Chapter 26 #3
But pain was a promise in her every glare. The little kernel of intuition within me whispered that, should she gain the crown, she would wield her breathtaking power to deliver my death.
Craving bloodlust as always, the Flask whispered, “Fly closer, little moth. Love and hate are two sides of the same knife.”
I shook off the thought and addressed the room.
“Two of your own have died today. One felled by our enemies, with her tongue removed as a warning of her follies.
And another mysteriously killed in her bed.
I want to assure you that we are looking into the situation.
If you have not already spoken to Lord Clement about your whereabouts tonight, you will soon.
“In the meantime, we are increasing security here at the mansion. No one leaves or arrives without a thorough questioning. Your comings and goings will only be allowed for the Trial of the Nemesis. Questions?”
Razira lifted an elegant hand. She smiled, looking up at me through her snowy lashes.
The guile lurking just under the surface of her pretty face stroked against my senses.
As always, I smiled back, acknowledging her as a flawless player in the game of vampire politics.
“Surely with this new development, we could pause the second trial?”
Given that she didn’t flinch, she didn’t feel the wrath of the Flask like I did, an influx of pure rage that burned in my veins.
“No,” I answered without pause. “That will not be possible.”
After a confused murmur from the group, more questions arose.
I answered them all and sidestepped speaking about Lady Lorelei’s death.
The council had decided to keep it as quiet as we could.
As far as we could tell, the three killers were all different.
The only one we needed to fear was the one who was willing to burn the House of the Sanguine down from within.
Eventually, I released the vampiresses and their devotees to shuffle off and rest.
“Lady Ilyana,” I said when she passed by me, partially to feel her reaction. A twinge of anxiety to be called out of the crowd. Ire in the next moment. A heady blend of nerves and antagonism as she turned to look at me.
“What is it, Lord Regent?” she asked with poorly concealed annoyance.
Her two devotees waited nearby as I beckoned for her to speak with me in a private corner of the room.
“Where were you last night?” I asked out of concern, but her expression hardened. I put my palms up. “I am merely worried for you.”
She narrowed her eyes, and her suspicion screamed at me. “Is that so?”
She always seemed to take my words the wrong way, like she was actively trying to find the worst of my intentions in every sentence I uttered.
It certainly made me wary, if not distrustful.
Lord Clement needed to have a long discussion with her.
I would ensure that he did, regardless of her alliance with his daughter.
In the meantime, I couldn’t help but test her reaction to me.
Even without my magic, I felt the caress of her gaze as it drifted down my torso.
“You look tired. I’d love to know what caused it,” I said with a hint of suggestion.
I wanted to reach out and brush a stray lock of hair out of her face. For a moment, I reached for her.
“Simply a long morning with my new mates. You know how it is.” To my chagrin, her attention shifted to where they stood waiting for her. My fingers dropped away, forming a fist at my side. “Or perhaps you don’t, Lord Regent. I am unaware of your history.”
Heat burned just under my skin. Nemea had promised me everything and given me nothing. “My history is my own. Your present concerns me more. How are you doing with the current trial?”
“Fine,” she answered with the kind of worry and guilt that suggested she wasn’t working on it yet.
“You have less than five days to complete the task,” I reminded her.
“I am aware.”
“What manner of vampire do you think you will have to take to satisfy the Flask?”
“Whatever kind of vampire I can snatch, Lord Regent. But I assure you, I will not disappoint.” She huffed, turning to leave.
“One more thing,” I said, and she paused. “I met your sister earlier. I had to turn her away since visitors aren’t permitted, but she was very eager to see you.”
A flicker of something sharp rippled across her headspace, bright enough to sting my magic before it vanished beneath her other emotions. “I’ll reach out to her when I can. Now if you’ll excuse me, this has been a trying day.”
With a tug of reluctance, I let her go and watched her figure as she sashayed away. The Flask thought I wanted Ilyana because I was lonely. She was wrong about that. I wanted Ilyana because she was a variable I couldn’t solve. Her mystery would be mine to unravel.
Zane shot me a look of warning as he folded an arm around her shoulders.
“You disappoint me,” the Flask remarked.
“How so?” The quiet left behind now that the great hall was emptied rang in my ears. Alone with my own emotions, they merely deepened, reminding me that there was a slayer in our midst. I sighed to myself. What an absolute calamity. It had been one of those nights, and there was no resolution yet.
I understood my role in the Flask’s designs. Knew she’d chosen me because I was controllable and my magic made me sensitive to her will. And I wanted power badly enough to accept the leash.
But wanting it and liking it were different things.
“Tiptoeing around true power. Never sinking your fangs in,” she tutted. “When will you push ‘Ilyana’ to see whether she rips out your heart…or claims it?”