Confusion and anger warred together in my chest, each fighting for control over my next words. The man at my back gave me a shove forward and Melanie rose. “Lacey!” she whispered, her smile growing. Seeing her was like something from a memory. Even as I took in her angular face, soft brown curls, and the bright blue eyes our father had bestowed to us both, I couldn’t reconcile her presence with reality. It had to be a dream. A really, really sick dream.

“What—how—Melanie, what are you doing here? Where is here?” I stuttered, frozen in place.

My sister rounded her end of the table and came toward me, her arms outstretched. She enveloped me in a hug, squeezing tight enough to cut off my air supply. “I can’t believe you’re really here. You have no idea how long I’ve spent looking for you! When they told me you’d come back to the haven, I didn’t believe them, but here you are! It’s really you.”

As she released me, I glanced over my shoulder. The man who’d brought me into the room had taken a position on one side of the door. Another man, of similar height and build, stood at the other. Were they keeping others out, or keeping me in?

“So, what was this? Some kind of rescue mission?” I asked, swinging back around to face my sister. She’d backed off a step, but still stood within arm’s length.

“Something like that.”

“Well, next time, send an invitation. I could do without the goon squad and the cold, dank cell treatment.” I narrowed my eyes at her, another wave of anger taking over. “And what are you doing with Jupiter? She’s half-starved and there are burn marks on her skin from where the sunlight comes in during the day! It’s sickening! You have to let her go home.”

Melanie’s expression soured. “Jupiter will remain here.”

“Why?” I demanded.

Melanie drew in a long breath and coolly walked back to her place at the table. She waved a hand. “Please sit, Lacey. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Where is Matthias?” I asked, ignoring her request. “Whoever it was you sent to get me zapped him with a Taser. Is he here too, now?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she leveled me with a glance and then once again indicated the chair. “Sit.”

I ground my teeth but did as she asked, flopping into the chair with a huff. “There. Now start talking. You can’t expect me to just go la-la-la and be happy you’re back when you’ve apparently kidnapped my best friend and zapped my—” I stopped, tripping over the next word.

Melanie raised an eyebrow.

I frowned. “My other friend.”

“Hmm.” She steepled her fingers together on the table and I wanted to tell her she looked just like Father. “I didn’t realize you and Lord Hartford were so well acquainted. He’s perfectly safe, I assure you.”

I didn’t respond.

After a beat, she said, “I’ll start at the beginning.”

“Great idea.”

Her eyes flickered but she continued, “I’m not sure how much you know about what’s been going on in the Eastern Court, but things haven’t been going well for some time. House Vaughn is losing its grip on the territories. It’s only a matter of time before one court, or perhaps multiple ones, come in and try to take power. They’ve already swayed some of the old families away. Promising them wealth and power, and perhaps most convincing, the chance to get out from under Father’s thumb and move into a more modern era of vampirism.”

“Modern how?” I asked.

She flashed a dark smile. “One that doesn’t involve hiding in the shadows anymore.”

“What?”

“The Haven Council has oppressed us for far too long. They want to keep their secrets, and that’s fine, but we are going public.”

“That’s insane,” I scoffed. “You’ll just be opening all of us up to being hunted.”

“Not all humans fear us,” she said, her voice calm. “Some of them want to join us. Not by becoming undead themselves, but by forming a new community. They want the power and wealth we can command. In exchange, they will help protect us and serve us … in other ways, as well.”

Blood. She had to mean blood.

A chill rattled down my spine. “It will never work,” I told her. “Besides, in case you’ve forgotten, Father isn’t going to let someone else walk in and take over. Especially not you. The entire Court thinks you’re a blood traitor because of—”

“Damon,” she said.

I nodded. “Is he here too?”

Something else flashed in her eyes and she gave a terse shake of her head. “Damon wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

My eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Mel.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s been years.”

From the harsh snap to her voice, it did still matter. Deeply.

