Chapter 5 #2
The Blue Terrace was aptly and uncreatively named—a sprawling teahouse with azure glass walls that caught the midday sun casting cool sapphire light across its patrons.
It was the kind of establishment that existed solely for the vampire elite to conduct their business away from prying eyes, where the staff moved like ghosts and the private rooms offered complete discretion.
Nadi had done a few hits here in the past.
The ma?tre d’—a sleek human with a silver streak in his otherwise jet-black hair—led her to a private alcove overlooking a courtyard where a fountain splashed musically. Mael was already waiting, rising as she approached.
“Monica,” he greeted her, his voice a deep rumble that seemed at odds with the gentleness in his golden eyes. “Thank you for coming.”
She gave a small, shy smile. “You sent a lot of um… friends.” He hadn’t just sent a driver with a car. He’d sent a driver and two armed guards.
Mael’s mouth twitched. “My apologies. Security has been heightened since the attack on your wedding to Raziel. I’m sorry you are caught up in the middle of it.
And now that he made the decision to turn you and bring you back alive?
Everyone is walking on the edge of a knife.
If any other family wishes to make a play for power, now will be the time.
While we are all trying to find our footing. ”
“I’m sorry I’m the cause of it.” No, she wasn’t. But Monica would be.
“It isn’t your fault. None of this is, from the beginning.” He gestured for her to sit, then took his own seat across from her. He filled the chair completely, his broad shoulders nearly spanning its width. Where Raziel was lithe, predatory elegance, Mael was raw, imposing power.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice. “The transition can be difficult.”
Nadi lowered her eyes, playing her role. “It’s… different. Everything is so intense. The sounds, the smells…” She glanced up through her lashes. He wasn’t the first vampire she’d seduced… “The hunger.”
Mael nodded sympathetically. “It will become manageable with time. Though I must say, you seem to be adapting remarkably well. Most newborns are quite… unstable. I do hope Raziel is feeding you.”
A server approached with a silver tray bearing two crystal glasses filled with dark crimson liquid. Nadi’s stomach twisted at the thought of drinking blood, but she maintained her composure as the glasses were placed before them. “He—he’s doing his best, I think. The best that he’s capable of.”
When the server withdrew, Mael leaned forward slightly. “I wanted to speak with you privately because I’m concerned, Monica.”
“Oh?” she asked, lifting her glass to her lips but not drinking. She’d have to, eventually. Mael would notice if the liquid didn’t disappear. But she could get away with it at first.
“My brother.” His expression darkened. “And what he might be doing to you.”
Nadi set her glass down carefully. “Raziel has been… kind to me.”
“Has he?” Mael’s voice was soft, but there was steel beneath it. “I’ve known my brother for over two centuries, Monica. Kindness is not in his nature.”
She let her eyes flicker down, as if uncertain. “He spared my life.”
“For his own purposes, I assure you.” Mael reached across the table, his massive hand stopping just short of touching hers. “I need you to understand something. The Raziel you think you know—the one who speaks softly, who shares your bed, who saved you from the sacrifice—is not the real Raziel.”
“Then who is?” she asked, allowing vulnerability to creep into her voice.
“A monster,” Mael said bluntly. “He has killed hundreds, maybe thousands, without remorse. You know what he did to the Iltanis. But that’s not all. He has broken the minds and bodies of those who trusted him, those who cared for him.” His eyes held hers intently. “Including his previous lovers.”
She let fear flicker across her features—letting the truth of her own past inspire the emotion. She had seen Raziel’s cruelty firsthand, after all. That was how she was taught to lie—to act—using pieces of the truth.
“I don’t say this to frighten you,” Mael continued. “But I need you to understand the danger you’re in.”
“But why? Why do I matter?” She kept her voice barely above a whisper.
Mael hesitated, then placed his hand over hers. His touch was warm, solid, and strangely comforting—a stark contrast to Raziel’s that always held the promise of sudden violence.
“Because I see something in you,” he said finally.
“Something worth protecting. You’ve shown remarkable courage and adaptability.
You’ve survived what would have broken most humans.
And now…” His gaze traveled over her face with a warmth that made her unexpectedly warm.
“Now, you might be exactly what this family needs to move forward.”
“I don’t understand.”
Mael withdrew his hand, leaning back. “The family doesn’t trust Raziel. To be truthful, we never have. But now? After his defiance with the sacrifice? Mother has tolerated his… eccentricities… for centuries because he’s useful. But his latest act of rebellion has pushed her beyond patience.”
