Page 29 of Chess

“So how long have you and March been lovers?” Chess asked, plopping down beside her and ignoring personal space. They had seemed to have passed that point a while ago, though.

She sighed. “Enough of that. March isn’t my lover.”

Chess perked up like a flower under sunshine, his grin growing wide. “Do tell. He clearly adores you.”

Ever didn’t know why she was telling him any of this, but perhaps she owed him more truths after his revelations the night before. “March wants more than I can give, so we aren’t together in a pleasureful way anymore.”

“You were literally kissing each other at the club,” Chess pointed out.

And at the park when she’d went to secretly meet him. “There won’t be any more of that.”

“A pity for him.” His grin grew even wider as he took a lock of her wig and twirled it around his finger. “So, who’s the better kisser? Me or March?”

“Seriously?” She smacked his hand away from her hair.

“It’s me.” He chuckled. “If it were March, you would’ve easily said it.”

“Bloody hell, you’re a pest.” A smile tugged at her lips as she found herself laughing too.

“Trust me, I’m no pest.” He leaned close, his warm breath mingling with hers.

Ever fought against the desire to press her lips to his and pulled her thoughts together into a coherent sentence. “We need to go—we don’t want to be late for ourveryimportant date with the guards.”

“Ah, yes, a blood bath it will be.” Chess stood and drew her up from the ground. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

They then skirted around trees and slinked out of the forest. The ivory garden came into view, its flowers overgrown—it clearly hadn’t been wandered through, even by guards. Their steps remained light and their eyes stayed peeled for guards passing by in the grime-covered windows. The untrimmed bushes near the back of the castle were only a short distance away so they used their enhanced speed to get across. Ever pushed the daisy bushes aside and located the silver grate March had mentioned. When she’d ruled here last, it had been sealed, or at least she believed it had been. Her previous guards’ words were no longer trustworthy.

She lifted the loose metal, revealing a hole big enough for them to fit through. Chess didn’t hesitate and slipped in first. Keeping as quiet as she could, she climbed in next, then shut the grate behind her before her feet lost purchase against the stone and she fell.

Her heart pounded and she prepared to hit the hard floor, but two waiting hands caught her.

“And you consider me a villain.” The prince smirked, his yellow gaze dancing.

“That’s exactly what you are,” March interrupted as he walked toward them.

Ever leapt from Chess’s arms and peered around the cellar baths. It looked much more unkempt than usual—the sparkling white stone floor was covered in muddy boot prints and dirty guard uniforms were piled around the room. The silver walls, ivory clawfoot baths, and several ornate wardrobes that were once filled with towels and scented soaps still appeared the same, though the fur rugs resting in front of each bathtub were covered in brown stains.

“So where are we starting?” Chess asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“The only door leading out of here,” March said with sarcasm, pointing to the wooden door at the opposite side of the room. He then turned to Ever. “Two of your original traitors are just outside this door, Sonny is in the back, and the other nine newer guards are scattered throughout the palace.”

“That’s good. We should be able to easily pick them off one by one.” Ever shrugged. She couldn’t risk what occurred last time to happen again. Soon, she would have to rebuild a new guard on her own, one that wouldn’t deceive her again.

“I like when you’re bloodthirsty,” Chess purred in her ear.

March’s eyes lingered on Chess a beat too long before motioning them forward. Ever opened the door and Chess bolted through it first. She was going to hiss at him to hold the fuck on, but he already had her old guard Kopa’s bloodied head in his hands. When the other bastard guard, Leslie, shot across the room, Ever stepped between her and Chess.

“I bet you weren’t expecting us to meet again,” Ever seethed at the surprised guard’s face, thrusting her hand into the vampire’s chest with a sickening squelch and tearing out her beating heart.

The door flew open and two male guards wearing Scarlet uniforms came barreling in. Their gazes widened when they landed on the bodies and blood on the floor, leaving enough time for March to shoot forward, muscles flexing as he swung his sword, cutting cleanly through their necks. Blood sprayed the walls and Chess gave quiet applause.

“Not yet, Princeling,” she said, tossing down the heart and rushing up the stairs to the sitting room. Chess and March’s feet echoed behind her.

The door at the top of the stairs was locked, but March used his key and shoved it open with a bang. A female guard growled and leapt at March, but her head was already gone before she could touch him, blood oozing like a necklace down her chest.

Ever’s pulse raced as they hurried down the narrow hall filled with dead flowers in vases on the walls. They cut through two more empty areas, the silver and white furniture covered in dust. Three guards darted into the sitting room as soon as they entered, hissing and pausing when they spotted Ever and Chess. She didn’t think it would be an advantage for her and Chess to be seen together, but apparently it was quite the game-changer.

Ever tore the head from a stocky female, most of the spine coming away with her prize, blood dripping from the bones. A hand gripped her shoulder, but when Ever turned around, the head was gone, the body buckling and falling to the floor beside March and his bloody sword. The third, Chess had already taken care of. A guard flew down the steps and Chess moved like a tiger as he leapt over the handrail and snatched the heart from the male’s chest, the rest of the vampire rolling down the stairs to the floor, the sounds building like a crescendo.

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