I looked up from the food splayed in front of me to the man seated at the table’s end.

Vampires were monsters. Abominations of nature. But no one could deny how dazzling they looked. Drake had left it out of his tale last night, but I knew beauty was one of their superpowers. They lured their victims with their beauty. It was harder to escape them that way.

Like how my eyes kept going back to Prince Drake whenever he was in the room. I bet he had been handsome as a human, but as a vampire? He was breathtaking. It was hard to ignore how the white shirt hugged his strong shoulders and chest, outlining enough of the many muscles underneath, how his pants fit around all the right places.

Heat blossomed low in my stomach, and I focused on the fact that he was a vampire. A monster. He wasn’t worth drooling over.

A monster …

A monster who had claimed me and yet treated me with respect. A monster who protected me from other monsters. A monster who sat through breakfast with me and kept me company, even though he didn’t eat.

A monster who had instilled real fear in me the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, two images rushed into my mind: Drake baring his fangs and yelling at me, and then the relief pouring over his muscles when we were safely back inside his quarters.

At first, I thought he would kill me, then he seemed appeased I was safe.

The vampire prince was like a walking contradiction.

“Is everything okay?” Drake asked me, his voice rough and deep.

I suppressed a shiver and offered him a small smile. “Yes, thank you.” I cut a piece of bacon and shoved it in my mouth.

When I was done, Thomas appeared by my side. “Excuse me,” he said, his tone tight. Then, he started cleaning up.

“I can do that,” I said. After all, Thomas was a blood slave like me. I didn’t like the idea of Thomas acting like my servant.

“It’s okay,” Drake said. “Thomas doesn’t mind.”

A vein popped in Thomas’s neck, and I was sure he did mind.

After he took the plates away, I stood. Drake stood too—tall and powerful. I almost stepped back.

“So …” I started, a little tense. “Am I allowed to go out today?”

“Yes.” Drake nodded. “Thomas will return soon, and he’ll show you around the castle.”

It was all I wanted. However, I had no idea what I was going to do with Thomas.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling lighter than I had in days.

“My pleasure.” Drake bowed his head, his black hair falling over his eyes, then he spun on his heels and left through the front door.

Curiosity welled in me, and I wondered where he was going. Which was silly. As a prince of such a big vampire coven, I was sure he had many responsibilities and duties to attend to.

Thomas returned from the door on the other side of the living room. I hadn’t been through there yet, but I could only assume it was some kind of kitchen, or a buffet area with access to the real castle kitchen.

He leveled his unamused eyes at me. “Ready?”

I felt bad for the coldness he threw my way, since it was my fault. “Yes,” I said, trying to sound chipper. Maybe if I were happy, it would rub off on him.

But I wasn’t happy, not really. While I stayed inside this castle, I wouldn’t be happy. I was afraid. I was weary. I was determined.

I was on a mission.

Thomas guided me across two sets of hallways, down a wide staircase—there it was!—to a large archway that opened to a long room.

“The art gallery,” he announced as we walked by many paintings, statues, and art pieces, all of them with special placement and lights.

I didn’t know much about art, but everything looked expensive. “Are they real?”

Thomas cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Like, if I see the Mona Lisa in here, should I assume it’s a copy, or will it be the real thing?” Everyone knew about the rumors that the Mona Lisa at the Louvre wasn’t the original one.

“They are the real thing,” he said, his tone clipped.

After five long rooms filled with art, Thomas guided me to another part of the castle. Like before, an archway opened to a large room, but this time, there was more than paintings here.

“What is this place?” I asked, looking around with wide eyes.

“The museum.”

Of course. A museum inside the vampires’ castle, because why not?

Unbelievable.

But perfect. If I had to bet, the answer to my quest was right here.

I scanned the place with curious eyes. Like the art gallery, each item in here had a special place, a special encasement, a special spot, and special lights. But instead of paintings and busts and art pieces, there was ancient furniture, pieces of gold and silver, jewelry, huge boxes, small boxes, vials and jars of all sizes and shapes and colors, broken pieces of stones, headpieces, weapons, armors … and so much more.

Now that I was here, this was the place I had been searching for. I was sure of it.

But I couldn’t do anything with Thomas by my side. Though, as we walked around, I observed more than the exposed pieces. I took note of where they were placed, on top of pedestals or hung from the ceiling, if they were secured to their spots by nails, hooks, or glue, or simply deposited there, if there seemed to be any hidden compartments under them.

It was too much to see, too much to observe, but my mind and heart raced.

How in the world would I get rid of Thomas to explore this place for real?

The opportunity presented itself when Thomas took me to the back garden and introduced me to the maze. A huge thing with hedges over eight feet tall that extended for miles.

“This is incredible,” I whispered, gawking at it.

Thomas shuddered. “It’s a nightmare.”

“Have you gone through?”

“Through? No. I tried a few times and only got lost.”

“How did you get out of there?”

“Prince Drake noticed I was missing and came after me.”

I stared at him. “How long did you stay in there?”

His cheek reddened. “The longest? Almost six hours.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered, staring at the maze’s entrance.

Six hours without Thomas and without Drake coming after me. I knew it was risky with the other vampires in the castle, but I couldn’t do much to avoid that. I could only pray I wouldn’t run into anyone.

“Come on.” Thomas jerked his chin to the other side of the garden where lampposts illuminated a large fountain and stones benches.

