EmoryThe Nightstones arrive before breakfast. Alpha Gerald, along with his son and many grandsons, is eager to see Lydia. They crowd the clinic where she is still unconscious under the effects of Ivy’s sleeping potion. Coit is asleep in a nearby chair, slumped in a way that will most likely leave h
IvyGeorge Nightstone cannot take a hint. I walk briskly through the castle hallways and back to the guest room I’ve been staying in. George catches up to me quickly. He’s tall and moves fast despite his beefy physique. A large hand grabs my arm, preventing me from moving any further.I glare at his
EmoryAfter breakfast, the Nightstones don’t want to delay getting back to Nightfall. They carefully transport Lydia out of the castle and into one of their vehicles parked in the courtyard. Coit is going to leave with them and stay at Nightfall while Lydia is under the sleeping potion. I can’t blam
WillowWhile I enjoy Cerise Port’s charms, being back home in Castle Graystone is so much better. The children are glad to be home as well. After hearing that Rainer has managed to save Lydia and has returned to Crimson Peak, I rush home to see him again. Travelling with children slows me down, but
KaneRainer’s successful rescue of Lydia should have meant that the whole mess is over. I’d been expecting King Myenas to inform me about Lydia’s supposed death, but instead, he continues to act like nothing has changed. He talks like the deal is still on-going despite the fact he has no leverage on
“I need to end the business with the feeders. It’s how he has allies. He provides them a steady blood supply without going through the trouble with the shifter packs. If I can cut off his blood supply, his allies will not stick around,” I explain.If there is anything I know about the vampire royals
LexNow that Lydia Nightstone is back with her pack, I’m going to head back to Scarlett Thunder. Cole and I have been away for too long, and I have a lot of work to tackle. I’m not looking forward to the paperwork, but that’s part of running a kingdom. There’s always an endless amount of paperwork.
KaneAs Lex is leaving to go back to Scarlett Thunder, I tell him about the plan to end King Myenas’s feeder trafficking operation by replacing it with my own more humane system. My brother looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Saying it out loud to another person makes me realize how unhinged the pla
Michael still feels like Cole took advantage of Emelda in some way, shape, or form. I don’t necessarily disagree. But, that was four years ago, and neither of them are willing to share their feelings or thoughts on the current climate of their relationship with us. And, unfortunately, we have to ac
FayeEmelda walks in step beside me, draped in her usual black cloak, her dark eyes narrowed on the brilliant sunset as the last rays of light dip below the horizon. It’s been two weeks since the fire tore through the manor, two weeks of quiet peace that feels almost misplaced. I’m not sure how to
Michael“The second born son of this union will be handed over at birth to King Mattias and his court to be raised in Red River as the rightful heir to the throne,” Dad reads aloud as he paces in front of the windows in his office that overlook the bleak, snow drenched landscape beyond, “to ensure t
MichaelThe emissary to Red River–the real one–isn’t anyone I recognize. He’s tall and pale blond, his red eyes gleaming in the brightly lit ballroom where he and his posse of royal Red River guards have gathered. He scans the group before him–myself, my father, and my uncle, and smiles faintly, hi
I listen intently, watching a myriad of emotion play over her face as she knits her fingers together. “We spent an entire summer sneaking around,” she says softly, closing her eyes. “He’d find me in the garden, in the library, sometimes going as far as to sneak into my room at night. We couldn’t st
FayeStill in the library, I listen intently as Emelda discloses far more than I expected her to.There was a point in Emelda’s life as a vampire that she’d accepted she’d always be alone. Her bed would always be cold, her skin unblemished by a loving touch. She’d never know love again, and for deca
Faye“It really is gorgeous,” Emelda says the next morning while walking with me to the library. She runs her thumb over the massive sapphire ring and smiles faintly, raising her brows. “I think it’s a family heirloom, too. You should expect a load of fine jewelry to follow.”“You know I don’t care
FayeKing Kane is a slightly terrifying man. His presence is all consuming–like he sucks the light out of the room. He doesn’t look his age, like all vampires. The only indication that he’s a senior vampire compared to his son is the faint gray glow around his temples where his dark hair is starting
MichaelI watch Faye run a comb through her hair, over and over. The golden strands shine like golden silk in the pockets of sunlight shimmering through the curtains. Beyond the glass, knee-deep snow covers the castle grounds in a blanket of pure, untouched white. Deep inside, I feel a flicker of m