LexOpal is having her first ultrasound today. She initially refuses to let me come with her to the appointment. I manage to sway her into letting me be there since she has no one else to accompany her. Her brother is in the dungeon of Castle Graystone, and her father is too busy to give her his tim
***EmoryKane has to leave Crimson Peak to meet up with his allies. Unfortunately, but not surprising, King Peter has found out about my pregnancy and has been threatening to tell the other vampire kingdoms about it. Kane tells me not to worry and that he is going to get ahead of this before things
“I’m going to be fine,” I reassure him. “We are going to be fine.”He cups my face in his hands, his blue eyes staring intently as if he’s trying to memorize my face. “I love you.”“I love you too.” Then I tease him, “Please don’t leave me for Queen Olga.”His dark eyebrows furrow. “She’s old enough
KaneQueen Olga leads us to the adjoining throne room. At a long table sits the majority of our allies, old and new. Half of them have been ruling before I was even born, and the other half came into power with me around the same time. There are a few new faces, no doubt hoping to raise their cache
“How are we supposed to believe you when you say you never touched Princess Opal when you clearly can’t keep your hands off any whore that comes your way–” I move before I even think about it, getting up from my seat and rushing toward King Matthias to grab him by the neck and slam him against the
I’m always tired or unwell. Some days, I can barely do anything but lie in bed. I feel like an invalid as my body betrays me. I’m not used to feeling so weak, and it frustrates me. “I keep wondering why I don’t have that pregnancy glow they talk about,” I tell him. “I feel like a wilting plant. I lo
EmoryI am so sick of bed rest. I’m bored out of my mind, and I miss the outdoors. As I’m about to enter my second trimester, I feel worse by the day. Helga and Nellie hover and ply me with calming teas. They fluff the mountain of pillows I lie on and cater to every food craving I have no matter how
“You have me.”I smile. “Yes, but your job is to be a kid. That’s all you have to do. I take care of you.”“King Kane takes care of you?”“He does,” I reply. “He’s the king. He is supposed to take care of everyone.”I know that Lola still feels wary of Kane. I can’t blame her, and I expect it’s goin
EmoryThe next few months are some of the busiest in my life. With King Myenas’s death, Kane had to negotiate a treaty with the heir to Carmine Falls. King Myenas’s son, Aiden, is a lot more agreeable than his predecessor. He and Kane may never be friends, but they won’t be enemies.The new system f
LexI don’t know how long I’ve been asleep. I wake up in the hospital wing with a bandage wrapped around my neck. The memory of Opal stabbing me with a ceramic shard has me gingerly touching the bandage. It doesn’t hurt anymore, but there is some stiffness.I blink against the harsh fluorescent ligh
KaneI expect the news of me sabotaging King Myenas’s feeder trafficking operation to reach him quickly. His business partners being present at the meeting means they have to warn him that he’s about to lose a fortune. The moment I arrive back at Castle Graystone, King Myenas is on the phone demandi
WillowI never like it when Rainer comes home injured. The gashes Opal left on him have healed by the time I see him, so there’s no reason to drag him to the clinic to get checked over by Dr. Martin. He tells me that Lex is in worse shape and is being treated by the doctor at Scarlett Thunder. Opal
LexRainer moves quickly, shielding Kane with his body. The sword slices into the dark fabric of his shirt and leaves a large cut on his shoulder. He hisses from the pain and pushes Opal away with his other arm, nearly knocking her off her feet. Blood drips down from the sword, onto the carpet.Opal
EmoryWith the Nightstones all refusing to leave Nightfall until Lydia is woken up from her magically-induced coma, I decide to hold the meeting with all the Alphas at Alpha Gerald’s home. His home is a fortress, and he has the room to accommodate all the Alphas and their entourages. I’ll also get t
Rainer“You son of a bitch, you did it,” I say, still reeling with how Kane has managed to convince the vampire monarchs to agree to his insane plan.“Hey. That’s my mother you’re talking about.” Kane is smiling so I know he doesn’t really take offense. “I’m surprised I got them to agree, too. I tho
KaneI don’t know how much King Myenas is looking into Lydia’s death. I know people have to be talking about seeing Lex flee Carmine Falls with a witch who throws fireballs at guards. Having the meeting with all the vampire monarchs at Scarlett Thunder is a way to deflect that this whole thing isn’t
LexI’m not looking forward to having guests again after Cole’s birthday party. It hasn’t been that long, and the expense troubles me. The royal coffers are still low on funds, but I couldn’t refuse my brother when he asked me if I could host the meeting between the vampire monarchs. I'm surprised K