“Kiev!” Mona called up the staircase.
There was a click of a bolt and the sound of a door creaking open. The floorboards groaned overhead and Kiev descended the stairs. His dark hair was wet and he wore nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.
“You could have put something on,” Mona said, wrinkling her nose as she looked Kiev over.
“Mrs. Novak could have warned of her visit in advance,” he replied, eyeing me steadily.
She rolled her eyes and looked back at me. “I’m sorry, Sofia. Kiev's manners are still a work in progress… Well, I’ll leave you two to it. I’m off to see if there’s anything left over of Brett’s cooking.”
I wished that she wouldn’t go. It felt so awkward to be standing here alone with the half-naked vampire.
I averted my eyes from his rippling muscles to the floorboards and walked briskly into the living room. He glided in after me and drew up a chair at the table. He gestured that I take a seat.
I sat down on the sofa at the opposite end of the room, as far as possible from him. He leaned against the edge of the dining table. Crossing his arms over his chest, he gazed down at me.
“Well? What does her highness want with me?”
“It’s, uh, about my husband.”
His mood darkened instantly. His jaw tightened, his biceps tensed.
My husband’s name always had been a trigger word for Kiev. I remembered how it would bring about fits of violence when I’d been under his care in The Blood Keep.
Ignoring his reaction, I continued. “I’m trying to find a way to make things less uncomfortable for the two of you, and the rest of us, and I could use your cooperation.”
His gaze remained steely.
“Stop being so passive-aggressive around him. I’m trying to get him to do the same. But it would make my job a hell of a lot easier if you threw me a bone. Look, Kiev, I’m not asking you to be friends with him. I just want the two of you to grow up.”
More silence followed. His eyes were still on me, his face unreadable. “Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Then you can leave me to get dressed.”
I glared at him. I didn’t need to be a Seer to know that he wasn’t going to budge one iota from his stance.
I stood up and walked toward the front door. He made no motion to follow me, so I shut the door myself on my way out. I sighed, staring out at the ocean. It was like trying to shift two mountains.
How am I ever going to do this?
I lost myself in thought as I made my way along the beach. I kept drawing a blank, but as I reached the foot of our tree, it dawned on me all at once. It was obvious now that I’d thought of it.
If the two men can’t put aside their egos, I’ll just have to create new ones for them…
I could barely keep the smirk from my face as I entered our penthouse.
Chapter 2: Caleb
After Annora left, I collapsed on the bed. I ran a thumb over my lips, recalling the few seconds she’d returned my kiss.
I tried to fall asleep. But I kept thinking about her, and the night she’d decided to leave me forever.
She’d lost some of herself after I turned her into a vampire, but she’d still been mine. She was dark, but she still loved me. She still kissed me like I was the only man in her world. But when she’d given herself over to the witches, she’d become unrecognizable.
To this day, I didn’t know what they’d done to her. She’d told me they’d agreed to make her a Channeler—one of the most powerful witches of their kind, receiving direct empowerment from the Ancients themselves. She wouldn’t explain to me what the induction involved. She’d said she was forbidden to. But when she came out of it, she was a shell.
My thoughts drifted to the blonde witch, Mona. Her powers were clearly equal to, if not greater than, Annora’s. I wondered if she’d been inducted in the same way. She seemed to still have life left in her.
What I wouldn’t give to have Annora back even for an hour. Even just a small piece of the girl she used to be…
My thoughts were interrupted by the creak of my door. I looked up to see none other than Annora approaching my bed.
I sat up. “What?”
Tears glistened in her bloodshot eyes. She reeked of alcohol. Staggering forward, she sat down on the edge of my bed.
Truth be told, the only time I welcomed Annora’s company was when she was drunk out of her mind. Although I never detected anything other than sorrow in her, I drew comfort from her display of emotion. It was a welcome change from the ice-cold woman she was when sober.
I reached for her hair, brushing it away from her face.
Her lower lip trembled. “Y-you didn’t ask why I was in a good mood,” she said.
I stared at her. She was right, I hadn’t.
“You want to tell me?”
She nodded slowly, letting out a hiccough. She paused, and a small smile spread across her lips.
“The Shade will lose its King and Queen soon.”
My breath hitched.
“What?”
Her smile broadened. “I put a spell on them. Neither of them are aware of it.”
My throat tightened. “Wh-when did you put the spell on them?”
She reached out and gripped my jaw, frowning. “It doesn’t matter when I cast it. Why aren’t you excited?”
She leant over me and caught my lips in hers, kissing me hard. Her tears moistened my cheeks. She gave me another half smile, then disappeared from the room leaving me staring after her, winded.
I tried to steady my breathing as I stared out of the window at the snowy peaks.
No. I can’t get involved with that family again.
Chapter 3: Aiden
“Five hundred years,” I muttered, my eyes glazing over as I puffed on a cigarette. I was sitting next to Yuri on his porch. “That’s how long your brother’s been celibate. It’s just my luck…”
“I’m sorry, man,” Yuri said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I had no idea you were into Adelle like that. I’d seen you talking to her, but I didn’t know you were planning on making a move.”
