Page 18 of Break Her Heart
“I can protect myself,” I snapped.
“No, Winnie, you can’t,” he answered, his jaw tightening. “No one can know you are—” He stopped himself, glancing toward the front of the carriage where he knew the coachman sat. He leaned in closer and whispered, “whatyou are. Vampires can control themselves, but they won’t care to if they know what you are. Carrow has taught everyone to loathe them.”
I rolled my eyes. “He hates the thing that gave him immortality.”
August glanced out the window and his demeanor immediately changed. “I don’t understand most of his reasoning.”
I followed his gaze and my breath caught. The castle loomed out of the mist. Its black spires cut through the dark sky like daggers, jagged and unwelcoming. Gothic and immense, it rose from the mountainside like it had clawed its way out of thestone, more beast than building. It didn’t just stand apart—it ruled the landscape, brooding and vengeful.
“It’s the beginning of the end,” August whispered, his voice carrying like a prayer meant for the night itself—not for me.
By the time the carriage rolled to a stop, I realized that the thin protection those gates had offered was gone now, and my entire body tensed as I stepped down. The air felt different here—colder, heavier. Even the silence was suffocating, like the mountain itself was holding its breath.
A man stepped forward from the shadows, dressed in dark livery. He extended a hand to help me down. I hesitated.
When I finally placed my fingers in his, I realized with a jolt—he was human. Not because of his eyes or the way he smiled. It was subtler than that. It was the absence of magic under his skin. The absence of that humming energy that pulsed through the vampires like a second heartbeat. He was quiet. Still. Familiar in a way that almost undid me. A human was living here among them.
Human, and standing here like he had always belonged.
I stepped down and glanced back at the coachman. His gaze remained fixed ahead, unblinking. I edged closer until I was near enough to see the glassy sheen over his eyes. He sat rigid, more statue than man—but human.
“You’re not the only human here.”
I jumped when I heard August, spinning to find him standing so close I could feel the tension radiating off him. I hadn’t even heard him move, hadn’t realized he had followed me. I looked past him, toward the castle doors. A tall figure stood beneath the archway, cloaked in shadow. At first, I thought it was another servant—but then she shifted, and the flicker of torchlight caught her face and the red eyes staring down at me.
She saw me.
A wicked smile formed before she turned on her heel and disappeared inside, her movements quick and graceful and gone before I could blink.
“Inside,” August said softly, hand pressing lightly against my back.
It took every ounce of self-restraint I had not to dig my heels into the ground. I followed him up the steps, and the moment we crossed the threshold, the heavy doors shut behind us with a deep, echoing thud.
The foyer was vast and dim, lit only by flickering candles in iron sconces along the walls. Shadows danced along every surface, yet the space still managed to feel extravagant. The floor beneath my boots was polished stone, dark and veined with silver. Two massive staircases curved upward on either side, their banisters carved in intricate detail—serpents, roses, and things I didn’t recognize winding through the wood. A second-floor balcony overlooked the entryway, empty now, but I could feel the eyes.
Watching. Waiting.
I could sense more magic than I ever had.
August glanced around as if he too could feel the presence of others. He took a deep breath before he said, “Come out.”
Almost instantly, several vampires stepped out from the shadows. Some stood on the balcony above, others only feet from me. I gripped my cloak. Red eyes surrounded us. I knew this was what I would be walking into, but now living in it, I considered grabbing August and setting the entire place on fire.
Some bore the royal insignia like the guards outside, while others were dressed extravagantly—velvet cloaks lined with fur, jeweled pins fastening their collars, and silken fabrics. One stepped forward with the quiet elegance of someone used to being obeyed. He was tall and thin, with skin like old ivory and hair slicked back in an inky black wave. His clothing was richlytailored, embroidered with silver thread that glinted faintly in the candlelight.
“Halston,” August acknowledged.
“Augustus,” he said, bowing with theatrical grace. “What have you brought home?”
“I need a human wife to continue the line, don’t I? Well, I’ve made it easier on everyone and chosen one myself.”
Halston stepped forward and I tried to back away but August’s hand was firmly on my back. The vampire brought his face close to mine, assessing—sniffing. Then he leaned down further to my neck. “I can smell why you’ve chosen her.”
“Get the fuck away from me.”
He stood. “Oh my king, this one is marvelous.”
August laughed. “You have no idea.”
