White Knight

by Ingrid Seymour

  WHITE KNIGHT

  Vampire Court

  Ingrid Seymour

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  WHITE KNIGHT

  First edition. June 11, 2019

  Copyright © 2019 Ingrid Seymour

  Written by Ingrid Seymour

  Cover Designed by Deranged Doctor Designs

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  Get Notified

  Also By Ingrid Seymour

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Talyssa had been at the King’s arm.

  The image of her forced smile was imprinted in my mind like ink on a piece of parchment. Nyro had been there, had anchored me and prevented me from doing something stupid.

  After kissing him, I had left the Black Palace in a confused daze. My heart had ached for my friend and her suffering at the hands of that monster, but it had also soared while the rumble of Nyro’s voice and phantom of his touch lingered at my waist and on my lips.

  That night, after the Hallows Eve masquerade ball, on my way back from Maximus’s lair, I had paid for another carriage back to Jenica’s house where, per our agreement, I sneaked in through her window, took off the dress I’d borrowed from her, and changed back into my white uniform.

  Before leaving, I begged her to hide Nyro’s jacket. It had kept me warm on my way back. He’d let me have it and told me to throw it away once I was done with it, but doing so felt wrong. It was a risk for Jenica, for what if her parents discovered the hidden garment, but she had been terribly excited to do something clandestine and said she would hide it where no one would ever find it.

  Once back on my regular routine at the White Palace, my dreams and thoughts filled with Nyro, and I found myself looking forward to bedtime more than ever before, not only because I was tired, but because I wanted to close my eyes and reimagine our kiss.

  There was only one thing I looked forward to more than that, and it was my free day when I would see him again. We would help each other and maybe, together, we would be able to free Talyssa and his brother.

  I didn’t fear sleep as I had since I’d joined the Board. My nightmares about Papa, Talyssa and the Black King went away and were replaced by masquerade balls where Nyro and I were the only guests, and an invisible orchestra played for us while we danced across the ballroom floor, crossing into a luscious garden. There, he would take me in his arms, his warmth enveloping me, protecting me from all that was bad.

  His embrace would quickly morph into a heated kiss that unleashed a fierce wildness in me, something that was bolder than the boldest part of me. Without decorum, I ran my hand over his torso, imagining how his skin would feel if I unbuttoned his shirt and ran my fingers up his chest and down his flat stomach.

  Then, I would wake up panting, sweating, a raw ache in my middle that I’d never felt and couldn’t comprehend.

  More than once, I’d gone to the showers after one of these dreams, and I’d let cool water run down my back, forsaking the hot springs and bathtub for something that could tame me.

  “What’s wrong with yeh?” Vinna asked me as we finished sparring, the blunt tip of her practice sword pressed to my stomach. “Yeh’re right distracted.”

  I had surpassed her in this skill already, and it had been some time since she’d been able to get the best of me.

  “Nothing,” I lied. “Just feeling a bit peaky. That’s all.”

  She ran a hand over her short red hair to wipe off the sweat, giving me a distrustful sidelong glance. “Yeh’ve been like that since Hallows Eve. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” She tapped her nose.

  That night, Vinna had noted my absence as she had expected me to go with her to some tavern or another to meet Alben for a tankard and some nice conversation. I hadn’t agreed to accompany her, but I hadn’t refused her either, keeping my answer vague for good reason.

  Since she had pestered me several times about my whereabouts that night and hadn’t seemed satisfied with my simple answer that I’d gone to visit a friend early that afternoon and had been persuaded to stay and celebrate the night with them.

  Done with our training, we put away our practice swords and headed back toward our dormitory. Despite the chill, natural on a November morning, we wore only our trousers and shirts. Vinna wiped at her brow with her sleeves and hands while I used a piece of linen, folding it in sections as I dabbed my forehead and neck.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “What?” I said.

  She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Rook Neculai’s sudden appearance from behind his own dormitory, one he shared with Rook Daciana. Vinna and I stopped in our tracks and exchanged a quick glance of discomfort. He was the other Quadrant’s Rook and reported to The Decapitator—a good reason not to trust him.

  “You had a good practice,” he said, his thin lips stretching into a slimy smile, his voice sounding like that of a jester. “I watched you from my bed.” He pointed at a large window that faced the west sparring grounds. “You’ve improved quite a bit, First Pawn. I’ve witnessed your progress since your arrival.”

  “Thank you,” I said curtly. “Now, if you will excuse us, we must go refresh ourselves.” I dabbed at my forehead a little theatrically and walked around him. Vinna followed me, throwing an unfriendly backward glance over her shoulder.

  “Pawn Flagfall, what are your plans for your day off tomorrow?” he asked suggestively.

  My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t need him sniffing around my activities on my free days, much less this upcoming one.

  “Nothing special,” I said, without looking back, then hurried my step to avoid further questioning.

  “What’s the matter with that creeper?” Vinna asked.