“Yeah,” I said grimly, blowing out smoke. Yuri had told me that he’d decided to help put Eli out of his misery and convinced him to ask Adelle out. I couldn’t blame Yuri for it. It was what any good brother would have done.
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said anything to him. Eli’s had his eye on Adelle for a while now. I’ve never seen a woman capture his attention like Adelle. It was becoming agonizing to watch.”
“She might have not said yes to me anyway,” I said. The vision of Adelle embracing Eli was still fresh in my mind. It sent pain shooting through my chest each time I recalled it. Shaking the thought away, I tossed my cigarette and stood up. I patted Yuri on the shoulder. “Well, I wish your brother all the best. Finders keepers, right?” I forced a smile. “Forget we even had this conversation. I’d rather all this remained between you and me.”
“Rather what remained between you and Yuri?”
I groaned as Claudia appeared in the doorway, hands on her waist.
“Oh, it’s nothing, Claudia,” I said.
I motioned to walk away, but the little spitfire never was one to be brushed away. She moved in front of me, blocking my exit.
“Come on, Aiden. I can keep a secret.”
I heaved a sigh, looking back at Yuri for help. He shrugged. Claudia grabbed my hand and pulled me inside their penthouse. She led me into their living room and pushed me down on the couch.
“It’s really nothing interesting. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“Adelle. Okay? I like her.”
Her lips curved in a small, knowing smile.
“Well, you’re not telling me anything new. The way you gawk at her… it’s obvious to anyone but a complete moron. Why don’t you tell her, then?”
I looked from Claudia to Yuri. Evidently she hadn’t been informed yet about Eli.
Yuri cleared his throat. “Babe, Eli’s going out with her. I encouraged him to ask her out.”
Her face contorted with shock. “What?”
“You heard right,” I said heavily.
“Eli? Your brother?”
“There’s no other Eli on this island,” Yuri said.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” she asked, turning on Yuri.
“I didn’t even know he’d taken my advice to heart before Aiden told me.”
She sank onto the couch next to me. “Wow, that really sucks.”
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. “It sucks.”
I motioned to stand up and leave, but Claudia caught my arm and yanked me back down again.
“Honey, what are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing, Claudia,” I said, staring at her in bemusement. “She likes Eli. And neither you nor Yuri are to talk about this with anyone, do you understand?”
Claudia bit her lip and looked at her husband. Concern filled her eyes. The silence that followed was painful. If there was one thing I loathed more than being beaten to a woman, it was being pitied.
“It was all a stupid fantasy anyway. I’m much too old for her.”
“Nonsense!” Claudia scolded. “I’d take a bite out of you if Yuri didn’t own me.”
Yuri rolled his eyes.
I chuckled. “Well, thank you, Claudia. That’s good to know.”
“Seriously, Aiden. As much as I want my brother-in-law to get laid, I think you’re a better match for Adelle. I think she’s all wrong for him.”
Yuri stared at her in half surprise, half amusement. Neither of us had expected Claudia would have such a strong opinion on the matter.
Mrs. Claudia Lazaroff. Quite the relationship counselor.
“What makes you say that?” Yuri asked.
“Eli’s so goddamn serious, he needs someone younger to force some life into him.”
“I’m sure Adelle will have no trouble with that,” I muttered.
“She’s too experienced. She doesn’t look old, but God knows how many years she’s actually been alive. It could be a thousand years for all we know.”
“Yeah, well… as much as you might like to make this choice for them, Eli’s already made his choice, and so has Adelle.”
“You don’t know what either of them feel for each other,” Claudia pressed. “For all you know, they could decide they’re not right for each other and split up.”
Somehow, I doubted that. By the boathouse, their chemistry seemed to be on fire.
“And even though she’s dating Eli,” Claudia continued, “you should still tell her how you feel. Then she can make a choice. If you’d have gotten to her beforehand she might have chosen you instead of Eli.”
I scoffed and stood up. I might have been many things, but, as much as I longed for Adelle, I wasn’t the type of man to poach another’s woman.
I’d had enough of this conversation. It was utterly nonsensical. Adelle was going out with Eli, at least for the moment. There was nothing more to discuss. I stood up, and although Claudia attempted to seat me again, I brushed her away and headed for the front door.
“She’s right for you, Aiden,” Claudia called after me as I walked out. “Don’t give up on her. God knows, I’m thankful every day that Yuri didn’t give up on me.”
“Yeah, whatever…”
Chapter 4: Sofia
I sat opposite Corrine in her bedroom. I’d just finished explaining my plan to her. We both stared at each other and burst out laughing.
“I never knew you were so devious, Sofia.”
She handed me a pen and a piece of paper. My idea was to start a letter correspondence between the two men. Derek would find himself receiving apologetic letters from Kiev, and vice versa. Of course, I would be writing all the letters. Corrine would put a charm on my handwriting so that it didn’t look like my own.
