Chapter 17

The courtyard still smelled faintly of blood.

By morning, the stains were gone, scrubbed away by servants who moved in silence, but the memory clung to the air. I woke in my chambers to find my hands still trembling, my dreams tangled with images of crimson eyes and shadows curling like smoke.

I had thought sleep would dull the fear. It didn’t.

Kael stood by the window, arms folded, his amber eyes catching the pale light. He hadn’t changed from the night before, still in the same dark shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, sword belted at his side. He’d been here all night—I could tell by the stiffness in his shoulders, the faint dark circles under his eyes.

“You’re awake,” he said, his voice low, almost relieved.

I pushed the blankets aside. “You stayed.”

“You think I’d leave you unguarded after that?” His jaw tightened. “Veyris isn’t finished. You saw that yourself.”

I hesitated, then asked, “Why didn’t he just kill me last night? He could have.”

Kael didn’t answer right away. He looked out the window at the mist curling along the palace gardens, his voice grim when he finally spoke. “Because Veyris doesn’t just kill. He collects. And once he decides something is his…” He trailed off, eyes darkening.

“…he doesn’t let go,” I finished.

The silence between us was heavy, pressing. I wanted to ask more, but a sharp knock at the door broke the moment.

Lucien entered without waiting for permission. His usual smirk was absent, replaced by something colder. “Council meeting. Now.” His gaze flicked to me. “And you’re coming too, little moon.”

I frowned. “Little moon?”

“Don’t start,” Kael muttered, brushing past him.

Lucien’s smile returned, faint but sharp. “It’s not an insult. Yet.”

The council chamber was a cathedral of blackstone and gold. Tall windows let in pale daylight that couldn’t quite chase away the shadows clinging to the high, arched ceiling. Around the long obsidian table sat the most powerful vampires in Ebonveil—lords and ladies who had ruled for centuries, their expressions carved from ice.

As I entered, whispers began—low, quick, venomous.

“That’s her?”

“The human-born?”

“She should be sent away before she draws more trouble.”

Kael ignored them, taking his place at the table’s left. Lucien moved like liquid shadow, claiming the opposite side. I stood behind Kael, feeling every gaze like a knife point at my back.

Lord Verris—the oldest council member, his silver hair falling like spun moonlight—spoke first. “An attack on palace grounds is an attack on the crown. Yet… curiously… the target was not our ruler, nor any of us, but her.” His gaze flicked toward me, cold and assessing.

Kael’s voice cut through the air. “Because she’s valuable to Veyris. Which means she’s valuable to us.”

Lady Serenya’s crimson eyes narrowed. “Or she’s a liability. The wolf prince risks our peace to keep her here.”

My stomach twisted. Wolf prince. They knew. Or at least suspected.

Lucien spoke before Kael could. “If Veyris wants her, we keep her. That way, he has to come to us.” He leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly. “And I do so love it when he comes to me.”

A murmur of disapproval rippled through the room.

Kael’s voice was low, dangerous. “She stays under my protection. End of discussion.”

Lord Verris tapped a finger on the table. “You speak as if you can defy the entire court, Kael. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that in this chamber, votes matter more than claws.”

The discussion spiraled into veiled threats and political maneuvering, but one thing became clear—the attack had shaken the court’s already fragile peace. And now, my presence was a fracture line.

By the time the meeting adjourned, the air was thick with suspicion. Kael walked me out without speaking, his hand resting lightly at my back as if ready to shield me at a moment’s notice. Lucien trailed behind, whistling under his breath.

That evening, a message arrived in my chambers. The handwriting was sharp and elegant:

If you wish to know why Veyris wants you, meet me at the Blood and Moonlight Tavern. Midnight. Alone.

It wasn’t signed.

Kael would never let me go. Lucien would only follow if it amused him. But the words burned in my mind until I could think of nothing else.

When the moon hung high, I slipped out, hood drawn low. The streets of Ebonveil were slick with fog, lamplight bending in the mist. The Blood and Moonlight Tavern stood at the edge of neutral territory—a place where vampires, wolves, and even humans could meet under strict rules of truce.

Inside, the air was thick with smoke and candlelight. Shadows clung to the corners, and the scent of spiced wine mingled with the metallic tang of blood.

I took a seat in a secluded booth. Minutes passed. Then someone slid into the seat across from me.

It wasn’t who I expected.

He was tall, cloaked, his features hidden. But his voice—smooth, cold—was unmistakable.

“Little moon,” Veyris said softly. “I knew you’d come.”

My pulse spiked. “You sent the message.”

His smile was slow. “Of course. Did you think I’d let you wander my city without saying hello?”

“This isn’t your city,” I shot back.

“Everything in shadow belongs to me,” he said simply.

The tavern seemed to grow quieter, the candle flames shivering. My instincts screamed at me to leave, but his presence was magnetic, impossible to ignore. He leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear.

“You’re not what you think you are, Astrid. That’s why I want you. Why I’ll have you.”

“I’m not yours,” I said, but the words felt too thin.

His smile deepened. “Not yet.”

Before I could move, a shadow shifted behind me. Two figures appeared at my sides—his enforcers, cloaked in black. The rules of the tavern meant no open violence, but the threat was clear.

Then—like a blade through silk—Kael’s voice cut through the air.

“Step away from her.”

I turned to see him standing at the entrance, amber eyes blazing. Lucien was at his side, a dagger already twirling in his hand, his smile sharp as a razor.

Veyris didn’t move. “You came quicker than I expected.”

“Touch her,” Kael said, “and I’ll break every bone in your body before the tavern’s rules can stop me.”

Lucien’s voice was lazy, almost bored. “And I’ll be creative with the leftovers.”

For a heartbeat, the tension in the room was a living thing. Then Veyris stood, graceful as ever, and inclined his head to me. “We’ll talk again, little moon.”

And just like that, he was gone, his enforcers melting into the shadows.

The three of us left the tavern in silence. Kael’s hand closed around my wrist, not harshly, but firmly enough to keep me close.

“You shouldn’t have gone alone,” he said finally, his voice low but fierce.

“I needed answers,” I said. “And I got some.”

“You got yourself on his radar even more than before.”

Lucien chuckled. “Oh, she was already there. But now? He’s going to start moving pieces faster.”

The streets were quiet, but the fog seemed thicker, the shadows deeper. I thought of Veyris’s words—You’re not what you think you are—and a shiver ran through me.

When we reached the palace gates, Kael turned to me, his eyes searching mine. “If he comes for you again—”

“He will,” Lucien interrupted, smiling faintly. “And when he does, it’ll be interesting.”

I looked between them, my pulse still racing. “Then I guess we make sure we’re ready.”

Kael’s hand tightened on mine. “We will be.”

But in the back of my mind, I knew the truth—no one was ever truly ready for Veyris.

And that night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the shadows in the glass of my window were watching me. Waiting.

---