The feeling of his hands on my shoulders was the first thing that felt familiar. The warmth of them. The size. The strength held in their grasp. And the edge of danger I felt from them.

“Take your pick,” he had whispered in my ear.

Warily, I looked over my shoulder at his face.

For years—my whole life—I had known this day was coming. It had been planned, scheduled to occur on my eighteenth birthday. And now, four days later, here I stood, just sixty seconds after finally rising from the acid of Resurrection and opening my eyes.

“You can take any of them,” the King breathed in my ear.

Instantly the hunger was controlling, and I rushed forward, to the line of humans in the great ballroom. The woman’s eyes widened a bit, a moment of fear before she met her end as my fangs sank into her neck and I drank her dry.

When I’d satisfied my thirst, I turned, and looked at the crowd that waited behind me.

There was the King. Whose rule we had lived under my entire life. There was my father, Lord Bastian. My mother was a woman who had come and then gone once I was weaned from her breast.

There were other members of the Court. Important people. Some I had known for as long as I could remember. Others who were so close to the king I was seeing them now for the very first time.

“How do you feel, Edith?” my father asked.

I looked at him. At his expectant face, so hopeful. So desperate to be the one to produce the offspring who would finally awaken. “I…” I shook my head. I wanted to take a step back. To retreat into the dark corners of the castle and go back to being one of a dozen human children in Roter Himmel, looked over until their time came. But all eyes were on me. “I don’t remember anything.”

The King stepped forward. The look in his eyes was dark and complicated. “It takes time, my dear.” Slowly, he crossed to me, where the woman laid dead at my feet. The humans still stood lined up, as if waiting to see if the urge for more would strike me. Every one of them waited willingly for me to kill them. “Over the course of the next few weeks, you are a guest at the castle. I’d very much like to get to know you, Lady Edith. And I hope you will not shy away from getting to know me.”

He placed a hand at the small of my back, guiding me toward the doorway at the edge of the ballroom.

Scared, so scared and unsure and absolutely overwhelmed, I looked back at my father.

There was a gleam in his eyes, something pleased, and he nodded encouragingly.

I swallowed once, telling myself to be brave, and walked through the doors, to a new place, a new life, side by side with King Cyrus.

---

A shiver works its way down my back as I pull up to the curb at The MetroCosmo. A valet immediately comes to my door, opening it for me. I step out, double-checking my sunshades as I climb out.

The sun is just barely beginning to creep into the horizon. I drove all through the night to get here, stopping for gas just once, and draining the attendant of half of his blood.

I think he will survive. I don’t think he’ll turn to a Bitten.

I hope.

The cars in front of and behind me stop, and guards from the House of Valdez hop out, one man taking my bag from the trunk of my car.

I turn to the incredible doors of the casino, and just then Hector, Raphael, and Edmond walk out.

Where there was once a twinkle of annoyance in his eyes when Hector looked at me, now there is only reverence.

All three of them bow deeply.

“My Queen,” each of them mutters.

Logan and Sevan clash. To Sevan, it is so familiar. So natural. She stands a little straighter, holding her chin high. But Logan wants to recoil and scoff a little.

“Hector,” I address him. “Edmond. Raphael. It’s a pleasure to meet you…for the first and second time.”

They don’t know how to react to that, but all three of them do their best to contain it.

“We are honored that you chose to spend time with us in your first hours of Resurrection,” Hector says, and I do hear the surprise and humility in his voice. “Though we are surprised to see you here without your husband.”

I raise my chin just a little higher and look behind them so I don’t have to meet their eyes. “Cyrus had business to attend to back in Roter Himmel, and I had my own.”

The growling roar of an engine reverberates against the walls as a huge black truck stops just behind my caravan.

For the first time since I woke up, a little smile curls on my face.

Larkin steps out from the driver’s seat. The danger in his eyes is dominant as he walks around to join us at the doors.

He stands over six feet tall, well over two hundred pounds. His dark chocolate skin flows smoothly over heavily muscled arms. His black t-shirt stretches over an even more toned chest. Black boots are strapped about his feet and even though he wears black jeans, I know he’s hiding a multitude of weapons on his person.

