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I fly up from my armchair and slam Nikolai up against the wall, my dagger at his throat. A drop of blood slips from beneath his delicate skin and stains my blade. Fury consumes me, and as I press my blade into him, I feel everything I worked for slipping through my fingers. “How dare you spread such vile lies.”
“They are not lies, Zade,” he says in a comforting tone, not fazed by my outburst in the slightest. It’s almost as though he had expected this of me, this childish outburst over power. “Release me, and I will share what I know.”
Letting out a breath, I reluctantly step back, needing to hear exactly what the old bastard has to say. He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabs at the base of his throat as he strides across his office.
I follow, watching as he reaches into the neckline of his shirt and pulls a small brass key from a low-hanging chain. Nikolai glances at me, making sure he has my full attention before pushing open his desk drawer and using the key to release a false bottom.
Nikolai reaches in and produces a manilla folder full of papers before handing them to me. “What’s this?” I question, snatching it from his hand with no intention of giving it up.
“In that folder, you will find evidence of your grandfather’s affair. I am sure you have heard the stories and are aware that your grandparents had an arranged marriage, and in those early years, they were not fond of one another. Your grandfather had an affair with a younger woman, a Miss Marietta Quinn. She was barely eighteen and he was forty-three, and upon discovering her pregnancy, he hid her away and paid her to keep quiet. She died soon after the birth of her son, Matthias. Cause of death not provided.”
Every word out of his mouth is like a shot straight to the chest, but it’s like watching a train wreck; impossible to look away. “My father is Julius’ son, Lawson DeVil. The blood of Empire lived in his veins,” I state, knowing that as fact. “I am his son, the heir of Empire.”
“I’m sorry, Zade,” he says, shaking his head. “You are indeed your father’s son. However, your father is not biologically Julius’ son.”
“And what proof do you have of that?”
“It’s all in the folder,” he tells me, waving toward the papers in my hand. “Your grandparents tried for a child for a very long time, and upon realizing his wife could not conceive an heir, he turned to other avenues. Your father is the result of a junkie living on the street who’d been abused by her stepfather. He was abandoned as a newborn at the door of a fire station, and within three hours, he was the new heir of Empire.”
My world starts to implode, everything I knew to be true suddenly burning to ash at my feet. My heart races and I shake my head. “That can’t be right.”
“I am sorry, son. I know this isn’t the news you were hoping to hear, but every word I speak is true. You’ll find an autopsy report for your grandmother, Iris, stating no evidence of ever birthing a child. Your father is Julius’ adoptive son, and he does not share the same blood that runs through his veins. Your father never belonged to Empire, and when this was brought to his attention all those years ago, he took Matthias’ life and buried the evidence.”
My face falls. “He murdered the rightful heir.”
“Indeed,” he says, giving me a pointed stare. “And in thirty suns and thirty moons, you will do the very same thing.”
Oakley.
Fuck.
Falling back a step, I drop into the leather-studded armchair. “What do I do?” I question. “If Empire finds out about this, I’ll be put to death. Right along with anyone who helps me.”
Nikolai’s head snaps up, his eyes coming to rest on mine He knows damn well that despite Sawyer not knowing any of this, it will be assumed that he does. All my friends will be hunted right along with me, whether they’re involved or not. “Do not mishear me, Zade. I am loyal to the blood of Empire,” he states, specifically telling me he will not be loyal to me. “However, I will do everything in my power to keep my son from suffering this fate. I do not believe you should be punished for a position you were put in by those before you.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, sitting back in the chair, trying to figure out where the hell to go from here. I will my brain not to think about the fact that the only true living heir of Empire is currently being held prisoner in my penthouse, busily fucking my friends. “Oakley will never belong in this world.”
“No,” he agrees. “She will not.”
“What do I do?”
“Exactly what we intended for you to do,” he tells me. “In thirty days and thirty moons, you will take her life and put an end to this. There will be no living heir and you will rise as the new blood of Empire.”
The ashes at my feet begin to shift together and I rise like a fucking phoenix. The power of what’s to come blasts through my veins. I will become the new blood of Empire, and I will do whatever the fuck it takes.
Nikolai meets my eyes. “You must know, there are a few outside of The Circle who believe they know the truth. They’re only guessing, but nonetheless, I have tried to keep them quiet. But they are getting restless,” he admits. “This news getting out will not fare well for Empire. There are ones who believe you do not belong in power, who do not wish to follow someone so . . . young. Those are the ones who will come for your back. Your father was a callous ruler, one who never should have worn the crown of our people. But you, Zade, you will lead this organization the way it was intended to be led.”
My gaze lingers on his, and the longer I watch him, the clearer it becomes. “You know who this is,” I state. “You know who’s been making these attacks on Oakley.”
He shakes his head. “I do not.”
“But you know something.” He watches me, not responding, seemingly mulling over how he’s going to play this. “You know which of The Circle betrayed her name.”
Something flashes in his eyes, and I see a slight tightening in his jaw.
“Give me a name, Nikolai,” I prompt, not playing games.
He lets out a sigh. “Can I trust that my admission in this matter will remain confidential?”
