Page 13 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Kiss

“Are you kidding? We could fit like seven people in there,” Emerson said, her laugh slightly high pitched as she turned away. “But yeah, we’ll be fine.”

“How long do you think we’ll be here for?” Novalie said, sitting back into a mini armchair tucked in front of an empty mantle and kicking the other chair out slightly for me to sit in.

I shrugged. “No idea. As long as it takes for the council to listen to what I have to say, I assume.”

“You think that’s it? We’re not… in trouble or something?” Emerson sat on the bed and pulled a red decorative pillow to her chest, squeezing tightly. “Why’s it called court anyway? There’s not a vampire king, right? So why not, hub? Or hive? Or?—”

I shared a look with Novalie who gave me a helpless shrug in return. “I imagine the vampires think court sounds cooler. More refined. But actually yeah, there is a monarchy. Or there was, at least. But I don’t think they ruled? They were just old and powerful.”

“Where are they now?” Emerson pulled at a thread on the pillow and then replaced it guilty when the stitching made a ripping sound.

“Nobody knows,” Novalie chipped in. “Supposedly there’s an heir missing too who would have been around our age.”

Scowling, I debated whether or not to clue them in about the heir’s identity. Fuck it, it’s not like they would tell anyone. I concentrated, pulling my magick to the surface and placing a bubble around the three of us to conceal any sound from anyone listening in. “It’s Hayes.”

“Where?” Novalie said, glancing behind me to the closed door. “I didn’t know he was coming.”

“No,” I said, relatively patiently. “Hayes is the heir.”

Novalie’s eyes flared wide and she stared at me, perfectly still, before she began laughing. “You can’t be serious.”

“He turned into a fucking wolf and chased me around Ashvale.” Now both girls were gaping at me and I grimaced. I had a lot to catch them up on.

“That’s so?—”

“Fucking cool!” Novalie interrupted and Emerson shook her head.

“Terrifying,” she finished and I shrugged.

“It was both, I guess.”

“Your boyfriend is the lost heir,” Novalie said wonderingly and I stiffened. “Your boyfriend is like head of the council!”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I snapped and Novalie waved a hand airily. “And the only thing he’s head of is my shit list.”

“Semantics.”

There didn’t seem to be much point in arguing with her, so I kept my mouth shut and silently fumed as Novalie rambled on about whether they’d get to go to any good parties while they were there at court.

“We’re here to testify about a murder,” Emerson protested and Novalie rolled her eyes.

“Like a court of vampires is going to care about a little death. They have at least two ‘trials’ a day here. You know, like how they used to do public executions for entertainment?”

“Then why are we here?” Emerson looked between us, clearly unsure if Novalie was serious, and I took a steadying breath.

“Because they’re worried about what it means for them and their own power if Elowen really does have the means to create a kind of army of living vampires. Plus, Cal thinks?—”

“They’re interested in Leonora,” Novalie chipped in and I blinked, curious as to how she’d arrived at the same conclusion as the mage.

“Me?”

“Sure, you’re an outlier. You’ve proven yourself to be powerful, you saved Emerson, I bet they want to see if you’re a threat.”

“Cal agrees with you,” I muttered, thoughts flashing back to the cursed envelope I’d received. “But someone else didn’t want me here. I got a… threatening letter.” I needed to ask Cal what exactly it had been cursed with—though generally I tended to assume that everyone I met wanted to kill me. It was just easier that way lately.

As if in answer to my thoughts, there was a knock at the door that cut off the girls’ questions. My jaw tightened and the three of us shared a wary look before Emerson approached where I stood and opened the door just behind me.

“Nobody here,” she said, sounding almost disappointed. “There’s just this?—”

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