His eyes remain fixed on my face as he approaches, but he keeps them controlled, hiding his emotions. He stops just three feet from me and takes a deep bow as he takes my hand.

“It is an honor to stand in your presence once more, my Queen,” he says in his deep voice.

Briefly, he kisses my knuckles.

“It is good to see you again, Larkin,” I say as my smile spreads. He stands, and I don’t hesitate in wrapping my arms around his thick middle, resting my cheek against his chest.

I sense it: the entire House of Valdez watching the reunion of their long-dead queen and her most trusted operative. But I don’t really care. Right now I’m lost in the overwhelming relief of feeling that for now, just one single thing is right.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” I say as I release him. He only nods once, but I see it there in his eyes now: he’s happy to return to me.

“Larkin,” Raphael says with a nod. “It’s…good to see you again.”

His tone says otherwise.

“Come,” Hector says, angling his body toward the doors. “Your friend from the House of Conrath is waiting for you.”

He stands to the side, waiting for me to enter first. Conflict once more claws its way through my blood as I walk forward. Larkin immediately follows me.

The MetroCosmo is even more impressive as a vampire. My eyes can more fully appreciate the richness of the purples and blues that reflect on the mirrors. My skin tingles with the electric energy.

But my nose feels assaulted.

There’s the scent of blood, but most overwhelming are the unwashed bodies after sitting at the tables too long. The stench of cigarettes and alcohol.

I’m beginning to understand a little better why Cyrus dislikes Las Vegas so much.

It’s kind of disgusting.

I lead the way to the elevator I’ve ridden in before. Hector places his hand on the mirror, and the doors open.

“Unless you have another request,” he says once everyone is inside and the doors slide closed. “We’ve placed you in the same room as your last visit.”

“That’s just fine,” I say. And Logan wants to say stop making such a fuss over me and chill.

With impressive speed, we rocket up through the belly of the casino. Up and up and up and then finally we slow, and the doors open. We all step out.

I walk forward and immediately turn left to go to my room when Hector speaks out.

“My Queen,” he says. I turn and look back at him, Larkin just to my side. “May I ask: what can we expect from your visit? And how long do you wish to stay?”

And I don’t know who it is—Sevan or Logan—who lets the smile curl on my lips. “I’ll stay as long as I need. And as for what to expect, just plan to stay on your toes.”

I shouldn’t appreciate the uncertainty and worry in their eyes so much. But I do. I really do.

I finish the short walk down the hall and place my hand on the mirror. The doors to my suite slide open, and we step inside.

A glittering mirror chandelier hangs from the ceiling in the central lounge room. The lights are dim and low, but still, those purples and reds dazzle me.

But I don’t have much attention for them.

Not when my oldest friend from this life sits in a chair, looking at me.

Rath immediately stands, his posture overly at attention, his eyes wide and expectant. “Logan,” he breathes. “Are you…are you alright?”

I stop outside the circle of chairs and couches, studying him.

Once more, I search, trying to recall.

But I’m certain.

I’ve never met Cornelius Rath before this life.

But it’s his scent. It’s his heart. His blood.

Rath isn’t a vampire—Born or Bitten. But he’s definitely not human either.

“So it’s done then,” he says, watching me with regret in his eyes. “You’ve Resurrected.”

I nod once, taking a step closer. Like a shadow, Larkin steps forward as well, and Rath’s eyes slide over to him.

“And you know this man?” Rath says, as if sizing him up. Comparing himself to Larkin. And I see the angst in his eyes. The disappointment. Because Eli knows everyone in my life, and Rath does not know this man who stands so protectively near.

“Yes,” I confirm. I stop beside a high-backed chair, resting my hand on it. “Larkin is a friend. Someone I trust even more than I once trusted you.”

I knew my words would hurt Eli. But he tries to hide it.

And he bows to me, his head sinking low. “Then hail to the Queen.” He straightens once more, his expression hardening. “It is an honor to meet you, after hearing of your legend all these years.”

