CHAPTER 3
VEYA
Present Day
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, you don’t know?” Second glowers, the torches at the entryway of Prosperity Castle flickering over his face.
The royal guard backs up a step, and I press my lips together to leash my reaction.
It’s not funny, Veya.
“I’ve never been across the border, sir. I don’t know the way to Goreon Castle.”
Second shakes his head. “You didn’t think to mention this when you were assigned to leave ahead of us?”
It’s a rhetorical question.
“Useless!” Second shouts, wresting his cloak from the line of hooks on the wall.
“Looks like we’re all traveling together then.
” He points his sword at the guard before sheathing it at his back.
“Next time, I hear about a problem when it surfaces. Not after the fucking fact, not two minutes before we’re supposed to depart, not when it’s too late.
” Second crosses his other sword behind him, sheathes it, and palms his daggers.
“Better yet, try some forethought on for size. See how that works out.”
The guard backs up one more step. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”
Second shoves the daggers in his hip sheaths. “I don’t want to hear ‘sorry’ when I’m having to save this entire court from Goreon filth because we didn’t follow the proactive plan.”
“You’re right, sir. Sor—” The guard clears his throat. “It won’t happen again.”
Second points a thick finger at him. “Good. Now bring the carriages around since we’re all leaving together.”
The guard sprints out of the front doors and down the wide stone steps of my castle before the words are even out of Second’s mouth.
“This kid,” Second mumbles to himself.
“We never planned for the guards to leave in advance,” I say, confused.
Second sighs. “I know that, but he didn’t. And it took him way too long to be honest with me. And he obviously didn’t ask anyone how to get there. He needs to toughen the fuck up and stop being afraid of his shortcomings.”
“You were testing him? Brutal.” I laugh. “Theo’s eighteen years old. He’s learning, he’s trying.”
“I know,” Second says, jaw ticking as he snatches his bag. “But our enemy doesn’t give a shit about his age. His inexperience will get him killed. Better it be my temper than his life.”
The pride Second has in the army he’s built me has given him purpose over the last century.
I release a loving smile. “You’ve always been a big softy.”
Second glares at me as the crunching of wheels filters through the open castle doors. “Do you have everything you need?” he finally asks, face softening as his eyes count the weapons on my person.
“Yes,” I say, daggers strapped to my thighs, sword at my back, and seven wooden pins in my hair, gilded in innocent gold—along with a racing heart, sweating palms, and an eagerness ripping at my skin like it’s already five miles down the road ahead of us.
It’ll require three days to travel from Prosperity to Goreon Castle at the heart of their territory. We could fly, but that would completely drain our energy and leave us vulnerable for days while we recovered. Summoning our wings is a great feat.
We’re not doing that.
Vampires rarely fly; it’s not worth the vulnerability and mostly reserved for life-or-death moments. Snapping is preferred, but we can really just flit about a room with it, moving in a blink to a location we can see. We might be the apex predator, but the gods sure threw in some limitations.
Correction. We’re one of the apex predators. Never lose sight of a Hunter.
“Why do you need four trunks?” Emmanuel admonishes behind us.
I turn to see him eyeing the stack of Charlotte’s cases lining the wall as the staff prepares to load them. Emmanuel holds up his own modest bag.
Charlotte glares at him. “Because a queen’s attendant needs to be well dressed. And two of them are for Veya, Em.”
I sigh. We’ve prepared for the pomp and circumstance, even though I’d rather skip right to the bloodshed.
Five carriages line the front drive of the castle, accompanied by twenty guards, and I step out into the night and climb into the royal carriage, flopping onto the plush seat as Second barrels in behind me.
Moments later, the carriage jolts forward, and we leave the castle grounds, passing the crop fields that feed our human populace in this region of the Night Kingdom.
An early frost bites at the edges of the stables and garden sheds, and I shove my hands in my pockets, knowing we’re in for a much deeper cold in Goreon.
We’ll be at Castle Death by sunrise, with two brief stops along the way. The Night Kingdom barracks is our first destination. We need to appoint the temporary second to run things while we’re in Goreon.
We ride past the artisan town of Meadowbrook and over the bridge that connects the two sides of the river, entering my army’s territory.
The vast estate sprawls along the river’s edge and, with its surrounding village, houses seven hundred warriors, the rest of our legion stationed at the Northern Wall.
