Page 25 of Let Sleeping Vampires Lie

“Yes,” I said. “Every supernatural being on earth is at risk. Valerian isn’t just a powerful warlock. He’s ancient, bored, and obsessed with control. If he kills Rene, he will enslave every living human, drain the empowered, and wipe out vampires and werewolves entirely.”

Raven added softly, “He wants domination, Marcus. And he’s closer than anyone realizes.”

Marcus’ eyes widened in horror.

Then he looked at Jana.

The shift in his expression said it all—fear, understanding, the slow sinking realization that this wasn’t just about politics or hidden bargains. This was survival. Hers. Isra’s. Everyone’s.

“Dear god,” he whispered.

Isra stood.

The sequined gown slid over his body in a slow, liquid shimmer, catching the dim light as he moved toward me. His makeup remained impeccable, but his face… his face looked crushed. The pain was stark, visible in every breath, every tightening muscle.

He stopped a few feet from me, searching my eyes through the glitter and heartbreak.

“Tell me,” he said, voice trembling but steadying with each word, “what we need to do to save Rene and our world.”

The question wasn’t aimed at Raven.

Not at Con.

Not at Marcus.

It was aimed at me.

Cassara James.

Death dealer.

Warrior.

The one tethered to the magic that could find the missing pieces.

I drew in a breath, calming myself under the weight of Isra’s gaze, knowing what I said next would determine the path for all of us.

And there was only one answer.

“We get the piece,” I told him. “And then we kill Valerian.”

CHAPTER 6

Isra’s eyes remained raw with grief and fear, but my attention shifted to Marcus. He stood near the armchair now, shoulders tight, fingers tapping once against the side of his phone. The polished charm he walked in with had faded. He finally understood the scale of what we were dealing with.

“Marcus,” I said, drawing his gaze. “You need to contact your buyers. All of them.”

He inhaled, bracing himself. “I’m a broker, Cassara. I can inquire, but there are no guarantees. The buyers or sellers might not be forthcoming. In my world, privacy runs deeper than loyalty.”

“I don’t care about their privacy,” I said. “They want to make money. That’s their priority. Tell them you’re representing a patron with deep pockets.”

Raven moved closer beside me, watching him carefully. Con remained still right behind me, a silent warning in every line of his posture.

Marcus nodded slowly. “That might work with some of them. But the ones handling supernatural items are cautious. They don’t like unknown bidders.”

“Then give them a known one,” Con said, his voice level.

Marcus blinked, confused for a moment, then shook his head when realization dawned. “You want me to use Dimitri’s name.”