I felt his eyes on me. Trying to use your vampire mojo on me, are you? I’ve got two words for you, buddy. Not. Interested.
I kept my focus on the interior, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “I’ve never seen anywhere so well preserved.”
“I don’t have the same desire to destroy and rebuild as the rest of House Lewis. My father taught me to value the past.”
“You mean King Glendon.” Otherwise known as the Terror of Terra.
He nodded.
“You call both kings ‘Father.’”
“Because they both are.”
We entered the parlor room just as Prince Maeron was entering the same room from another entryway. He carried a bowl in his hands.
Prince Callan arched an eyebrow. “Brother? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
The dark-haired prince cut a quick glance at me and grinned. “Clearly. Is this part of your knightly service?”
Preternaturally fast, the Demon of House Duncan flew across the room and grabbed his brother by the neck, pinning him against the wall. The bowl clattered to the floor, spilling its contents. Nuts and berries scattered and rolled across the floor and under the furniture.
“Do not disrespect her again,” he snarled.
Maeron flashed an uneasy smile and held up his hands in acquiescence. “It was only a joke, brother. No need for violence.”
The Highland Reckoning squeezed his brother’s neck. “Apologize to the lady.”
“I don’t think he can breathe let alone apologize,” I interjected. I didn’t want to be caught in the middle of a domestic disturbance between feuding royal vampires.
Callan released his grip and stepped away. His brother rubbed the sore spot on his neck.
“My apologies. I meant no disrespect.”
Now probably wasn’t a good time to ask them to stop calling me ‘Sir.’
“Why are you here?” Callan demanded.
He flopped on the sofa. “Mother and Father are unbearable at the moment. They pretend to be unconcerned by Davina’s absence, but the delusion is weighing on them both. I decided to seek refuge somewhere calmer and more comfortable.”
“You have your own place,” Callan pointed out.
“Oh, I know, but I like yours better.” He folded his hands behind his head and settled against the cushions. “Good thing I’m here or I would’ve missed the meeting. You should really plan these things in advance. You know how busy my schedule is.”
“This was impromptu. Miss Hayes encountered an ambitious wizard near the Gherkin.”
“Ah, I see. And you’ve come here to regroup.” He motioned to the loveseat adjacent to the sofa. “I’m intrigued. Do sit and tell me all about it.”
Callan and I squeezed awkwardly on the loveseat. I thought it was interesting that he didn’t insist on sharing the sofa with his brother. It was probably a decision designed to torture me. He knew how uncomfortable I’d be seated so close to him. So close, in fact, that our thighs were touching. Fabulous.
“No new leads on Davina then?” Maeron asked.
“Not yet,” I said.
Maeron inhaled deeply, as though using his breath to draw a thought to the surface. “What about the other Houses like Peyton or Kane?”
Callan’s gaze flicked to his brother. “What about them?”
“Do we not think there’s a chance they’re involved? A mysterious stone and a missing heir to House Lewis? If you ask me, it’s a power play.”
“Which is why no one is asking you,” Callan said.
“Is this really such a shocking possibility? It’s been decades since the Houses have clashed. We’re due.”
I felt the prince tense beside me. “Twenty years, to be precise,” he said. “There is no evidence to suggest the involvement of another House.”
“Perhaps because we haven’t found it yet.”
“Don’t you think Mother and Father would be more concerned if they suspected another House was preparing to make a move?”
Maeron sniffed. “They’ve grown complacent.”
“You say that because you long for conflict. I can assure you, brother, there are no winners in warfare.”
I glanced sideways at him. It was a curious comment from the Demon of House Duncan.
“And you only say that because you lost.”
Before I could blink, Callan was off the loveseat. The sofa flipped backward as the princes pummeled each other. I had no idea vampires were so quick to violence when it came to each other. Shifters, yes. Vampires gave the illusion of being more civilized. Consider me educated.
Uncertain what to do and unwilling to get caught in the melee, I remained seated. It was like watching a performance. I was tempted to scrape a few nuts off the floor and enjoy a snack.
Once they’d beaten each other to their mutual satisfaction, they placed the sofa in its original position and returned to their seats.
I looked from one prince to the other. “Do you two always fight like this?”
“No,” Maeron said. “Usually there are weapons involved.”
Good to know.
“I don’t mean to take sides,”—because I valued my life—“but Prince Maeron has a point.”
“He does?”
“I do?”
“The wizard seemed to want to force the dragon to unleash fire on the Gherkin, which is one of the most famous, longstanding buildings in the region. It makes sense that a rival House would view it as a political target.”
Callan blinked at me. “You think the wizard might have been sent by a rival House?”
“I think it’s a possibility that deserves consideration.”
“Why else would someone attack the Gherkin?” Maeron interjected.
“It’s hideous for one thing. Perhaps someone with taste was taking a stand.”
“If another House is behind this, we might need to consider employing more than a single knight,” Maeron said. “No matter how capable she appears.”
Callan shook his head. “We need more information first. The whole point of hiring an unknown is to keep House business under the radar. We can’t go accusing another House without proof.”
Maeron gave me a speculative glance. “Seems you might’ve bitten off more than you can chew. The question is—can you handle it?”
Callan answered before I could. “I believe she can.”
Maeron kept his gaze fixed on me. “Good, because if there’s one thing House Lewis doesn’t handle well, it’s disappointment.”
13
I extricated myself from my impromptu meeting with the princes and returned to the Circus. The first thing I noticed was a trail of cotton. I followed it to the corner of the room where a dog bed had been ripped to shreds.
“What happened? Someone was unhappy with the color?”
Trio trotted over to greet me. Three tongues licked my arm.
“I probably smell like a mix of dragon and vampire.”
Ione glanced up from her paperwork. Ione Sheehan and her older sister Neera were both Knights of Boudica. They were skilled archers as well as practitioners of earth magic. Tall, slender, and pale, with light brown hair in a French knot, Ione looked more like a prim primary school teacher than a knight. Like many of us, she and Neera lost their parents at a young age and learned to survive by becoming adept fighters.