Page 16 of Crown of Blood and Vengeance

Kai frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t even think Trystan or Keir know, but she’s something powerful, something that Maximo wants.”

Dimitri leaned against a gnarled oak tree, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement in the moonlight. “Ah yes, our dear friend Maximo. Always playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers. Too bad he’s about to lose his queen.”

The not knowing clawed at my insides. Joy had some hidden power that made her valuable to Maximo, and that meant she was in even more danger than I’d thought. He’d use whatever it was to strengthen his position—Maximo never passed up a chance to grab more power. “Then we need to throw him a surprise.” I glanced at Kai. “By you coming here, I take it if the kings don’t go, it’ll be considered an act of war for not supporting the new king.”

Kai shrugged. “Something like that.”

I slammed my fist against the trunk of the tree, sending bark splintering beneath my knuckles. Dimitri straightened, taking a small step back, his eyes widening slightly at my sudden display. “Damn it.” How could I protect her when I didn’t even know what she was?

Kai looked at me curiously, but didn’t ask any questions.

Dimitri gripped my shoulder. “If you want to save Joy, you’ve got to save Angelo first.”

I nodded numbly, trying to draw on my calculating nature. Something about Joy always made me unravel like a new recruit.

I counted slowly to ten, something I always did to try and maintain control. When I felt I wasn’t going to give into my anger any longer, I exhaled and said, “An outside execution may just give us the leverage to free Angelo.”

Kai frowned. “Won’t they be expecting that?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “They’ll be expecting you and I to try and rescue him, but I don’t think he’ll suspect that Trystan and Keir will.” I looked at Kai. “I take it that’s why Trystan sent you.”

“Actually, it was Keir’s idea. He’s the one that contacted Trystan. Our house is being watched. I was able to sneak out through our secret passageway as a wolf. It’s easier to escape than it is to get back in. Keir wants you to go to his yacht tonight. He has a plan on how to save Angelo.”

I cocked my eyebrow. “Keir can leave his house without being seen?”

He shook his head. “No. His enforcer, Lorcan, will be there.”

I grimaced. Lorcan was as trustworthy as a rabid wolf, but with Angelo’s life on the line, we were out of options. As a vampire mafia enforcer, I’d made deals with plenty of devils—but this one might cost us everything. Still, for Angelo, I’d pay whatever price necessary.

Chapter

Eight

Serenity

I was finallystrong enough to sit in the dining room with Julienne. I had on a pair of pink pajamas and matching slippers that she had loaned me. The bite marks on my leg still burned like acid, but I couldn’t tell you if the hellhound’s attack happened days ago or years. Time slipped through my fingers here like smoke. Had I screamed for hours or centuries when the venom turned my blood to fire? Julienne had held me through it all, her ancient vampire blood fighting back the poison while I thrashed in fever dreams.

Now she’d set this normal breakfast before me—bacon and eggs, such a painfully ordinary thing in this place of eternal torment. I stared at the yellowed centers wobbling on the plate. What if it was an illusion? What if beneath the mundane appearance was something worse—raw meat like the hound had tried to make of me? But Julienne sat across from me, her immortal eyes gentle, patient. She’d given me her blood when the venom was killing me, marking moments with soft wordsand cool hands when time itself had become another form of torture. She was the only real thing in this place of lies.

The door opened and Balthazar walked in—no, he sauntered in. Once again, he didn’t have on a shirt. Did he even own any? His black leather pants hugged his muscular legs, and despite the casual stance, every movement screamed predator. He was as handsome as Angelo, but where Angelo’s beauty made my heart ache, Balthazar’s beauty was a weapon aimed at my throat. “Ah, breakfast.” He looked at Julienne, lips curving into a mock pout. “You didn’t make me any? Tsk. Tsk.” He put his hand over his heart. “I’m hurt.”

Julienne put her fork down as she was about to take a bite. “You can have mine. I’ll make some more for me.”

Without hesitation, he seized her plate. “That’s kind of you, Julienne. I haven’t had a chance to talk with Serenity since she’s gotten out of bed.”

My stomach clenched at his words. The way he said my name made my skin crawl—like he was savoring it, tasting it. I could still remember his voice during the fever dreams, whispering things I couldn’t quite remember while the hellhound’s venom burned through me. Angelo’s name almost slipped from my lips, a prayer, a plea, but I caught it before it could escape. Balthazar would love nothing more than to use that weakness against me. Instead, I stared at my untouched eggs, trying to look too weak for whatever game he wanted to play.

Julienne headed back into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Balthazar.

He poured me a cup of coffee. “You haven’t touched your eggs.”

“I’m not hungry.”

I watched Julienne leave. When I turned back, Balthazar was studying my face intently. “Does this mean you’re hungry for blood?”

I tore my gaze away. “No. It means that I don’t trust the food.”

He frowned. “Trust the food?” His eyes lit with something that might have been amusement or cruelty—in hell, they looked the same. He picked up my fork and cut into the eggs, yellow yolk bleeding across the plate. “You think I’d poison you after going through all the trouble of keeping you alive?” He brought the fork to his lips and took a bite, never breaking eye contact. “See? Perfectly safe.” His smile turned sharp. “Though your paranoia is... fascinating. Tell me, what did you think it really was? I’m curious what horrors that pretty little mind of yours has conjured up.”

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