Page 15 of Crown of Blood and Vengeance

“At Fandor Citadel. Vlad wants to make it a public execution.” His voice dropped lower, each word falling like a stone into the humid night air. “He’s going to be made an example of. What happens when you break Vlad’s rules.”

I clenched my fist and pressed to my forehead. “Damn it.”

Dimitri shifted his weight, shoulders squared as his gaze swept the grounds. “So the king is aligned with Vlad on this?”

Kai nodded, his jaw tight. “Yes. He wants Trystan, Keir, and Maximo to attend the execution in order to show loyalty to his new allies.”

Dimitri looked at me, his usual cockiness giving away to bewilderment. “I thought Maximo was already in bed with Balthazar.”

The name Maximo ripped through me like shrapnel. My vision tinged red as I remembered Joy being kidnapped. The bastard had built his fortune on human suffering—trafficking, drugs, torture. If he’d laid a finger on her, I’d bleed him dry until nothing remained but dust.

But there were other threats to consider. I fixed Kai with a hard stare, a cold wariness spreading through my chest. “So, do Trystan and Keir plan to align themselves with Petar?”

A bitter laugh escaped Kai as his lips curved into a mocking smile. “Would you align yourself with a madman? Trystan will never align with anyone that could possibly harm the pack.”

“Besides,” Dimitri drawled, his eyes glittering with dark amusement, “aligning with a madman tends to get you killed. And I rather like being alive... well, undead.”

I studied the fortress in my mind—triple-thick walls, elite guards at every post, magical wards. “Fandor Citadel is well guarded. It would be difficult to get inside.”

“But not impossible,” Dimitri mused, that dangerous glint back in his eyes. “There may be ways. Guards we could bribe.”

“Possibly...” I rubbed my chin, but the cold reality settled in. King Nico’s guards were handpicked for loyalty. By the time we identified any traitors, Angelo would be dead.

“You don’t have to get inside,” Kai said quietly.

Something in his voice unsettled me. I narrowed my eyes, dread pooling in my gut. “Why?”

“Because Vlad plans to burn him alive.”

Dimitri and I exchanged looks, the horror of it settling over us like a shroud. Fire would kill a man or born vampire swiftly, but for a made vampire like Angelo? It would be torture—hours of agony while he slowly burned away.

My stomach churned at the thought of anyone witnessing such brutality. Joy’s face flashed in my mind, and dread settled deeper. My heart twisted with a bitter longing. Part of me ached to see her again, even here, even now. I know that was damn selfish, wishing she’d be there to witness such horror just so I could see her face. But I just hoped Maximo wasn’t cruel enough to bring her. She didn’t need to see something like this.

Dimitri fixed me with that trademark look of cynical amusement, his eyes remaining cold and calculating. “A public burning? How delightfully medieval. And here I thought Vlad had evolved past the whole ‘torch and pitchfork’ aesthetic.”His fingers drummed against his thigh, betraying his tension. “Though I have to admit, points for showmanship.”

Bile rose in my throat as the image of Angelo burning filled my mind. My true brother, screaming as flames consumed him. My fangs dropped involuntarily, rage and fear warring in my chest. I dragged trembling fingers through my hair. “When?”

“In two days.” Kai sighed. “There’s something else.”

I dropped my hand, my stomach clenching at his tone. “And?”

“Maximo has put a contract out on you—a hundred thousand dollars for your head.”

I barked out a harsh laugh, but ice slid down my spine. A hundred thousand was enough to turn even loyal allies into enemies. “Maximo’s getting desperate if he’s throwing that kind of money around.” My fangs threatened to descend as rage and betrayal warred inside me. “Tell me, how many of our own have already lined up to collect?”

He averted his gaze, suddenly finding the ground fascinating. “I don’t know.”

Dimitri let out a low whistle. “Quite the price tag. Though personally, I’m offended. Your head’s worth at least twice that. Why is he throwing out the big bucks?”

Kai glanced between us. “From what Trystan sniffed out, it’s due to Louis DuPont’s daughter. He feels like she belongs to him.”

Rage blazed through me, hot enough to burn away the earlier chill. Joy didn’t belong to anyone—least of all Maximo. My jaw clenched tight enough to crack stone, fangs pushing against my gums as I fought for control. If he touched her, he’d learn exactly how creative an enforcer could be.

I closed my eyes for a moment, forcing air through lungs that didn’t need it. When I opened them, the enforcer’s calm had returned. A bounty meant assassins, mercenaries, hunters—anyone desperate enough for money to take on a vampire. We’d have to be twice as careful now, watching every shadow. “He’s trying to make sure I can’t find Joy. Why?”

“Because word has it that there’s something special about her, special like Serenity.”

Everything in me went deadly still, except for the blood raging through my veins like sun-forged steel. Maximo wouldn’t just torture Joy—he’d break her, piece by piece, until she gave him what he wanted. “He thinks she’s a Nephilim?”

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