Page 28

Between applying for the marriage license and the wedding, I spent the day at the NIHA office, waiting for Noah to deal with a daunting stack of paperwork. I’m not thrilled to be back, especially tonight.

But Gerald is apparently waiting for us in a conference room. It’s infuriating that even though Alfred revealed House Sorin’s involvement in Sophia’s kidnapping and the plot to keep Cassian off the throne—and we have two official witnesses—NIHA can’t arrest him.

Harold meets us in the hall.

“Which room is Gerald waiting in?” Noah asks him.

“Second door on your left.”

“You’re recording right now?”

“Of course, and we’ll have people watching while you’re in there.”

“Have you informed him he’s on video?”

“I had no choice.”

Noah nods, aware. “Thank you.”

I’m not sure what to expect when I follow Noah into the conference room, and I pause when I see the vampire at the table.

His gaze lands on me, and a grim smile passes over his lips. Eyes narrowed, he takes me in, just like Cassian did the first time we met. I’m familiar with that look. He’s reading me and knows I’m one of his—or that I was his roughly an hour ago.

Gerald is handsome, though that’s nothing new, especially with these ancient vampires. Like fine wine, they age well. His hair is almost black, his skin is fair, and his eyes are dark like his soul.

Okay, that was dramatic. But he does have dark eyes, and he’s giving off hot villain vibes. I dislike him immediately, but maybe that’s because he messed up my wedding night.

“Hello, Gerald.” Cassian sits across from the man. “Thank you for joining us. We all know you didn’t have to come.”

“Alfred wasn’t bluffing.” Gerald nods toward me. “She’s one of mine.”

Cassian slides the marriage license across the table and corrects, “She was yours. She just married the heir to my line. Therefore, she now belongs to House Chevalier.”

Gerald gives the paper a cursory glance. “Since when is Montgomery your heir?”

“Since I filed the paperwork this morning.”

Looking bored, Gerald turns his dark eyes on Sophia. “You signed away your inheritance?”

“What inheritance?” she asks, bristling. “No one is going to make me archduchess anytime soon, and I have no desire to take charge of a house.”

Gerald shrugs, his eyes moving to me once more. “There’s one problem with your plot to thwart me.”

The words are spoken sardonically, making him come off as kind of a snot.

“What’s that?” Cassian asks.

“There is no archduke to sign your paperwork. So as far as that’s concerned”—he glances again at the marriage license—“ Piper still belongs to me.”

“Since when does it have to be approved?” Cassian snaps.

“You didn’t know? Etienne changed it during his brief reign.”

“Even if that were true, we have no duke at the moment, so my signature alone is binding.”

“Perhaps for the heir transfer, since that’s your own house’s business. But without a duke’s permission, don’t you need my signature to steal Piper from my house?”

“No,” Cassian says bluntly.

“I think you do.” He smiles at me. “And I don’t think I’m going to give it to you. After all, I don’t have that many progenies, and Piper and I haven’t even had a chance to get to know each other.”

“You have plenty—you just created them through my line, using Sophia.”

A smile toys at Gerald’s sharp lips. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

Cassian narrows his eyes, looking like he’s not in the mood for these games. “Let’s cut to the chase. Are you really trying to keep me out of the running for the throne because of one small incident that happened twenty years ago?”

“No.” Gerald crosses his arms. “I’m trying to keep you out of the running because you endanger the very people you would like to lord over. How can you become archduke of the vampires when you personally believe vampires are a stain on the Earth?”

Wow, he’s dramatic.

“I don’t believe we are a stain, but I do think the virus needs to be controlled. When it runs amok, we are no better than monsters.”

“You make a solid point, Cassian.” Gerald nods solemnly, but there’s a glint in his eye. “I have an idea. What if someone were to come up with a version of the virus that eliminated the monstrous side effects?”

“We both know why the Cure All cannot exist,” Cassian says sharply.

“Just admit it—you’re a gatekeeper.” Gerald smacks his hand on the table. “I’m trying to save people, and your only goal is to kill them off.”

“Which house are you working for?” Cassian demands, losing his patience.

“What makes you think I’m working for anyone?”

“Because Alfred said you are.”

Gerald rolls his eyes. “Alfred is an idiot.”

“Then why use him as a henchman?”

Gerald sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “Piper, tonight, you’re going to leave with me. After the nominations, I’ll allow you to return to your new husband.” He smiles. “Congratulations, by the way.”

Noah tenses beside me, making me very nervous.

“You’re not stepping foot out of this room with Piper,” Cassian says a little too calmly.

