redith.
I drew in a sharp breath. "What are you trying to say?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "Do you hate her or sothing?"
Valmora didn’t reply imdiately. A pause stretched between us like an invisible thread.
"Don’t worry," she finally said, her tone unsettlingly calm, "in due ti, you will see."
My jaw tightened. I shrugged off the unease her words brought, brushing it away like a fly buzzing too close to my ear. But the truth was, her cryptic tone had settled beneath my skin, coiling tightly in my chest.
Then, as if flipping a switch, she changed the subject.
"We need to start training again. There’s no ti."
I rolled my eyes internally and nearly groaned aloud. Just hearing the word training made my muscles ache. "You’ve got to be kidding ," I muttered.
"I don’t think we even have a lot of ti before the first war happens," Valmora went on, ignoring my exhaustion. "You should be able to take on a vampire by yourself, redith."
A short laugh escaped my lips. "Do you tell jokes for a living now? Is that your new profession?"
"I’m not joking."
Her voice was firm, unbending.
I stopped laughing. "Valmora," I said, already feeling the weight of her expectations press against my ribs, "at this rate, you’re going to get both of us killed."
"I won’t let that happen."
There she goes again.
I exhaled slowly and rubbed my temple. "Right. Of course you won’t."
But then she dropped a bomb.
"A few vampires are coming tonight."
I straightened imdiately on the bench. "What? Where?"
"Here."
My stomach flipped. "You’re just telling this now?" My voice pitched in disbelief. "Draven should know about this!"
"The most important thing," she said dryly, "is that I’ve passed the information to you. Do with it as you please."
Her detachnt made my heart thud faster in my chest.
No longer calm, I rose to my feet in one swift motion—only to hear the sound of hurried steps and breathless giggles heading my way.
I turned.
Xamira ca running up the slope of the garden with her little fingers pinched together. Kira and Deidra were trailing behind, panting slightly from trying to keep up.
"I caught a butterfly!" she squealed, extending her hand proudly.
I forced a smile. My heart hadn’t cald, but I didn’t want her to see it.
"It’s beautiful," I said, bending slightly to peer at the delicate creature struggling between her fingertips.
"I know," she replied brightly.
"What are you going to do with it?" I asked her gently. "Will you set it free? Or... play with it?"
She giggled again. "I will set it free later. I want to take it to my room first."
I nodded and gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. "Alright, then. Let’s head inside."
We began our walk back to the house—Xamira skipping ahead, Deidra and Kira flanking us again, and my thoughts already racing ahead of my steps.
As we entered the hallway, I quietly pulled out my phone. My thumb tapped against the screen until I found Draven’s contact.
I pressed the call button, waiting only a second before he answered.
"Are you free now?" I asked, skipping pleasantries. "I want to have a word with you."
"I’m in my bedroom," he said.
"I’m on my way," I replied and ended the call.
---
I guided Xamira up to her room on the second floor.
Her nanny opened the door before I could knock, her expression softening with gratitude at the sight of Xamira smiling.
"I will leave her with you now," I said.
"Yes, my lady," the nanny replied with a respectful nod as she gently led the child into the room.
I watched Xamira’s back for a second longer than I intended, then turned and climbed the stairs to the third floor, tension coiling in my chest with every step.
As I reached the hallway outside Draven’s bedroom, I turned to Kira and Deidra.
"Wait for in my chambers," I said.
They nodded silently and stepped away from .
I turned to Draven’s door and knocked. It didn’t take long before I heard the familiar sound of the lock clicking open.
Draven stood there, tall and composed as always, his black shirt rolled at the sleeves, a faint shadow beneath his eyes betraying the stress he hid so well.
His gaze t mine. "Co in," he said simply.
I stepped inside, nerves fluttering beneath my skin. The door closed behind , sealing us in.
"There’s going to be a vampire attack tonight," I said, skipping any pleasantries.
Draven’s brow creased lightly. "How do you know?"
I hesitated. I hadn’t planned this far. I hadn’t decided whether to lie or tell him the truth. "I can... feel it."
He stared at deeply. Too deeply.
Then, without any change in his tone, he said, "You’re lying."
I sighed. Of course, he would know.
But there and then, I decided that there was no point in playing gas. Not with him. Not now. Not after all, we had just begun to nd between us.
"Fine," I said. "It’s my wolf."
A brief silence followed.
Draven didn’t blink. He just watched with an unreadable expression. Then, finally, he spoke.
"When do I get to et her?"
I swallowed. "After you catch the vampires."
Another stretch of silence passed, but this ti, he nodded. Just once. An agreent. Whatever it was, it eased sothing in my chest.
"I sensed it too," he said quietly, "that they’re coming tonight."
I blinked. "You did?"
Draven moved away from the door and crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps, his hands folding behind his back.
"A few weeks ago," he continued, "I caught a vampire’s scent along the northern fence."
I stared at him in disbelief. "They’ve been watching the estate?"
He nodded again. Calm. Steady.
"And you never thought to tell ?" I asked, incredulous.
His gaze returned to mine. "There wasn’t anything to report at the ti. I wanted to confirm it."
I pressed a hand to my temple, anxiety churning inside . "Draven... you need to tighten security. Deploy every guard you have. We can’t afford to let them get close."
He said nothing.
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