Page 4 of Sophie’s Ruin (Crimson and Shadows #2)

Camilla Devillier strolled inside the mansion first, her high heels clicking on the polished stone floor.

She looked stunning in a pale-blue gown that hugged her lithe form and matched the color of her eyes, which were like two chips of ice when they landed on Henry and me.

With hair so fair it was almost white, the Lady of the North was winter personified, and the temperature seemed to drop as if she’d brought some of the chill of her region with her.

Moving with sinuous grace, she glided through the foyer as if she owned the place.

Her perfume-infused presence instantly set me on edge, and all my muscles tensed as I became on high alert.

“Henry,” Camilla purred in her husky voice, stopping before us. Her red-painted lips curved into a smile, showing the hints of her fangs, as her gaze slid to me. “Sophie.” She inclined her head in greeting.

Her glacial eyes dropped to my chest, and she scowled, making me wonder if she was disappointed at not finding the Tear there.

My brows pulled together as I watched her, unease growing and spreading.

I glanced at Henry, but he seemed relaxed next to me as he greeted the Lady of the North.

He trusted Camilla because she was an old friend, and I hoped his trust wasn’t misplaced.

Chances were, Camilla was the least of our worries tonight, but I wasn’t ready to lower my guard around her yet.

My gaze snapped from Henry and darted behind Camilla when Benjamin Moreau walked in, his musky scent filling the foyer.

I couldn’t stop a low, feral growl from escaping as my upper lip curled in a snarl.

I loathed the male with everything that I was, and wished I’d killed him when I’d killed Stern.

He had no respect for human life, and saw people as nothing more than livestock, which existed purely for his enjoyment.

Perhaps now, with the Dark Witches no longer a threat, the other clan leaders wouldn’t care if I drove a stake through his heart, ending his vile existence.

As if he knew what I was thinking, Moreau gave an answering snarl when our gazes locked. Hatred flashed in his brown eyes, and I glared right back, refusing to back down.

“Moreau,” Henry said with bone-chilling menace, drawing the male’s attention to him.

The Lord of the West dragged his gaze away from me and focused on Henry.

“You need to keep her on a leash,” he hissed, baring his fangs.

My upper lip peeled back, revealing my own sharp canines, but Henry pressed my hand—a silent request to control my temper.

“Watch your mouth, or it will be you who ends up on a leash…tied to a pole outside at sunrise,” he said darkly, his eyes blazing with fury.

Moreau’s already pale face became leached of all color as he curled into himself.

The Lord of the West was wider than Henry, but the latter was taller, towering over him with a hostile look of superiority.

There was no doubt in my mind that if the two got into a fight, Henry would prevail.

Moreau seemed to know it, too, because he averted his gaze and clamped his mouth shut, hiding his fangs.

I let my upper lip relax over my fangs as well, just as the clan leaders of the Midlands stepped through the doors.

Like their neighboring regions that occupied the middle of the Empire, the three vampires couldn’t be more different.

Emeric Laurent—an older vampire with silver hair and tired eyes—was the clan leader in the mountainous region closest to the West. The land next to his was ruled by the Bouvier clan, with Lena Bouvier as their leader.

The petite female with wavy copper locks and creamy skin must have been very young when she’d turned, because she looked no older than sixteen and had an air of innocence and naivety about her.

I knew the looks were deceiving, though—Lena was wiser than she appeared.

It was because of that wisdom that she was entrusted with running her clan.

The last of the three, Yvonne Durand, was the clan leader in the region closest to our Eastern region.

She was a tall, slim female with a golden-brown complexion and wide-set, amber eyes.

After Yvonne had entered the foyer, I went to turn my attention away from the door, not expecting anyone else, but stopped when one more vampire strolled in after her.

My stomach dropped as I took in the jet-black hair, the narrow face with features so sharp they could cut glass, and the eerily dark eyes.

“Beatrice Stern,” Camilla introduced the female, unable to hide the depraved excitement in her voice. I felt her eyes on me, watching closely for my reaction.

“So, you are the one who killed my brother,” Beatrice said coldly, stopping before me.

If her resemblance to Everett was any indication, she was related to him by blood instead of considering him her sibling in the familial bond sort of way customary for clan vampires.

The sheet of glossy, chin-length hair shifted, gleaming in the light of the chandelier, as Beatrice angled her head, studying me with those cavernous eyes that were so much like her brother’s.

She’d seen me before now, of course, the other night at the border, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to confront me then.

It seemed she was doing so now, and I wondered how far she was willing to take it.

The darkness within me stirred as if in anticipation.

Henry became a wall of hard, coiled muscle next to me, emitting a low growl that threatened bloodshed if something were to happen to me. When he moved to block me from Beatrice’s view, I stepped around him, refusing to let him be my shield—I didn’t need his protection and could take care of myself.

“Yes, I killed him,” I replied, holding Beatrice’s fathomless gaze. “And I’d do it again. He was a monster.”

The female smirked. “We are all monsters. And if you think you are different, then you are delusional. You will see. Perhaps sooner than you realize.”

My scalp prickled. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Camilla interjected, shooting Beatrice a look of warning. “Shall we begin our meeting?” She gestured toward the study.

No one moved as a tense silence ensued. Everyone’s eyes were on Beatrice and me, waiting to see what would happen next.

We were squared off against each other like two predators poised to lash out at any moment.

It never came to that, though, because Henry decided to de-escalate the situation.

He relaxed next to me, loosening his iron grip on my hand.