  “I don’t know.” I hadn’t told her about his previous advances—his letter asking me to meet him in the woods and the way he’d accosted me after I didn’t heed his call—and I didn’t feel like starting today.

  Now that I was First Pawn, I was allowed to challenge one of the Rooks and, from the looks of it, it would have to be Neculai. There was no way on this side of hell I would share the Rook’s dormitory with him, which is what would happen if I challenged and defeated Daciana.

  It was time to figure out how I could beat him, but more importantly... it was time to come to terms with the fact that soon I would have to drink Queen Lovina’s blood.

  CHAPTER 2

  The next day, as soon as the gates opened and I was allowed to leave, I made my way down to the city and weaved through the streets and avenues headed for Square G2 toward Alfil Park.

  My heart was beating out of control. I couldn’t wait to see Nyro again, couldn’t stop wondering if he’d thought of me as I had, if he wished to kiss me once more. My steps tapped the sidewalk, matching the rhythm of my heart.

  Constantly glancing over my shoulder, I made sure no one was following me. A meeting with a member of the Black Board was unwise. I couldn’t be seen with him, which made Alfil Park a good spot. There were many trees and the gazebo in the back was normally empty. We could even remove our ja
ckets and, from a distance, no one would be able to tell he was a Blackie and I was a Whitie. We would just be two young people out on a nice day.

  I smiled, imagining us sitting there, my hand in his, those dark eyes searching my face until they locked on my lips. My excitement was such that when I crossed from Square H2 into Square G2, I had to contain myself not to run.

  What are you doing, Bianca? What are you doing?

  The question repeated inside my head over and over. A part of me offered up an answer, and it echoed with a warning.

  Making a big mistake. That’s what. Meeting Nyro is wrong.

  Rescuing Talyssa and avenging Papa were my priorities. Nyro was nothing but a distraction from my purpose. He couldn’t help me climb up the ranks to become a vampire. That struggle was mine and mine alone.

  If he was planning to rescue his brother, he likely imagined that escaping Acedrex was a possibility. It wasn’t. No one left this place. Papa had said that with a big enough bribe it would be possible to pay someone off, but if Mama’s inheritance hadn’t been enough, then what would be?

  Besides, I couldn’t run and live elsewhere—not knowing our monarch monsters were still here, making people suffer. I knew no other place but Acedrex. For ill or for good, it was my city, and its people deserved better than this.

  Still, I placed one foot in front of the other, my traitorous heart leading me to Nyro, making me crave his touch and the feel of his lips on mine.

  What reprehensible spirit had taken over me? What wicked energy coursed in my veins and filled me with heat? I didn’t know, but I seemed unable to resist it.

  Alfil Park came into view. I stopped at the corner where a street and avenue intersected and a pastry shop sent its sweet scent wafting into the air.

  I was considering running back the way I’d come when I spotted Nyro walking toward the park at a hurried pace. I pulled back a little, peeking from around the corner to watch him.

  My breath caught. He was so tall and handsome and carried himself with such poise and confidence. Gods, he was far more attractive than any of the young men I’d met in society, even Emanuel Mistrock, who had been the most desirable bachelor in my circles and had started showing interest in me shortly after we were introduced.

  The black uniform fit Nyro perfectly. The jacket cut straight angles around his wide shoulders and elegantly tapered to his narrow waist. His pants were fitted, wrapping around what promised to be strong thighs.

  A flush heated my face. I pulled away, pressing my back against the wall to catch my breath. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to convince myself that I should leave and forget about him. Nothing good could come out of this. There was no future in a relationship between two people in our situation.

  There could never be more than a tryst between us, something scandalous and terribly inappropriate.

  What else do you want, Bianca? a part of me asked.

  It wasn’t like I would ever marry and live the life I had once dreamed of. A tryst was all this new existence would allow. That or nothing.

  That doesn’t mean you should lose your morals, yet another part of me argued. What if you get with child?

  But the less proper side of me reminded me of the smartweed I kept in the suitcase under my cot. Every time I bought bloodshade from Mr. Oakes, he also gave me smartweed as a way to disguise our illegal transaction. If I took it, I wouldn’t have to worry about an unwanted child, and I wouldn’t have to die a virgin.

  My own thoughts scandalized me.

  Gods, what do I do?

  I so wanted to see him again. And why should I deny myself that much when I had so little. My eyes sprang open as I tried to clear my head from the weight of my decision.

  That was when I realized I’d been followed.

  CHAPTER 3

  Rook Neculai was standing on the opposite corner, watching me with undisguised interest.

  His gaze traveled lazily from me to the avenue behind me where Nyro must still be walking, headed for the park.

  After a moment, the Rook crossed the street, and all I could do was stand there frozen, my back pressed against the wall, waiting as he prowled in my direction.

  When he stepped onto the sidewalk, he halted a couple of steps away from me and regarded me with a satisfied smile.

  “Is this what you do on your free days, my dear Bianca?” Rook Neculai asked. His once-green eyes were speckled with the color of mud and yet they seemed to sparkle with delight. “Spy on handsome Blackies?”

