Page 107

Alexander’s POV

Kleitos helped us both down from the back of the carriage, Valentina first, then me. Inside the stable, a golden lamp flickered against the wooden wall, casting long shadows that danced across the hay-stacked floor. The room stretched wide, lined with stalls holding over two dozen horses, each one shifting softly in its sleep. Along one wall, three cloaks hung from iron hooks, draped by their hoods. These weren’t like the ones we wore before, they were thicker, heavier, and lined with fur, more like my coat than a cape.

Valentina passed them out without a word. One by one, we swung the fabric over our shoulders, letting it fall around us like a second skin. The material cloaked us in darkness, blending us almost completely into the night. Lifting my hood, second nature now, I let the soft edge drape against my brow.

“Do you want me to go see who’s awake?” Valentina asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kleitos shook his head. “No. He knows we’re coming. Your father is no fool.” He gave her a small, knowing smile before nodding toward the castle. “Vaelric should be long gone by now. It should only be the staff remaining.”

Rather than pulling her hood forward like us, Valentina reached for the sheer black veil attached to the back of her gown. With one smooth motion, she drew it over her eyes, concealing those warm, amber pools from my view. Even hidden, her beauty glowed through the thin material like a candle behind lace.

Without another word, Kleitos raised his hood and stepped to her right. I took my place on her left. Side by side, we flanked her like shadows as she led the way into the cold. The snow drifted from the sky like falling stars, and the twin moons cast a soft glow across the white-covered ground.

I was grateful for the brief separation from Valentina. If I’d been left alone with her any longer, I would’ve given in completely. That dream… it had felt so otherworldly, like my body wasn’t even mine. Like I wasn’t the one in control.

Like he was.

The thought sent a violent shriek of electricity through my veins, my vision nearly fading to red at the idea. But the sane part of me tried to reason with it, it was just a dream. Dreams weren’t real. Still… my intuition itched against that logic. My Naemira had always been stronger when I was unconscious, when my defenses were down. I was more susceptible to whatever it wanted, to whatever he wanted. I’d have to ask Kleitos. I needed answers, especially if there was a chance that wasn’t just a dream.

The only true relief I found in that sleep was the shift in our bond. The strain that had once felt like a noose, tight, suffocating, had loosened. It wasn’t gone, but it had softened, like a wound beginning to close. There was warmth in the air now, subtle but present, and a familiar current that seemed to ripple through Valentina’s body and call to mine. It was like an invisible ribbon had wound itself around my limbs, weaving into my skin, into my breath.

And I welcomed it. Whatever this connection was becoming… I welcomed it.

Lost in thought, I hadn’t realized we’d made our way onto a snow-dusted stone path. Thick trees and blooming winter shrubbery skirted either side, winding us through the back of the estate. Valentina’s garden stretched out in quiet splendor, alive despite the frost. Lush greenery clung to life in full winter bloom, as if even the cold bowed to her bloodline.

In the distance, a howl pierced the air, loud, guttural, almost a screech. It wasn’t like any animal I’d ever heard before. The sound twisted up my spine, cold and jarring. I’d been foolish to assume this land lacked wildlife. Just because I hadn’t seen any didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Life here was likely nocturnal, just like its inhabitants.

Moving quietly through the dark until we reached a corridor tucked along the back of the castle. These doors were nothing like the grand ones at the front, humbler, likely not used for receiving guests. It made sense. The front of the estate, with its frozen lake and twin fountains, was built to impress. But this side... this felt more private.

Unlike the main entrance, these doors didn’t swing open with enchanted ease. No Head Maiden waited on the other side. Valentina stepped forward and pushed the heavy wood open herself, holding it for us to pass. Inside, the atmosphere was immediately different. The ceilings were lower, the walls narrower. There were no sweeping views or chandeliers here. Just muted light and framed landscapes, paintings of spring meadows and summer skies, none of them personal, just placeholders meant to fill space.

This part of the home felt completely abandoned. I couldn’t hear a single heartbeat in the distance, no footsteps, no murmured conversations behind the walls. Just silence. There was something unsettling about it. But maybe this was the servants’ wing, which would explain the emptiness. Still, it put me on edge.

Valentina moved ahead of us with quiet confidence, navigating the halls until she stopped in front of an unassuming door tucked into the wall. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, it could’ve easily been mistaken for a closet. Without a word, I stepped forward and opened it for her, letting her take the lead while I brought up the rear. Hauling the door shut behind us, I sealed us inside the narrow passageway. A steep set of stairs stretched upward, vanishing into shadow. The only thing lighting our way was a single oil lamp mounted to the wall, its flame small and flickering. If it went out, we’d be climbing blind. I silently hoped it would hold.

She led us up the stairwell to the second level of the castle, through another discreet door that opened into a quiet hallway. This wing of the estate was unfamiliar to me. It held the same modest décor, potted plants neatly tucked into corners, but the walls were bare of paintings. Along either side stretched rows of doors, each marked with numbers from one to twelve engraved above them.

Behind them, I could just barely make out faint heartbeats and slow, steady breathing. So soft I might’ve missed it entirely if I hadn’t been listening. Whoever rested inside was only just drifting off to sleep.

Valentina led us around another bend, where the corridor opened into a grander hall. From here, I could see a glimpse of the massive chandelier that hung above the castle’s main entrance. The space became more familiar, the wooden balcony railings, the air of old nobility, I remembered it from our first arrival.

The secret passage had brought us closer to Lord Draco’s private wing. The area where his study was.

She brought us to a set of large double doors at the end of the corridor. They radiated a kind of authority that made the air feel heavier, like the doors themselves could judge you.

Valentina stepped forward, about to knock. But before her knuckles could meet the wood, the twin doors flew open.

Three servants stood within.

Each wore the traditional house attire: long black dresses beneath crisp white smocks, and sheer white lace veils that draped across their eyes. Silver trays balanced effortlessly in their arms, stacked with dirty plates and emptied goblets.

Upon seeing Valentina, they paused, and in unison, their voices chimed like wind bells: “Lady Corpus.” They dipped into a deep curtsey, tucking one foot behind the other in perfect synchronicity. Then, as if nothing had interrupted them, they rose and glided past us down the hallway, never saying another word.

I fought the urge to turn and watch them leave.

Aside from Head Maiden Elaine, they were the only other vampires I’d encountered in this realm. And like her, they were captivating. Ethereal. Each one possessed a beauty so distinct, it made their uniformity all the more striking. Despite the conformity of their attire, the crisp black dresses, the white smocks, the military-styled buns pinned high on their heads, there was something unique about each of them. Something that made it impossible not to notice them.

One of them had skin paler than Lord Draco’s, so fair it was nearly the same white as the snow that ruled this world. Her hair was a fiery red, tumbling in soft waves despite being pinned tight, and freckles danced across her delicate features. Her eyes were a piercing green, sharp enough to cut. She was petite, the smallest of the three, and the uniform seemed to drown her frame like she was playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes.