Page 8 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

CHAPTER ONE

THEA

“This must be it.” Julian nodded to the door the ball of light had stopped in front of and reached for its knob. As soon as he did, the magical orb faded away, its purpose fulfilled.

I stared at where it had been. “A spell?”

He nodded. He kept his hand on the door but didn’t open it as if he, too, was struggling with the reality of what had happened.

The door was made of thick oak and stood at least ten feet high. Other than its impressive size, it was rather boring. Not what I expected from a place with thrones and magical balls of light and queens.

My stomach flipped at the thought—just thinking of queens made me feel like I was being turned inside out. The farther we got from the throne room and everything that had happened, the more out of sorts I felt.

Magic.

Magic was awake. No longer cursed. It no longer slept in our veins. I felt it. Not like I had before in those rare stolen touches. It was changed, but how different was it? Would it be little party tricks like a floating night light, or were there bigger surprises to come? And why had I been chosen? Why would the throne choose to anoint me?

I pushed my worries aside and focused on this moment—on the male standing before me.

I coiled my arm around his neck more tightly. I didn’t want to worry about it now—not with my skin touching his, not after being given a second chance. But the truth was that I was growing more tired by the minute. Julian’s resurrection seemed to have invigorated him, but all of it had worn me out.

“What are you waiting for?” I purred, battling the exhaustion I refused to give into until I had my fill of him.

“It’s just...” he trailed away before shaking his head. “Never mind. It can wait.”

Before I could press him on the issue, he swung open the door and carried me inside. Based on the door’s simplicity, I wasn’t prepared for what we found inside. The vestibule we stood in was oversized and luxurious. Unlike the rest of the court’s brutal elegance and stone facades, these walls were plastered over. Frescoes depicted the celestial movement of the sun and moon. As we entered, the sun rose along the wall, its light falling over plants and fauna. Birds dusted the painted sky, rising in flight to midday. As the mural progressed toward the room, the sun lowered, meeting with stars as twilight fell.

The corridor opened into a room that night had swallowed entirely. The walls were painted in shades of deepest blue that faded to near black where they met the ceiling, and speckled throughout the darkness were stars that seemed to twinkle as we moved. I had no idea if it was a trick of the light created by a skilled artist or magic, but I found myself unable to speak as I took it all in.

Twin orbs hung like full moons overhead, casting the entire room in a warm glow despite the darkness. A fire had been lit in the hearth, its faint, smoky scent welcoming us. On either side of the stone mantle, deep velvet couches piled with jewel-colored pillows sat around a slab of marble. Someone had left a bottle of wine and two glasses for us on the table like we’d been expected. For a second, I wondered if the room had been prepared for Sabine—Sabine, who had expected to ascend the throne and take the crown. Sabine, who was probably plotting revenge on me from wherever she’d found a place to claim as her own at court. I would have to deal with her. Later. For now, I focused on my surroundings.

Black sheers curtained ten-foot-tall windows, held back with a rayed sun on one side and a silver crescent on the other. Outside the windows, the night sky sparkled on the surface of a canal. The water rippled in the moonlight, its surging dance calling out to me like a thrumming pulse.

“Is that the Rio Oscuro?”

Julian nodded as he placed me on my feet, his hand straying to my back as if he wasn’t quite ready to let me go. “The source of all magic.”

“All?” I repeated, beginning to understand. This wasn’t just another magical hotspot like in Paris or Greece. “Is that why...” But I wasn’t sure what I wanted to ask. Is it why we’re here? Tonight? Is this why the court still exists in this spot? Was it a coincidence my father waited to kidnap me until we were in Venice?

“It’s why we are alive,” he said in a thick voice. I glanced up and saw shadows clinging to his handsome face. I understood what he didn’t say. It was also why we had died in the first place. It couldn’t be coincidence that we’d been drawn here—that the Mordicum had chosen this location. That Willem had come after me here. And now I was bound to that magic flowing outside the window as surely as I was bound to my own body.

The crown on my head felt heavy. My limbs ached as if whatever magic I’d called on earlier was leaking from my bones and trying to make its way home to the water outside. I swayed on my feet, and Julian caught me with a steadying hand.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

My stomach grumbled in response, but I swallowed as memories surfaced. They were hazy, clouded by whatever enchantment Willem had kept over me in my captivity. I could not remember the last time I’d eaten food, and what I could remember…

I nodded, adding in a whisper, “I fed this morning.”

There was a heartbeat of silence between us as Julian processed what I meant. I searched his eyes, waiting for his thoughts on that confession. Because that was what it was: a confession. I had no idea how long I’d been under Willem’s control, how long I’d been feeding on blood as he attempted to manipulate my vampire genetics.

Finally, Julian shucked off his ruined tuxedo jacket and began to roll up his sleeve.

“What are you doing?” I blurted out.

“You need to feed,” he said softly before extending his wrist. “Whatever happened out there, it’s obvious you need strength.”

I shook my head, tears welling in my eyes. “You shouldn’t...not after...”

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