A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(45)

Acolyte?

They were the only sentries I knew who dressed that way…

I moved even closer, straining to hear their conversation.

“He’ll know!” Abelle was saying to the black hooded figure. “If I give her anymore, or make the dosage stronger, they’ll guess—one of the kitchen workers is already suspicious.”

The hooded figure was silent, his concealed face turning toward Abelle as she seemed to tremble in fear.

Are they talking about me?

Abelle was meant to be helping all the Acolyte-syphoning victims, but as far as I was aware, I was the only one that Abelle was giving remedies to on a regular basis.

“This isn’t a request, Abelle,” the cloaked figure replied. “If you don’t continue to weaken the girl, we will expose you—there will be no doubt as to what you truly are, and who you’ve been working for. I imagine Ashbik would be so very disappointed.”

“Please don’t,” Abelle replied. “I’ve done all that you have asked so far—”

“It is not enough!” the figure hissed.

I now had no doubt whatsoever that the figure was an Acolyte, and presumably Abelle had been working for them all this time—right under our noses.

“Fine! Fine…I will increase the dosage. They are leaving soon—I will slip something in her drink, something more potent.” Abelle hastened to reassure the Acolyte, clutching her robe around her as she started to slowly back away. Clearly she wanted out of the conversation, to be a million miles away from the cloaked figure.

“Make sure you do,” the Acolyte replied. “This is a personal vendetta of Queen Trina’s—if anything were to go wrong, the consequences would be severe.”

“What if Tejus questions me? What do I say?”

“That is not my concern. Say anything you want. It is too late for them all anyway, the entity will rise and their end shall come.”

“Then…then why am I doing this? What difference does it make?” Abelle trembled more obviously now, as if afraid of the wrath her questioning might elicit.

There was a long pause before the Acolyte replied. When he did, it was not with anger, but instead a satisfied purr.

“Queen Trina has particular plans for Hazel.”

My heart seemed to stop beating as my name rolled off the Acolyte’s tongue.

What plans?

Whatever they were, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Backing away silently, I obscured myself behind a thick-trunked tree, no longer able to hear their conversation clearly. A few moments later, the Acolyte took his leave from Abelle.

She hurried back in the direction of the lawn and the palace, moving swiftly for a woman of her size. I started to move toward her, intending to cut her off before she reached the palace.

Pure fury rushed, unchecked, through the veins in my body. Abelle was a traitorous coward, deceiving Ash so completely that he thought of her as a mother-like figure, and fooling the rest of us into thinking she was a kind, saving grace when we needed help the most.

Abelle halted mid-stride, hearing my approach. She glanced over in my direction, her face frozen in shock. I could see her wondering how much, if any, of the conversation I’d heard—not knowing whether to keep running, or stand and face me.

I didn’t give her the opportunity to run.

As soon as I was close enough, I let my hunger consume me, syphoning off Abelle as aggressively as I could. She yelled out in pain, clutching her head, and tried to reverse the effect. I gritted my teeth, knowing that my hunger was stronger—that my power was stronger. The more I sucked her energy, drinking thirstily of what she had to offer, the more she screamed.

Her knees buckled beneath her, and she fell onto the forest floor. I closed the gap between us, grabbing her arm so that I could completely eradicate any energy that might remain. I couldn’t let her get away and return to the Acolytes—better that when I faced Queen Trina she thought I was weak and powerless.

Soon she was a motionless heap, her breathing faint and labored.

I felt sick.

The image before me, Abelle’s crumpled body, reminded me of the nightmares I’d had when I first transformed into a sentry: helpless bodies lying at my feet while I felt all-powerful, bloated with their energy.

Shaking the recollections of the visions away, I hurried back to the palace. I wouldn’t be able to move Abelle on my own—guards would be needed to lift her, and then we could lock her up somewhere, preventing her from having any further contact with the Acolytes.

As I ran toward the kitchen, the first person I saw was Ruby. She watched me, looking surprised to see me running from the direction of the forest. She stopped what she was doing, stepping out into the garden.

“What’s happened?” she asked.

“Abelle…sh-she’s an Acolyte,” I panted, stopping short of entering the kitchen and lowering my head down to my knees to catch my breath.

“What?”

“I heard her in the forest. She was trying to weaken me with the potions—some personal vendetta of Queen Trina’s, apparently.”

Ruby groaned.

“Oh, God, this is all my fault…”

“It’s not—not at all. How were we to know? I trusted her as well, so did Ash. We all did!”

Regaining my breath, I stood upright, feeling Abelle’s energy starting to take effect. I felt good—unstoppable and ready for whatever lay ahead. I felt the last vestiges of the dulling effect from the potion start to weaken. About now I would usually be taking my second dose, which meant in a few hours, whatever Abelle had been feeding me would start to drain from my system...hopefully without any withdrawal affects.