by Leigh Walker
“I wish we knew where he was hiding. But Austin said to stay here on the grounds. It’s not worth dispatching a team.” I looked at my friend. “But…what if they do have a rebel camp nearby, and this person’s the spy?”
“Like I haven’t thought of that!” Eve snorted. “Don’t worry. I already sent a lookout. Not a team, mind you—a lookout. I can’t get in trouble for that.”
“You might still get into trouble.”
She scoffed. “His Highness owes me. We found the camp in a nearby deserted village, just as I suspected. There was only one bedroll and a small fire. He’s operating alone—I’m sure of it. I’m going to set a trap for him and figure out what he wants.”
I wrinkled my nose. “What sort of trap?”
“A Balkyn trap. I’m going to send him out into the woods and see what springs out at him.”
“Don’t you think you ought to run this by the prince first?”
She scowled at me. “He left us in charge if I remember correctly. I’m going to get to the bottom of this before he gets back.”
“When you’re ready, I’ll come with you,” I offered.
Eve glared at me. “Absolutely not! His Highness left me strict instructions. You are to stay out of harm’s way. You stumbled across Rose out in the woods earlier, and I heard it did not go well. That’s enough trouble for one day.”
I sighed. “Rose didn’t seem like herself. She seemed as if she was in a lot of pain, like she’s deeply unhappy with her lot.”
“Don’t believe her lies. She is suffering, but it’s better than the alternative.” My friend’s face softened. “She was just trying to get closer to you. You’re starving when you wake up. Those first couple of weeks are difficult. The only thing you can think about is feeding. You go a bit crazy when you’re around humans. All you can smell is their blood. You’ll say any number of things to get them to come closer.”
I shivered. “I don’t know what would have happened if Austin hadn’t been there. Something both Rose and I would have regretted, I imagine.”
Eve chortled. “You wouldn’t have had long to regret it, I expect.”
I frowned. “Ha ha.”
“Ha ha yourself.” She jumped up, curls bouncing. “I’m off to get Balkyn and use him as bait. Wish me luck.”
“What am I supposed to do around here?” I cried.
“Eat a meal. Look at the map. Keep the sentinels busy, and then wait for me. I expect I’ll have news when I return.” She marched off to her mission without a backward glance.
I looked at Beast, who was on his pillow near the fire. “It’s just you and me again.”
Beast panted, his tongue lolling out.
“C’mon. Let’s go get you some bacon, and we’ll have another look at that map.” I had no idea what good could come of it, but at least the bacon would help. It always did.
I woke with a start and found myself curled up on the couch in the library. There was a ruckus coming from the palace entrance. I hopped to my feet and ran out into the hall.
“Let me go, you devil!” A young woman with short black hair struggled against Eve. “Get off me!”
The surrounding sentinels kept their guns trained on the woman as Eve got her under control. “You’re not going anywhere, except for questioning.” She dragged the woman down the hall. The sentinels and a rather pale-looking Balkyn followed close behind.
“In here.” Eve pulled her into the library. “Balkyn, you stay with us. The rest of you, back to your posts. Excellent work.” Eve brought the woman near the fireplace and released her. “Take a seat. If you try to run, I’ll drain you dry—and I don’t give second chances.”
The woman stepped back, away from Eve. The fire illuminated her face, her short hair showing off her features. She had deep-copper skin, a strong jaw, and lovely dark eyes. But as she looked at Eve with intense hate, her pretty face transformed into something so sour it made my lips pucker. Her gaze flicked to Balkyn. She studied him as if asking a silent question.
He stared back, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Do you know this woman?” I asked him.
He nodded as the prisoner warily sank down into an armchair. “She’s a member of my team. Was a member of my team.”
“I’m still a member. You’re the wanker that left.” The woman crossed her arms against her chest. “And for what? Vampire concubines?” She shot daggers out her eyes at me and Eve.
