chambers,
looking for Kahli and the other two, as if they were hiding.”
Cassie stared blankly. She wished that was
it, but her gut told her something very different. She gazed after
Alice. “Do you think they bumped up other the Pairings? Do you
think they would really risk one generation to breed the next?”
Cassie’s voice was small and frightened.
Cole knew he couldn’t save her from the
Pairing. It was something they all had to do eventually, but it was
worse for the girls. Many of them didn’t survive childbirth,
despite the vast quantities of blood given to help alleviate the
hemorrhaging that followed. The blood disorder was too far
gone.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “Whatever
happened here last night has everyone on edge. It feels like a
power shift is coming.”
“What do you mean?”
Cole stared blankly. He didn’t want to say
it, but Cassie needed to know that they were in danger. “Remember
when we were younger? Remember Deliverance Day?”
Cassie’s face paled. She’d never forget that.
It seemed like nothing at first—some people running around trying
to figure out what happened, while she and Cole played quietly. The
night ended in more spilled blood than she’d ever seen in her life.
The Deliverance Day Cole was referring to was a massacre. She
nodded once, her throat too tight to talk. Cole saved her that
night. “Do you think that’ll happen here?”
“I’m not sure,” Cole replied, “but based on
the way things feel—yes. It’s possible.” The tension in the air was
palpable. They both sensed it.
Cassie’s gaze lifted to see the end of the
hallway was empty. Alice was gone. Cassie didn’t want to be Paired.
She didn’t want to die. Not yet. She leaned forward and pressed her
hands to her face. Strange thoughts started to drift through her
mind, foreign thoughts of living on their own of surviving without
the vampires. Was that even possible anymore?
“Cassie,” a new voice called her name,
snapping her out of her thoughts. A slender servant walked toward
her before finishing, “The Queen has requested you.”
“For a feeding?” Cassie asked, hoping that it
had nothing to do with Kahli.
“I’m not obligated to say, however since I’m
not your Handler, I would think not.”
Cassie’s throat tightened and her pulse
jumped. She nodded slowly. Before she could stand, Cole took her
hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Cassie gave him a weak smile.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
He nodded once, watching his sister walk off
to be questioned by the most powerful vampire in the world.
CHAPTER 11
Sophia was agitated. Nothing was going the
way she planned. When she tried to drink Kahli’s blood, she could
barely manage a drop, however her husband managed to swallow it
fine with his throat still intact. That made Sophia ask for more,
but the same thing happened. Every time she tried to drink Kahli’s
blood, it scorched her throat and caused a series of very
uncomfortable sensations. It was like drinking toxins and her body
couldn’t tolerate it. The King had said to give it time, but he
managed his share without issue. Sophia continued to request
tastings without her husband, trying to build up her tolerance to
the blood, but it was for nothing. And, now the girl was missing,
and the King’s rooms were filled with freshly spilled blood.
Sophia looked around his room. The scent of
the wild girl’s blood filled her nose like rich perfume. It made
her feel lightheaded. Sophia smoothed her blue silk gown and stood,
waiting. When Kahli could not be located, Sophia requested her
roommates.
When the servant returned with only one girl,
the Queen’s expression was frigid. Her gaze narrowed on Cassie, on
her pale face and tiny hands. “Where are the others?”
“Gone, your Majesty. We could not find them.”
The servant bowed low to the ground, her face nearly touching the
blood-stained carpet.
“And my husband?” Sophia asked, before
indicating the servant
looking for Kahli and the other two, as if they were hiding.”
Cassie stared blankly. She wished that was
it, but her gut told her something very different. She gazed after
Alice. “Do you think they bumped up other the Pairings? Do you
think they would really risk one generation to breed the next?”
Cassie’s voice was small and frightened.
Cole knew he couldn’t save her from the
Pairing. It was something they all had to do eventually, but it was
worse for the girls. Many of them didn’t survive childbirth,
despite the vast quantities of blood given to help alleviate the
hemorrhaging that followed. The blood disorder was too far
gone.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “Whatever
happened here last night has everyone on edge. It feels like a
power shift is coming.”
“What do you mean?”
Cole stared blankly. He didn’t want to say
it, but Cassie needed to know that they were in danger. “Remember
when we were younger? Remember Deliverance Day?”
Cassie’s face paled. She’d never forget that.
It seemed like nothing at first—some people running around trying
to figure out what happened, while she and Cole played quietly. The
night ended in more spilled blood than she’d ever seen in her life.
The Deliverance Day Cole was referring to was a massacre. She
nodded once, her throat too tight to talk. Cole saved her that
night. “Do you think that’ll happen here?”
“I’m not sure,” Cole replied, “but based on
the way things feel—yes. It’s possible.” The tension in the air was
palpable. They both sensed it.
Cassie’s gaze lifted to see the end of the
hallway was empty. Alice was gone. Cassie didn’t want to be Paired.
She didn’t want to die. Not yet. She leaned forward and pressed her
hands to her face. Strange thoughts started to drift through her
mind, foreign thoughts of living on their own of surviving without
the vampires. Was that even possible anymore?
“Cassie,” a new voice called her name,
snapping her out of her thoughts. A slender servant walked toward
her before finishing, “The Queen has requested you.”
“For a feeding?” Cassie asked, hoping that it
had nothing to do with Kahli.
“I’m not obligated to say, however since I’m
not your Handler, I would think not.”
Cassie’s throat tightened and her pulse
jumped. She nodded slowly. Before she could stand, Cole took her
hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Cassie gave him a weak smile.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
He nodded once, watching his sister walk off
to be questioned by the most powerful vampire in the world.
CHAPTER 11
Sophia was agitated. Nothing was going the
way she planned. When she tried to drink Kahli’s blood, she could
barely manage a drop, however her husband managed to swallow it
fine with his throat still intact. That made Sophia ask for more,
but the same thing happened. Every time she tried to drink Kahli’s
blood, it scorched her throat and caused a series of very
uncomfortable sensations. It was like drinking toxins and her body
couldn’t tolerate it. The King had said to give it time, but he
managed his share without issue. Sophia continued to request
tastings without her husband, trying to build up her tolerance to
the blood, but it was for nothing. And, now the girl was missing,
and the King’s rooms were filled with freshly spilled blood.
Sophia looked around his room. The scent of
the wild girl’s blood filled her nose like rich perfume. It made
her feel lightheaded. Sophia smoothed her blue silk gown and stood,
waiting. When Kahli could not be located, Sophia requested her
roommates.
When the servant returned with only one girl,
the Queen’s expression was frigid. Her gaze narrowed on Cassie, on
her pale face and tiny hands. “Where are the others?”
“Gone, your Majesty. We could not find them.”
The servant bowed low to the ground, her face nearly touching the
blood-stained carpet.
“And my husband?” Sophia asked, before
indicating the servant
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