Ashvale: The Vampire's Kiss: a paranormal vampire romance by Jade Church

Author:Jade Church [Church, Jade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Leonora

“What are you doing here alone?” Hayes hissed in my ear as soon as we were outside the chamber doors. Cal followed closely behind us, still in disguise, and Hayes seemed to know who it was from only a glance, accepting the jeans the mage passed him, and I scowled at the reminder of how well the two men knew each other.

Adrian had ushered the shocked council into a private antechamber to discuss the newest revelations. Hayes didn’t receive an invitation, but he’d ignored the slight, smiling benevolently from the head of the table like Adrian was simply a petulant child playing games. The rest of the council had looked disappointed to be hurried away so quickly from this latest drama, and the eyes of the audience in attendance had followed Hayes like he had his own spotlight when he walked.

“I’m not alone,” I snarled, roughly pulling my arm free from his grip. “I have Cal.” I narrowed my eyes on the mage in question before cocking a hip. “Or, I suppose now you’re here, his allegiances have changed.”

Hayes rolled his eyes, the depth of the blue making my irritation rise higher. “Allegiances. Listen to yourself. You’ve been at court for five seconds and already you’re categorising people as enemies or allies. This isn’t war, Leonora.”

The sting of my nails cutting into my palm allowed me to take a calming breath as I uncurled my fists. “Secrets, lies, murder… I don’t know. It sure feels a lot like war to me.”

“Elowen and Rowan⁠—”

“I’m not talking about them.” My voice was sharp, allowing no reproach, and Hayes’ mouth pulled into a frown that captured my attention for a second too long. Damn bond.

“Then who⁠—”

“If you’d been here, you would have known.”

He laughed, the sound dry even as his eyes turned outright icy. “You made yourself pretty clear about my company, love.”

I opened my mouth, ozone rising in the air as I took a step closer and the bond surged, making me stumble in my effort to hold back from touching him.

“Children, children, let’s not do this here, hm?” Cal swept in between us and placed a pinching grip on each of our shoulders as he pushed us out of the room that still held the remnants of Novalie’s parents on the floor. “I think you’ve given the leeches enough to gossip about for one day.”

I said nothing, pushing forward so Cal’s grip fell away. At the end of the day, none of what Hayes was planning concerned me. I needed to be there for Novalie and check in on Emerson. With any luck, they hadn’t gone on a killing spree in our absence.

Cal spoke quietly to Hayes as I strode ahead, using a little of my vampiric speed so they couldn’t catch up to me. I wasn’t so far away that I couldn’t make out Cal’s words though, murmuring to Hayes about Novalie’s death and my display of power.

More worrying though, was what I’d seen Emerson do. I’d been thinking

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