I considered her for a long moment, wondering if I should tell her that our father was already well aware of the threat to his position as the Baron of the East. Thanks to Jerrod, I also knew exactly how he planned to take his power back. But the pit in my stomach held me back.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “If Jupiter is here, does that mean that you were also responsible for Ivan’s murder?”

Melanie remained silent for a moment and then inclined her head. “It was a necessary evil,” she said. “Ivan had accidentally stumbled onto our plans and was prepared to go public. He had to be eliminated. Jupiter, on the other hand, appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. We brought her here to see what Ivan told her, if anything, and to keep her quiet about the events of that night, but I swear to you, I have no plans to harm her.”

“Beyond letting her starve and burn in a metal box?” I snarled.

Melanie looked up and gestured at the guard who’d dragged me into the room. “Go find a windowless room for Jupiter. Get her anything she asks for.”

The man snapped to attention and left without a word.

Impressive. I stared at my sister. What was her sway over these people? Beyond that, who were they? Disenchanted vampires? Jupiter had said they were humans. Were they some of the humans Melanie spoke of moments ago? The ones who wanted to join forces with the vampires?

“What did Ivan find out about? That you’re back in the haven?”

Melanie smiled. “He found out about my plans to takes over the Eastern Court.”

I stared at her and then snorted. “Yeah? You and what army?”

“You don’t get it.” Melanie spat out her words, “House Vaughn is losing its grip on the east. Other Houses are picking away at their members, promising them things to lure them away. They’re making our Court weak. Before too long, there will be nothing left but the diehard hangers-on. Father’s tournament is just a ploy to get attention away from the upheaval and to garner the attention of the other courts.”

“I know,” I growled. “He’s using my betrothal and wedding as a distraction. It’s pretty safe to say, my memoir can be titled The Life of a Pawn.”

Melanie frowned. “This is serious, Lacey!”

“I know!” I snapped. “But you’re not telling me anything I haven’t already figured out for myself. Father’s businesses are failing, people are leaving the East, he’s losing his grip on his power and that’s the one thing he can’t stand! He’s already borderline psychotic and when he thinks he’s on the losing side of a fight, he can flip a switch and go full-blown. I get it! I have no doubt he’s using this tournament to keep people from asking questions and that he’s buying himself time to map out his next move. It still doesn’t mean you can just waltz in and take over! Beyond that, I don’t even understand why you would want to! Is this some kind of revenge thing? Or do you honestly want to be in charge of an entire territory of vampires who would all rather see you dead than sitting on their council?”

“Someone has to do something,” she replied, her teeth set. “I have more than enough people willing to fight for me, including some who are inside the Court already. They know that I’ll be a better leader than Father, and in time, the Court will see that and fall in line. Father has ruled the East for far too long. It’s time for him to go.”

There was finality about her tone that chilled me. Sure, I’d thought about throttling our father a time or two—or twenty—but I would never actually follow through with it. And certainly not so that I could step over him and take the helm. Not in a thousand years.

For a moment, I thought about telling her about the turns. According to Jerrod, there were more than enough of them to handle any threat. Melanie likely didn’t know what she was going up against. But I quickly decided against it. Whenever I’d let myself dream up what it might be like to reunite with my sister, it had never involved her being the face behind a group of thugs that were killing vampires and kidnapping long-time family friends. Stars only knew what other atrocities she’d committed to get to her position as the leader of this force. For the time being, playing dumb was my best card.

I pursed my lips. “Why am I here? I assume you want me to take part in this uprising?”

“I pulled you out so that I could warn you of what’s coming. I may despise everything our House stands for, but I care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt. You helped me get away that horrible night, and now, I’m offering the same escape to you. As long as you know what’s coming, you’ll be able to find a way to get free and stay out of danger.”

“I helped you escape so you could go and have a life of your own. To get married to the man you loved, raise a family, to be happy and free. As your sister, that’s what I wanted for you. Now, you’re sitting here telling me that all of that was for nothing, because apparently the moment you left, you were already plotting how to get back again.” I shoved up from the table. I couldn’t stay still for one more second and listen to my sister talk about how she’d maneuvered me like a marionette doll.

