Page 67 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

As far as I knew, Helen was down here in the lower levels of the Van Helsing estate being held in a cell. I hope she rotted in it.

I pushed through the gathered group, and put myself in front of Lucian to keep the room full of angry men from making a move against him.

“Anyone who wants to take a go at the dickhead has to go through me first,” I said.

Lucian chuckled. “Uh, thanks. I think.”

I shrugged. “Least I can do.”

“Dickhead though?” he asked.

I lifted a brow. “Did you or did you not originally lead Willa and me to that cave in Romania with the hopes of freeing Dragos?”

He cringed. “Dickhead works.”

“Question,” said Austin, his hand up now. “I was asking Jonathan about this a few days back, wondering how it is we had to deal with Dragos a few months ago here if that seal holdinghim wasn’t officially broken twenty-two years ago when you and your sister were lured there by that asswipe. Any theories?”

Lucian grunted. “Asswipe?”

I elbowed him lightly. “Focus. Do you know how Dragos finally gained his freedom?”

He shook his head. “No. The seal could only be broken by way of a mystical dagger and the shedding of blood—a lot of blood, mind you—by at least two people tied to one of the original individuals who sealed him away to start with. I have no living descendants. It was not someone from my line. Bram has a daughter but she is alive and well and the bloodshed needed to occur within the confines of the cave. She has never been there from my understanding.”

Elis stood. “All Van Helsings are accounted for.”

“Same with the Harkers,” said Dwayne.

“Morris?” asked Seward before lifting both hands. “And it wasn’t anyone from my line. I’m the last of my people and I don’t have any little ones running around out there that I’m unaware of.”

“If you say so.” Marcy giggled.

“Wait, what?” demanded Seward.

Marcy tipped her head, staying close to Bram. “It wasn’tanyof your lines.”

“Another Murray?” I asked, feeling sick. We’d not had a chance to reconnect with our uncles who we’d been estranged from since we were ten. Were they dead? Had someone lured them to the caves and used their blood—their deaths to free Dragos?

Marcy shook her head. “Nope.”

“Then who?” asked Austin.

Marcy shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just know it wasn’t any of you.”

Jonathan wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the conversation. He was too busy glaring at Lucian. “Who in the hell let you in?”

Willa rose to her feet, next to Jonathan, and took his hand in hers. “Probably your daughter. You know she has a soft spot for him and trusts him.”

“She has questionable judgment,” snapped Jonathan.

Willa rolled her eyes. “I trust him too.”

“Well then she gets that questionable judgment from her mother, Love,” said Jonathan, who looked to be fighting a smirk. “Really hope the next two get mine.”

“Next two?” asked Lucian.

I nodded. “She’s got two more buns in the oven. Girls.”

Lucian’s eyes moistened slightly, enough for me to see because I was close to him, but I wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed. “Congratulations. Children are a blessing.”

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