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“Nieces.” Jordan corrected my assumption and ran a hand over her face. “My late brother’s children. And my best-kept secret.”
At my quizzical expression, Jordan explained how her twin nieces had arrived on her doorstep after her brother’s death, relaying precisely why she had kept them a secret from the rest of the world. With Jeremy still out there somewhere, these children would never be safe.
Jordan leaned over the edge of the crib, pecking a kiss to the toddler’s forehead. The delicate, loving display of affection made it clear how important these two were to her, and just how much she was set to lose if Jeremy were to have his way.
Watching Jordan with the twins, a creeping dread came over me. While I couldn’t explain it, something deep within me knew that things were about to get even more dangerous than before.
That eerie feeling of eyes on me returned and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. At that unsettling sensation I turned abruptly, looking out of the far window.
There was nothing out there beyond the dark.
Chapter 11
JORDAN
Skystoodatmyside as we looked over the gathering beneath us. “They’re even more well-dressed than they were the last time.”
I scowled, uncomfortable in the stiff dress that Sigrid had bullied me into. “That’s only because they know my mother is attending this meeting. Everyone wants to impress Sigrid.”
This coven meeting had been thrown together hastily, in light of Jeremy’s bold attacks. Apparently it wasn’t just my party he’d crashed with his werewolf friends. Jeremy had been targeting all the highborns. He was still after my head, that much was clear from what Dylan could find out. But he had his sights set on the rest of the coven too.
He wanted them to fear him.
“This place is much prettier, too.” Evidently, Sky had not picked up on my bad mood, leaning over the edge of the balcony in wonder. “We should go down there!”
The opulent hall was tall enough to accommodate giants if it needed to, far more grandiose than anything found in the city. No less stunning was the variety of living coven members populating the hall, clustering inside corridors and flowing through the open doors of the rooms, all of them fanged, smooth-skinned and painfully beautiful.
Sky was trying, with great difficulty, not to look too interested in any of the lustrous vampires who passed us. I had tried to convince her that she needn’t accompany me to another meeting, especially after what happened at the last one, but Sky seemed more fascinated than fearful of the other guests.
This place was the Leyore Coven’s best-kept secret, buried far underground and accessible from hidden doors all over the country. The great hall was a meeting place during times of peace, and a sanctuary in times of war. At the moment, we were somewhere in between, distrustful of outside forces and fighting between ourselves.
“Jordan?” Sky touched my arm gently, pulling me from my thoughts. “Are you nervous?”
“That’s a terrible thing to ask a nervous person!” I didn’t mean to snap, and immediately lowered my voice when Sky pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little uneasy. They expect me to lead them to fix this. But I don’t know if I can. I have no good news to offer them.”
I had no power against Jeremy until my coronation at the Black Moon ceremony, an event that was still weeks away.
I inwardly cursed our vampiric ancestors who had chosen to base our gatherings on the fluctuations of the stars. The humans had the right idea, they simply slapped a crown on someone’s head, waved a few flags and dubbed their ruler whenever they saw fit.
“My Lady.” We turned to see a smaller vampire, a girl no older than twelve or thirteen. She blushed shyly and bobbed a curtsy before addressing me again. “My Lady, they are ready for you.”
“Thank you, Celia, I’ll be down in a moment.” I felt sick to my stomach, climbing shakily to my feet as the young girl disappeared down the stairs. “Oh god, I can’t do this. They’re going to eat me alive.”
Sky’s face was right in front of mine as she helped me smooth down my dress. “I’ve heard it helps if you picture everyone in the crowd naked.”
“The only person I want to see naked is you.”
She blushed at that. “Later. Right now you have business to attend to, your Highness.”
“High Lady,” I corrected her as she walked me down the stairs. “I’m technically not royalty until after the ceremony. If we can make it that long.”
“Just focus on getting through this meeting first.” Sky squeezed my hip before leaving me at the bottom of the stairs and stepping to the side. Before me, the coven members began to quiet down, conversations flickering out until the room was silent.
With a sea of expectant faces before me, I felt a knot tightening in my stomach. I sucked in a breath, attempting to steady my nerves. Usually, this was a role I was able to step into easily enough, but with everything going on I had begun to question my claim to the throne. Maybe this wasn’t worth it. Maybe I didn’t belong here.
“As you all know, Jeremy is now an enemy of the Leyore Coven.” I knew starting with bad news wasn’t the smartest move, but someone had to address the elephant in the room. “He has headed multiple attacks on various members already, including myself.”
I ran my tongue over dry lips. “My spies tell me that he has moved to the next stage of his plan. Jeremy has built an army. Not just shifters, he has other vampires on his side, the nomadic kind who owe allegiance to no coven.”
