Alex gestured toward me. “See? The mere mention of his latest pet gets him agitated.”
I took a long, shaky breath, before continuing. “I don’t know how you have my handwriting—magic, perhaps?—but all those entries? I’m sure they are yours. You’re the one who took the longest to become a prince out of all of us. You’re the one who was always on your knees begging for Lord Reynard’s attention. You’re the one who always tried to gain advantage over other princes. Perhaps you were tired of groveling and not getting any attention and decided to take action. You killed Lord Reynard so you could become lord of the castle!”
Whispers filled the room.
Something like anger flashed in Alex’s eyes before he composed himself and scoffed at me. “And how do you explain Prince Albert’s death?”
“You killed him because you saw us talking in Lord Reynard’s office. Since you had missed killing me the night before—” Gasps echoed around us. “That’s right. Prince Alex invaded my chambers in the middle of the night and pinned me to wall and staked my heart, the same way he did with Lord Reynard and Prince Albert.”
“That’s a lie!” Alex protested.
“H-how are you alive?” Prince Dorian asked.
“He missed my heart by a mere inch,” I explained. “Since he missed killing me, he staged Prince Albert’s death to frame me.”
“How dare you!” Alex snarled. “Prince Albert was like a brother to me.”
“He was afraid of you,” I said. “He told me you tried buying him to your side. You even threatened him.” I looked out to rest of the vampires in the room. “I bet Prince Alex already bought at least half of you all.”
I stared at Gray and Phelps—I knew why they were quiet, why they weren’t helping me out here. Because they thought it was all lost. I had lost. And they didn’t want to be dragged down with me.
“That’s insane!” Alex snapped.
“Prince Drake, you’re making serious accusations here,” Prince Dorian spoke out, his tone somber.
“It’s the truth,” I objected. “I didn’t kill Lord Reynard or Prince Albert. I would never do something like that.”
A commotion started on the back of the room and soon a guard rushed forward, something in his hands.
He halted before Alex and Dorian, said something, and handed a small package to them. He bowed, and then returned to his position near the door.
The room was in complete silence as Alex and Dorian examined whatever the guard had handed them.
With stark eyes, Alex fished an item from inside the small leather pouch and lifted it high. A vial with a black liquid. “Vervain mixed with Devil’s Touch. Enough to kill a strong vampire.”
Vervain? Devil’s Touch? The two herbs were rare and hard to secure.
Sarki’s brows jumped to her forehead. “Where did you find that?”
“The guards found it hidden in the inside pocket of Prince Drake’s jacket.”
“That’s not mine!” I shouted. Shit. I had forgotten my damn jacket inside Reynard’s office. “You took my jacket from Lord Reynard’s office after arresting me for Prince Albert’s death. You put it there.”
Dorian shook his head. “This is too much, Prince Drake. You’ve gone too far.”
“That’s not mine!” I raged against the chains, breaking them from the hooks. “Alex is framing me, don’t you see?”
Alex pointed a finger at me. “Restrain him!”
In the blink of an eye, the ten guards surrounded me, their spears and swords pointed at my chest. I still thought I could take them, but I couldn’t take all of the vampires in the room alone.
I stilled, my breathing shallow.
The whispers were back, louder this time.
“Prince Drake,” Dorian spoke up, silencing the room. “You’re hereby found guilty for the deaths of Lord Reynard and Prince Albert, and also for plotting to kill other vampires and to take over the castle.” He paused. I closed my eyes as if I could avoid hearing the next words. “You’ll be executed before dawn.”
25
Thea
Back in Drake’s quarters, I didn’t waste time. I changed from the dress I had been wearing to jeans, a tee, and boots. Next, I picked up the dagger hidden under Drake’s pillow and tucked it into my belt. Who knew how easy, or hard, it would be to find this hidden treasure room, and I wasn’t naive enough to think I wouldn’t run into any vampire while at it. My magic was almost all gone; I couldn’t count on it to protect me for long.
Thomas paced around the living room. “What can I do?” he asked for the twentieth time while I finished getting ready.
I had explained to him I needed to find something in order to help Drake, but I hadn’t gone into details. The less he knew, the better.
“Just stay here. Keep the doors locked. Hide if you have to.” I paused, realizing things could go sideways. “If I can’t find what I’m looking for, if Drake …” I sucked in a sharp breath, because I really didn’t want to think about it. “If something happens to Drake, you’ll be alone here. You need to find a way to get out of this castle.”
His eyes grew big. “B-but … I have nowhere to go.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Better lost outside than trapped in here like a slave. Promise me you’ll find a way out.”
“I-I promise,” he said, his voice breaking.
As much as I wanted to believe him, I really doubted he would take any action. If it came down to it, it was more likely Thomas would hide inside Drake’s chambers and hope he was left alone, rather than escaping.
If I could, I would have dragged him with me, but I was weak and lost as it was. I couldn’t risk taking him down with me.
“Be well,” I told him.
“Good luck,” he whispered.