Our travel party comes to a stop in front of the stately three-story building, beautiful in its simplicity, with cream stone and tall windows.
“Let’s make this quick,” Second says, throwing open the carriage door. As the general of our army, he leads the way down the wide path into the estate, and we follow him into his domain.
We’ve stitched protection into the fabric of our culture; even those who don’t serve in the army learn to fight. And any citizen of the Night Kingdom is welcome to train at the estate for as long as they desire.
We walk into chaos.
The officer lounge is busy, vampires rushing from table to table, inspecting maps and correspondence, voices raised and tempers raging. Second clears his throat, and the room turns and lowers to a knee when they notice their queen.
“Officer Cave, what’s going on?” I ask the male we’re here to see.
The room rises and returns to urgent duties while Second and Emmanuel join in at the map tables.
“My queen,” Cave says, disheveled blond hair falling over his eyes as he bows. “Uprising in the Southern Continent. Nothing we can’t handle, but they’ve lost an entire village to a coven attack.”
Our control over the Southern Continent has been an uphill battle, but it’s one we will never give up on.
“Were we able to save anyone?” I ask.
Cave’s fangs pop with his rage. “We didn’t make it in time.”
I hiss. “Second,” I call, and he joins us, hands on his hips and eyes red with his anger. “I’d like to move a hundred out of the estate to the continent. Sounds like we could use stability across the channel.”
Cave nods in agreement, gaze shifting to Charlotte beside me.
“I’ll assemble the team,” Second agrees and disappears into the grand foyer.
“Thank you for your diligence, Cave,” I tell him, and the vampire’s eyes shift to the map tables, his shoulders tense with stress. This is why I chose him. He actually gives a shit and cares about his duty with the same ferocity that I do.
An upheaval in the Southern Continent makes our departure to Goreon even riskier. Damn the gods.
“Can we speak privately?” I ask, nodding to the private meeting room off the lounge.
Cave’s eyes drag back to mine. “Of course, my queen.”
Once we’re in the room, Cave shuts the door for us, shoving his hands in his pockets. “What can I do for you, Veya?” The legion’s head officer looks at me expectantly, and I realize there’s no way to soften the blow, so I toss out what I have to say.
“I’ve been invited to Goreon.”
The vampire blanches. “You’re joking.”
I shake my head, lip quirked with my excitement. “And I’m accepting the invitation.”
Cave exhales, those tense shoulders drooping. “Fuck, Veya. Well, Second and I will handle things while you’re away.”
“That’s why we’re here,” I begin, and his chin tilts in response. “Second is coming with me. Are you ready to sit on the throne in our absence?”
Cave’s eyes bolt themselves to mine as he lowers to a knee. “I will protect the Night Kingdom with my life.”
I huff a small laugh, motioning for him to rise. “I know. You’ve always done whatever is required. Please choose the command you’d like to leave in charge at the estate and position yourself in Prosperity until our return.”
“It’s done,” Cave says as he rises.
“Good. Thank you.”
“And Veya?”
I look up into his hopeful eyes.
“Give those vein-drinkers hell, my queen.”
My fangs burst out of me, anticipation rooting, and a snarl rips through my throat. “I promise I will.”
Charlotte pokes her head into the room. “Second is back, and we’re ready when you are.”
“We’re done here,” I say, and Cave follows me out into the lounge.
“I’ll be at Prosperity before morning,” he assures me before returning to the nearest map table next to Second, who is busy outlining the position of the hundred warriors we’re sending.
“When do you think he’ll finally ask me out?” Charlotte muses, staring unabashedly at Cave.
“My money is on fifty years,” Emmanuel says from beside her, and she slaps his shoulder.
“He needs time,” I tell her, leaving it at that.
I speed through the estate toward our travel party, my people following, and scurry into the carriage with Second.
We need to keep moving to Castle Death before sunrise, but I promised Em we would stop in Lilygate before we left.
We all need one last visit there—one last reminder of the humans we’re fighting for.
After several miles, we clop into Lilygate.
Celebration ensues around us on the last day of fall, before the nights get longer and snow covers the ground.
Streets buzz with human teenagers and children running with their lanterns from porch to porch, collecting winter trinkets and homemade treats from doorsteps in their best dress.
“It’s always the best fucking feeling here,” Second says, his face glued to the festive view through the window.
We travel through the center of the human town, music floating out of taverns and lounges, conversation and laughter mixing into a charming blend that brings me so much joy.