  I did my best to appear confused, but I wasn’t sure if I was doing a good job. My nerves were getting the best of me. I had needed proof that trying to meet Nyro was a mistake and here it was.

  Stupid stupid stupid.

  Rook Neculai’s big nose was greasy and shone unpleasantly. I stared at it, unable to look him in the eye as I lied. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He chuckled. “Young lady,” he said as if he were a teacher imparting a lecture, “I have been alive for almost eighty years. You can’t fool me.” He smiled condescendingly, almost sweetly.

  Eighty years! He only appeared to be in his late forties, but he’d been a Rook for over thirty. One good taste of the Queen’s blood and he was able to appear half his age.

  “He’s just... someone I know,” I said. “From before. I didn’t realize he had joined the Black Court. I was shocked to see him. That is all.”

  The Rook examined my face for a moment as if he could read every nuance in my expression to determine whether or not I was telling the truth.

  “Nyro Stonehelm was a mere commoner and a thief only four months ago,” Neculai said. His voice—which until now I had thought of as foolish—switched to something calculating and cold. “How is it possible that a well-to-do lady such as yourself was acquainted with a scoundrel?”

  I sucked in a breath, giving away my surprise. How did he know all of that?

  “Oh, Bianca, I make it my job to know everything that goes on in Acedrex.” He took a step closer, making me wish I could melt into the wall. “Getting involved with a Blackie is a terrible idea.” He pronounced the last two words in a sing-song tone that was meant to sound like a caring warning. Instead, it was a threat that made me want to vomit.

  This was the man I needed to face next in my next challenge, and he had me standing against the wall, trembling like a coward. He was nothing like what I had imagined. He was dangerous, not foolish.

  “You are mistaken,” I managed, trying to gather my courage. “I’m not involved or getting involved with anyone.”

  “Oh, dear girl,” he said, shaking his head, “if you want to survive in our court, you’ll need to learn how to lie better than that.” He sighed, regarding me sadly. “Look, you’re terribly young. You have so much to learn, but I like you, and I’m willing to help you. Rook Daciana is a worthy contender, but I believe you can easily take her place. I would love to have you as my... partner.” He smiled crookedly as he leaned in closer to whisper that last word in an insinuating tone.

  “I can tell you’re ambitious,” he continued. “You want to get far... you even aspire to be Queen, I reckon. It can’t be easy being a mere Pawn after the life you used to lead. You want to reclaim what you feel is rightfully yours. Am I right? A life of privilege and wealth. But no one makes it that far without allies. We can help each other. You can help me become a Bishop, and I would do my best to ensure you become Queen. What do you say?” he lifted a hand and ran the back of his fingers down my cheek.

  I recoiled, my stomach twisting with disgust at his touch, and slapped his hand away. Pushing past him, I turned the corner and hurried away from the pastry shop and toward Alfil Park. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to get away from the filthy creature, wanted to wash away the repulsive sensation of his touch.

  A large carriage was headed in my direction, crossing right in front of the park. It was fronted by four large horses, their hooves clopping loudly against the cobblestone street as they sped forward. Th
e carriage was stately, painted blue and decorated with golden accents. A man in a dark suit occupied the box seat. He held the reins in one hand while, with the other, he kept his top hat in place. Whatever noble rode inside seemed in a hurry to get somewhere.

  Rook Neculai caught up to me, grabbed my hand, and slipped it under his arm as if I were a lady he was escorting somewhere.

  “You should take some time to think about my proposal,” he said, smiling right and left at the passersby. “Don’t be hasty.”

  I whirled, extricating my hand and facing him. “I want nothing to do with you,” I said, my temper getting the best of me. “Stay away from me or I’ll complain to Knight Kelsus about your inappropriate behavior.”

  He laughed, throwing his head back. “Knight Kelsus will soon have to face me. I’ve been getting ready for that for a long time, and he doesn’t stand chance. And what will you do after I’ve become your Quadrant leader?”

  “No.” I shook my head like a child who finds her favorite toy is broken.

  Knight Kelsus was the only decent Board member of high rank in the White Court, and Neculai was planning to challenge him after thirty-two years as a Rook. I’d thought he was content with his post, but apparently, he wanted more.

  “Oh, yes,” Neculai said. “Kelsus will soon fall. He suspects nothing, but the trap is neatly laid out already.”

  “No,” I repeated again, a thousand emotions whirling inside of me.

  An unsolvable puzzle unfurled inside my mind... Rook Neculai’s dishonorable proposition to become my ally. His trap for an unsuspecting Knight Kelsus. The fact that one of the Queen’s Trove-sniffing hounds had developed an interest in me. Nyro waiting for me a short distance away.

  It was all too much.

  The clomping of the horses boomed in my ears. The scent from the pastry shop impregnated my nostrils, filling my senses with all that cloying sweetness. The gawking passersby swirling around us, the ladies looking appalled at the way the Rook was leaning into me, trying to push me against the wall once more.