Page 39

Chapter 38

Adeline

A deline was alone in her room, and she slumped forward with relief, eager to rid herself of anything that Erik or Campbell had touched. The evening had been one big game of chess that she had navigated with less ease than she would have liked. The way Erik had responded to Campbell had thrown her off, and then, Erik’s odd behavior was another. He was worried about something because every time Adeline looked at him, he was staring at the corners of the throne room. Each time someone came to talk to him, he was distracted and uninterested. Only when Adeline shifted in her seat would he focus on her movements with hawk-like precision.

Being unarmed the entire evening was unnerving, too. Though she had her wiles and wit, with Erik, there was never any telling what he could do. Or what he had planned. And she had expected him to be shocked at her wanting to move up the date, but he wasn’t. He had smiled at her in such a way that it crawled underneath her skin and stuck there.

What was she going to do tomorrow night when she was expected to marry him? Without her usual cadre of weapons, Adeline would have to get creative.

She slipped out of her corset, laying it on her bed. The key to her chains dropped to the floor. She picked it up and placed it on the vanity, even though a tiny little voice told her to hold onto it. If Erik was already this tense, it would be easy enough to get under his skin at the ceremony, which, by her calculations from the moon outside her window, gave her a little over sixteen hours to prepare.

She knelt at the foot of the mattress, her hands sweeping underneath for the scissors. Panic flitted in her chest as she struggled to find them until, at last, her fingers touched metal. She slumped forward with an exhale, her forehead resting against the edge of the bed, and slid the scissors toward her so they would be easier for her to find again.

There was a knock on the door. Moving quickly, Adeline pushed off the mattress to stand. She eyed the hiding spot once more, ensuring that no part of the scissors was showing, and turned.

Juliette’s muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door, and her key was already turning in the lock when Adeline called out, “Enter!”

She stepped over to her vanity right when Juliette entered Adeline’s room with a large brown box. Her hands shook, and she looked as if she had seen a ghost.

“Everything all right, Jules?” Adeline wrapped the ribbons around the corset and set it down on the chair near the vanity.

Juliette waved her off and set the box down on the bed. It was large and smelled of cedar wood and dust. Adeline wrinkled her nose. Whatever was in there was old.

“He insists you try it on before dawn so alterations can be made,” Juliette explained as she opened the box.

Inside was a frilly monstrosity of yellowing lace, layers of tulle, and dull pearls. Juliette pulled the dress out, and as it unfolded, it somehow became even uglier.

“I can’t wear this,” Adeline said, staring at the white dress with disgust.

“Erik insisted,” Juliette replied, cringing. “But it is rather hideous, isn’t it?”

Adeline grimaced, tentatively reaching out to touch the fabric. “This is…the ugliest dress I have ever seen.”

Juliette hummed in agreement.

“Alterations, you said?”

Juliette placed the dress on the bed and stood back, her eyes flicking over Adeline’s chemise-clothed body. “Yes, we have a few fae seamstresses down in the laundry who are quite skilled.”

“You mean the prisoners ?”

Erik had always liked collecting valuable things, and before Adeline escaped the first time, he had run out of antiquities and treasures, so he had started collecting talent. When Juliette found out, she was distraught, so Adeline taught her how to glamour all the new prisoners to make their stay far less traumatic. But Adeline had thought it would be a passing fancy, that Erik would tire of them and return his conquests home.

How studiously ignorant I have been.

“Seamstresses?” Juliette cringed again, but then continued. “The dress isn’t that bad. With some alterations, it might even look nice.”

“Perhaps,” Adeline mused. She picked up the hem of the dress, and the pearls glinted, refracting the light along with her silver cuffs. An idea began to form, but it would be a feat if she could pull it off. “The pearls look almost silver, do they not?”

Juliette stepped forward and rubbed some of the pearls between her fingers. “Yes, they match your cuffs. Erik insisted on this dress because of how unique it is. I believe it was worn by a queen at some point.”

A hazy memory surfaced, and Adeline recalled that the queen who had worn this had been young, beautiful, and bright-eyed, full of hope for the future of her people. The new Reine de la Terre had donned the elaborate dress for her coronation—a white wedding dress to symbolize her commitment to the throne, silver pearls from the sacred waters of the lakes. She had said she was marrying her sovereignty, wanting to symbolize her commitment to ruling for her people. It was a beautiful ceremony and had moved everyone in attendance to tears.

