Hands in pockets, I scuff through frozen leaves, past trees with tangled branches like dark lace, following the curve of the long driveway to the rear gates. There are several entrances to the estate, including the main one, with its huge wrought-iron gates and raven-topped pillars. There’s a second raven-topped gate to the side, the honey-coloured gatehouse a smaller replica of the main house, kept furnished for guests should the need arise. Then there’s the rear gate, with the guardhouse where deliveries come in. Where Kyle set up a ruse to get me off the estate, trading one secret for another.
I should go back. But I’m restless, as though trying to outrun my feelings. My breakdown in the practice ring plays on my mind, even though I did nothing wrong. It’s not surprising, I suppose. Only three months have passed since Kyle’s betrayal, I’ve lost Michael, Laurel is dead, and I now have to fight for my crown. Perhaps I should have taken more time to process things. But time isn’t a luxury I have.
There’s a shift coach parked next to the guardhouse. Huh. They usually collect people from the main house to take them back to the Safe Zone, not from here. Perhaps they’ve changed the pick-up point. I’m tempted to climb on board. But Michael is with his brothers now, not waiting for me at my little white house. And Laurel’s blood stains the wooden floors. There’s no going back for me. Only forward.
There’s movement at the door of the guardhouse. A human comes out, dressed in rough, dark clothing, followed by someone in the light camouflage of our human guards. I’m almost certain it’s the driver who brought Laurel and me here, the last time we travelled to the house together. He looks both ways, pushing the human so they stumble towards the coach. What the hell? I stay still, cold seeping into my boots. The coach door opens, and both humans climb on board. A few moments later, the engine rumbles, the coach slowly rolling out through the gates.
I wait until they’re out of sight, then head to the guardhouse. The door is ajar. I push it open, curiosity curling in my gut. Inside, is the small room I remember, a door leading to a second room, where once a human girl and I exchanged clothes so I could have a night of freedom. The space is deserted but there’s a scent in the air, a human scent. Water is running somewhere, and everything feels as though it’s just been disturbed, dust motes still settling. Frowning, I open the door to the second room.
A pile of grey clothing lies on the floor, everything crumpled as though hastily discarded. I pick up the topmost one. It’s a sweatshirt, the Raven logo in black thread on the breast. It’s also still warm.
Gravel crunches, voices coming from outside. Then I hear the creak of the outer door. Shit. Something tells me I need to hide. I quickly open another door, hoping it’s a cupboard. But instead, it’s a tiny bathroom, the toilet still running as though recently flushed. I press myself against the wall, leaving the door ajar.
‘How many today?’ A human voice, female.
‘Half a dozen.’ A male voice, somehow familiar.
‘We need to be careful. Too many, and they might start to notice.’
The male snorts. ‘Notice? I doubt it. A few missing sheep from a flock of millions. They barely acknowledge our existence.’
‘Some do. Thank God for those guards who see us as more than food.’
Guards? I remember Kyle telling the Raven guard, vampire like him, that he would keep his secret in return for keeping ours. But what the hell was the secret?
‘What about the daughter?’
‘What about her?’
I go cold. What about me? This better not be another rebellion. I hold my breath.
‘She’ll be Raven soon. If they let her. Maybe things will be different.’
My feelings swing between annoyance and sorrow at the hope in her tone.
‘She’s different, I suppose.’
‘You’ve met her, haven’t you.’
He has? I wonder why the voice sounds so familiar, but I daren’t move.
‘I have. She was nice. Polite kid.’
‘That’s it?’ The voices move further away, and there’s the creak of the door again. ‘She’ll need more than politeness if she expects to rule vampires. I’m surprised she’s still alive, to be honest.’
My fists clench.
‘She could change things for all of us.’
‘Or she could make them worse. If she survives.’
The door closes with a bang. I wait until all I can hear is the faint whistle of wind outside, then sag against the wall.She’ll need more than politeness if she expects to rule vampires.
Damn straight, I will. And I have no problem being impolite.
ChapterFourteen
ON THE ROAD
