“You will by now have heard that I was recently in the United States, and not entirely of my own accord. Our investigation is ongoing but suffice it to say that when it is done, the perpetrators will be held fully accountable for their crimes. And they will give their immortality in payment.”

Goose bumps lifted on my arms at the deadly calm in his eyes. I’d seen Darius at his worst; at his best, there was no question of his power and authority.

“The vampires that found me—that relieved me of the magic that kept me prisoner—represented Cabot House and Cadogan House. One vampire lost his life in the effort to save me. Others faced danger unflinchingly in order to see me home again. For their acts of bravery, I commend the Houses and their Masters.

“In particular, that the vampires of Cadogan House searched me out when they had no obligation to me or us, when they are no longer members of our union, is noteworthy. Their behavior was exemplary, and they deserve our thanks—and mine.”

I realized our hands were still linked when Ethan squeezed my hand. Magic—pleased, relieved, and utterly validated—spilled across the room. After a long war, after standing as the enemy for so many for so long, we were no longer anathema.

“But the past is past,” Darius said. “We must, as we have done for eons, move forward.” He looked down at the desktop for a moment, a breach in his composure, and then lifted his eyes to the screen again, his sadness obvious.

“Life, immortal or otherwise, is seldom what we expect it will be. But that is no matter. The leader of this union of vampires must show him- or herself as strong, capable, fearless, and above reproach. I am saddened to admit that I have not fulfilled those roles.

“As such, I intend to step down as leader of the Greenwich Presidium. As you may be aware, challenges to my rule have already been issued.”

“Challenges?” I quietly murmured. “Plural?”

“So it seems,” Ethan said, gaze on the screen, eyes narrowed with concentration.

“As I am stepping down, I have no need of a formal response to those challenges. Rather, those who have challenged me will be deemed candidates for this position. Testing will begin immediately—psychological and physical. The vampires with the top three scores will be placed on the ballot to all our Houses. The winner will take my place. Lakshmi Rao, acting Council Prelect, will oversee the process.”

“It’s a bloodless coup,” Luc said, awe in his voice. “No duels or anything else—and moving right into a traditional testing process.”

Not entirely, I thought. No blood had been spilled today, but plenty had been spilled in the recent past.

“In Europe,” Darius continued, “standing for nomination will be Danica Cummings, Teresa Perez, and Albert Christian.” Danica was one of the current GP members. The other names weren’t familiar to me.

“And in the United States, standing for nomination will be Ethan Sullivan . . . and Nicole Heart.”

Nicole Heart was a vampire I had heard the name of before. She was the head of Atlanta’s Heart House, another American Master, and apparently the only other American challenging Darius for the throne.

It should have been a magical moment. It should have been a time of excitement, of preparation, of plans for what would come.

But instead, there was only fury—an angry, biting ball of magic that rose with such fervor the floor vibrated with it. The entire House shook on its foundations, as if Chicago had become suddenly situated above a fault line. A vase hit the floor. Photographs toppled.

The center of the magic, the eye of the storm, stood beside me.

All eyes turned to Ethan . . . and the green fire raging in his eyes.

Chapter Fifteen

LONG LIVE THE KING

He dropped my hand. His entire body had gone rigid, shoulders back and head dipped as if waiting for a counterstrike.

I looked at Malik, found his gaze on Ethan, his expression as pinched with concern as Ethan’s had been with anger.

“Goddamn her,” Ethan said through clenched teeth.

Her, was all I thought.

“For simplicity’s sake,” Darius continued, “and in appreciation of Cadogan House’s recent service to the GP, the American candidates will subject themselves to testing in Chicago. The European candidates will be tested in London.”

That was handy for us; it meant Ethan would be tested on his home turf. It also meant Nicole would be traveling to Chicago.

“The psychological test will be administered tonight, two hours before dawn. The physical test will be administered at midnight tomorrow.”

“Jesus,” Luc said, head whipping back to look at Ethan. “There’s hardly any time.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “We hardly have time to prepare.”

When Darius said his thanks and the screen faded to green again, Ethan dragged his gaze to Luc. “That’s the point. To keep us off balance, to see how we react in crisis. Focus on the House; ensure she is secure.”

Then he looked at Malik. “Find out when she’s coming and where she’s staying. I want eyes on her at all times.” With that, he threw open the door and stalked out of the room, leaving us in stunned silence.

“What the hell just happened?” Lindsey asked.

“Not what,” I said. “Who.”

* * *

They suggested I stay, that I wait patiently—as if that was even possible—for Ethan to come back into the House. That I wait for him to give a sign that he was ready to talk.

But that wasn’t our relationship, and it wasn’t me. Not to stand by while he was hurt or angry, and certainly not while the object of his roiling emotions was a woman from his past.

The front parlors were empty, as was the cafeteria. But I glanced outside the windows, saw his rigid form on the back lawn. I stepped outside onto the back patio, closed the door behind me.

The wind was picking up, and I zipped up my leather jacket. Ethan sat on a bench beneath a wooden pergola still under construction in the backyard. When the weather was warm enough, he’d plant climbing roses to grow up and over it.

He didn’t acknowledge my approach but undoubtedly heard me sloshing through the spring-wet grass. When I reached him, he kept his eyes on the fence that protected the property and the lights of the city beyond, visible because the plantings were still winter bare. His body was rigid, his shoulders straight.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Since my question was met with an apparent unwillingness to elaborate, I elaborated for him, putting the pieces together.

Tags: Chloe Neill Chicagoland Vampires Vampires
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