As apologies went, that was fucking incredible.
I blinked several times as he regained his feet and towered over me.
Dipping my head, I gestured to the bags. “Sign and they’re yours.”
“Each property will need to be processed,” the woman from Clan Leith said.
“Neelan, Dierdre,” the king said, still holding my gaze, “take the bags to them.”
“Yes, Father,” they murmured.
He still held one of the deeds in his hand. Flicking to the first page of the attached contract, he pointed at a date under the property details. “This property was purchased nearly thirty years ago. Before your birth. These are the properties we believe to be owned by offshore investors or used as holiday homes. Why do you have such a magnitude of Bluff City properties?”
I tilted my chin. “King Julius, thirty years ago, you angered the wrong woman.” I glanced around the table of royals. “All of you did.”
My grandmother should be here to crow her own victory, but I’d do my best to make up for her absence.
I narrowed my eyes on Kyros’s father. “The clans fucked off my grandmother by compelling her friends. From that day on, she entered your little game as a third player. She moved her assets internationally to remove herself as a target and began to purchase properties under offshore aliases. When she died, that responsibility was passed to me.”
The king’s cold scrutiny barely touched me because I was so furious on my grandmother’s behalf.
“You would give that up for us?” he said quietly.
I stepped closer. “You’re lucky I’m not my grandmother, King Julius—your children and my Vissimo friends showed me another side to your race, one my grandmother never witnessed.” I glanced at his eldest son. “And you’re lucky I love your son.”
I fell into Kyros’s green eyes, only snapping out of it when the papers smacked down in front of the impartial clan.
There were ten members from the impartial clan. The papers were stacked in tall columns next to the vampire on the far left.
Each had a calculator.
As the first vampire whacked numbers into his calculator, he passed each deed onward to the next vampire to cross-check.
Ten cross-checks seemed like overkill, but I was glad for it. And never more nervous in my life.
I closed my eyes, turning away from the Fyrlia royals. Over nine thousand deeds had to be processed. Even at Vissimo speed, that would take time.
“Lucky,” Julius murmured to himself.
I peered up at him.
The regard of the ancient predator crashed over me.
“We’ll see,” he said, returning to his throne.
25
The last thirty minutes of my life were some of the worst I could remember.
For me. For Kyros, his family, and his clan.
Tommy had returned to my side, and my Vissimo crew flanked us.
Nothing but the whisper of paper and the frantic tapping of calculators sounded in the amphitheatre. I held tight to the paper with the asset figures for each clan, knowing my estimates were pretty much useless.
The woman in the middle stood without warning.
My mouth dried, bile surging in my throat.
“We’ve processed Miss Le Spyre’s figures,” she stated, casting me a curious look. “And found them accurate. Clan figures were submitted this morning and have been processed.” Rounding the table, she passed both kings a sheet of paper. On the way back, she paused and passed me a third.
I couldn’t hide my fear.
But my heart dropped at the bottom figures. Seven million dollars in assets separated the clans.
So fucking close.
Kyros’s devastation was like a battering ram to the gut.
Mikael laughed with Trenit and Tynan.
I reached into my back pocket, dragging out the final deed that I really hadn’t wanted to pass over.
Their laughter trailed off.
“There’s one more,” I told the woman from Clan Leith.
In a flash, my wrist was gripped with iron strength.
Kyros pried the papers from my finger, unfolding it. He stared at the title and glanced back up at me.
Your estate, he said.
He didn’t like it.
My estate was worth eighteen and a half million dollars—ironically not the most expensive property I owned in the world. Certainly the most sentimental.
What use are walls if you’re not in them with me? I replied.
Kyros held the paper out of my reach. It’s your home.
Scowling, I crossed my arms. The conditions on it are different, if that makes you feel better.
He flicked to the second page, skimming the special conditions. There was a buy-back clause.
When Clan Sundulus wins, my estate will be gifted back to me, my heir, or my children, I said to him.
I could bring Sundulus back into the game with a tiny edge, but I couldn’t win Ingenium for them. The battle could reign for a hundred years more, by which time I’d be dead.
Kyros had front row seats to my reasoning, and a growl rose in the back of his throat.
Placing a hand on his chest, I stretched up on tiptoes and pulled the contract from him. Then I scuttled back because fuck, my libido was sick of talking.
On wobbling pins, I placed the contract in front of the woman. “This one too.”
King Julius would accept the special condition.
The ten vampires still cross-checked the new total. Kyros came up behind me as she stood.
“If King Julius of Clan Sundulus accepts the conditions of the final contract, then that puts Clan Fyrlia at a 0.15 percent deficit. The end cascade is not triggered.”
It took everything I had not to collapse in a heap.
The end cascade wasn’t triggered. Kyros wouldn’t be taken from me today. His family wouldn’t die.
Today.
Ingenium would continue, but that life was preferable to the grim alternative. By far. How could I be disappointed when this could have ended in so much death and heartbreak?