“She’s mine.” Gerald stands and presses his hands to the table, leaning across it and narrowing his eyes. “I can do whatever I like with her, and we both know there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Noah and Cassian rise. Feeling vulnerable at the table, I stand as well, moving behind them. Sophia joins me, wringing her hands.

“We can kill you,” Cassian says calmly.

“That’s not terribly civilized,” Gerald laughs. “I thought you were trying to separate yourself from your inner monster?”

“You lay a hand on Piper, and I will show you exactly what kind of monster I’ve been attempting to suppress.”

“My heart just fluttered a little,” Sophia whispers to me, grasping my arm. “But step back. Cassian is scary when he goes full vamp.”

But Cassian isn’t moving.

“You’re fussy about the women in your life, aren’t you?” Gerald taunts. “It makes me think you won’t be happy to learn how many times I’ve laid hands on Sophia.”

The petite vampire at my side gasps.

Cassian tenses, but he says, “I couldn’t care less if you dated. Sophia and I haven’t been involved for over a hundred years.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Positive.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I used her to ruin you? That I intentionally took the one thing you cared about and bent her to my will, using her insecurity and foolish heart to bring down your house?”

“Gerald, you just hush,” Sophia snarls. Unfortunately, her snarl is like an angry kitten’s, and that’s not very intimidating. “We dated. I dumped you. Get over it .”

“You’re so feisty, Soph. I do like that about you.” The vampire chuckles as he turns his attention back to Cassian and raises his eyebrows. “I bet you liked that, too.”

Noah touches Cassian’s arm, a silent warning.

“He’s trying to goad Cassian into attacking first,” Sophia whispers to me. “He keeps glancing at the cameras. I think he wants a record of Cassian lashing out.”

“Take her back if you want,” Gerald says. “I was done with her anyway.”

Cassian attempts to lunge across the table, but Noah drags him back.

“Ah, your true nature is showing.” Gerald steps back, sighing dramatically. “I was hoping you could be reasonable, but it seems we’re at an impasse. I offered to keep Piper safe—I was willing to play nice. But now, I think I’m going to have to put her down.”

Put me down? Am I a dog ?

He continues, “I can’t have illegally created vampires hanging around in my line, especially when they are so obviously bent on creating trouble. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but I’m a stickler for obeying the laws.”

“Wait,” I say, unable to keep my mouth shut. “What trouble have I caused?”

“I’ll give you one last chance to prove you can be reasonable,” he says to Cassian, ignoring me and heading for the door. “It was good chatting with you.”

Noah, who was holding Cassian back just a minute ago, bolts forward. This time, Cassian grabs him.

“ Don’t,” my conservator snarls. As soon as Gerald disappears through the door, he releases Noah. “ I can’t pardon you from killing a prince. If anyone is going to kill him, it must be me. ”

“You can’t kill him,” Noah practically yells. “You’ll lose the vote, and who knows who will be crowned archduke.”

Presumably, whoever Gerald is working with.

“He just said he was going to kill me on video.” I jerk my hand toward the camera. “And he can walk away? That’s allowed ?”

Sophia’s face scrunches. “If he’s still the head of your line, then technically…yes. Because you were illegally created. But if Cassian is right, and the transfer needs no validation, then no. Even the princes can’t threaten a vampire from another house line.”

“I was a victim!” I exclaim. “NIHA is supposed to protect people like me.”

“That was before a couple of princes got involved,” Noah says heavily.

I scowl at Cassian. “Your government system is so freaking messed up.”

Cassian shoves his hand into his hair, looking like he’s reached the end of his fraying rope. “I’m trying to fix that.”

“What happens if you become archduke?” I demand. “Then what?”

“Then I will have the power to take them all down.”

“Fine.” I study him. “Then lock me in a secure, assassin-proof room and do whatever you can to win the vote.”

“Piper, it’s too dangerous. Even if I’m right about the house transfer—and I am—Gerald will kill you anyway. The only thing I can do to keep you safe is back down.”

“Don’t you dare,” I warn, probably as intimidating as Sophia. “I swear if you do, I will kill you myself.”

“And Gerald says I’m feisty,” Sophia whispers to Noah. “She’s a flower farmer?”

“Yeah.”

I turn to look at them. “You’re killing my speech.”

“Sorry,” Sophia winces. “Please continue—rally away.”

Shooting her a look, I turn back. “I mean it, Cassian. Someone needs to fix this mess, and that someone is going to have to be you, because everyone else apparently sucks.”

The vampire swears under his breath and then sits in a chair, dropping his head into his hands. “What if I don’t win?”

“Then I’m dead.”

“I can’t take that risk.”