Page 104

A satisfied smile spread across her face as I quickly buttoned my pants. Her eyes were clear, and the burdens that seemed to be permanently latched to her shoulders were gone.

She missed me.

How laughable was it that the only person who ever told me that was a spoiled vampire princess I was supposed to murder? Even more laughable was how it made my chest warm.

But it was short-lived, like most good things in the world. Her head snapped to the side, a growl rising from her chest.

I turned to see what alerted her, ready to jump into action until I sawher.

Goddamnit, could she ever leave me alone?

Cedar stood there at the end of the hallway, an annoyed look on her face.

I quickly fixed Aurelia’s skirt so Cedar wouldn’t see her exposed and sent her a glare. If there was anyone I needed to get rid of, it was her.

“You think I wanted to interrupt this?” she asked with a disgusted tone before pointing to her neck. “Unless you want the king to find out who you really are, you need a touch-up.”

“Tell your friend to cover up her scent,” Aurelia growled and pushed me out of the way before storming down the hallway.

Vesper

Even if we had somehow found our way past the impossible walls in front of us, a happy ending still felt like a delusion. Like it couldn’t exist.

Not for us.

I knew this wouldn’t be problem-free. I knew that living in the palace with her was one of the least safe options for us. Especially while the king was preparing for war.

I knew Father was unhappy with the outcome of my job, and I also knew he would somehow come for me, so I was waiting for the universe to drop the other shoe.

“He’s been taken to Gabriel,” Cedar said as we walked down the hallway together. It had been my request that she be the one overseeing his transfer.

Not that I trusted her. If anything, she was the person I trusted the least in this world. But she knew far more about the situation than I wanted anyone else to know.

“Thank you,” I said as, for the first time, real relief filled me.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Tate to be stuck at home with my parents. There was no telling what they would do now that I had failed them.

They hadn’t been as hard on him as they’d been on me. The time I spent training at the boarding school getting my ass handed to me was time he spent going to a normal school, hanging out with kids his own age.

Of course, Father still trained him in his free time. Going over the importance of our role in society and why we did what we did.

But he never took the beatings that were meant to prepare us for even the toughest jobs.

Until the night I went back home.That was the first time they had him join in.

“They didn’t let me near the drop-off,” she said with a forced smile. “But I saw him meet with Gabriel. Or at least I think it was him. Same hair as you with the snake tattoo. Not many people out there look like that on purpose.”

Her quip forced an unexpected burst of laughter to spill from my lips. I shook my head and sent her a grateful smile.

I wish I could have gone, but leaving the palace and the princess had its own set of risks.

“Thank you,truly. I’ve been worried about him. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

Her expression softened, and she slapped her hand against my bicep.

“I know,” she said, then her eyes shifted to the hallway before coming back to me. “Things are looking good, Vesper. But keep your eyes peeled, okay?”

Her seriousness caused my heart to still.