Not only had I undone the damage I caused, Sundulus now had an advantage. A small one, but an advantage nevertheless.
I hadn’t dared to dream things would work out this way.
“I accept Miss Le Spyre’s conditions,” King Julius said. “And I consider myself lucky indeed.”
I turned to him, and he inclined his head. The action was echoed by his queen and children. Behind him, Clan Sundulus went a step further, bowing at the waist.
A phone buzzed.
Glancing back, I watched Tommy rattle off a text on my phone.
Lifting her head, she winked at me.
The doors boomed open.
Fred walked in, escorting Lady Treena.
I jerked, sucking in a breath. My legs remembered how to work, and I hurried to intercept them.
“Aunt Treena,” I said in a low voice. “What are you doing here?”
Glaring at Fred, I returned my focus to her familiar face.
She held her champagne chute aloft. “The thing about forcing people onto planes is you must ensure they actually leave.”
Kyros’s grim amusement rocketed through our bond, and I shoved back with a mental pout that only made him want to pin me down and bite me.
I peeked past her to see the rest of my oldies trailing into the amphitheatre.
Dammit. Each of them had dealt with vampires for at least fifteen years, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about their hearts. I never intended for them to be in the room with both clans.
Lady Treena rested her free hand on my cheek. “You don’t think we would miss this, do you, darling goddaughter?”
… Maybe not.
I rested my hand over hers. “No, Aunt. Of course not.”
Taking her arm, I led her to the royal table. She clicked her fingers at Fred, who placed a case on the table and opened it.
“All of my Bluff City assets were going t
o my goddaughter upon my death anyway. I never had children because I couldn’t bear to bring them into contact with your race. Basilia has been my only joy over the years. If I trusted her with my money after my death, then I don’t see the point mistrusting her with everything when I’m nearly dead,” she said, sniffing as she studied the vampires with disdain.
She extracted the top document, sliding it into the middle of the table. “These are my conditions. Most echo those in her own contracts. Mine has the addition that my assets will revert to Basilia after the game is won.”
She’d managed to strike twenty royal vampires speechless.
I bit back my smile.
Lady Treena faced King Mikael—her tormentor—and held her chute aloft. “Fuck you, Mikael. I hope you rot in hell.”
She brought the chute to her lips, tipped her head back, and my jaw dropped as she skulled the contents as only a lady could.
Aunt Treena just drank her champers. The proceedings should shock me more, but that took the cake.
Shit!
“I hope he’s worth it, Basilia,” she said to me.
A lump rose in my throat. “I hope you’ll see that for yourself. Thank you, Aunt Treena.”
“So like Agatha,” she whispered back, a tear sliding down her cheek.
Leaning down, I kissed her cheek.
Neelan took the conditions to his father while Dierdre took the suitcase to Clan Leith.
The tap of Sir Olythieu’s cane announced his arrival.
He set his case on the table, taking both my hands. Bending, he dropped a kiss on the back of each.
“Sir Olythieu,” I said in a trembling voice. He was the one I least expected to be here. Not because he didn’t love me, because he did love me—and was just like my grandmother. Totally unpredictable and unrelenting.
“That’s uncle to you,” he scolded.
“Sir Uncle,” I replied impishly.
He pursed his lips against a smile. “A sound compromise.” His face hardened as he faced the royals. “I am compelled and cannot directly transfer to Clan Sundulus.”
I arched a brow. Of course my oldies thought of that.
“My Bluff City assets have been gifted to Basilia. She may do what she wishes with them. If she chooses to lend them to you, the assets will afterwards revert to her again. My international assets will be kept for my children—with whom I never had a relationship. I pushed them away because of you. Their survival has been my one triumph in life, but it has been a cold one.”
Queen Titania dropped her gaze.
“The locks on my mind will be removed tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.,” he said in a voice that brooked no defiance. “You can be assured that if anyone but this young woman came to us and asked us to save you, they’d be six feet under and rotting in their grave by now.”
King Julius wasn’t cowed by the man beside me.
… If Sir Olythieu was a vampire, I wonder who would win between them.
I kissed his cheek, and he cupped my face between his wrinkled hands.
“You were right,” he said. “Agatha only wanted you to be happy. Forgive an old fool?”
I gripped his hands. “You’re many things, but a fool isn’t often one of them.”
“I give you a portion of my wealth and you give me a backhanded compliment.”
Choking on a laugh, I pulled away.
He untangled himself, and Mrs Syrre took his place.
She copied Sir Olythieu’s approach, signing over her assets to me to lend to Clan Sundulus as I chose, but the sadness in her huge emerald eyes was almost worse. Neelan fidgeted in his seat, and I was glad she’d managed to get under his skin.
Mr Dithis’s suitcase was huge.
It was a feat that he managed to collect the documents in only three days.
“My assets will revert back to me,” he said, cocking his head my way. “Most of my wealth is in this city, so unless you want to care for me when I’m old, I need my money back.”
He was compelled to Fyrlia and could deal with Sundulus directly. A relief, really. I didn’t want to be responsible for all their wealth too.