Adeline had killed her several weeks later, and, wouldn’t you know it, the next monarch was much more pliable under Erik’s command.

Adeline swallowed a thick knot of guilt that tightened her throat. Her mouth felt too dry, and she ran her tongue along the top of it. The parallels were clear—wear the dress and comply, or meet the same fate. “I can’t wear this?—”

Juliette cut her off, saying, “It isn’t that bad, but I need you to try this on so I can take it downstairs before the morning.”

“How much time do the pri—seamstresses have to make this right?” Adeline asked.

“Until tomorrow night’s ceremony, I suppose,” Juliette said, brushing her hand over the top of the lace. “The dwarves and pixies are very talented, and I can alter their glamour to help.”

“You’re still glamouring them?” Hope bloomed in her chest. Adeline had been the one to insist on glamouring the servants so they would not remember their treatment. She didn’t know that Juliette had taken up the mantle. She thought that maybe Campbell had been responsible—it would explain the myriad festering wounds and bite marks on the servants she had seen in the throne room.

Juliette gave her a confused look. “Of course. When you left, the glamour you had used didn’t last long. But I cannot stop everything, Addy.”

Guilt pinged in her chest again, another reminder that when Adeline left, she had abandoned the servants, too. She left the most helpless to deal with the fallout of her absence. Old Adeline, vampire assassin extraordinaire, didn’t care. It was why she left the way she did. But after Rolf, after unraveling the threads of his story and how they wove into hers? It had woken something up within her. And, sure, he may be gone, but at least now she could set things right before she joined him in the Forever Night.

“I’m sorry, Jules, I know it hasn’t been easy—living here, doing his bidding.”

“No, it hasn’t. But I can’t let innocent fae suffer while I still have Erik’s favor.” Juliette straightened and looked Adeline in the eyes. “I need you to know that I didn’t want to bring you back here. Every part of me screamed not to follow his orders, but what if he found my mate, Addy? What if he?—”

“Shush now,” Adeline said, wrapping Jules in her arms. She knew what Erik could do, and Juliette was not made to withstand torture of any kind. “I understand. Besides, I promised I would get you out, didn’t I?”

Juliette squeezed Adeline back and pulled away, sliding her hand down Adeline’s arm to grab her hand. “You still haven’t told me your plan.”

“And I won’t. I can’t implicate you.” Adeline couldn’t meet Juliette’s gaze. A sliver of doubt crept into her head because, for the most part, Adeline still didn’t have a plan. She had concepts.

If only I could put all the pieces together…

The dress glinted on the bed, mocking her. Erik was always several steps ahead, so what was the purpose of making her wear this old thing?

I’ll be the first and last vampire queen…

Adeline did not want to put it on. She didn’t even want it anywhere near her body, knowing what it symbolized. But if she could request alterations, then maybe the prisoner seamstresses could add a few special touches.

She held out her hands so Juliette could unlock her cuffs. “All right, let’s see what we have to work with.”

* * *

Juliette left with the box tucked under her arms and a lengthy list of alterations. She had promised to come back in the evening with sustenance, but Adeline knew it wouldn’t be fresh blood. Her stomach swirled at the thought of having to drink more of that gross liquid.

As the door shut, Adeline collapsed on the bed, exhaustion pulling her down into the blankets. She ran over her list of requests once more, hoping against hope that the seamstresses could at least take care of the most important changes she requested in such a short amount of time.

“I will not be a—” she began, but the sound of the lock turning made her sit up. The heartbeat outside was slow, measured. Hers was not. She called out, fake innocence weaving between her words, “Juliette? Did you forget something?”

Campbell slipped through.

The wards on her door shimmered, fighting to keep him from entering, but he somehow managed it. His eyes were blown wide, as if he had recently fed.

But his words slurred when he said, “Hello, cunt.”

