A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(46)

“I can’t believe this. Maybe she was the traitor who informed the Acolytes we’d be at the castle? It’s the last person I would have expected!”

“I know,” I replied. “I had my misgivings about Ragnhild, but not her.”

Ruby’s face fell, turning a shade whiter.

“The villagers,” she murmured. “When we first saw them in that barn…do you think she was about to do something to them? Before we arrived?”

I hadn’t even thought about that. I recalled how the villagers had been so afraid, all huddled in the one barn as if they’d been herded there…and Abelle appearing, as if from nowhere, totally unafraid. What had we stopped? Was it the sacrifice that the human children were now paying for?

“It’s entirely possible,” I whispered.

“Where is she now?” Ruby asked.

“She’s back in the forest—she won’t be going anywhere for a while, but we need to get some guards to pick her up and lock her away somewhere safe. I don’t want her getting to Queen Trina.”

“I’ll go and speak to them—and Ash will need to know. Wait here.”

Ruby rushed off through the kitchen doors. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had started to feel the hunger rearing up when faced with Ruby’s potent energy, one hundred times more enticing than Abelle’s had been. I would need to be careful today, surrounded by Benedict and my friends as we marched to the Seraq kingdom. Very careful.





Tejus





The messenger swooped down, landing on the lawn, and swiftly disembarked. His face looked grave.

“What?” I asked impatiently. I had sent him and a few others off to inform the rest of the kingdoms of our plan, and that we would require their assistance. Most of the messengers had taken too long to return… It didn’t bode well.

“I left them deliberating. Corithos has taken over the Hadalix kingdom, unlawfully, but his subjects aren’t voicing any objections. I’m afraid I have no firm answer for you.”

I nodded, dismissing the messenger. Corithos was Hadalix’s son. I had known him as an unruly, spoiled brat who spent most of his time hunting for sport, and had never shown any interest in taking up his father’s throne. I could only hope that the boy had come to his senses, and that his father’s name wouldn’t be shamed in the forthcoming days.

We had only moments before we were due to march on the Seraq kingdom, and I was still waiting to hear whether the Memenion and Thraxus kingdoms would be supporting us. The Demzred kingdom had replied instantly, but the messenger reported that their army was small—they had been hit badly by the earthquake, little of the castle surviving, and King Dellian Demzred, who had failed the first imperial trial by failing to kill his hallucination, was now on his death bed, having fought off an attack by his own mutinous villagers.

“Have you heard from Queen Memenion?” Ash approached, his gaze fixed on the starlit night that would be rapidly approaching dawn.

“Not yet.”

Ash nodded bleakly. We both knew that Queen Memenion would be leading the strongest force, made up of not just her own sentries, but those from the Hellswan kingdom who had needed aid.

“Has Abelle been secured?” I asked.

“In one of the towers. There’s little we can do against the Acolytes if they choose to rescue her though. Do you think we should take her with us?”

“I’m not sure. I thought so at first. But I doubt they’ll guess we’ve discovered her, and if this sacrifice is going ahead, then their attention will be diverted elsewhere. I think it’s safer to leave her here. Or kill her.”

I knew which option I would have preferred.

“We might need her for information,” Ash replied quickly—too quickly.

I turned to look at him.

“Ash?” I questioned, my rebuke silent.

“I can’t, Tejus,” he replied quietly. “Not till I’ve had an opportunity to question her. I need to know how long it’s been going on for—how long she’s been betraying us all.”

“Betraying you, you mean.”

I tried to keep my temper in check. I understood what he was going through—I had experienced the same rush of conflicting emotions when Varga had been revealed as one of the Acolytes, but then Varga hadn’t directly harmed anyone I’d loved.

“What if it was reversed?” I asked. “What if it was Ruby who had been taking that potion instead of Hazel?”

Ash was silent.

Grinding my teeth in agitation, I started to walk back to the palace. I needed to do something, anything, rather than let my anger at Ash overflow. Combined with my frustration on the lack of support we seemed to be getting from the rest of the kingdoms, my mood was tense and restless. I had already made up my mind as to the consequences Abelle would face if we survived the day—but Ash didn’t need to know that. I only hoped he could see the irony of him questioning me on my ability to end the life of Queen Trina when he was unwilling to do the same with Abelle.

Hazel met me at the door. She jumped back a little at my approach, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked pale, and slightly jittery. Her eyes darted too quickly, surveying the landscape behind me, while seeming hyper-alert to my presence.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, wondering if she would tell me the truth.