I smiled. “I’d care for you.”
His brown eyes softened. “I might hold you to that, sweetheart.”
Kill.
Frowning, I searched for Kyros. Oh my god. Was he jealous?
He’s my uncle, Kyros.
How can you care for him when you’ll be caring for me? It was immediately followed by, He’ll be dead within ten years.
I gasped.
She wasn’t meant to hear that.
“It’s true then,” Mr Dithis murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead and shooting a look at Kyros. “About the telepathy?”
“Sure is,” I replied.
He pulled a face. “Good luck with that.”
Yeah. I had a feeling there’d be a whole heap of acceptance ahead of both of us. Communication was kind of not our strong suit at all.
It will be, mate.
Mr Hothen slammed his case on the table.
My brows shot up.
“Which one of you killed Sandra Hoyt?” He stared murderously at Clan Fyrlia.
There was a beat of silence.
Hector spoke. “My two brothers.” He jerked his thumb at them.
Mr Hothen spun to me. “Are they dying?”
I sighed happily. “They are, Uncle Hothen. Painfully, I hope. Kyros is handling that.”
The silver fox glanced back at my mate. “My condition is that they die in the same way Sandra did. If you can assure that, my assets will reach you through Basilia and revert back to me.”
Kyros’s arms were crossed, highlighting the expanse of his muscular chest.
“It will be my pleasure,” he answered, a ghost of a smile quirking his lips.
Trenit and Tynan paled.
Mr Hothen looked Francesca up and down, sneering. “And of course, the limitations placed on me will be removed tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.”
Dame Burke squeezed in when he left, setting down her case. “You pathetic cunts.”
Safina jolted, exchanging a glance with Gerome.
I tucked away my grin.
Lalitta didn’t show a flicker of surprise.
“All my local assets are Basilia’s now. For some reason she wants you to have it,” she said, shoving the case to King Julius. “Give it to Basilia after. I’m out of this fucking shithole.”
Her fury melted as she looked at me. “Basilia, my love. I’ll be on a tropical island somewhere.”
Every piece of this woman was abrupt, but she had the biggest, most dramatic heart of any of my oldies. I pulled her into my arms and squeezed her tight. “I know better than to change your mind, but please tell me you’ll visit.”
Tears burned my eyes.
She turned her head to Kyros as I released her.
“I think you’ll find that all six of us will be dropping in regularly,” she said with a scowl. “And if that oversized bastard treats you wrong, we will use the entirety of our wealth—not just the Bluff City portion—to cripple him permanently.”
I didn’t doubt her for a second.
Kyros was inclined to find her threat funny, but the humour was tinged with gratitude. He liked that someone would cripple him if he hurt me.
Weird.
She kissed my cheeks, pinching them slightly—Dame Burke was that aunt—before marching off.
My oldies had come in like a tidal wave. They disappeared in the same way. Not acknowledging the vampires further, they left.
I held Vladymir’s gaze. He nodded and signalled. Thirty leather-clad Vissimo peeled away from the masses and followed my grandmother’s friends.
Fred lingered.
I shot him a look and he visibly wilted. The action gave me pause.
We’d all fought our battles. My oldies had to put aside a generation of injustice to be the bigger people. Kyros had to trust me. I had to trust myself.
And Fred?
He’d had to disobey a
Le Spyre.
Striding to my butler, I wrapped my arms around his middle. “Thank you, Fred.”
He was as stiff as a board, and I listened to his thumping heart until he relaxed and placed his arms around me. “Please forgive me for the breach in your trust, Miss Le Spyre.”
I squeezed his arm and looked up at him. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
He bowed. “Then unless you require something else, I’ll be waiting in the car, miss.”
The butler strode out to the symphony of processing papers and the renewed surge of tapping on calculators.
I’d already run the numbers on the Bluff City assets belonging to my oldies.
For my grandmother, I’d restored the game.
For my grandmother, they’d just won it.
Maybe I should have catalogued Mikael, Trenit, and Tynan’s defeat, and watched the moment they realised their lives were forfeit.
But I’d done this for revenge and love. Right now, love had taken over everything else.
Kyros was focused on me from where he loomed in front of the vampires from Clan Leith, witness to the thoughts running through my mind. The same sense of wonder filling my mind was rampant in his.
Well, kind of. The wonder was mixed in between thoughts of me in bed and how beautiful and strong I looked.
Not that my thoughts were innocent.
Walking to him, I dared to place my hand on the centre of his chest again. Gathering my determination, I thought. I want you, Kyros. You know I do.
Good. Because my father technically just sold me to you.
My lips twitched, but I let my seriousness take hold again. The win is yours. Ingenium will end.
If Fyrlia decided to battle to the bitter end, it could take months to years depending on how steeply the odds were stacked against them after the input from my oldies.
I stared at my hand on his chest, wanting to relent to the temptation of the seventh exchange with nearly everything I had.
Death Game: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers Book 3) Page 27