That was interesting. Very interesting. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I believe Volencia may do something extreme. Or ensure that something extreme happens.” Mael’s voice dropped lower. “Tonight’s council meeting isn’t just about assigning you both a task to restore our standing. It’s about deciding Raziel’s fate.”
She had to fight the urge to lean forward.
This should be frightening to Monica. Terrifying, even.
Instead, Mael was giving Nadi the answer to all her problems served up to her on a silver platter.
This could rid her of Raziel—and her complicated feelings for him with it. “She would hurt her own son?”
A humorless smile crossed Mael’s face. “You saw what she did to him last night. She’s done far worse to him. Death would be a mercy in the long run.”
Nadi looked down at her untouched blood, arranging her features into an expression of distress. “What can I do?”
“Align yourself with the winning side,” Mael said simply. “I can protect you, Monica. I can ensure your place in the family, regardless of what happens to Raziel.”
She raised her eyes to his, genuine confusion in them now. “But I still don’t understand why you would do that for me? You hardly know me.”
Something flickered in Mael’s golden eyes then—something that had nothing to do with familial concern. His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.
“Let’s just say I see potential in our… association.”
Ah. The implication was clear. Nadi felt a strange pull toward him in that moment—not attraction. Sure, he was more than handsome, even if he wasn’t exactly her type. But it was a recognition of an opportunity. Mael was offering her a second chance.
She could have another attempt at taking out the Nostroms from within. Without the Serpent around to muck things up. If her goal was simply to infiltrate and destroy the Nostroms, aligning with Mael would provide better access, better security, better chances of success.
So, why did the thought leave her feeling hollow?
“What would you have me do?” she asked, playing into his expectations.
Mael leaned forward again. “Watch my brother. Listen to what he says, especially when he thinks you’re not paying attention. If he mentions the Rosovs, or anything about Mother’s plans, I need to know.” He paused. “And if he hurts you—if he even threatens to hurt you—you come to me immediately.”
Nadi nodded her head. “I’m afraid of him sometimes.” It was easy enough to play into the narrative. “The way he looks at me… like he’s imagining all the ways he could tear me apart.” It wasn’t a lie either.
“That’s because he is.” His tone was grim. “My brother views everyone as either a tool or a toy. And both eventually break.”
He reached for her hand again, and this time, she met him halfway. His thumb stroked across her knuckles in a gesture that was clearly meant to be more than just comforting.
“You don’t have to face him alone, Monica,” he murmured. “Not anymore.”
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. Mael truly believed he was helping her, protecting her from his dangerous brother. And perhaps, in his own way, he was.
“Thank you,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
“You can trust me,” Mael said, his eyes never leaving hers. “I promise you that.”
The meal continued on from there, drifting through other topics that were far less interesting.
Discussions of her home—which she had to carefully make up on the fly.
He told her all about how he used to go hunting for Wild creatures just outside the wall as a child.
But, as the conversation went along, it meant she couldn’t avoid something she’d been desperately hoping to this entire time. But now it was inevitable.
She had to do the deed of drinking the hideous glass of blood.
As they spoke, Nadi carefully extracted information while maintaining her vulnerable facade.
Mael revealed that the council meeting would include distant branches of the Nostrom family rarely seen in the metropolis.
That security would be heightened not just because of Raziel’s defiance, but because of increasing tensions with the Rosov clan.
That the task they would likely be assigned would involve infiltrating Rosov territory.
All valuable intelligence for her plan with Raziel.
If that was still her plan…
But as the meeting drew to a close and Mael escorted her back to his waiting car, Nadi found herself unsettled by how effectively he had managed to plant seeds of doubt. Not about Raziel’s nature—she had no illusions about that—but about their alliance.
Was she backing the wrong Nostrom? Mael was clearly the more stable, more rational choice. The one who would give her greater access to the family’s inner workings. The one less likely to snap and kill her on a whim.
But was Mael the one more likely to win?
And was Mael the one who would be easier to control?
As she settled into the plush leather seat of Mael’s car, she caught him watching her with that same heated intensity.
“Tonight,” he said, closing the door beside her, speaking through the open window, “remember what I said. Whatever happens, I will keep you safe.”
The car pulled away, leaving Mael standing on the curb, a mountain of a man whose golden eyes followed her until they turned the corner.
Nadi leaned back, closing her eyes and letting out a long breath. The meeting had gone exactly as she’d hoped—she’d gathered intelligence, established Mael’s trust, positioned herself as a potential ally.
So, why did she feel like she’d just made a terrible mistake?