Page 3 of Curiosity Killed The Vampire

“They’ve been waiting since sunset. Ursula seems… anxious.”

That explained the tension threading through the air. Even the mansion seemed to feel it—the quiet too still, the candles burning lower than usual, the magic in the walls drawn taut like a bowstring.

Con nodded to Edward. “Thank you.”

We moved through the main corridor, our footsteps softened by the long crimson carpet that ran its length. Paintings of former overseers watched from the walls, their painted eyes following us with an unsettling kind of awareness. As we walked, I could feel the energy shift the closer we got—power gathering like static in the air, brushing over my skin in tiny sparks.

The double doors of the ballroom stood open, light spilling through in gold and blue hues from the crystal chandeliers above. The obsidian floor reflected the room like a dark mirror.

Inside, Rene sat at the head of the long table. He looked paler than usual, even for him—his skin stretched thinner across his high cheekbones, shadows smudged beneath his pale-blue eyes. There was a fragile tension in his posture, as though he were holding himself upright through sheer will. Raven was beside him, her hand resting gently on his arm, her dark-violet gaze full of quiet concern and a stubborn kind of defiance on his behalf.

Across from them, Ursula and Lazar sat side by side, her posture regal and as cold as carved marble, his expression unreadable save for the gleam of amusement that never seemed to leave him. His fingers tapped once, twice, against the table, as if all of this bored him more than it worried him.

William occupied the seat next to them, his broad shoulders stiff beneath his jacket, his piercing green eyes flicking to us the moment we entered. Culgan a couple seats to his right.

“Welcome home,” Rene said, his voice low but steady. Despite the fatigue, there was authority in every syllable. “You’ve both been missed.”

Con inclined his head respectfully. “It’s good to be back.”

Rene’s gaze softened briefly, then shifted to me. “Cassara.”

“Rene.” I gave a short nod, forcing my voice to remain level.

He gestured to the empty chairs beside Raven. “Please—sit. We have much to discuss.”

As I took my seat, the undercurrent of power in the room deepened, like a current tugging beneath the surface.

Ursula’s silver eyes found mine, cool and cutting. Lazar’s mouth curved, as if he knew secrets the rest of us didn’t and they amused him more than they should.

Ursula’s cool, commanding voice sliced through the tension that had settled over the ballroom like smoke. “Did you retrieve the piece?”

Her tone was deceptively even, but her gaze—silver and knowing—pinned me, dissecting every flicker of hesitation before I could speak. The rustle of silk as she crossed one leg over the other was the only sound in the room.

I straightened, folding my hands on the table to hide the tremor I didn’t want anyone—least of all Con—to notice. “We did,” I said, meeting her stare head-on. “But it wasn’t easy. Cerise was there.”

At the mention of the witch’s name, Raven’s head snapped up, her violet eyes widening. “Cerise?”

“Yes,” I replied. “She’s stronger than last time. The air around her twisted, as if she were channeling Valerian directly.” The memory crawled under my skin—the sound of Cerise’s laughter, brittle and echoing, her eyes alight with silver flame as the world warped around her.

Lazar chuckled softly, the sound low and knowing. “How charmingly predictable,” he drawled, as if an obsessed witch serving a volatile warlock were nothing more than a tedious inevitability.

Ursula shot him a glare intense enough to draw blood. “And you let her go?”

I stiffened. “We didn’t have much of a choice. The fight drew attention we couldn’t afford. The last thing we needed was a public scene.”

Con’s voice was calm but edged with steel. “Cassara made the right call. We secured the artifact. Cerise retreated.”

I reached into my jacket and set the small, rune-etched case on the table. The air shifted as the warding seals pulsed—an echo of the ancient magic locked within. Raven leaned forward, curiosity and apprehension flickering across her face, but Rene’s attention seemed elsewhere.

At first, I thought he was just tired. His hand trembled slightly on the armrest, his gaze losing focus. Then his head dipped.

“Rene?” Raven’s voice broke, soft and frightened.

He slumped forward, the movement sudden and wrong. His chair screeched against the marble floor as she caught him before he hit the table.

“Raven—” I started, pushing to my feet, but she was already moving.

“Cass!” Her eyes flashed white with power. “Infuse him. Now!”