I breathed out, scratching my head with the pen. We still had to work out exactly what to say. How to pull this off without arousing suspicion from either of them. Eventually, they’d realize what I’d done, but by then—if all went to plan—the ice would have already been broken between the two of them.
I placed the tip of my pen on the paper. I was about to start writing when Corrine gripped my forearm. Mischief sparked in her eyes.
“Wait. I have a better idea.”
“What?” I put the pen down and stared at her.
She walked over to her bookshelf and reached for a heavy book bound in burgundy leather. She heaved it off the shelf and plonked it down on the table next to me. She took a seat and began flipping through the pages.
“You know, I think we can get a bit more hi-tech with this…”
I was burning with curiosity as she stopped on a page. Scrawled over it was an ancient language I didn’t understand.
She made me wait in silence for ten minutes before she finally looked up, grinning again.
“Yes, I think this will work.”
“What?” I urged.
“What if Kiev went to Derek personally to apologize, and vice versa?”
I stared at her. “Well, obviously that would be the best option, but how on earth—”
“How on earth do we get those two stubborn mules to ever do it? Simple. We don’t.”
“Huh?”
“There is a spell I believe I can pull off.” Corrine stood up and began pacing the room. “But we’re going to need Mona’s help.”
“What spell?”
“I can give you Derek’s appearance. And also Kiev’s appearance.”
I gasped. “That’s brilliant, Corrine. So I would look exactly like them? My voice would sound like them too?”
Corrine nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
I pushed the pen and paper away from me.
“And why do we need Mona?”
“I need some form of both of the men’s DNA. A hair will probably be the easiest and least… unhygienic.”
“Okay. We’ll ask Mona. I’m sure she’ll agree. She’s not happy with the tension between the two of them either.”
“We just have to trust that she won’t blab to anyone about it,” Corrine said.
“I trust Mona,” I said immediately. How could we not trust her about something as small as this when we’d already placed our faith in her to protect the entire island?
“I do too.”
Corrine and I stared at each other as the weight of our planned deception fell upon us. I just hoped that I’d be able to keep a straight face while doing all of this.
“Okay,” I said, standing up. “I’m going to get one of Derek’s hairs now. I’ll get it from his hairbrush.”
“No,” Corrine said. “It needs to be freshly plucked. It will be more potent that way, and the effect of the potion will last longer.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that. How long does the potion last?”
Corrine scratched her head and consulted the book again.
“Hm. I’m not sure exactly.”
“Well, it should last at least a couple of hours, right?”
“It should do…”
She didn’t appear confident, but this was an idea too delicious for me to pass on.
“All right, let’s think,” I said, beginning to pace up and down the room myself. “I should turn into Kiev first, and visit Derek. It only makes sense that he would be the one to approach Derek first, since he has a lot more to be sorry for. Then once the spell wears off, I’ll visit Kiev as Derek.”
“So we need Kiev’s hair first,” Corrine said. “That means I need to fetch Mona.”
“Okay, I’ll wait here.”
Corrine vanished. I sat down again, drumming my fingers over the table. I paged through her spell book, but not being able to understand a single word, I soon got bored.
She returned about half an hour later. Mona appeared by her side carrying a pair of pants and a shirt over her shoulder, clutching a hair between her fingers
.
“How did it go?” I asked, eyeing the hair.
Mona looked at me, bemused. “Are you really sure this isn’t all going to backfire?”
“No. I’m not sure. But things can hardly get any worse than they are now.”
“Let’s go into my potion room,” Corrine said, leading us out of her bedroom. “Oh, and you might want to bring one of those sheets with you,” she added, pointing toward the bed.
We walked through the halls of the Sanctuary until we reached Corrine’s potion room. Mona laid the hair down on a plate near the sink. I bent over the hair, studying it more closely. I wasn’t sure that I dared ask where she’d plucked it from.
“From his leg,” Mona said, as though she’d read my mind.
“Great,” I mumbled.
“Trust me, there are worse places it could have come from.”
Mona and I hovered over Corrine for the next fifteen minutes watching as she stirred ingredients into a cauldron and brought them to a rolling boil. The liquid hissed and turned a bright green color. A foul smell began emanating from it.
“Okay,” Corrine said. “This is done.”
Mona and Corrine exchanged glances, then both set their eyes on me.
“Ibrahim isn’t expected back, is he?” I asked, glancing at the door.
“No,” Corrine said, “he’s not due back for a few hours. Now, I’m going to leave the room for this. Mona will take things from here. Good luck.” She patted me on the shoulder and left the room.
I looked at Mona nervously.
“The first thing you need to do is strip.”
I looked down at my dress. Strip. Of course.
Mona held the sheet around me while I undressed. Once I was done, I clutched the sheet against me as Mona let go and began pouring the potion into a goblet. She passed it to me.
“Drink up.”
Holding the cup to my lips, I took the first sip. It was hot, but surprisingly tasteless. I downed the rest. Mona took the empty goblet from me and walked over to the sink. Picking up the hair, she returned with it.
“Now you need to lay this on your tongue. Don’t swallow it.”
“Can you at least wash it first?” I grumbled.
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