I hate that. Every single word he just said. All the formality. The absence of everything familiar between us.

But really, we’ve been strangers my entire life.

“I have a question,” I say. My eyes drop to the chair beside me, but I don’t really see anything. “How long were you going to wait? Was there a certain point that you and Alivia agreed that I could finally be told the truth?”

Rath doesn’t immediately provide an answer. He hesitates just long enough that I look back up at him.

“Your twenty-fifth birthday,” he says. “We were going to wait until then. I was to introduce you to this world, gently. And then Alivia was going to leave it up to you if you wanted to meet her.”

Twenty-five. I just turned twenty last month.

I picture it. If it had all gone according to Rath and Alivia’s plan, I would have had five more years of normality. Five years of being under Shylock’s thumb, in debt. I’d be homeless by this point. I’d be miserable and stubborn, trying to provide for myself when everything was crumbling around me.

I’ve lost everyone I care about now. Yet I’ve also opened so many doors to others I had forgotten about.

Like Larkin.

I nod. “Thank you for telling me.” I step forward and sink down into the chair, crossing my legs and looking at the man who watched over me nearly my entire human life. “Are you okay?”

It takes him aback, me asking him that question. He blinks twice. “I could use a full two days sleep on a proper bed, but yes, physically I am alright.”

I bite my lower lip, considering. “Have you called Alivia Conrath already?”

Slowly, he sinks back into his chair, but never breaks his gaze. “No,” he says, shaking his head. “Not that the House of Valdez was going to give me access. But you’re a grown woman, Logan. Your interaction with her, and the timing of it, is your decision.”

“From what Cyrus has said, you’re crazy loyal to her,” I say. “I would think you’d be very anxious to share the news.”

Rath shakes his head. “In some ways, my relationship with your mother is as complicated as Cyrus’. I have served the House of Conrath for a very long time, and while I will always love Alivia, always wish I had guided her better, I cannot condone so many things she did. I do not know if I will ever be able to forgive her for everything.”

Everything he just said startles me. My stomach knots.

“Then why would you spend sixteen years of your life keeping watch over me for her?” I ask, astounded.

Rath crosses one ankle over his knee. “While I love Alivia, my true devotion is to my best friend, the Conrath lost in the dark. It is for your grandfather that I have done what I have done. You are a Conrath by birthright.”

My head is spinning. Sevan certainly understands complicated family tress. But Logan can’t handle all of this.

Grandfather.

Rath knew my maternal grandfather.

Who is apparently dead.

I shake my head, trying to clear the confusion from my brain.

“What now?” I ask. “Eventually I will return with Cyrus to Roter Himmel, but not yet. You say meeting my mother is my choice, but what about you? Will you return to the House of Conrath?”

Rath doesn’t have words immediately. He studies me, and I know the complex emotions raging through him. They’re the same as what is going on inside myself.

“These next few weeks will be tumultuous ones for you, Logan,” he says. “I may be loyal to the House of Conrath, and will be until the end of my days, but Logan, sixteen years of hiding a difficult and complicated fate from you doesn’t go away because you are upset with me. If you need my help, you have it.”

I don’t see it coming. But suddenly my throat is tight and emotion bites the back of my eyes. I cross my arms over my chest and have to look away.

I don’t know what to say. My pride and bitterness want to send him away, to never see his deceiving face again.

But another part of me knows the value of devotion and loyalty.

I truly don’t know what to say.

“We should talk,” Larkin says, saving me in the moment of awkwardness.

I stand and head toward my bedroom, grateful. Larkin follows me without a word. I meet Rath’s eyes for just a second as I close the bedroom door behind me.

“Are you alright, my queen?” Larkin asks from behind me.

I turn, looking over at him. “Can you…can you please just call me Logan for now?”

He gives a little nod. “Of course, Logan.”

