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“Vale first.” I placed my hand on the wall. “He saved my life. Has done so many times. You can trust him as I do. That being said, your princess demands he be let inside.”

Vale’s eyebrows knitted together. He didn’t know that this part of the palace was sentient. It had spoken with me, so why wouldn’t I try to do the same and bargain with it?

The hidden palace didn’t answer, but the door remained in place. Open and ready. I supposed we’d just have to try.

“Go on in.” I nodded to Vale.

He shuffled closer, and I held my breath as he touched the doorjamb, then slowly crossed the threshold. I exhaled, as did Emilia.

“You’re right about him,” the human whispered aspoor Vale stood there, watching us, confusion and pain clouding his eyes.

“I know. Now you go, Emilia. I need to get a weapon.”

“Get the stake holsters. Mine too.” Vale placed his hand on the wall for support.

“I will. I’ll be right back.” I dashed over to his personal armory. As I’d been inside many times, I knew exactly where to go. I grabbedSkelda’ssheath and a smaller, sheathed sword for me. I plucked the belts up and threaded the blades through before grabbing four stakeholders and doing the same. The belts were growing cumbersome, but I was to the point where I only needed the actual stakes. In two quick steps, I opened the stake drawer and plucked one, two, three, and finally four out, putting them in the holsters one by one.

I’d closed the drawer when voices came from down the hallway.

“Karpov should have finished her by now,” a female said.

“She sleeps with the prince,” another voice, also female, replied, excitement lacing her tone. “Perhaps they’re fighting.”

My heart leapt into my throat. I would bet my life that Karpov was the vampire Emilia had killed. More had arrived.

Gripping the belts heavy with weapons, I ran out of the armory and to the door to the hidden palace, aware that the footsteps in the corridor grew ever closer.

“Here.” I shoved the belts at Emilia, who looked alarmed to be touching weapons and fumbled them.

“There she is!” a voice hissed.

I twisted in time to see two vampires standing over the dead Clawsguard, one with her finger pointed at me. “Get her.”

I gripped the door and slammed it shut, catching their blurring forms as I did so. The moment the door shut, I pushed Emilia away, but I needn’t do so.

Two thuds hit the other side of the wall.

“Where’s the handle?” one growled.

“It was here!” the other answered, confusion and anger lacing their tone.

I patted the wall. “Thank you.”

“Not to beg for attention,” Vale said, his voice weaker than before, “but I need to get this wound taken care of before we go to Luccan’s so I don’t tear it open further.”

I turned and took in the gash through the shirt. It seemed like the bleeding had lessened, but it still looked bad. The only positive sign was that the vampire hadn’t hit anything vital.

“I can help,” Emilia said. “I keep supplies back here.”

I nodded and lent Vale my arm. “Lead the way, Emilia.”

Chapter 38

NEVE

As we walked the hallways of the hidden palace, I kept my gaze on Vale while he took in everything around him with wide eyes.

“There is so much history back here,” he murmured when he caught me staring.