“You of all people should understand, Lacey. There is no freedom outside of the Court. As a vampire, I couldn’t live in the human world forever. It’s not built for us. Or, at least, not yet.” A smug smile crawled over her face, morphing it into something unrecognizable.

I wanted to hit her. To slap her back to normal. If that was even possible.

She continued, not sensing my fury. “I’m not asking for your help, sister. I simply want to warn you of what’s ahead. Two weeks from tonight, the final round of the tournament is scheduled to be held at the mansion. I know when, where, and I have my people in place to attack.”

“So, what’s the plan? Mow down anyone who won’t swear fealty to you?”

She tipped her head to one side. “I’m not really interested in fealty.”

I stared at her, my mouth open. “How can you be like this, Melanie? You think you can do a better job at leading the east, but really, you’re no different than Father.”

“You’re angry,” she replied, her tone cool and quiet. “I understand that, but trust me, Lacey. I know what I’m doing.”

“You should have stayed gone,” I said, my hands shaking. “It makes me sick to think of how many times I’ve wanted to find a way to reach out to you, just to see how you were, to find out what happened once you left. I used to lie awake wondering if you were happy. Wondering if maybe you were somewhere thinking about me too.”

My tongue was thick and I swallowed hard. We’d laughed together. Cried in one another’s arms as kids. There had been a time, one that didn’t feel all that long ago, when we’d shared everything. But staring at the soulless woman before me, I started to think that maybe it had been one-sided all along.

“I won’t shed another tear for you,” I promised, even around the lump in my throat. “All I want is to get Jupiter out of here. And Matthias, assuming he’s here somewhere too. Or, did your goons just leave him there on the grounds, unconscious, waiting for the sun to rise?”

Melanie laughed, the sound crisp, almost false. “Stars, no! Matthias is one of us,” she said, not batting an eye. “Of course, he will need to answer to me as to what possessed him to attack my men tonight. I’m sure he has a good reason. Or, at least, he’d better.”

The room spun, flying wildly out of control until I felt a bubble of nausea well up.

“You’re lying,” I hissed. “He would never go along with something like this!”

“I assure you, I’m telling the truth.” She stared at me, her eyes cool and impassive. “Why would I lie? What would be my motivation? I didn’t even realize your affection for the man until just now. He never mentioned it in our meetings.”

Somehow that stung worst of all.

“What does he do for you?” I demanded, my voice ice cold.

“His role is somewhat fluid.” Melanie paused to take a maddeningly casual sip of her water. “He mostly gathers information and reports on the inner workings of the Court. When he heard about this whole suitor mess, he volunteered to take on a more active role. We figured there would be things he could learn as someone on the inside of the games. Locations, timing. That kind of thing.”

The room was still spinning around me.

“Then, that first night, he happened to be with you at the time of the Ivan’s murder. It worked out perfectly, actually. He fell into the perfect position to be able to keep an eye on you.”

“And why did I need eyes on me?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“To keep you from running away,” Melanie replied, not missing a beat. “See, my plans revolve around this disgusting tournament, and if you left early, that would throw a wrench in my plans.”

I thought back to all the times I’d referred to Matthias as my babysitter. It had started off as a bitter remark but somewhere along the lines it had softened. Now, it tasted like ashes in my mouth. It had all been a lie. He’d been playing a role. The banter, shared laughter, conversations …

And what about the kiss?

None of it was real.

“Matthias will take you back to the mansion.”

I snapped back to reality. “I’m not going with Matthias!”

“Yes. You are.” Melanie’s eyes flashed.

My fangs locked into place as my lips curled back. I didn’t have any weapons on me and it was likely that she did, but I no longer cared. I wasn’t going to get a pat on the head and sent away like a dutiful hound dog. This was going to end one way or the other.

The door opened and Matthias stepped inside.