Page 85 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

“Now, they’re conferring?” I asked in disbelief. “But they already got out the swords.”

“This part is the formality. They’re going to let them fight,” Aurelia told me. “We need to get you out of here before they do.”

I shook my head. “That’s my mate’s mother and his twin. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stop this.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” Aurelia groaned. “If they’re both willing to fight, let them.”

“We can’t,” Jacqueline said next to me.

“Now you’re on my side?” I asked her. “Five minutes ago, you were testifying for Camila.”

A muscle tensed in her jaw, and she told me in a low voice, “I promised her. I have my reasons for what I did. Please trust me.”

Our eyes met, and I knew I had a choice to make. Jacqueline wasn’t just Julian’s best friend and Camila’s lover; she was like my sister.

“How do we stop the fight?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “There has to be a loophole.”

Aurelia released a heavy sigh. “There is, but you won’t like it and neither will Camila.”

“Do it,” I said. What other choice did we have?

Aurelia stepped forward and cleared her throat loudly. All eyes in the room turned to her. “According to vampire custom, only two positions are to be revered above all others—the Queens and the Council. To demand action that might endanger the lives of any bearing those titles would undermine that respect to lower vampires. It will send the wrong message to any seeking to challenge the authority of either group. Therefore Sabine cannot duel.”

The Council members seemed taken aback by this point, and murmuring broke out amongst them once more as they discussed it fervently.

Finally, Selah stepped forward and declared, “The Council agrees with this assessment.”

What a shock. No one sitting up there wanted to give up their holier-than-thou standing. I had to hand it to Aurelia. It wasn’t going to resolve the feud between Camila and Sabine, but at least, no one had to die.

“But,” Selah continued, “the Council must allow a challenge to proceed. Camila will duel with a champion of Sabine’s choosing.”

“What?” I shrieked.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it,” Aurelia said.

This wasn’t a real solution. It was a bandage. Turning to Jacqueline, I said, “Any other ideas?”

Her eyes stayed pinned on Camila as she shook her head.

“If Sabine’s champion loses, then what?” I asked Aurelia.

“She is no longer the Rousseaux matriarch. She will be under Camila’s authority, and Camila will decide her fate.”

And that wouldn’t be good. Not with Camila standing proudly, looking at her mother with pure loathing. How had she hidden that much hate from all of us? Or had we been too preoccupied with our own shit to see?

“And the others might decide she is no longer fit to sit on the Council,” Aurelia added.

I studied Sabine from across the room.

“Who will be your champion?” Selah asked her.

She spoke in a hiss as if she were a snake, but the words she uttered were as sharp and cutting as glass, as cold and as dangerous as ice. “My champion will be Jacqueline DuBois.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

JULIAN

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