by Bella Klaus
As soon as the door clicked shut, Valentine gestured at the leather seat behind me and to the left. “Sit.”
I lowered myself into the seat and rested my trembling hands on my lap. Every muscle in my body went rigid as I waited for Valentine to question me. In his mind, I’d only just joined his property company and he hadn’t yet decided that I would be the one he wanted to court. Hell, I wasn’t exactly sure when Macavity had shown up to tell him that he would get an heir. Maybe Valentine thought Macavity was here to take care of Kain.
The cat stepped off his pile of papers, walked to the edge of the desk, and hopped onto my lap. He kneaded my thighs with his paws before tucking in his legs and settling into a loaf.
“He likes you,” Valentine said.
“Macavity’s lived with me for the three years we were apart,” I said.
His brows rose. “Macavity?”
“That was the name on his collar.” I ran a hand over the cat’s soft fur. “Did he have a different name when you were young?”
Valentine leaned back into his seat, his expression blanking. He blinked several times, perhaps wondering how I knew Macavity had been a childhood companion. “Menkaura,” he replied. “You know about his connection with the Royal House of Sargon?”
“Only what you told me.” I tickled Macavity behind the ears, making them rotate toward me.
His gaze focussed back on my eyes. “Caiman told me we were engaged for less than a day before you left Logris. Apparently, he observed you many times over the years. How did we reunite?”
Some of the tension around my shoulders lifted, and I relaxed into the leather seat. At least he was willing to listen. As I told him our story, starting from the morning I felt a vampire stalking me, he leaned forward, his lips parted. I hoped that whatever was going on with Valentine would settle, and his body and soul would unite. Right now, he didn’t seem like either part of the man I loved.
“How did you forgive me for the humiliation if you were cursed to forget our ruse to help you leave Logris?” he asked.
“When my power flared and got my friend hospitalized, you looked into my mind and showed me the memory of that day,” I murmured. “As I drove home to pick up my dress, a shadow consumed me and altered my mind.”
“The Mage King?” he asked.
I shook my head. “He was working with an enemy.” I leaned forward, placing my hands on the desk’s leather surface and making Macavity yowl a protest. “Someone who wanted you to turn preternatural.”
He rose from his seat, turning his head toward the window shutters. “This is a lot to absorb.”
“You don’t believe me?” I croaked.
He exhaled a long sigh and stared at the other end of his office, a space lined with bookshelves and leather sofas, where a staircase curled around the wall toward a large meeting room.
I held my breath, waiting for him to speak. For several rapid heartbeats, Valentine remained silent, the only sounds being his harsh breaths. My fingers twitched toward him, consumed by the urge to push his tie to one side and press my palm against his chest. I wanted to feel his heart, feel his touch, feel his warm body against mine.
All we’d both wanted had happened—I had my power, we were both free of Kresnik, and he was alive, yet this issue with his memory was driving us apart.
Valentine finally turned to me with eyes that shone like polished amethysts. Regret coursed behind their depths, and I couldn’t tell if he was feeling bad for our situation or what he was about to say to me next.
“Miss Griffin,” he said with a distance as wide as the English Channel. “You show no signs of deception, but what you’ve described is impossible.”
A breath caught, trying to force its way back into my lungs. “You think I’m lying to myself about our relationship?”
He shook his head and turned his gaze away from me again. “I can’t see myself flouting the law and becoming involved with a powerful fire user, but I also can’t see myself sending an innocent young woman to her death.”
My throat thickened, and pain radiated down to my chest. Now that he had no memory of me, he’d already decided I was more trouble than I was worth.
I could see it now. Word would spread that I was a phoenix shifter—a rare creature that hadn’t been seen in this realm for millennia—and I’d attract the attention of supernaturals just as ambitious and powerful as Prince Draconius, Irdu, and November. If our children had the ability to shift, they’d be sought after as pets.
This was my burden, not Valentine’s, and I certainly didn’t expect a man who couldn’t remember me to volunteer for a lifetime of strife.
“Why can’t you look at me?” I asked. “Is it because of my power?”
A muscle in his jaw flexed, and his lips tightened into a thin line. “I would never put the love of a woman before the welfare of my people. It’s hard to believe I had let the kingdom fall to ruin.”
I stiffened, my stomach hardening at the impact of his words. What did I expect from a man whose memories of me only included a conversation about Shakespeare and a few fleeting encounters at a work function?
“The Valentine I fell in love with made that sacrifice,” I said, trying to keep my voice from wavering. “He thought I was worth saving.”
Valentine pinched the bridge of his nose. “I apologize for the offense, Miss Griffin, but the man I was before I lost his memory was committed to his duties.”
“Now you sound like Hades,” I muttered under my breath.
He finally looked me full in the face. “You’re acquainted with the Demon King?”
I stared up into his hardening eyes. How could he act possessive when he clearly couldn’t imagine feeling anything for me? “When you broke free of the Mage King’s control, you came to me at the wards of a fire users’ hideout. Kresnik stole my power and—”
“Kresnik?”
My jaw clenched. I wasn’t supposed to mention the murderer of Valentine’s father until I’d finished talking about our relationship.