“We will begin the meeting as soon as Celeste arrives,” he said, louder than necessary in an attempt to snap Beatrice and me out of our stare-down.

“Celeste?” Camilla arched one perfectly trimmed brow. “Isn’t she one of the White Witches?”

Henry nodded. “White Witches deserve a seat at the table as we discuss the future of the Empire.”

“Do they, though?” Camilla asked. “They have been in hiding since the Red War. Now, a century later, you want them to have a say in what happens to this country?”

I tore my gaze away from Beatrice and glanced at Henry, wondering if he was thinking the same thing I was—we were already being challenged, and the meeting had not even begun yet.

His features remained impassive as he replied, “Yes. They might have descendants among the human population. Those like Sophie, who carry magic in their blood but don’t know about their heritage.”

“Why do we care?” Beatrice snarled. So, she was like her brother not only in appearance but also in her superiority complex and blatant disregard for anyone she perceived as inferior.

“Because we do,” Henry insisted. “The world is changing. Things will be different now.”

“We will see about that,” Moreau said under his breath.

“What did you say?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

Before he could answer, a knock on the door announced Celeste’s arrival. The witch walked in a moment later, her blue cloak flowing around her as she moved.

“Celeste,” Henry greeted her with a warm smile. “Thank you for coming.”

A curt nod was the witch’s only reply as she scanned all the vampires in the foyer, her lips pressed in a thin line. She appeared uneasy about being here, and I didn’t blame her—she was outnumbered.

“Great, now that we are all here, shall we?” Camilla snapped, turning on her heels toward the study.

Henry’s jaws clenched as his hand tightened around mine again.

We exchanged a glance and a silent message: the Lady of the North was acting like she was in charge.

We needed to take back control and quickly if we still hoped to convince the clans to agree with our line of thinking.

Henry gave a small nod to let me know that we were on the same page before the two of us strode after Camilla.

Everyone else followed, and soon, the ten of us filled the brightly lit study.

I immediately wished we had remained in the foyer because no one sat down.

Everyone was still standing, now in closer proximity to each other, as palpable tension saturated the air.

Henry and I stood by the credenza, flanked by Isabelle and Celeste.

The witch stood by my side, her expression stoic, while Isabelle had picked a spot by Henry, looking wary.

My gaze stretched to the painting of the battle of New Haven on the wall behind the oversized desk.

I hoped that the bloody violence depicted on the canvas would not spill from it, unfolding right here in this room.

Silence reigned for a few minutes until Henry rolled his shoulders, preparing for a difficult conversation.

“We are gathered here tonight to discuss the future of this country,” he began speaking, his deep voice carrying through the room. “With Dark Witches no longer a threat, humans do not need the clans for protection.”

“How do we know that Dark Witches are no longer a threat?” Yvonne asked, the glow of the lamps dancing in her golden eyes.

“I destroyed them,” I spoke up. “You were all on the border when it happened. You witnessed it.”

“We saw you wipe out the forces closing in on New Haven,” Lena interjected. “How do we know that there aren’t any of them left in the Black Forest and beyond?” she asked, concern pinching her delicate features.

My brows flew up in shock. I couldn’t believe the clan leaders were doubting that Dark Witches were no more.

“I erased Dark Witches from existence. They’re all gone. I’m sure of it,” I said, keeping my voice steady. I refused to let my emotions rise to the surface and sweep me under.

“But what guarantee do we have?” Emeric chimed in.

I couldn’t help but feel like this was a planned interrogation.

The clan leaders must have worked together to prepare for this meeting.

It quickly became clear that it was Henry and I versus them.

I wasn’t even sure Isabelle was on our side as she stood there, her big brown eyes darting between us and the clan leaders.

“Celeste, you live in the Black Forest. Have you seen any signs that any of the Dark Witches remained?” I turned to the White Witch.

The possibility that not all of the Dark Witches had been eradicated had not occurred to me until now.

A niggle of doubt crept in, but I quickly squashed it.

My mother’s note about the Tear had claimed it could destroy all supernatural forces, and I had to believe that.

A moment later, Celeste confirmed what I already knew in my heart.

“No, the Dark Witches are gone. There is no doubt about it,” she gave a curt response.

“Provided you did destroy them all…How did you do it exactly?” Camilla asked, scanning me from head to toe. Her sharp gaze was too inquisitive, too perceptive. She knew I had a weapon in my possession and was trying to learn how powerful it truly was.

“It doesn’t matter,” Henry interjected, his tone final to curb further questions.

“What matters is that the Dark Witches are gone, whether you like it or not. We cannot hold the threat of them over the humans any longer. We need to spread the good news and bring back home those we sent up north for safety. The human governors can take over running their respective regions until people hold an election to decide how they want this country to be ruled.”

Henry’s words ricocheted off the study walls, sounding loud as if he’d shouted them. They’d made the new world without the Dark Witches a reality—one the clan leaders were not prepared to accept.

A heavy silence settled over the room, oppressive and foreboding.

The tiny hairs on my arms rose as if the air itself became charged.

Something was brewing in the quiet that stretched.

I could see it in the taut faces and hard eyes, in the jaw muscles that flexed, and lips that quivered as if trying not to curl in a snarl to reveal gleaming sharp fangs.

My own lips twitched, and my fingertips burned where I was trying to prevent my nails from elongating into deadly sharp claws.

I couldn’t take a breath in as I stood there, waiting…hoping, my chest tight. Henry had laid out the plan before the clan leaders. Now, it was up to them if they would go along with it.