I peered out the window as our vehicle snaked along the winding road, taking in acres of rolling snow-blanketed hills, speckled with stately trees, illuminated by the half-moon that cast a spotlight over the silent, sleeping night. Ahead and to our right was a clearing of pristine snow, a large dip at its center. A frozen pond, perhaps. For some reason, I imagined a tiny redheaded girl splashing around in it during the summer, smiling, happy, free.
“Look up there,” Caden whispered, pulling me closer to him. I leaned over until his cheek was only inches from mine. He hadn’t let go of me since the moment we stepped off the plane, as if determined to be physically attached to me at all times, something I was more than willing to permit.
I followed his pointed finger to a mesmerizing sea of white lights lining the road. Hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, coiled like snakes around naked tree branches. “Christmas lights,” I whispered breathlessly. It was almost Christmas, an event I had completely forgotten about given the circumstances. As we got closer, the trees convened above the drive, creating a spectacular half-mile-long tunnel of glittering lights. I gazed up in awe, speechless.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Sofie murmured. “I have someone put up lights every year, even though I don’t come here anymore …”
“Pretty doesn’t cut it.”
“We should have known you’d kept this place,” Mortimer grumbled, though with a touch of admiration in his voice. “You buried your trail well. Even I couldn’t find your fingerprints when I looked into it.”
Sofie answered with a smile. “And aren’t you happy I did? It’s been so long since …” Her voice drifted off for a moment. Since what? “No one will link it with us. At least not in the immediate future.”
I inhaled another sharp breath as our vehicle crested over a small hill to reveal an enormous stone-covered castle with three stories of windows and a dozen chimneys. Spiraling turrets jutted out of the steep roofs, interspersed with evenly spaced oval dormers. The place oozed of history—hundreds of years of it—and yet was pristinely maintained as if only recently built.
“Did you grow up here, Sofie?” I asked, a mixture of awe and excitement that I may finally be sneaking a glimpse of Sofie’s human past.
She shook her head. “No, but I did spend an awful lot of time here at one point in my life.” Again, that forlorn tone that Sofie normally hid so well glinted through in her words.
The circular drive wrapped around a fountain and sleeping garden. With the wheels coming to a squeaking stop, Caden cracked open the door. Crisp winter air swirled in, enveloping me. I shivered.
Finally! Max’s massive body shoved us out of the way as he leapt out of the truck with the agility of a house cat instead of a three-hundred-pound werebeast. He stretched his long legs before prancing toward the front door.
I followed him out of the truck, my leather boots—another swap from Amelie—landing softly in the freshly fallen snow. Sofie was already out and gazing up at one of the windows, a nostalgic smile on her plump, always-red lips. “How long has it been since you’ve been back here?” I asked, my arms hugging my ill-dressed body against the cold.
“Too long,” was all she said, so softly, and then I watched her walk toward the grand carved mahogany doors.
Fingers cupped my elbow. “Come on, let’s get inside.” Caden pulled me snug against his broad chest. “Your temperature’s dropping.” As usual, Caden was ever in tune with my body. I felt my cheeks redden, even in the wintry cold.
I’m not sure what I’d expected, entering this uninhabited estate. Not comfortable, Sofie had said. She’d made it sound like no one had stepped into it in a hundred years. Perhaps cavernous, vacant rooms with dust lingering in the air and white sheets cloaking antique, scratchy armchairs. Maybe a mouse or two scurrying past, unimpressed with our invasion. But stepping into the foyer was like being transported into a glamorous old world—one of warmth and comfort and elegance. Of Sofie.
“I wouldn’t let this place fall apart,” Sofie mused without prompting, her sharp heels echoing through the entrance as she stepped across the mosaic-patterned tile of cream and white marble. “I called ahead to ensure it was ready.”
A grand staircase stretched out directly ahead of us, lined with burgundy and gold-trimmed carpet, illuminated by a gigantic chandelier, complete with tiers and crystals. Halfway up, the staircase split off in two different directions. It would easily hold my entire high school graduation class on it. I’d never seen anything so large in my life, outside of movies. I watched the stairs expectedly, waiting for a princess to make a grand entrance, complete with tiara and ball gown. Two identical hallways reached out endlessly from my left and my right, each dimly lit with wall sconces and adorned with molding and artwork as far as the eye could see.
Viggo and the others stepped in behind us, stomping snow off their boots. Mortimer carried an immobile Bishop over one shoulder. He dropped him to the ground, propping him up against a wall. Amelie stalked in barefoot, Julian’s arm hanging over her shoulder for support. “Nice,” they said in unison. Julian’s mouth stretched into a wide grin and Amelie erupted in giggles.
I feel like I’m watching a teen B-movie, Max muttered, not impressed with their adolescent love-struck silliness.
“Allo?” Sofie called out expectedly. “Allo!”
I heard shuffling from the right hall and turned to see four women and two men appear in a processional, rambling in their native French. The staff, based on their formal matching black-and-white uniforms.
“Bonjour,” Sofie greeted graciously. Hello, that much I understood. Then she rattled off a slew of sentences in that beautiful Parisian French dialect. I couldn’t understand a word, but I didn’t mind. Between the mountain yetis’ muttering and the Tribe’s guttural grunts and groans, I was used to not understanding anything. I’d take Sofie’s French any day.
