  A growl rumbled deep in my chest. “You leave her out of this.”