Page 11 of Midwinter Night's Prince

"You're early."

Alexius was babysitting tonight. He’d offered, in order to let Chloe attend her classes.

Never tearing his gaze from the child, the ancient shrugged. “Never too early to see my little princess.” He finally glanced at Chloe. “You may go, if you’d like.”

Just like that, she was dismissed. Chloe chuckled.

From the moment Ruby was born, the inhabitants of Night Hill had worshiped her. She had a dozen honorary aunts and uncles who’d die to protect her. The fact that they were some of the most powerful supernatural creatures in the entire world didn’t hurt, either.

“I’ll head to school. Be careful. She’s getting faster, I think.” Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t newborns supposed to be like regular kids?”

Alexius was their resident doctor. He was well versed in most modern medicine, as well as spells and potions, to keep people alive. His schooling hadn’t included the welfare of children, until now. He’d started his pediatrician training the moment Chloe had announced her pregnancy.

Armed with his dozens of PhDs and a thorough understanding of most living creatures, Alexius shrugged helplessly. “You’re Eirikrsons. Your…diet made your line evolve differently from the rest of vampirekind.”

If Chloe had still been mortal, she might have flushed. Now, she rolled her eyes. She drank vampire blood, not human blood. So what? “I wasn’t running around faster than light at six months old.”

“You also weren’t fathered by an actual vampire.”

Her father had never turned. Instead, he’d gone mad.

“Both you and Levi are immortals—and let’s not forget those nanocytes running through your blood.”

Chloe nodded. Jack’s father had shared his blood with her in order to give her a chance when she was still human. The micro-computers designed to keep the Enlightened healthy were supposed to have faded by now, but the last blood tests Levi had run on her revealed they were still active. Could she have transmitted them to Ruby? The Enlightened gave them to their children, from what she understood.

“I suppose we’ll know if Levi analyzes Ruby’s blood.”

Chloe’s lips curved over her extended fangs, and a low hiss escaped her lips.

Alexius laughed. “Joking. No one’s poking needles into my princess. Now, go. You wouldn’t want to be late.”

She hesitated at the threshold. “Any news?”

Knowing what Chloe was asking, Alexius shook his head. “You’ll have to check with Gwen or Greer, but to my knowledge, there’s still radio silence from Blair. Which is excellent news.”

Was it?

Oldcrest didn’t feel right without the bubbly witch hanging out with them, and kicking some huntsmen’s asses in the courtyard.

Blair had been Chloe’s mentor through her first year. She’d also become her very first friend here. And now she was gone to protect them all.

Chloe hated the fact that Blair was alone somewhere. But more than anything, she hated the lack of control she had over the situation.

If Blair was caught, their borders were at risk. Aveka would have Seth destroy their shields and an army could storm Oldcrest.

Again.

She was tired of living in fear. It was time to end things, once and for all.

For Blair, for the Ruby who’d bled to death in Skyhall, and the one gurgling in Alexius’s arms.

Which was why she wasn’t going to class.

Tonight, and every night she was free of responsibility, Chloe went hunting.

7

INTO THE LIGHT

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