I walk to the bed, trailing my fingers over the soft fabric. I feel a little lost, momentarily. “No,” I answer the question he posed a few moments ago. “I’m not alright. I feel…” I shake my head. Because I don’t know how to answer that question. “I feel like I’m lost in the darkest forest on Immergrun Mountain. Or maybe tossed into Spiegel Lake. I can’t tell which way is up, or where home is.”

“Do not be too hard on yourself,” Larkin says. He watches me from beside the door, his eyes catching every one of my movements. “You’ve woken up with years of a new life seven times. It is understandable if you need a few days to piece yourself together.”

“Eight,” I say once more, this time to a different man.

My eyes rise, studying the wall as if it can hold the answers. Find the pieces to that eighth life that I know exists.

“Eight,” Larkin says, sounding slightly breathless. “You mean there has been a life between this one as Logan, and La’ei? You returned at some point in the past 286 years?”

I look back at him. My gaze is misty when I nod my head. “I can’t remember it yet, but I know it’s there. Something…something happened. I just can’t remember yet.”

He takes one step forward, his eyes fixed on me. “If you wished to discuss the complexities of your life, you would have called someone, perhaps anyone else,” he says knowingly. “Not me. Tell me, Logan. Why is it that you had a need to call me?”

I’m relieved. He changes the subject to something I can deal with. Something that may be deadly, but is simple. Something I know how to deal with, because I’ve been doing it on and off for thousands of years.

“Five days ago, there was an attempt on Cyrus’ life,” I say, standing straight and facing Larkin. “It was planned, laid out. They weren’t particularly smart about it, Cyrus easily killed them. But there was something about it that bothers me.”

Larkin’s eyes narrow. “What is that?”

“It was a feeble attempt,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “But the way they did it. It rattled Cyrus. For a day or two before they actually attacked, Cyrus was worried. I got the feeling they’d possibly followed him from Roter Himmel. They knew he was there with no security. Cyrus felt threatened.”

“You think it was more about getting into the King’s head than the actual attack?” Larkin clarifies.

I nod. “I’ve rarely seen him shaken. I had to remind him of what he was capable of. Perhaps it was his worry over me, in my human state. But I feel like this was different from other attacks. It’s like they knew how Cyrus would react.”

I can see the wheels turning in Larkin’s head.

There’s a reason I called Larkin. This is what he does. This is what he excels at.

“I want you to investigate this,” I say. “The attacker was killed. Mina buried his body on the property. But these things are rarely orchestrated by a single individual. I want you to see if there is anything else to worry about.”

Larkin’s fingers roll into fists and he stands a little taller. “It would be my pleasure,” he says. Even his voice sounds deeper.

“It happened in Colorado,” I say. “Half a day’s drive from here.” I turn and find a pad of paper and a pen on the nightstand. I write the address of Cyrus’ house in Greendale down and hand it over to him. “Do whatever you have to do to figure out who did this.”

He takes the paper, and for just a moment, embers ignite in his eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes to find out who tried to kill your husband, Logan.”

I swallow at the title, but nod.

With one last bow, Larkin turns and leaves the room to go hunt down who did this.

I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the door once he is gone.

In my very, very long existence, there has always been a need for individuals who are skilled in collecting intelligence. For those who can take care of problems silently.

Over the years, Cyrus has had many spies with incredible skill. Ubaldo was his first. Then came Wolfhard. And last I remember there was Raheem, more skilled than any others before him.

I wonder if he’s still in Cyrus’ service. It’s been so long, who knows.

But all this time, at least since my third life, since I lived a life as Helda, Larkin has been the one I could count on. The one with the deadliest hands, the sharpest fangs, and the most silent feet.

There isn’t a cell in me that doubts he can solve this mystery.

I stare at the door Larkin walked out of, and suddenly I feel depleted.

This is it. Everything I had planned after telling Cyrus I wouldn’t be returning with him to Roter Himmel is finished.

Call Larkin.

Free Rath.

Start the investigation.

Now what?

I flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I’m exhausted just thinking of the possibilities of where I could go from here.

So for right now, I’m just grateful for this bed, and this room, granting me a safe, private place to rest.