“No, I want to go into the maze,” I said, aware that I sounded like a five year old who wanted a lollipop before dinner. I stepped through the entrance and turned to him. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Thomas’s skin blanched. “I don’t want spent another half day in there.”

“Don’t worry. I’m good with directions,” I assured him. “I’ll have us out the other side in no time. I promise.” I hated lying, but it seemed like the only thing I could do in this castle.

I disappeared around the hedge.

“Hey!” Thomas called. “Come back.” He huffed and puffed. Then he groaned. “Wait for me.”

Three seconds later, he was beside me and we started our march through the maze.

Though I pointed where to turn, I kept half a step behind Thomas, and when I was sure he wasn’t paying attention to me, I snapped a little branch off the hedge, right at waist level.

I waited twenty minutes, wandering around the maze as if I was sure how to get us to the other side, when in fact, I went around in circles, aiming for the middle of the maze, trying to make Thomas lost instead.

Then, I fell a step back. Then another. Then another.

Finally, Thomas took a turn several steps before me, and I ran off.

I heard him shouting my name as I sprinted back, following the broken branches until I was out of the maze. I paused at the maze’s entrance and stared at the castle.

I would find it. Wherever it was hiding in there, be it in the museum or Lord Reynard’s quarters, I would find it.

I took a deep, determined breath and made my way back to the museum, always careful to avoid the vampires.

Once I stepped back into the museum, eagerness rushed through my veins. God, it had to here. It had to.

Without wasting time, I started my search. Like I had done in Drake’s quarters, I went item by item, pedestal by pedestal, spot by spot, and looked over everything. I searched the sides of the pedestals, underneath the items, inside boxes … I even looked on the wall, searching for hidden doors like the one in Drake’s bedroom.

The click of heels on the floor echoed through the large room. My heart thundering, I straightened and pretended to be admiring an old urn with hieroglyphs.

A woman with long brown locks and smooth dark skin approached me. She had on a provocative red dress that hugged the generous curves in her body. She was gorgeous, and more importantly, she was powerful.

Smiling, she tilted her head. “Thea, isn’t it?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“I’m Sarki.”

“The oracle,” I said, knowing exactly who she was.

“That’s right.” Her smile widened. “I see Prince Drake told you about me.” Not really. “He’s a good master, isn’t he?”

I shrugged, not sure what the purpose of that question was. “He’s … okay.”

“And where’s Thomas?” She glanced from side to side, looking for the boy.

“He had to run a quick errand,” I lied. “He’ll be back any minute.”

“Of course,” she said, and I was sure she didn’t believe me. His smile faded and her eyes gained a hard glint. “I heard Alex challenged Drake to a duel for you.” She tsked. “With everything going on, Drake doesn’t need that.”

My hands trembled, but I lifted my chin. I hadn’t cowered when Drake had threatened me; I wouldn’t cower for a jealous woman who was trying to intimidate me. Even if she was a powerful oracle. “I didn’t ask him to. He did all of that on his own.”

“Because Drake has a good heart. He can’t help gathering pets.” She spat the word as if she had said worms instead. “And now all he has worked so hard to achieve will crumble if he loses a hell damned duel.”

All he had worked so hard for? Like what? His position as a prince? What the hell was she talking about?

“There’s nothing I can do—”

Suddenly, her eyes turned all white, and she said, “What you look for is right in front of you. All you have to do is look.” My heart stopped. Sarki blinked and her eyes returned to normal. She raised an eyebrow at me. “What was that about?”

“I … I don’t know.” Right in front of me? Right in front of me were Sarki and the old urn, and I had already checked the damn urn and its pedestal.

“Are you sure? I can help you decipher the fortune,” she said, her voice dripping with honey. “That’s one of the things I did for Lord Reynard. I had the visions, and then I helped him decipher them.”

“I-I really don’t know what that meant,” I lied, hoping her powers didn’t involve detecting lies.

“All right.” She stared at me with cloudy eyes. She didn’t seem convinced. “If you think of something, let me know. I can help you.”

She smiled, then sashayed out of the museum. I followed her with my eyes, and when she was gone, I let out a long breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

Could Sarki have it? But why? And where was she hiding it? It didn’t make sense.

Heavy footsteps sounded from the other side of the museum. Deep voices reached my ears, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. But I was sure it wasn’t Thomas or Drake.

My insides stilled.

All right, I was done for the day.

As fast as I could without drawing attention or bumping into anyone, I went back to the maze. I followed the broken branches until the last spot I had seen Thomas.

“Thomas!” I yelled. I went in farther, breaking the hedge branches like I had done before. “Thomas, where are you?”

“Thea!” I heard his voice, low and far. “I’m here!”

“Keep talking,” I shouted back. “I’ll find you.”

“Talk about what?”

“I don’t know.” I advanced through the maze in the direction of his voice. “Tell me something about you.”

“Like what?”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Green.”

“Favorite food?”

“Five cheese lasagna.”

“Hm, that sounds delicious.”

“I can have the cook make one for you tomorrow, if you want.”

I turned a corner and smiled at him. “I would like that.”

Thomas rushed into me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “God, where were you?”

I disentangled myself from him, suddenly self-conscious that I had tricked him and he was now so happy to see me. Something like guilt snaked around my chest. “I guess I got lost. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I guess.” He glanced around the tall hedges and sighed. “We still have to find a way out of here.”

“I might not know how to get to the end, but I’m pretty sure I can retrace our steps and find the entrance.”

His eyes widened. “You are?”

I smiled at him. “Yup. Let’s go.”