**
All Declan could do was watch. After all, it was what he was best at. He had spent the time stalking Lena and letting opportunities pass him by. And now he watched twenty-eight vampires fiercely loyal to their unstable king parading into Colin’s Castle to attend to his Lena.
And then Charles himself appeared, as if out of nowhere.
Declan wanted to think, if he had known Charles would be involved, he would have urged Lena to run immediately, but he was not sure. Was he strong enough to go against not only Colin, but Charles? Declan did not know, and he despised himself for it.
But something had lured him away from the locked doors of the Main Hall. A feeling inside, a presence more powerful than the way he sensed Colin.
It made sense, of course. Declan was closely related to Charles. Far closer than he was related to Colin. And Declan lived in Charles’s house for centuries. The longer vampires cohabitated, the stronger their connection became, whether they were true family or not.
The allure Charles possessed was different than any other, though Declan could not quantify why that was.
“Declan,” Charles said with his long fangs flashing in the torchlight once the processional ended.
Head bowed in respect, he replied, “yes, Charles.”
“Where is Colin? He should already know I’ve come to call upon him.”
Declan suspected he knew more than he was letting on. Charles had a way with deception. But it did not take an authority to know something was out of the ordinary. Charles had never visited before. And he lived in another part of the country. It was too much of a coincidence that he would choose now to stop by, unannounced, in the exact moment Colin was dealing with Lena’s defiance.
Knowing Charles would stop whatever was happening behind those locked doors, but not wanting to divulge too much information, Declan answered, “Colin is administering punishment to our youngest member in the Main Hall.”
“For what crime?”
“She left the manor, Charles.”
He nodded, bearing his fangs for a moment then hissed, “I see.”
“Why does he not know you are here?” Declan could not stop himself from asking. All of the vampires in the house should feel his presence, like plants to the sun.
Charles responded with a sly grin, and Declan suddenly felt Colin lurch with awe and uneasiness. Moments later, the rest of the family, except Lena, did the same, and Declan understood Charles was somehow cloaking his presence. But to what end?
Declan was unaware Charles had this ability. But then again, there was much unknown about Charles. It was unclear if any vampire knew his true nature.
“Please lead us to the Main Hall, Declan.”
“Yes, Charles,” he said, bowing his head low before heading towards the locked doors that would no longer be locked once they reached them. Colin himself scurried around the room, unlocking all of the doors, and barking orders to his family.
Henry and Mary ran to the summit of the room to stand by Colin’s chair.
Annabelle and Lennox stood by Lena.
Lena did not move. She hardly breathed.
When the doors were unlocked and Colin collided with his throne, Declan and Charles’s family were only halfway there. There was no need for haste.
Declan had his back to Charles so could not see his face, but he heard laughter come from the Vampire King.
Harsh Light of Day Page 29