“If you go to Mayfair, I swear to the gods I’ll call the authorities on you myself. It’s suicide.”
I weighed my options. Truth be told I needed to make arrangements for my trip to Devon. Judd’s wife and brother were killed a year ago. The vampire den might not be active anymore.
“Fine. I won’t go.”
Stevie’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you. Now go home and get some rest. You look beat.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
I turned away from her and headed toward Euston. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I failed to sense the vampires until they were only half a block behind me. It wasn’t the fact that they were vampires that was the problem. I was surrounded by city-dwelling vampires who had no reason to notice me. It was the fact that these particular vampires were following me. At first I thought we were simply heading in the same direction—until I turned to take a shortcut. They’d have no reason to take this route.
I quickly debated my options. They weren’t being particularly stealthy and a cursory glance revealed they wore the uniform of the royal guard. Not random thugs then. I decided to take control of the situation and turned to face them. Two vampires—a redhead with a face as white as a marshmallow and a muscled brunette with a receding hairline. So much for superior vampire genes.
“You boys lost? I’m sure I can help you find your way if you tell me your destination.”
“Your destination is the palace,” the red-haired vampire said.
“On whose orders?”
“His Royal Highness, Prince Maeron.”
I was momentarily startled. I would’ve expected Princess Davina or Prince Callan before the heir to House Lewis. I had no idea what to make of the order. Maeron was a wild card in the royal household.
“It’s a holiday in honor of his mother. Isn’t the prince busy with royal duties?”
The redhead angled his head. “You ask a lot of questions. Most people just obey orders.”
Most people weren’t killed because of their species.
I gestured to my magical armor. “Let me go home and change. I’m not dressed for a royal visit.”
“Don’t think he much cares,” the brunette vampire said.
“Are you sure it was Prince Maeron and not Prince Callan?”
The vampires exchanged amused glances.
“We don’t all look alike, you know,” the redhead said.
“Pretty insulting,” the brunette added. “For your sake, I won’t repeat it in the palace as long as you come without a fight.”
I held up my hands in acquiescence. An impromptu trip to a palace full of vampires at the request of a dubious prince.
What could go wrong?
6
I arrived at Buckingham Palace nestled between two vampire guards and with a medusa of knots in my stomach. Even if I’d had time to prep for the meeting, I’d be nervous about entering the lion’s den on Britannia Day of all days. As we approached the palace, my body began to feel like someone was rubbing a cactus all over my bare skin.
“Where are the crowds?” I asked, noting only a few loitering vampires near the statue of Queen Britannia.
“Celebration ended two hours ago,” the redhead said. “We had to miss the tail end of things to get our orders to find you.” He sounded mildly resentful.
“If it makes you happy, I can toss scraps of paper over your head, step on your foot, and yell directly in your ear.”
He glared at me.
“You don’t like parades?” the brunette asked.
“No, not a fan of crowds in general.”
“My sister’s like that,” he replied. “I can never get her to come out for Britannia Day. She’ll go to a bar for drinks afterward, but she don’t watch the parade or listen to the speeches.”
A girl after my own heart.
The vampires stopped at the gate to discuss my arrival with the commanding guard on duty and he waved us through. Once again, nobody bothered to pat me down or take my weapons. It was a testament to their power rather than their stupidity.
I crossed the threshold into the palace and stifled a gasp of awe. Even on a repeat visit, the striking interior managed to render me speechless. Prior to the Eternal Night, the sprawling building was the official administrative residence of the House of Windsor, the last royal human family before the Eternal Night began. Once Queen B got her hands on it, she redesigned the entire interior and kept the layout a mystery to outsiders. Even if you were permitted inside, you were only privy to a view of certain public-facing rooms. And every one of those public-facing rooms was a shrine to the fallen vampire queen. Britannia portraits. Britannia statue. Everywhere you looked was a reminder of the triumphant vampire leader.
The vampires escorted me along an unfamiliar corridor.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I didn’t like the idea of being taken somewhere new in the palace. For all I knew, my identity had been discovered and I’d end up in a dungeon until my execution.
“The prince requested you be delivered to his study,” the redhead said.
“Prince Maeron has a study? Fancy that.” He didn’t strike me as a reader.
“You mock the prince?” the brunette said. “You’re either brave or foolish.”
“Can’t I be both?”
My magic bucked against me and I took a few calming breaths to soothe it. The faintest glow of silver right now would be a death sentence.
Prince Maeron glanced up at the sound of our entrance. With his thick head of chestnut-brown hair and dark eyes lined with thick lashes, he’d be considered handsome if it weren’t for the perpetual scowl and menacing glint that suggested he’d not only kill you, but he’d enjoy it too.
“Leave us,” he ordered.
The two vampires exited the room, closing the door behind them.
Woo-hoo. Alone time with a terrifying vampire. The stuff nightmares are made of. My day was about to end on a high note.
He gestured to the chair. “You may sit.”
“Do I have to? I read that you can burn calories even standing still.” I patted my stomach. “Core muscles are a wonder.”
He arched an eyebrow. “There’s that plucky attitude I remember. I suppose you’re also weighed down by weapons that wouldn’t protect you against me.”
If he only knew.
“I’m a knight, Your Highness. Have weapon, will travel.”
The corner of his mouth curved up in a half smile. “My spies tell me you were seen on Sloane Street. Why don’t you tell me about your work for the pack?”
I was momentarily startled, although I shouldn’t have been. Why wouldn’t House Lewis keep eyes and ears on the city’s major werewolf pack?
“What makes you think it’s work-related? Maybe I was visiting friends.”
His slight smile remained fix in place. It was a practiced expression, as though he’d watched himself in the mirror dozens of times—except that wasn’t possible since vampires had no reflection.
“Come now, Miss Hayes. If I’ve learned anything about you, it’s that your only friends consist of knights and the four-legged variety.”
“Wolves have four legs. Besides, even if I were working for them, the specifics would be confidential.”