Valentine rounded the table, placing both hands on the armrests of my chair. “Did Kresnik break out of Hell?”
When I nodded, Valentine reached for the phone on his desk, but I reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Hades and I already told the Supernatural Council. Thanks to the information you passed on to us, we foiled an attack to invade Logris.”
His gaze landed on the hand encasing his wrist, disapproval tightening his features. “Why would I know the workings of Kresnik’s organization?”
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I pulled away my hand. Only a suicidal fool would grab a king. If I’d done this to anyone else except Hades, I’d be facing charges of assault and possibly treason.
I cleared my throat, focussing back onto his question. “Kresnik took control of my magic, which meant he could control you for a short time. I didn’t know until I’d escaped, but you were playing along with Kresnik to work out a way to defeat him.”
“What?” he hissed.
My gaze dropped to my lap. “Your preternatural body said we couldn’t start a family knowing Kresnik was out there, desperate to take my magic. Your soul disagreed when I spoke to him and wanted to be resurrected right away.”
“Impossible,” he whispered. “We can’t be soulmates.”
The words were like a dagger to the throat, and my lungs tightened, cutting off my air. I knew he couldn’t remember me, knew he was confused, and knew he was just trying to make sense of being resurrected, but hearing those words from his lips still made me reel back in my seat.
My heart stopped beating for the few moments his rejection ricocheted through my skull, and spots appeared across my vision. I swallowed hard, clamped my jaws to stop them from trembling, and pinched my lips together to muffle a scream.
I couldn’t turn my feelings off. Not when I had loved Valentine without restraint during our three-year courtship. And for the three years after that, my life had been a struggle to stop myself from loving him. No matter whi
ch way I thought about it, my life revolved around this man.
The backs of my eyes stung with tears, and my body ached with the urge to throw myself across the desk and beg him to believe. It wouldn’t work—I had no more words except for the truths he was unwilling to accept.
My heartbeat returned with a stutter painful enough to squeeze out a sob. I had to get out of there before I ruined everything with an outburst.
“Right then.” I rose from my seat, handing Macavity back to Valentine. “You only just rose from the dead, so I’ll excuse the attitude, but forgive me if I don’t stick around to listen to you exclaim shock at having been associated with me.”
Pushing the chair aside, I walked toward the door, holding my muscles taut, my body stiff for fear of crumbling to the floor in a sobbing heap. What more could I expect from him until he regained his memories?
“Miss Griffin?” he asked.
I whirled around, my heart leaping with hope. “Yes?”
Valentine leaned against the edge of his desk, staring at me through inquisitive eyes. “If we’re so deeply connected, why can’t I feel anything?”
My heart felt like it was once again encased in stone, sinking to the depths of my stomach, where it would fester until Valentine came to his senses or at least started to act like he had a soul. “Maybe it’s too early to tell.”
I continued across his study’s stone floor toward the exit.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“When you’re ready to listen to me without making insulting comments, you’ll find me with Hades or Lazarus,” I replied from between clenched teeth.
His brows drew together. “Miss Griffin—”
“Despite what your brothers said about me, I’m not an obsessed stalker trying to get her revenge.” I placed my fingers on the door handle and paused.
Any version of Valentine would have already blocked me from leaving or at least stood behind me, insisting that I stay to work things out, but this newly arisen vampire didn’t seem to give a damn. I pulled on the handle and stepped out into the mahogany-lined hallway, not bothering to glance over my shoulder to see if he was watching me leave.
Right now, there was only so much disappointment a woman could take before she fell to despair, and my best friend was aged beyond her years, possibly dying. I had to be at her side.
Caiman stood outside with Kain, Constantine, Ferdinand, and Sylvester along with a few courtiers I recognized from years ago when I used to visit the palace. Each of the brothers gaped, their mouths slack with no trace of smugness.
“Who’s Kresnik?” asked Kain.
Right. They’d all been eavesdropping with their enhanced vampire hearing. This was probably the first they’d heard of the resurrection of Logris’s ancient foe.
“The most dangerous fire mage to have existed,” I replied. “Everyone thought he’d been defeated and sent to Hell, but he’s back. Now he wants to destroy his supernatural enemies and rule Great Britain.”
I left out the part about Kresnik fathering an entire generation of fire users including myself. Talk like that could incite a bunch of twitchy vampires to hold a girl hostage. “It’s because of him that fire users like me were automatically sentenced to death.”
Ferdinand stepped forward, his eyes as red as his hair. “Did you really see him?”
I nodded. “He’s back. I’m surprised the Supernatural Council hasn't shared the news.”
The door behind me opened, and Valentine stepped out into the hallway, his smoky presence pushing against my back. “I trust that this information will not leave the palace.”
Kain flinched, his mouth dropping open. “That’s it?”
“I beg your pardon?” Valentine replied.
“All that trouble Mera went through because of you and you’re letting her walk away?” said Kain.
I placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Leave it.”
Kain brushed me off and rushed at Valentine with his hands balled into fists. “When you took me from my foster home, you said family came in many forms and people weren’t always connected by blood. You also told me one important person was missing from your family and you’d get her back.”