Satisfied with whatever they’d discussed, Sofie clapped her hands together. “Bon!” She turned back to us, gesturing to the portly middle-aged lady to my right. “Gabriella here is the head of the house. She will help you with anything you need. Evangeline, your room has been prepared. It’s upstairs, the seventh door on the left. Your room adjoins with mine. You’ve suffered quite an ordeal. Make sure you get lots of rest.” Her cool eyes darted to Caden and then back to me. I nodded, my cheeks flushing, knowing what she was implying. Part of me bloomed with warmth over her maternal tendencies. No one had shown concern for me since my own mother died five years earlier. The other part bristled with annoyance. Seriously? I’m eighteen, I haven’t seen Caden in a month, and the end of the world is coming!
“Sofie,” Mage called out, her focus drifting to the staff. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to check for double agents?” Double agents. The People’s Sentinel with their markings hidden instead of brazenly displayed on the inside of their thumbs …
My breath caught. Julian.
Sofie frowned. “There’s no way … they don’t know about this place.” She dismissed Mage’s insinuation.
Yes, thank you, Sofie.
But then an acknowledging look passed over Sofie’s face. “You know what? You’re right. No chances.”
A bolt of panic shot up my spine. If they decided to check everyone … They might. If they’re being that cautious over the staff, why not with the rest of us? Trying not to move my head, my eyes strained to the left to catch Julian’s face. He was still pale from his injury; however, I was sure his face had paled a shade or two more. Damn these vampires and their suspicious nature!
I took a few calming breaths as Sofie began naming off potential threats, using her fingers to count, trying to calm myself before my emotions gave Julian’s secret away. “So we should check these six … the two in the kitchen …” Not Julian. Please! “… the one groundskeeper …” Please don’t …
“How are you going to check them?” I blurted out, staring at the staff who waited silently, not a shred of wariness on their faces. I don’t think any of them spoke English. Thank goodness.
Sofie stared back at me with an amused expression and when she spoke, it was as if she were talking to a child. “There’s only one way, Evangeline …”
“But …,” I stammered, stalling, “where do they put the tattoos?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but if they’re there, we’ll find them.”
Full-on strip search. My cheeks flushed.
“Evangeline, are you all right?” Mage asked, peering at me curiously.
“Yes, I … uh … ” They know, they can smell it on me. I’m a walking calamity! I leak secrets! “It’s just embarrassing for them, that’s all,” I explained, working hard to suppress my rising panic. In truth, I had no interest in watching an eight-act strip show of the staff. More, though, I had no interest in watching Julian dismembered.
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll compel them. None of them will remember a thing,” Sofie said reassuringly, her eyes twinkling, her lips pursed as if ready to burst out laughing.
“But … can’t you just read their mood to see if they’re lying?”
Mage shook her head. “Back on Ratheus, the witches figured out how to mask that truth in some of their spies. I don’t know how, but we must assume the same is possible here.”
“You don’t need to be here for this if it’s that uncomfortable,” Caden offered. “We could go upstairs.”
Oh, my dear sweet Caden! “Yes!” I exclaimed a little too loudly, seeing our opportunity for escape. I peeled away from Caden without a second thought, darting forward to lock onto Julian’s arm, my fingers digging into his forearm, one hand grabbing his and squeezing it reassuringly. “We’ll be upstairs if you need us.” I began tugging Julian with me before anyone could speak, rushing up the steps. Please leave him alone. Please forget about checking him.
“Wait!”
My body stiffened at the sound of Sofie’s voice, and I knew Julian’s body was as rigid as mine. We turned in unison, slowly. Sofie’s focus was on Julian. Oh God, oh no … “Your room is across from Evangeline’s, Julian.”
I fought to stifle the sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” Julian mumbled.
I glanced over at Caden to see him watching us intently, his eyes narrowing slightly as they drifted over my hand. The one in Julian’s. Did this bother him? No, I dismissed it. He had nothing to worry about. Julian was like a brother to me.
“Caden and Amelie, I could use your help.” Sofie’s request broke the attention on Julian and me. “Amelie and Mage, please take the ladies. Caden, Mortimer, please take the men. Max, Gabriella, put fresh steaks on the kitchen counter.” Max wouldn’t argue with that. He had starved over the last month, first refusing to leave me to hunt in the mountains and then not permitted to hunt by the Tribe on account of him taking food away from their precious tigers.
“What about me?” Viggo asked with mock innocence, eyeing a young, brunette maid of no more than twenty-five. My stomach twisted in knots for the girl.
Sofie snorted. “You take care of the blood supply. I don’t want anyone running short on blood with humans around.” She turned and started down the hall to the left, but stopped and threw back, “a bagged blood supply, please.” No killing, she was warning him.
Viggo responded with a sigh of exasperation. “Always the drag, you Red Heathen … And what will you be doing, pray I ask?”
“Checking on a few things,” she answered vaguely as she walked away with long, quick strides, not turning back once.
I took this as my chance to scurry up the stairs, towing Julian the entire way, hearing Mage croon behind me in French, “Mademoiselles et messieurs, avec moi, s’il vous plaît,” Of course she speaks French. She knows everything …
Julian and I hadn’t uttered two words to each other since being rescued. I didn’t know what to say to him, given his secret identity. He was the enemy. The enemy who had saved me but the enemy who this group of vampires would tear to pieces if they found out. And Amelie … she may as well be fused to him, as smitten as she was. I recalled Caden once saying that vampire emotions were instantaneous and powerful. I was now witnessing it firsthand. I’d also have to witness the crushing after-effects when Amelie discovered what Julian was, when she’d need to detach herself from a corpse. My insides churned with the thought. This secret was better left hidden, and he needed to be reminded of that.
“Slow down!” Julian hobbled alongside me, slightly hunched.
“Here we are,” I stated, dropping his hand as we arrived in front of the seventh door. I turned, adding in a low hiss, “You’d better be careful. Do you know what will happen if they find out?”