Eve puffed her chest out. “I don’t even know what that means, but don’t you dare—”
Fearing Eve was about to start a brawl, I stepped closer to the woman. “Why are you here?”
She wore a fraying uniform, some of the buttons missing from her tunic. Her dark eyes raked over me in surprise. “You’re a human.”
“And you’re a bloody genius,” Eve muttered.
“Eve, please…” I turned back to the woman. “Yes, I’m human. And I’m no concubine, so I’d ask that you refrain from making such insulting and rather sexist assumptions.”
The woman frowned at me. I frowned back.
“I asked you a question—why are you here?” I pointed to Balkyn. “To see your leader?”
“I told you, I’m not her leader anymore.” Balkyn clenched his hands together.
“What about everything else?” the woman asked him. “You’re going to act like we never knew each other?”
“You’re incredible, Chase. Really.” He shook his head. “Of course we knew each other. But then you made your choice. We already talked about all this. I’m not sure what there’s left to say.”
“You talked,” Chase said. “And then you left.”
I noticed Eve watching the exchange with interest.
Balkyn shrugged. “I was leaving anyway. I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“I wanted to make sure that you were okay.” Chase roughly pushed the hair off her face. “And to let you know they’re planning a strike.”
“I already knew that. And I’m fine—relieved, actually. It’d gotten tiring being around such a large group of bellowing hypocrites.” He looked at her pointedly.
Chase turned to me. “Might I have a word with him alone?”
“That won’t be necessary as there’s nothing left to say,” Balkyn answered quickly. He looked from me to Eve. “What do you plan to do with her?”
“If you wish, I will set her free,” Eve said. “If the rebels are already coming, there’s not much harm she can do.”
“She’s more dangerous than she looks.” A muscle in Balkyn’s jaw jumped. “Do as you see fit. But if it’s all right with you, I’d like to go now.”
She nodded and watched Balkyn leave the room. Then Eve turned her blazing aqua gaze back to Chase. “What the hell sort of a number did you pull on him?”
Chase sighed. “Balkyn and I were together for a long time… until I left him for his best friend.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it.” Eve plopped down onto the couch across from Chase, eyeing her with interest. “Talk about being a traitor.”
Chase cursed under her breath. “Shut up, bloodsucker.”
“Ooh, that’s original. Really, you wound me.” Eve rolled her eyes. “What should we do with her, Blake?”
I sat down next to Eve and inspected Chase. The fire cast shadows across her pretty face as she waited for judgment. She’s more dangerous than she looks. Balkyn’s words rang in my ears. My father had always said that when people talked, you should listen and really hear them.
“Lock her in the dungeon.” I nodded. “We can’t have her running off.”
Eve chortled. “I knew I’d like running a country with you.”
Chapter 5
Reunited
There was a knock on my door early the next morning. Isabella hustled to get it. “Lady Eve.” My maid curtsied as Eve swept in, her uniform immaculately pressed.
I grinned. “You’re looking sharp.”
“Thank you.” Eve eyed my room with disdain. There were
hair ties and makeup brushes all over the place, clear evidence that Isabella had been grooming me for the past hour. “Why, might I ask, are you having your hair and makeup done? Robert’s abandoned the camera for the moment.”
My cheeks heated as I smoothed my hot-pink silk gown. “His Highness is returning today. And he likes me in pink.”
Eve shook her head. “Again with the romance. Let’s focus on defending our country, shall we?”
“Yes, we shall. But first, back to the romance. What on earth do you think of this thing with Balkyn and Chase?”
She frowned, pacing my room as Beast watched from his spot underneath the table. “I spoke to him before I came to see you. He wasn’t happy that she’s in the dungeon.”
“Oh dear. He was upset? She wasn’t harmed.” I’d brought Chase down to the dungeon myself. I’d made sure that she had every comfort—a warm blanket, a clean cell, and plenty of food. I didn’t want to set her free, and I didn’t trust her, but I wasn’t trying to punish her. “I just think it’s safer like this.”
