Page 53 of The Forsaken Vampire

“She was with this guy…an asshole.”

“Why was he an asshole?”

He never answered the question. “I’ve seen her with him a couple times.”

“Ethan, I need you to tell me everything you know about this guy.”

His hands moved to his hips, and his gaze dropped to the floor.

“I understand you don’t want to rat out Harlow, but I don’t care what she does in her personal life. I just want to know she’s safe. Please tell me everything you know because she’s never been gone this long before, and I’m starting to worry.”

He stared down for a while before he met my gaze, taking a labored breath. “His name is Aurelias. I’ve followed her to his cottage a couple times. I think it’s been going on for about a week.”

“I need you to take me to his place. Now.”

“Uh, okay.” He removed his apron and dropped it on the floor before he led me across the street, a short walk from the bar she frequented, and to the front door of the cottage. “This is it.”

I knocked on the door. “Aurelias?” I knocked again. “Harlow?”

Ethan stood behind me and waited.

I tried the knob, and it was unlocked, so I pushed the door open to an empty house. “Harlow?” I stepped inside, seeing broken glass across the floor.

“Your Majesty, we should wait for the guards—”

“Harlow!” I stepped across the broken glass and felt it crunch under my boot. I saw a broken bottle on the floor, shining with dark blood. My heart raced with unease, and now I missed Huntley in a way I hadn’t before. “Fuck.” I searched the living room then went upstairs. “Harlow!” The upstairs looked untouched, the bed made, no blood anywhere.

“Your Majesty!”

I came back downstairs, seeing the cellar doors opened in the floor. “What is it, Ethan?”

“There’s a body down here.”

I halted at the top of the steps, my eyes already wet with tears.

“It’s not Harlow.”

“Oh, thank the gods…” I rushed down the steps and found Ethan crouched over a dead body. “He’s been dead awhile.”

I came over to see the man, pale as snow, like all the blood had been drained from his body.

“I don’t recognize him.”

“This isn’t Aurelias?”

“No. He’s young and good-looking.”

My mind raced as I tried to figure out the pieces of the puzzle. “What do you know about Aurelias?”

“Nothing.”

“Had you seen him around before Harlow started talking to him?”

“No. Never seen him and never heard of him.”

“Huntley just left…” I turned away, talking to myself more than Ethan. “That can’t be a coincidence…”

Ethan came back to me. “Your Majesty?”