My heart hammered as I took the stairs leading to the kitchen. Holy shit, I was going to sneak under the dungeons and try to find a hidden treasure room in a castle swarming with vampires who would rather drain me dry. And I had to hurry because I had no idea what was going on with Drake. I hoped whatever Alex’s plans were for him that they would take a while to carry out.
The kitchen was busy, but no human paid much attention to me as I slipped past them.
In the hallway, I held my breath and looked around, straining to hear any sound that would indicate someone was coming. When no sound reached my ears, I started moving, as fast and silent as I could, down the hallway, toward one of the dungeon’s entrances.
I was almost at the hidden entrance when I heard a loud growl coming from behind me.
Shit.
I turned and found Prince Alex staring me. First, desire flashed in his eyes, but when his gaze found the dagger hanging at my waist, his eyes darkened. “What do you think you’re doing?”
I took a step back, getting closer to the door. Realization hit me. If I went for the door now, he would simply come after me. It would be worse. I had to find a way to get away from him so he wouldn’t see where I was headed.
“Answer me, pet!”
I lifted my chin, defiant. I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. “I only answer to Prince Drake,” I said, knowing it would tick him off.
He let out another deep growl before lunging at me.
With a deep inhale, I summoned the little bit of magic left in me. The power coursed through my veins, warming my insides. I raised my hand and let it out.
A white spark flew from my palm and hit him square in the chest, flinging him back to the other end of the corridor, where he smacked against the archway and hit the stone wall and slid down to the ground.
He groaned, trying to recover. “Guards!” he yelled. I heard heavy footsteps advancing from another hallway. “Get her!” He pointed at me.
I stared at the archway, waiting. After what seemed an eternity, the archway shook, and the stones fell with loud thuds. Smoke filled the hallway.
I didn’t wait to see if the guards jumped over the fallen stones and ran through the smoke. I simply spun on my boots
and ran. I dashed into the first hidden entrance, cursing under my breath, and praying my plan worked and they didn’t see me.
Once the entrance closed behind me, I pulled out a small flashlight Thomas had given me from my pocket and turned it on.
I sucked in a long, steadying breath and moved.
This place was a labyrinth. Long corridors, winding down and down for what felt like forever.
My blood thundered in my ears each time I found more archways, bisected by corridors and stairs. How would I know which way to go? I could only guess and hope I was choosing the right one.
Much like I had done with the hedge maze in the gardens, I marked the way I was going, but this time, I drew tiny arrows on the stone walls every few feet with the dagger I had gotten from Drake.
Hours passed and I didn’t feel any closer to where I was supposed to go. And where the hell I was supposed to go? For all I knew, whatever Drake read in Lord Reynard’s journal had been lies. False entries so no one could find his beloved treasure room. If it even existed.
But as I was about to take a break, a faint light shone ahead. I hurried my steps, almost tripping down the stairs, until I was standing under a small archway and staring into a wide room that looked like the museum upstairs, though here the items were more obscure: a shelf full of vials with liquids of many colors, another shelf full of books and what looked like journals, pieces of broken furniture taking over a corner, a wall covered by all sorts of weapons and boxes—boxes of every size and shape.
My heart sped up.
This was it. Inside one of these boxes was the heart of my coven.
I had made it.
Eager, I zipped from box to box. Some were too big for the heart, others were too small; I didn’t even check them. Others were locked. I groaned each time I tried to open them and couldn’t. I would search all of them first, and if I still didn’t find the heart, I would go back to the locked ones. I kept going, examining the hundreds of boxes, my hope fading with each false lead.
Until I saw it.
A black box, just the right size, with ancient runes carved around its side. Witch runes.
That was it. This was the box, I was sure of it.
My heart threatened to jump out of my chest as I reached for it. My hands trembled as I tried the lid. To my surprise, I found it unlocked.
I flipped the lid open.
The air fled my lungs.
The box was empty.
26
Drake
Hours after being sentenced to death, Alex’s men, Ralf and Eden, came into my cell and played piñata with me. They hit me until I bruised and bled. Alex knew I wouldn’t dare retaliate now since it would make my situation worse, so he sent his goons to do his dirty work.
Piece of shit.
Later, servants came into my cell, accompanied by guards, and undressed me. They cleaned me with a big, dirty sponge. The quick bath cleaned most of the blood, but it did nothing to close or heal the open wound. After, they dressed me in all black—shirt, suit, tie, and shoes. They combed my hair and styled the longer strands back with what looked like hair gel. I was ready to attend my own funeral.
When the door opened again over an hour later, I thought it would be Alex to either gloat or take me to my death.
Instead, Sarki strolled in. As usual, she wore a long dark red gown, as if she were going to a party, not the courtroom where I would be killed.
She offered me a warm smile. “Ah, dear Drake.”
A thin streak of hope surged up in my chest. “Sarki. You’re the oracle. You have influence over the princes. You can help me. Please, make them see I’m innocent. That … or you have to help me escape.”
Her smiled faded, and a new dark shine fell over her eyes. “I can’t do that, Drake.”
“But I thought you wanted me to take Lord Reynard’s place.”