“I don’t think he disagrees—it wasn’t that.” Eve shrugged. “I think he wanted her gone, far away from here.”
“Can’t say I blame him.” I nodded. “It didn’t sound like a very nice breakup.”
She stopped at the window, her back to me, and stared out at the grounds below. “D’you think that’s why he abandoned the rebels and came here? Because of what she did?”
“No, I don’t. I believe he came here because he honestly believes that Austin and Dallas are good—worthy of his loyalty and defense—and because he owes all of you a debt for saving his life.”
Eve nodded.
“It was probably good timing,” I continued, “if you can have good timing for your girlfriend pulling a nutter.”
“How’s that?” she asked.
“His girlfriend betrayed him, and at the same time, he realized he needed to leave in order to support his beliefs.” I studied my friend’s back. “Has this got you upset, or something?”
“No.” She shrugged. “But she is pretty.”
“Pretty is as pretty does, as my mother used to say. And it doesn’t sound like what she did was very pretty at all.”
Eve didn’t turn around.
“It was nice that she came to warn him,” I said. “But it’s a bit like putting a Band-Aid on an amputation, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so.” She sounded glum.
“C’mon.” I hopped to my feet. I knew one way to cheer her up. “Let’s go meet with the sentinels and give them a list of assignments. We should enjoy running the place while we still can. Ooh, and then we can try combat training again.”
She groaned. “You’re already dressed. Plus, you’re hopeless at combat training.”
“We can simply do a walk-through, and then I won’t wrinkle my dress.” I linked my arm through hers. “If there’s anyone who can teach me, it’s you. Now, let’s not waste your God-given talents by sitting around here, sulking. She’s not a nice girl, Eve. She’s no competition for the likes of you.”
Later that morning, Eve and I met with Balkyn in the library. “I’m sorry I put Chase in the dungeon, but I didn’t think letting her go before Austin got back was appropriate.”
Balkyn nodded. He had dark circles under his eyes. “His Highness will want to question her. I agree that it’s the best course of action.”
“Would you like to see her?” Eve asked. “Blake made sure she had everything she needed, but perhaps there’s something else that would make her comfortable.”
“She doesn’t care about being comfortable. All she wants is a stake and a spike—one to put through your heart, and one to put your head on.” Balkyn leveled a stare at Eve. “She’s a bloody bigot. She hates the vampires. Didn’t you see how she would only address Blake last night? She wouldn’t even look at you.”
Eve nodded.
“That’s because she’d never deign to speak to you—she doesn’t believe that your kind deserve to dwell the earth,” Balkyn continued. “When I tried to tell her what I’d learned after you and Dallas saved me, she wouldn’t hear it. When I told her I was having second thoughts about waging war on the vampires, she left me for my friend. She thought I wasn’t ‘purist’ enough. She deserves to rot in the dungeon for all eternity for that sort of thinking, as far as I’m concerned.”
Eve looked pleased. “As you wish.”
A sentinel knocked, interrupting us. “His Highness has returned.”
I jumped up and ran for the door, not caring that Eve was probably rolling her eyes. Once I reached the steps, I saw several cars rolling into the drive. “Why are there so many of them?” I asked the sentinel on the stairs.
“They brought guests from the palace is what I heard.” He nodded. “Several humans and some of the vampires.”
“The king and queen?”
“No, my lady. They would not leave.”
One of the cars stopped, and Austin climbed out. He saw me and grinned. I didn’t care who was watching—I ran down the steps straight to him and into his arms. He lifted me up and kissed me. I couldn’t stop smiling even as we kissed.
I was breathless when we pulled apart. “You’re back!”
His grin widened. “And you’re still here.”
He was leaning down to kiss me again when someone nearby cleared her throat. We stopped, both looking to the right.
“Is that proper daytime etiquette?” There stood Tamara, her raven-dark waves tumbling over her shoulders. She had her hands on her hips, and her perfectly manicured eyebrows were arched higher than ever. “I mean, I didn’t realize tonsil hockey was a royally approved sport.”
