Vampire Girl(52)

"Where's his body?" I ask as Ace guides the boat to dock near the castle.

"In a mausoleum behind the castle," Fen says.

We hike around the fortress in the dead of night with no moonlight to guide us. Princes of hell might have great eyesight in the dark, but I'm having a hard time seeing.

Baron seems to be the only one concerned about my ability to hike in the darkness, and he stands by my side to help guide me. I give him a pat on the head for his attention.

Blue light shines in the distance. As we near, I realize they are blue orbs hovering around the mausoleum. It is a giant structure of gray stone, decorated with carvings of battles and parties and a man resembling the one I had seen in a painting. Tall, broad shouldered, his face hard, his presence regal. Lucien.

Ace glances at the picture of his father. Fen does not. The door is shut, and he pulls the stone slab open, his muscles bulging under his dark leather coat.

Stale air escapes, filling my lungs with the dust of the dead. I choke on it, then take a few deep breaths of clean air before joining Ace and Fen inside.

It's a small room, lit with blue light. An ornate bust of Lucian rests on a marble pillar in the center. "Where's the coffin?" I ask, looking around.

Fen points to the bust. "Below."

Ace sighs and opens the large bag he's been carrying. He pulls out two wickedly sharp pick axes. "That's why I brought these." He tosses one to Fen who grabs if from the air effortlessly. "Get to digging, brother."

Baron and I are chased from the room by dust and the sound of marble shattering, as Ace and Fen destroy the bust and platform to get to the coffin.

I sit where Fen can see me, at his insistence, just outside the mausoleum, my back leaning against the cool stone. Baron lays his head on my lap, and we both try to ignore the noise.

It seems to take hours. Fen and Ace are both sweaty and dirty by the time they are done.

I stand and stretch, dusting plaster off my body in vain. I look down the hole they created. "How will you get it out?" I ask.

They dug a space around the casket. Both men jump into the hole and grab the lid.

"Together?" asks Ace.

"Together."

They push open the casket, and the lid clatters to the ground.

"Shit," Fen says, looking inside.

I move closer to see and then gag and pull away. "What happened to him?" His body is a blackened shriveled up lump. Nothing resembling a man remains.

"Someone has defiled his body," Ace says, frowning. "We'll never get any answers from him now."

Fen slams his fist on the side of the casket. "Who ever did this knew we were coming."

Ace's eyes go wide. "Wait. You think it was me?"

"No." Fen grabs the lid and covers the casket once again. "But it was someone on the High Council."

Realization dawns on Ace's face. "You think the vote tipped them off. They knew we'd come here even without permission. At least, they suspected."

Fen clasps his brother's shoulder. "Arianna cannot stay with each prince. It is not safe."

"But the contract... no. You're right. We'll find a way."

"What does this mean?" I ask.

"It means you are in more danger than we realized," says Fen. "Tomorrow night we'll head back to your world. In the meantime, keep your guards and Baron close. I need to have a chat with my brothers privately."

"Don't do anything stupid," I say.

He smiles, but it's a smile full of menace. "They are the ones who should be worried."



I spend the next day working on my sword, which is nearly done thanks to Kayla's help. And that night, Fen keeps his promise and takes me home.

It doesn't take long for the boat to arrive at the magic mirror that will whisk us back to the mansion. I'm excited to see my friends but the worry that weighs on Fen also effects me. There are too many unknowns, too many dangers: the Fae who tried to kidnap me, a killer amongst the princes. All of it is tied to my mother's fate. Still, I try to let it all go for a few hours so I can enjoy my time in my world. "How will I explain who you are to my friends?"

"A business acquaintance?" he suggests.

"Who insists on being with me every single moment of my very personal visit to see my dying mother and visit my best friends?"

He frowns. "What do you suggest?"

"You'll have to pretend to be my boyfriend," I say.

He doesn't reply, but I know I have him.

Baron isn't happy we are leaving without him, but how could we possibly explain a giant white wolf with us? He is much too wolfy to pass as a Husky or mix. So we leave him at Stonehill and promise to be back soon. I only get half a day—or a night rather, but I'm going to make the most of it.