A wave of light-headedness swept over my senses, and I reeled on my feet. Kain hadn’t mentioned this to me before. I placed a hand on my chest, needing to sit. Perhaps it was impossible to rationalize away the disappointment.
“Mera stuck with you when you were dead, half-feral, and looking like a corpse,” Kain continued. “She escaped jail for you, stayed in a haunted wreck with you, and powered up to bring you back to life. And now all you care about is keeping this Kresnik guy a secret?”
“Kain,” I said with a sigh. “He can’t remember me.”
“No.” He stepped back, his cheeks flushing. “You’re always making excuses for him, just like my mum did for my dad, and he turned out to be a dick.”
“Master Kain,” Caiman growled. “You are overstepping.”
Kain whirled around, waving his arms. “Did you know Valentine got Mera hooked on thrall? The last time I saw her, she looked like an addict. Because of him, Prince Draconius said the most insulting things to her.”
My lips parted to explain that Valentine had only done it to suppress my power, but I guessed that also counted as making excuses for him, too.
“And look at how pale she is compared to how she used to be,” Kain yelled loud enough to inform the gardeners. “That’s because of blood loss. At least thank her for all the snacks before tossing her out to be hunted by Kresnik.”
Valentine’s magic stilled, and he didn’t so much as growl. Caiman, Constantine, Sylvester, and Ferdinand all stared at me as though I was the sacrificial lamb that had risen from its grave to haunt them in revenge.
My insides trembled, and my breaths turned shallow. I didn’t want anyone’s pity, nor did I want them knowing how desperately my body and soul craved Valentine’s. I had dealt with his rejection once. This time, at least I understood why he was being so cold.
The backs of my eyes burned with the onset of fresh tears, and I squeezed them shut, swallowing hard to fight back an outburst. Kain meant well, but he made me sound like I was too in love with an abuser to save myself.
“Please stop,” I rasped.
“We’re going,” Kain announced in a loud voice. “And there had better be a car waiting for us in the garage, preferably mine!”
He placed an arm around my shoulders and marched me down the hallway. “Sorry for embarrassing you,” he murmured into my ear. “But Valentine had to know you weren’t like anything his brothers were saying.”
I nodded, my throat still too choked with emotion to form words. Perhaps I should have at least said a few words in my defense or fought a little harder for Valentine’s attention, but the effort would have been futile. Maybe I needed to give him time to process everything. Maybe he would be stuck like this forever. Either way, it still felt like someone had sliced through my heart and doused it with acid.
Kain steered me down to a stone stairwell with iron railings that led to the palace’s underground parking lot, a white space with concrete floors and spotlighting that looked like a car showroom. Gleaming vehicles stood parked in two-hundred-foot-long rows, consisting mostly of sports cars, SUVs, and motorcycles. This was where they kept the royal family’s personal rides. Limousines, vans, and the servants’ vehicles were kept in an equally large space one level down.
A tall man wearing burgundy overalls approached, holding a rag. “Your Highness?”
“It’s Kain,” the young man snarled. “Is my car ready yet?”
His gaze darted to the side. “I’m afraid—”
“Let Master Kain leave,” Caiman said from behind us.
I turned to meet his gaze.
“Miss Griffin.” He stood to attention. “After overhearing your conversation and Master Kain’s appeal, I can’t help but wonder if I need to call another physician who specializes on matters related t
o the soul. Please persevere.”
I bit down on my lip and dropped my gaze to the concrete floor. “That might be a good idea.”
“For what it’s worth, I am truly thankful that you averted another tragedy. Please accept my humble apologies for not recognizing your sacrifice. The Royal House of Sargon owes you a massive debt.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
The servant returned with the keys to a BMW and offered them to Kain with a sheepish bow. Now that Valentine had returned to his throne, there was no need to keep Kain confined to the palace.
Caiman bowed and turned back toward the stairwell, and Kain gave me a nudge on the arm. “Where are we going?”
“Wimbledon,” I murmured. “Beatrice needs our help.”
Chapter Seven
I leaned against the headrest, staring out into the underground road Kain navigated to leave the borders of Logris. Tiny wall lights illuminated our path, leading up to a checkpoint manned by enforcers in black uniform. They waved Kain through without the usual inspection, and we passed through the wards, which fizzled against my skin.
The BMW ascended the ramp, and Kain’s car radio picked up the strains of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. He leaned forward, fiddling with its controls and casting me furtive glances out of the corner of his eye. As we emerged from the tunnel into the tree-lined surroundings of Priory Road, pale afternoon sun filtered through the tinted windscreen.
My gaze dropped to my lap. Anticlimax wasn’t the word to describe how I felt, but it certainly encompassed the situation of Valentine’s resurrection. I had imagined falling asleep by his ashes and awakening to his newly formed body, watching his eyes open and shine with gratitude and love.
Instead, I’d been too busy grappling with November, the ninety-ninth son of a treacherous ancient vampire, who had wanted to make me his consort-assassin and take over the Royal House of Sargon.
“Are you alright?” Kain asked.
“Did you ever learn Greek mythology at school?” I asked.