Adeline cursed internally. She did not have the patience or energy to deal with him again tonight. She propped herself up on her elbows, the chain of her cuffs pulled tight across her stomach. Juliette had forgotten to link them to a longer chain attached to the bed before she left, and Adeline thanked the gods that Juliette had been in a hurry to leave.

She tilted her head, becoming the picture of relaxed calm, deadly despite her body crying out for rest and fuel. “I thought Erik sent you to your room like a naughty boy?”

The door clicked shut behind him. The wards shimmered bright blue and then faded back into the wood. An alarm system that didn’t work.

Great , she thought. What use are wards if they don’t work?

She sighed with annoyance at having to deal with Campbell now, too.

“I thought you’d want company tonight,” he crooned. He took a step in but stumbled. After righting himself, he leaned back awkwardly against the door.

“I hate to disappoint, Campbell, but the only company I planned on having was myself.” She wiggled her fingers and slowly trailed her hands over her breasts and down her sides, letting them rest at the top of her thighs.

Males, she thought. All they ever wanted was one thing: power. Whether that came in the form of coercion or currency, their grubby little hands were always grasping at those whom they thought were weaker. As pathetic as it was, it did make them much easier to manipulate, and what better way to do so than with her body?

His eyes followed her movements, and he sluggishly licked his lips.

So easy to distract , she thought, dropping her hand to rest near the foot of her bed.

“Then I’ll watch,” he said and folded his arms over his chest.

Adeline sat up on the edge of the bed, refusing to give in to the fear that she was alone, weaker than she liked, and only had a pair of scissors at her disposal. She was an experienced assassin, and if Campbell was here in her room, then she’d just have to get creative.

“Campbell,” Adeline whispered seductively. She leaned forward. Her hand slid down the edge of the bed. “Wouldn’t you like a better view?”

He grinned, slimy and slick like the snake he was, and took a few steps forward.

“What would you do to me if I let you have your way?” she purred.

“All the things Erik would never let me do.” Campbell chuckled, his eyes lazily taking her in as she bent forward, her chemise falling open.

How original.

She dragged her eyes down to his pants and raised an eyebrow.

“What, would you want me on my knees?” Adeline slid off the bed and knelt in front of Campbell.

He smirked down at her and shook his head. “I think you and I both know what I like.”

It would take her two seconds to lean back and grab the scissors should he try anything. Her chained wrists didn’t give her much freedom of movement, so she kept them close to her body. She tried to recall the last time she gutted someone in an intimate setting like this, and it had been a while, but?—

His right hand was around her throat.

Move, Adeline!

He leered down at her, an expression that said he was hoping she would be pliant; instead, she wrapped her chain between her hands and blocked his advance, then threw his arm sideways. Off-balance, he stumbled, and Adeline dove low. She grabbed his right foot and yanked. His face slammed down onto the stone.

Dazed, he tried to get up, but she was on his back, her chain wrapped around his throat.

“I think you and I both know that this was never going to happen,” she grunted in his ear.

Her shackles strained as she pulled, and pulled, and pulled. His skin tore, blood squirting where the chains cut into his flesh. She grunted as he tried to fling her off his back. Her thighs gripped his chest as she twisted the chain. She wasn’t letting go until his head was severed.

“Fucking die already!” She pulled harder, still fighting to stay on top of him and keep the tension on the chains.

Finally, Campbell’s neck crunched. The chains slipped, and Adeline tightened her grip. Her hands burned. Her wrists screamed in pain. She could do this. She’d done far worse and much weaker. Her fingers turned white from the tension.

The door flew open, and a familiar scent filled the room, battling with the cloying iron of Campbell’s spilling blood.

Adeline’s vision strained as she kept pulling.

Too weak.

Large hands grabbed Campbell’s hair. The sound of flesh and muscle and bone separating filled her ears, drowning out her grunts and doubts. Her chains came free, and the pain immediately receded.

Her beast stood above her, Campbell’s severed head in his left hand. Blood dripped down his right hand, a large dagger hanging limply from his fingers.

“Rolf?”

His beard was gone, and so was the long, shaggy hair. It was like she was staring at a ghost. It was like she was looking at an older version of Colin.

His amber eyes were hard, but he stood there in all of his beastly beauty and asked, “Did you plan on killing all of the vampires in here with your own bare hands?”