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“Because,” I said, sweeping a hand toward the city view behind me, “King Vladimir gave you all of this. He’s the reason you rule this city, the reason you vampires nowown—” I spat the word—“the human race. Why in all the hells would you stab him in the back like this? Is this some hairbrained scheme to take the throne for yourself?”
“My reasons are not your concern,” Maximillian said coolly. “Nor are they relevant to the bargain.”
“Like hells they’re not,” I snapped. “If I’m about to help one despot replace the other, I think I have the right to know what your intentions are!”
“All youneedto know,” Maximillian countered, “is that in seven weeks’ time, the Emperor will be hosting the Sanguine Summit. I plan to be there, with you in attendance as a member of my house. And on the night of the full moon, when you are at the height of your powers, you will help me put an end to Vladimir Invictus’s reign.”
“Have you lost your ever-loving mind?” I gaped at him. I wasn’t an expert in vampire politics, but I’d heard of the Sanguine Summit. It was an annual event held in Umbral, Noxalis’s capitalcity, and attended by nobility from all four vampire houses. “Vladimir will be surrounded by his most powerful supporters. Trying to assassinate him during the Summit is suicide!”
“It will be risky, yes,” Maximillian agreed. “But the presence of those vampires will keep Vladimir’s court and his guards pre-occupied, and as a high-ranking noble, it will be easy for me to lure him into position for you. You will attend as a candidate for the Descendency, which means you will have access to most of the same events and sections of the castle as the vampire guests.”
“The Descendency?” I choked out. “Isn’t that the vampire turning ritual?”
“Yes.” Maximillian’s lips thinned. “It is now a requirement for all female candidates to be brought before the court, in case you happen to be anamorte. But given that you are a witch, not a human, that shouldn’t be a problem for us to worry about.”
“This is absurd,” I seethed, shoving up from my chair so I could pace in front of the windows. The view barely bothered me anymore, not with everything else occupying my mind. My skirts fluttered around my ankles with every step I took, and I resisted the urge to rip at the cumbersome length of fabric.Amorteswere rare humans blessed—or cursed, depending on how you looked at it—with the ability to bear the children of natural-born vampires. The idea of spending a week surrounded by hundreds of vampires who would be sniffing at my heels, trying to determine if they could plant their seed in me, was so abhorrent, it made my skin crawl. “I’m not going to allow you to parade me in front of the entire vampire court like some prized breeding horse, just so you can get your shot at the throne.”
Maximillian snorted. “I’m not ‘parading’ you. You’ll be by my side the entire time and under my protection. So long as we prepare you, there’s nothing to fear.”
I didn’t believe that for one second. “If my choice is between spending a week in a castle full of bloodthirsty vampires pretending to be a defenseless human, or blindly striking out into the world on my own, I choose the latter.” I turned away from the windows, heading for the door. “Thanks for breaking me out of that hellish prison, but I’m leaving.”
A gust of wind ruffled my hair, and suddenly Maximillian was in front of me. I gasped as he crowded me against the window, the cold glass biting into my skin through the thin fabric of my dress, and involuntarily inhaled a lungful of his scent. The heady blend of mahogany and leather immediately went to my head, and he took advantage of the opportunity to brace a hand against the glass, blocking my path to the door.
In the next breath, I had my stake drawn, the tip pressing into the center of his chest. But the vampire lord paid the threat no mind. He cocked his head as he looked down at me, then used his other hand to brush a stray wisp of hair from my face, as if we were two lovers having a clandestine moment instead of the enemies we were destined to be.
“Are you scared of me, Kitten?” Maximillian murmured, his eyes glowing faintly as he traced the side of his finger down my cheek.
My breathing hitched, and it took everything I had in me not to lean into the vampire lord’s hand. After fifty years of being trapped in a coffin without a single soul for company, my touch-starved body was desperate for more, and I hated how easily he brought this shameful weakness of mine to the forefront.
“No.” I dug my stake into his chest a little more, puncturing the layers of his vest and shirt. His blood laced the air between us, and we both inhaled sharply, but he didn’t move away.
“Good.” He let his hand fall to the side, a lopsided grin tugging at his cheek. “I would hate for you to be afraid when we’re about to spend so much time together.”
I scowled. “Didn’t you just hear what I said? I’m lea—”
“Stay.” He took a step back, giving me the space to leave if I wanted. “You don’t have to agree to the bargain, not yet. But stay here as my guest, at least until the full moon comes and you can perform the ritual. You can take your time to explore the city, verify if what I’ve told you is true, and regain your strength.”
“And if I decide to leave?” I challenged.
“Then you’re free to go.” He took my hand, which still gripped the stake, then brushed his lips over my knuckles. I shivered as the slightest hint of fang scraped across my flesh. “But I hope you’ll stay, Kitten. I have grand plans for us. And you may even find them fun.”
I opened my mouth to retort that there was no way I would findanythingto do with him fun, but he was already gone, the door clicking shut behind him. I stared at the empty space where he had been, chest heaving as I tried to regain control of my breathing.
And wondered if I was insane for considering this.
6
My head was so crowded with thoughts when I left Maximillian’s penthouse, I was sure I’d spend the rest of the night pacing in my room while I mulled over everything I’d learned this evening.
But when I sat down on the bed, a wave of fatigue swept over me, and before I realized it, I was sinking back onto the pillows, my eyes drifting closed as my body dragged me into a deep, healing sleep.
I didn’t know how long I was out, but I came back to the awareness of a heavy weight settling on my chest. At first, I thought it was just the exhaustion, but as I tried to fall back asleep, a sharp pricking sensation pierced the haze of my mind.
Claws,I realized with sudden clarity.
My eyes flew open, and I found myself staring into a pair of large, bottle-green eyes. A cat perched on my chest, regal entitlement oozing from every inch of her furry body as she stared back at me. Her paws continued their rhythmic dance on my chest, heedless of the tiny stabs of pain they produced,and her black fur seemed to absorb the scant light in the room, making her appear as if she’d been sculpted from the darkness itself.
In a way, she had been.
