Page 58 of Heir of Blood and Moonlight

Unsure how to respond, I licked my lips and smiled weakly. “If smiting makes you happy, the role is all yours.” My brow furrowed, dread pooling in my gut as I considered what had prompted him to bring this up. “How bad is Gavin’s secret?”

Ash pressed his lips together, his expression turning foreboding. “I’ll let you decide that,” he said, pulling his hand away from my neck and turning toward the doorway, my hand still held tight in his.

My heart hammered as we left the bedroom and crossed the sitting room to the suite door. I could feel Gavin and Bastian out there, both concerned, but in very different ways. The low drone of their voices crossed the barrier of the door, though I couldn’t make out their words. Ash most certainly could.

Ash grunted quietly, displeased by whatever he heard out in the hallway, and released my hand and walked ahead, his long strides eating up the floor between us and the door. He gripped the handle and peered back at me, his eyebrows raised in question. Was I ready?

I pushed back my shoulders and smoothed down the front of my robe, and then I nodded for Ash to open the door.

“—not a child,” Bastian’s voice drifted into the sitting room. “She needs us to protect her, not control her.”

“I’m not trying to control her,” Gavin snapped. “I’m trying to keep her alive.”

In my mind, I had pictured Gavin and Bastian standing at the door, shoulder to shoulder, ready to break down the door to get to me. That was how they felt. It was not at all how I found them.

Bastian leaned back against the opposite wall, his concern fading as soon as he saw me. A faint smirk curved his lips, almost like he was pleased I’d overheard this part of theirdiscussion. He glanced sideways at Gavin, who appeared to havebeen pacing up and down the hallway and was currently stalking toward Ash’s door.

“See, she’s fine,” Bastian said, gesturing toward me. He looked from me to Ash and back, no hint of jealousy in his expression or leaking across our bond. “Better than fine, from the looks of it.”

I stepped out into the hallway, and Ash followed, a tangible shadow at my back.

“She isnotfine,” Ash countered.

I flashed Bastian a quick smile, then peeked over my shoulder to see Ash glowering at Gavin’s approaching form.

“Tell her,” Ash said.

Gavin stopped in front of us and narrowed his eyes. “It’s not your place to—”

“I am her Fourth, and you have betrayed her,” Ash growled. “It isexactlymy place to ensure this wrong is righted.”

Gavin clenched and unclenched his jaw.

“Tell her,” Ash demanded. “OrIwill.”

Sighing, Gavin shifted his focus to me. “You were meant to be part of a trade,” he admitted, like the words were being dragged out of him. Jaw clenched, he looked from me to Ash and back. “With the Sun King.”

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My mouth fell open,a million things tumbling through my head, yet I was too stunned to speak.

Bastian pushed off the wall and moved closer.

“We were originally going to train you to break the curse,” Gavin explained. “Once you were powerful enough, we were going to trade you to the Sun King in exchange for any of our people he still holds prisoner.” He was trying to make it sound like it was no big deal, but I could sense his inner panic. “You were a bargaining chip. But that was before we knew who you were and thought you were just some random queen in hiding.”

My eyebrows rose, and I scoffed at the wordsbargaining chip. “And now?”

Gavin laughed under his breath and shook his head. “That plan disintegrated the moment you uttered Javier’s name and revealed your true identity. A future I had never envisioned for our people was suddenly possible. A new High Queen to lead us forward.” He stepped closer, his stare burning with earnest intensity. “With you at full power, we won’t need to make dealswith Veris to free our people. We can take them back.” He raised one hand, curling his fingers into a tight fist. “And crush Veris.”

My brow furrowed as he spoke. I looked from him to Bastian, now at my side, then glanced over my shoulder at Ash before returning my focus to Gavin. Puzzle pieces inside my mind rearranged, fitting together into a new pattern to reflect my shifting understanding of the situation.Iwas irrelevant;my bloodlinewas what mattered.

“You wanted to use me,” I finally said, speaking slowly and choosing my words carefully. “You still do.”

“Sophie, I—”

I held up one hand, forestalling him. “Don’t,” I said, a hard edge to my voice. “I understand. Our people are dying, and I can change that.” I drew in a deep breath, releasing it shakily. “I need some time—alone—to think,” I said, turning my back to my three consorts and starting down the hallway.

“Let her go,” Ash said, the floor behind me creaking as I imagined the larger vampire stepping in front of Gavin to block his path. “Shifter . . .” There was a note of warning in Ash’s voice.

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