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“How old are you?”

Novalie gasped. “Nora, that's super rude. Buy the guy a drink first.”

“Indeed,” Rath murmured, amusement thick in his voice.

“I thought you came to girls’ night to get to know each other better,” Em said and I nodded vigorously.

“Yeah. What Em said.”

Rath rolled his eyes. “Old.”

“First world war?”

“Seen it.”

“French revolution?”

“Vive la résistance.”

“Cleopatra?” Novalie chirped and Rath spluttered.

“I said old, not ancient.”

“Did you ever meet the royal vampires? Their line was supposed to date back to the first vampire, right?”

A sudden tension filled the air, a hum of frisson that felt similar to my own stormy magick, prickling my skin.

“Yes. I met them.” Rath said nothing else and I had the feeling I'd overstepped somehow.

“Do you know what happened to them?” My voice was quiet, not that it would matter to anyone gathered here.

“Does anyone?” It wasn't really an answer but I let it slide, for now.

“What about their mages? The guards?”

Rath stood so suddenly it almost felt like time skipped a beat. “I think that's enough questions for one night.”

Before I could say anything else, he was gone. Fucking vampires, conveniently vanishing in the middle of conversation.

“That was... strange,” Emerson said, breaking the silence that had fallen.

“Yep.” Novalie stood and kicked dirt on the fire, extinguishing it as I sat up and brushed any remaining leaves from my hair. “Dude's totally hiding something. For a centuries old vampire, you'd think he would have learned some subtlety by now.”

“I don’t think I have the energy to solve another mystery right now.” Emerson yawned. “We don't need to chase him down, right?”

I shook my head. Rath was a problem for another day.

“A quick blood orgy will perk you right up.” Novalie grinned and I couldn't help laughing at the fed-up expression on Emerson's face. “Okay, fine. Bath and bed?”

“Couldn't have said it better myself.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Hayes

Cal was avoiding me. I'd tried calling, I'd even debated getting the train out of London to see him even though it would take forever. But my calls went to voicemail and my texts unanswered and so I'd opted for the next best thing save smashing my phone into tiny pieces—heading to Ashvale.

I'd told Leonora myself, Rowan would probably have been able to tell us all the different ways into the royal chambers, and probably had books on magickal locks and seals just stockpiled somewhere. So that was my plan, to check what books and research materials he might have had squirrelled away somewhere. I also had the benefit of checking on him while I was there.