Chapter 71

Night fell over the estate, and I left my room to get something to eat. There was no sense in a hunger strike now. I needed my strength to move forward with finding Francium, that vampire, and avenging Claire. The guilt still weighed on me, but as I was getting my mind clear enough to do something about it, I found it easier to push it aside.

My feelings about Candido were something different. His words still rattled around in my head. Fate and destiny, the decree of the Moon Goddess and all that. I thought I would never go back to doubting her existence. She’d led me to Candido and dropped me into this impossible situation.

The only good thing was that Sibyl would never be his wife, but it was hardly a conciliation prize.

“Where is he? I demand to see him!” It was Sibyl’s voice. I considered turning back to give her a piece of my mind, but I decided against it. I had bigger things to think about, more things to Sibyl showing up at the estate.

“His Majesty has—”

“I’m to be his wife! Get out of my way!”

I shook my head and didn’t bother to hurry away as her voice came closer, and the sound of the staff trying to stop her grew closer. I turned around as she rounded the corner. She was still wearing her wedding dress. Now that I looked at it, it looked a bit cheap. It had probably irritated her to no end to see me in a much more expensive dress.

“You!” Sibyl screeched before lunging at me.

My fury rose, and I turned just enough to avoid her. I followed after her and tackled her to the ground. She roared and tried to swipe me with her claws, but I dodged it and landed a solid punch to her face.

She howled in pain and I stood up, sneering down at her. “How dare you show your face here?”

It wasn’t enough that she and Norton had tried to manipulate Candido into this marriage. It wasn’t enough that she had been so terrible to me all these years. It wasn’t enough that she was sleeping with a vampire.

What would be enough?

I was tempted to kick her but I turned away. Sibyl screeched and scrambled to her feet. Her arms came around my neck. I rocked forward and threw her over my shoulder. She grabbed my hair and dragged me to the ground with her, rolling us over.

“Miss Hedy!” Someone yelled in fear nearby. I shoved the heel of my hand sharply into Sibyl’s face. She scratched me. I sunk my teeth into her hand until she bled and pulled back.

“What the hell?” Candido called down the hall as I got her down and beneath me and reared back to bash her face in.

His arm wrapped around my waist and hauled me off of her before my fist could connect to her face. He pushed me behind her and turned sharply.

“What is she doing here?” Candido asked sharply.

“Candido, you can’t just call off our wedding, think about—”

“Security!” He growled. A few men barreled towards us from somewhere in the house. “Take her out of my sight.”

“Candido—”

“She is not allowed in my home nor my territory.”

She gasped, “You can’t!”

“… you assaulted His Majesty’s ward,” a smooth voice said from nearby. I turned, and my heart lurched.

I didn’t recognize him. Knowing that the vampire could change his face, was he the vampire? I drew closer to Candido as my heart started to race. There was nothing about the man’s movements that were giving him away. There wasn’t even a little mocking smile on his face, but that meant nothing. Maybe he was just a good actor.

“It’s an offense punishable as he sees fit.”

Candido wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. I could smell his cologne, and a deep sense of safety went through me. It made my jaw tremble at how much I hated it and didn’t want to fall into it.

His scent pulled on everything in me and made me relax. The stress of the day seemed so heavy. I closed my eyes leaning into him.

Was this too much?

He stroked my hair. “Take her and whatever car she drove here outside of my territory.”

“But—”

“If you cross my borders, Sibyl, there will be more than the canceled wedding to worry about.”

His voice was cold. Sibyl grew pale, but she didn’t move. The two men took her by the arms and began to haul her out. She kicked and struggled, calling for Candido, but her voice faded away as they took her away.

“Who are you?” I asked, looking at the man.

The man turned and gave me a nervous smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hedy. I’m Colin. Allen is my uncle.”

I frowned, searching my memory to see if I had ever heard of Colin. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but he bore a pretty strong resemblance to Allen. Candido turned to him.

“Get the banishment decree together and have it distributed by the end of the night. I don’t want anyone waking up tomorrow under any misconceptions.”

He nodded sharply and bowed. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

He hurried to turn before pausing and turning back. “Your Majesty… if I may?”

“What is it?”

He winced. “About Miss Hedy and the temple. Do you have a statement ready for the press about the canceled wedding? My uncle left it as something to ask you about.”

Candido said nothing for a moment. I turned, ready to leave. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say. I pulled away from him, but he tightened his grip on me, keeping me trapped against him.

“You don’t need to worry about that for now.”

Colin nodded and hurried off. I looked up at him, wondering what he meant by that.

“Are you okay, Hedy?” Candido asked, cupping my face. “Are you hurt?”

I stared up at him, unable to say anything. I wanted to, but the sting of his rejection, the embarrassment of him leaving me alone in his office after kissing me like that, made me pull back and turn away from him. I almost cried at the loss of warmth and comfort, but I couldn’t let myself fall into it.

I couldn’t give in.

He tried to wrap his arms around me again, but I pulled away from him, pushing at his chest and walking away from him.

“Hedy, wait—” he tried to catch my hand, and I pulled away from him.

I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t have space in my heart to talk to him or listen to all of his reasons. Besides, I needed to focus on something else. Anything else.

He let me go that time with a frustrated sigh, but I didn’t turn back. I just headed up to my room without a word. My stomach growled as I closed the door, and I groaned, remembering why I had left my room in the first place.

I was hungry and if I didn’t eat soon, I was going to lose focus.

With another sigh, I headed back down to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. There was the faintest scent of chocolate in the air. A little thrill went through me. I had no greater weakness than chocolate.

My jaw trembled as I recognized the scent.

Someone was making brownies.

When I was younger, Claire and I would help the kitchen staff make brownies. It had been the last thing we’d made together before she moved on campus. My eyes burn with tears. I felt them welling up and sliding down my face as I sunk into a chair near the oven.

I’d never make brownies with her again. I’d never see her again, and it was my fault. If I’d just figured out how to get into the tunnels. If I had made sure that she stayed away from Francium.

If I hadn’t pushed them together so hard, she’d still be here. I just didn’t understand what Francium could have been offered to kill Claire. Surely, he knew that there was a punishment for killing your own mate, didn’t he?

I sniffled, shaking my head. It didn’t matter if he knew, it only mattered if he would be brought to justice. But I wasn’t even sure if I could get justice for her.

I had no leads about where Francium could be or what the vampire who ordered him to kill Claire could be either. Even if I could get into the tunnels beneath the school, I had no way of knowing where they led or if they

I hung my head, resting my face in my hands, unable to speak.

“Hedy?”

I lifted my head to see Candido coming into the kitchen.