Page 13 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

I refocused, pulling away from my recollection of that night. I glared at each of the other three vampires, waiting for them to introduce themselves. The subpar redhead mimicked Elijah’s pose. She placed her hand over her heart and bowed her head. “Your Majesty, my name is Evangeline Bisset—”

“Born 1512, turned 1530 by Heath Artoix in Paris, France,” I finished for her, entertained when her mouth dropped open. I gestured to the first of the other two males in the car, my tone lazy and a bit bored. “Akhiro Tashiro, born 1298 in Kaminokuni, Japan. Turned in 1345 by Xiao Tau.” I pointed to the youngest member. “Stefan Michaels, born 1910, turned 1929 in New York City by Daniel Arturo.” I lowered the sunglasses from my eyes, relishing how all their mouths dropped open in astonishment. I added with a wicked smirk, “You don’t really think I’ve been king this long without knowing every single thing about my vampires?”

It was an uncomfortably quiet car ride after that. They were uncomfortable because they’d underestimated me. I was uncomfortable because the quiet left me time to reflect on all the ways I could fuck up with my mate. I barely noticed as we exited the freeway into the Garden District, my mind miles away, even as we pulled up to a large mansion.

The town car entered the garage, and my companions waited with bated breath for the garage door to close, sheltering them from the lethal rays of the sun. My lips twitched in amusement when a hiss of relief came from one of them when the light vanished.

Evangeline exited the car first, straightening her pencil skirt and brushing a rebellious lock back over her shoulder. “King Lucien. We have several factions of immortal species inside, hoping to meet with you, along with some of your loyal subjects. When the sun sets, we can give you a tour of the territory.”

Akhiro and Stefan both nodded in agreement, all three turning and heading into the house. It did not escape my notice that they expected me to follow meekly behind them. Elijah sent me a droll look, and my lips twitched again. I stepped close and whispered, “Did you find out anything about the woman I asked about?”

As far as Elijah knew, I was looking for information about a potential threat to the lycans for Erik. No need to advertise my idiocy with my fated queen. As long as she was out there without me to protect her, she was vulnerable. If my enemies discovered her connection to me, they could strike at me through her. Fate did not give second chances.

“There was a strange woman of undetermined origin spotted in the Howard-Tilton Library at Tulane.” Elijah pulled his phone from his pocket. “I thought she was close enough to your description to flag it. Here’s the security footage we pulled from campus PD.”

My heart thudded at the sight of my mate striding through the halls of Tulane’s library on the small screen. She was just as stunning as I remembered, clad in skintight jeans and a baggy sweatshirt that concealed some of her curves. Her hips swayed to some unheard beat, and men’s eyes lingered on them as she passed. I kept myself from crushing the phone, but I did memorize the mortal’s faces for possibleunwillingblood donors.

She was perusing the rare books section on the top floor of the library, a floor rarely visited by the students attending the university. She bit her lip as she had in Tír nAill, this time deep in thought. Her pale fingers trailed along the spines of the ancient tomes, her lilac eyes distant. A door slammed over her shoulder, making her jump at the sound, and for a moment, she appeared terrified. Her fear fell like a lash against my skin. She was running from something, and if I didn’t find her soon, she was going to disappear again. The need to keep her safe was overwhelming. She was mine.

“When was this taken?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse.

“Yesterday,” Elijah answered, putting away his phone. I barely stopped myself from snatching it back so I could watch the small clip again. Elijah glanced surreptitiously again at me. He no doubt heard my racing heart but had the grace or the wisdom not to comment.

“It’s essential that I find her with all speed.” I pulled the gold ring off my finger, flicking it to the other vampire. Elijah caught it in a blur of speed. “You’re coming with me.”

Without waiting for his reply, I threw open the door leading to the street, letting the light flood the garage. The other vampire hissed and recoiled, not making it to cover before the lethal bolts of sun hit him. Elijah futilely tried to block it with his arms.

It took a few moments, but eventually, Elijah opened his eyes and gaped at me. I stood in the doorway, my arms crossed over my chest as I waited for him to process the reality. The realization of what was happening was slow to sink in, his smile bright as he slid the gold sun charm onto his finger.

Elijah stepped outside into the sun for the first time in almost two hundred years. He lifted his head and closed his eyes, embracing the warmth. I heard the gasp of outrage and shouts of astonishment from the three other vampires as they watched us from behind the filtered glass. Evangeline’s hands were pressed against the window, her eyes filled with longing. Various other immortals, mostly vampires, were standing behind her, their expressions stunned and amazed.

I sent them a sarcastic salute, a smirk curving my lips. The sunglasses I pulled from my pocket were identical to mine. I passed them to Elijah, and I could tell my message was as clear as the morning sun they could not enjoy.

Never cross the king.

VIII

The Realm of Mortals.

New Orleans, Louisiana.

The blood-soaked spike of wood falls from my fingers, the sound of it hitting the ground too quiet for my hearing. Witches have healing powers like almost all immortals, though the healing is almost more painful than receiving the injury. You can feel your skin crawl back together, your organs regenerating, and your muscles knitting.

My fingers fumble as I part my robe to grip the sundress underneath. I rip a piece off and lift it to cover my nose and mouth, tying it into a knot behind my head. It allows me to breathe a bit easier.

The blurs in my vision are more circular, enough for me to see the flash of red, giving me a direction to limp. Each step makes my teeth dig deeper into my lip until blood drips down my chin.

NIGHT IN THE FRENCH QUARTER WAS Amagical time of revelry and debauchery, clouding the senses, consuming most people’s sense of logic and morality with the chaotic atmosphere. Tourists and locals alike took part, stumbling from bar to bar, their colorful attire and state of inebriation contributing to the mystical nature of the city.

I hunched my shoulders, making myself as small as possible to avoid attention. I wished it was cool enough to wear a hoodie, so my hair would draw less notice, but it was still too humid. Unless I wanted to melt into a puddle of sweat, I didn’t have much of a choice in attire. Drunken mortals and immortals called out to me, hoping to envelop me in their aura of chaos and pull me into their world. The one I never got to be a part of, not truly. I never got to be free or enjoy life. I’d started dating a vampire at eighteen and was sentenced a few years later.

Rule No. 1: Trust no one.Everyone was a bounty hunter out to kill me. Luis just enforced that rule number one wasnecessary.

I rubbed my shoulders, suddenly aware of the presence of eyes on me, tracking me as I hurried down Frenchmen Street. The feeling of being watched was like another layer of unseen humidity pressing down upon me. Usually, I could easily dart between the numerous bodies of the French Quarter, both mortal and immortal, drawing no attention to myself. But something had locked onto me and was following me.

When the sensation became overwhelming, I slipped into an empty alleyway and waited for my pursuer to catch up. Sure enough, three witches appeared, blocking my exit. They probably sensed the lingering magic on me from destroying the cherufe the day before. Magic, especially powerful magic, left a scent on the witch. It was why I usually only hid in towns with large magical populations, so my aura of magic mixed in with all the others.

With the massive spell I’d performed yesterday, I positivelyreekedof magic. I shouldn’t have left my apartment, but I needed to tie up some loose ends before I disappeared again.

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