Another heavy silence. I don’t allow myself to look up from the parchment. I’ve got a list of ingredients we’ll need for the sunwalker ritual. Seeing as Cora’s already made several spells, she’ll have most of them. It’s only one specific one, found deep in the archives of Mama’s office, that she won’t.
And it will change everything.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Henry says. He steps away from the table, staring at me as if I might be a stranger.
“Yeah,” I say through a heavy breath. “Me too.”
The following evening,I find myself at the border of the Night Realm. I left later than I should have, but I couldn’t bear the thought of waiting another day. Now, with the sun falling dangerously low behind me, I trek through the shadowed streets of vampire territory. I’m weighed down by my overstuffed pack. It contains more items than I could possibly need for my planned journey, but I didn’t want to risk missing something important.
IfCora agrees to go, that is.
By the time I arrive at Sebastian Vulce’s doorstep, I’ve convinced myself this was a monumental mistake. Cora isn’t going to agree. Or, if she does, she’ll insist on a vampire entourage. She’ll deny the memories I want most. She’ll refuse to let me into the manor at all, and I’ll become one of her clan’s victims.
I pound on the door, stepping back to survey the endlessstretch of windows overhead. Pale vampires leer down at me from between dark curtains. A glance at the skyline confirms what I already know: mere minutes separate us. As soon as the sun drops, I’ll be as good as a plate of food on their master’s porch.
The front door swings open, and I audibly gasp. I haven’t decided whether it’s in fear or relief until my eyes settle on Amelia Cyrtev. She’s one of the few vampires I’ve actually met, and I’mhopingshe knows better than to eat me.
Her brows lift as she glances at the sky behind me.
“Cutting it close, Lyrie,” she says.
The hazy interior lights cast a red glow over her, making her look far more terrifying than she ever has at Echo meetings. She’s the representative of the vampires, the only bloodsucker the Day Realm willingly allows through their gates.
“Cyrtev,” I reply.
I belatedly realize there’s blood on her face. It drips from the corner of her mouth and disappears beneath her chin.
“Is our resident witch expecting you?” she asks. Her bright lips curl into a smile, and for the first time, I question whether her characteristic red lipstick is lipstick at all.
I should have a lie ready. For all the traveling I did, I had plenty of time.
“No,” I admit. “But I need to see her. Please. At least ask her.”
“And if she says no?” she drawls. “Shall I feed you to our hungry men? The bloodletters have retired for the evening. I’m sure?—”
“Elliot.”
It’s unsettling, how instantly I recognize her voice. How, rather than causing my muscles to tense, her voice loosens my shoulders. I look away from Amelia Cyrtev to find Cora staring at me from the back of the room.
Only now do I realize how crowded the entire entryway is.Just beyond Amelia’s shoulder, opposite Cora, a mass of vampires linger in an adjoining room. More are visible at the mouth of the eastern corridor. They’re all staring at me, eyes bloodshot. Starving.
“Your timing is uncanny,” Amelia says. She’s still looking at me, but it’s clear her words are for Cora. “I was ready to offer him as a midnight snack.”
I think she’s joking. I can’t tell.
“Come inside,” Cora says. She strides across the room, faster than I’d expect for someone her height. She brushes past Amelia and the watching vampires. Grabbing my arm, she yanks me into the entryway. She scowls all the while. “What are you doing here?”
It’s a question, spoken like an insult.
“The memory you gave me,” I say. I shoot a sideways glance at Amelia. I have no idea how much the clan knows about our arrangement. As much as I need answers, I need to be careful too. “I have questions.”
“Sounds hot,” Amelia muses.
Again, she must be kidding. It doesn’t stop the blush from rising in my face, all the way to my ears.
“This way,” Cora snaps. She turns on her heel and takes off in the direction of her quarters. Without looking back, she calls over her shoulder. “You can tell him, Amelia. But let him know I won’t answer the door. I have it under control.”
I hurry after Cora, doing my best to watch for the bloodthirsty vampires Cyrtev mentioned.
