Soft whispers drifted into my room, rousing me from sleep.

I’d always been a light sleeper—you have to be, in a world where everyone is your enemy. There was no such thing as a quiet moment at Conall’s compound, especially not for a blood mage. Anyone could be out to get me at any moment. And don’t even get me started on what it was like to live in the cages; no one could get a good night’s sleep there.

With my eyes still closed, I cocked my head towards the door and focused on listening.

I couldn’t make out the words, hushed as they were, but that told me that no one was in my room. The voices were coming from the outer chamber.

I peeked one eye open, then the other, to confirm that that was the case. As I’d expected, the room was empty.

Slowly, careful not to make a sound, I shifted to a sitting position on the bed. Then I rotated just as slowly until my bare feet touched down to the plush rug beside my bed. It silenced any sound I might have made.

I cursed the flowing nightgown I’d been given—tight clothing was so much better for moving freely and quietly.

With careful steps, I made my way to the door, and stopped just before it. I turned my head and placed my ear as close to the door as I dared without touching it—I didn’t want the creaking of the door to give away my position.

“Two dead, Gray. This is bad, really bad. Fuck...”

“Alex.” Grayson’s voice was as sharp as a well-honed blade, reprimanding this Alex person.

I shook my head a little. The vampires were all so caught up in decorum and politics that they never gave in to moments of pure emotion. I was surprised that Alex had allowed himself to slip like that.

“Really, Gray? That’s what you’re going to focus on right now? It’s just you and me. We don’t need to bother with that.”

I heard Grayson sigh, and I could picture him running a hand through his long silver hair. My lips curved into a small smile at the mental image.

“I know. I do. But I don’t know what we’re going to do. The timing for this couldn’t possibly be worse—the Council is already pushing for my position.”

“Really?”

There was a short pause, and I imagined a single eyebrow arching up as if to say, ‘Come on, now, let’s be serious.’

It was a little disturbing how well I could imagine what Grayson would do to communicate silently.

Pushing aside that thought, I strained to hear more.

“They would never say so outright, we both know that, but it’s obvious. They don’t believe that I’m doing my job as I should be. They blindly believe that under my father’s rule, we all prospered. They refuse to acknowledge that the wolves became a problem while he was still in charge. It makes them feel safer to lay the blame at my feet, so they feel like they can do something about it. They want to get rid of me. I can smell it on them.”

Another moment of silence. I yearned to be on the other side of the door, so I could see the looks passing between the two of them, communicating information I could only guess at.

“After these deaths, it’s only going to get worse.”

“If only we could convince them these were inconsequential deaths,” Alex said with a snort. “It’s not like these men will be missed.”

Ha! I wasn’t the only one who’d seen how repulsive they were.

“If only,” Grayson said ruefully. “But it’s the manner in which they died that’s of highest importance. Exactly like the general—no obvious cause of death. And in our own castle...” He made a sound of pain. “If I can’t keep people safe in my own castle, perhaps I don’t deserve the throne after all.”

“Don’t talk like that, Gray. You’re a great King, even if those buffoons can’t see it. It’s not your fault some sort of super-killer has gotten loose, with us as their target.”

“Perhaps not, but it is my fault that we aren’t safe.”

“What were you supposed to do?”

He didn’t say anything.

Guilt warred inside of me. I hated the thought that I’d made things hard on Grayson—but why should I feel that way? The man was a vampire—the King of vampires—no one I should feel empathy for.

He was kind to you when no one else had ever been. He cares about his people. What has he ever done wrong in your eyes?

Exist. That was his crime: the very fact that he existed.

It was a good thing that I’d killed those men, not just because they’d deserved to die, but because it now had the vampires in an uproar. They’d be easier to kill if they were panicking.

I tried to keep telling myself that, to push away the guilt, but it kept nagging at me.

With a frustrated sigh, I went back to the bed and bounced down hard on it, so that the sound of my bottom smacking the mattress was audible. Then I stood up and loudly walked across the room—announcing to them that I was coming.

Grayson undoubtedly didn’t want me to witness whatever conversation was taking place out there. Better for me if he thought I was unaware of everything.

I opened the door and yawned, stretching, the perfect picture of an innocent young woman greeting the day.

Alex was gone. Grayson was standing alone in the room showing no indication that he’d just had the most stressful conversation of his life. Not a hair out of place.

“Good morning, Nina,” he said with a warm smile.

“Good morning,” I said, lowering my gaze to the floor as I smiled. Demure. I had to be demure.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you. And you, My Lord?”

I looked up at him through my lashes in time to see a curious look on his face, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by the same smile as before.

Curiosity sparked inside me. What did he have to puzzle about? Why was he looking at me like that?

Cold rippled down my spine.

Did he know? Did he suspect?

I’d been so careful last night, but did he know?

No, he hadn’t sounded like he had a clue of what was going on when he was speaking with Alex, but maybe he’d keep his suspicions to himself. Maybe he wanted to catch me in the act, trap me...

I pushed down the panic, grateful that years of practice had afforded me the ability to keep my emotions hidden.

Rather than an unreadable mask, I was able to present a warm and welcoming expression. Only those new to the practice had to rely on the vague mask that basically gave them away just as well as allowing their expressions to really come through would.

“My night was uneventful,” he said at last, and my knee-jerk reaction was to dissect his meaning.

Uneventful, how? Did he wish it had been eventful? What did he classify as being eventful?

Did he dream of me?

Oh, traitorous thought, get out of my head!

“I have business to attend to, but I’d greatly enjoy it if you would join me for dinner tonight.”

My brow furrowed immediately. He was asking me to dinner? Why didn’t he just command me to attend? This wasn’t how vampires were supposed to behave. I was absolutely positive of it.

“I...” I frowned. “All right.”

“I look forward to it.”

And then he left me alone in the room with my thoughts.