“Tamara!” I released Austin, ran to my friend, and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I didn’t know you were coming!”
“It wasn’t exactly a scripted move.” Tamara fussily smoothed her lavender dress after I released her. “His Highness ordered us into the car. I wasn’t keen on leaving, especially to come to this uncivilized place—” she eyed the castle with vague disapproval—“but the king and queen assured me that the royal court needed me here. And then Lord Bryson agreed to make the journey, so of course, I couldn’t say no.”
“Ooh, Lord Bryson.” I looked around for the vampire, who I recalled as tall and particularly well-groomed. “Is he your next victim?”
“He’s the vampire, silly.” Tamara rolled her eyes prettily. “And I haven’t decided if I’m serious about him yet. I expect I need to see his homestead and his bank ledger. But he’ll do for now!”
I shook my head. “You’re terrible. Where is your polar opposite?”
She groaned. “You mean Miss Goody Two-Shoes from Settlement Twenty-Four? She’ll be along shortly.”
Shaye climbed out of one of the cars, a huge grin on her face. “Blake!” We ran to each other and hugged as Austin watched, amused.
“I’m so glad we’re back together. I’ve missed you!” I beamed at my friend when we parted. “You look lovely, of course.” Shaye’s thick tawny ringlets were loose, springing out in all their glory in every direction. Her burnished-copper skin gleamed with good health. A pale-yellow dress complemented her complexion perfectly.
“Thank you, my friend. You’re the one who looks lovely—you’re radiant.” She peered at my face. “I do suspect that it’s got something to do with that vampire. He’s still staring, I see.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Austin watching us. A hot blush crept up my cheeks. “Never mind about that! How was the journey? What news have you from the palace? And have you heard from Gwyneth?”
“Whoa, that’s a lot of questions. Let me take them one at a time. Yes, we’ve heard from Gwyneth and Dallas. They’ve been touring the settlements, doing outreach. She said their trip’s been magnificent so far. We don’t expect them back anytime soon.”
Unless Austin has them dragged back. I kept the thought to myself.
“The journey here was fine. They took every precaution.” Shaye bowed he
r head and moved closer so that she wouldn’t be overheard. “Is the North very dangerous? We had a lot of extra security. And there’ve been rumors flying about the castle ever since you left.”
“We’re safe.” I kept my voice low. “But there have certainly been some issues, and we have much to catch up on. Come—I’m sure Eve will be thrilled to see you.”
I linked my arm through Shaye’s as we headed up the drive. There were many things I needed to tell my friends about: Rose, Abigor, the werewolves, Balkyn… So much had happened in such a short amount of time.
I held Shaye close as we headed inside. I was thrilled they were here, but I worried about the road ahead. It was sure to be dangerous, and it approached too quickly.
Tamara, Shaye, Eve, and I all sat cross-legged on the floor of the library. Beast whizzed back and forth between us, stopping intermittently to pant and be petted.
“Who’d have thought a gnome would be so cute and fluffy?” Tamara scratched Beast’s head, and he blinked at her, his pink tongue lolling out. “I want one! He’d fit nicely in my tote. I daresay I’d get him a sweater or, better yet, a tiara.”
“You can’t put a bloody crown on a gnome.” Eve laughed. “Austin would have your head!”
“Speaking of Austin.” Tamara pursed her lips and turned her laser-like focus on me. “You look as if you’ve been snogged—repeatedly and well. I’d like details.”
I sighed. “We’ve been kissing, yes. Which is nothing to get your knickers in a twist about. It’s perfectly normal because Austin is my…”
The other girls leaned forward, waiting.
“Boyfriend.” The word still sounded funny coming out of my mouth.
“I told you, Shaye.” Tamara’s grin turned wicked. “Blake’s next.”
I scowled at her. “Next what?”
Austin stepped into the room, his face tense. “Eve, Blake—may I have a word?”
“Of course.” I hopped up, relieved to be out of the spotlight.