“I did, but things have gone sideways. You see, when I killed Reynard—” My breath caught. “—I was hoping to incriminate that insufferable Alex, but unfortunately, things spun out of my control and you’re taking his place.”
“W-what? You killed Lord Reynard?” It didn’t make sense. She had loved him. “But why?”
“Because I’m tired of just sitting on the sidelines and only be useful when visions come to me. For centuries, I’ve been standing here and looking pretty, when in fact I’m more powerful than you all!”
I shook my head. “This is crazy, Sarki, please, tell me you’re joking.”
Her brows slammed down, and I felt a ripple of her power rushed over me like an electric wave. I shuddered. “Reynard was a monster. A monster I had to pretend to love and look up too. I would have killed him long ago, if I had had the chance.”
“He wasn’t a monster …”
“He was! He killed your family! He killed my mother! He abducted me and raised me against my will! He kept me as a prisoner until I learned to behave! He didn’t care about anyone, only power.” She snorted. “Where’s his power now?”
Usually, I was quiet because that was me. I was a quiet man. But right now? Right now, I was speechless. I wanted to rage, to yell, to yank those chains and tie them around this half-witch’s neck and make her pay for having killed Lord Reynard and starting this huge mess.
My breath caught as I realized something. “What about me? Did you try to kill me?”
“No,” she said, sounding less crazy, less enraged. “I really like you, Drake. More than you’ll ever know. I wouldn’t have killed you. I think that was Alex, for once, trying to take advantage of the situation.”
“And Albert?”
“That was me, though you weren’t supposed to go back to Reynard’s office. I knew Alex was close by, and I wanted to draw him there and frame him instead.” She sighed as if annoyed with how I messed up her plans. She was insane. “But now there’s nothing I can do to save you. Unless …”
“What?” I asked. I would accept almost anything that could save right now. Almost. “Unless what?”
She approached me, strolling like a cat on the prowl. “Take me as your mate. If you do, then I’ll help you kill Alex and any other prince who opposes us, and we can rule Castle DuMoir together.”
I stared at her in horror and shock that she would suggest something like that. Or worse, that she thought I would accept her offer. “Never.”
She put her hand on her hips. “Is that because of your little pet? Are you in love with her?” I pressed my mouth tight, but my silence was answer enough. She gasped. “You are! You love her.”
“That’s none of your business,” I said with a bite.
“Oh, but it is.” She tilted her head. “One last chance to change your mind. Forget Thea and be my mate.”
“Never,” I snarled the word this time.
She tsked. “Then I have no choice but to kill Thea.” My blood became ice. “I’ll see you again before your execution to let you know your pet is dead.”
With a flip of her hair, Sarki spun around and sashayed out of my cell. The door closed with a loud thud, followed by the clicks of the locks falling into place.
I roared, jerking against the chains and breaking them once more.
I punched the walls and the doors, but with the magic imbued in them, they didn’t even budge, didn’t even make a sound.
With bloody fists, I knelt on the floor and screamed my rage and my frustration away.
27
Thea
I stared at the open box, the red velvet lining marked by the heavy weight of something that wasn’t there anymore.
The heart. Where was the damn heart?
I continued my previous task, opening all the boxes I could and searching for the heart, even though I knew, I felt, the damn heart had been in that other box—not long ago.
By all sacred things. This couldn’t be happening. It was so, so close, and yet so far away. Where could the damn heart be?
Tears sprung to my eyes, but I pushed them down. I didn’t have time for despair. If I cou
ldn’t find the heart, then I had to change tactics. Change objectives. Change quests. Damn my powers. I would have to save Drake with or without them.
I picked up Drake’s dagger and held it tight. I wasn’t the best fighter, but it was all I had.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to leave the room.
And froze.
Sarki walked into the room.
“Sarki?” I asked, taking a few steps toward her. “What happened? Where’s Drake?” Another thought came into my mind. “What are you doing here?”
She crept up to me, moving her hips more than necessary, a smile spreading over her red lips. “I’m here to take care of unfinished business.”
“What?” I gasped, sensing great power coming from her. How hadn’t I felt it before? I stared at her chest, stunned. “You have the heart.”
“Finally!” she spread her arms, as if present a big award. “Yes, the heart of your coven beats in my chest.”
I took a step back. “When did you figure it out?”
“That you came for the heart? I wasn’t sure at first, but after you healed Drake, I did some digging. It wasn’t easy.” She placed her hand over her heart. “But I’m powerful, you know.”
I frowned. “If you’re powerful, then why didn’t you heal Drake?”
“Why would I heal someone I was trying to get rid of?”
“You … you tried to kill Drake?” Realization downed on me. “Y-you killed Lord Reynard,” I whispered, more appalled by the second.
“And I can honestly say I enjoyed it. Shame it was so fast.”
“This doesn’t make sense.” I shook my head. “I thought you liked Drake.”
She tsked. “Drake was my favorite. I never wanted anything bad to happen to him. But he got in my way and started digging too deep. Soon, he would find out what I had done and I couldn’t let that happen, even if it pained me.”
I stared at her, disgusted. “You’re insane.”
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