Her office? Am I in trouble? Is it because I broke the wine glass? Does she think my blood tastes bad? Is that even a thing?
Could she befiringme? That’s the only reason she would ask me to her office, isn’t it?
My thought spiral as I hurry deeper into the mansion, trying to find the offices. I wish desperately that I could talk to Eloise, to ask her what’s going on. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. I just don’t understand what’s expected of me here. I didn’t even know that vampires had fangs like that, or that they could heal wounds by licking them…
I didn’t know…that they were the waysheis…that they have the power to make your heart stop, or flutter…or to cause this agonizing ache in my stomach…
My head is spinning by the time I come to the end of the east hallway. At least I hope it’s the east hallway. I’m trembling so badly it’s a miracle I’m still on my feet, especially on these heels that I’m not used to wearing.
There are two doors at the end of the hallway: but did she say theleft, or the right? Usually I’m much more calm under pressure, but her presence made me flustered, and I can’t remember what she said. The door to the left says “Xavian Night” in gleaming brass letters. Isn’t that the vampire who’s dead? Or…is gone, I guess? I don’t know what it’s called when they don’t exist anymore. Do they turn to ash? Is that just in movies?
Focus, Paige.
The door opposite to it says “Roslyn Night.” That must be her’s. It’s slightly ajar, and I can hear soft voices from inside. I pause. I shouldn’t go in, right? Not if there’s someone already in there?
I bend my head, and hear a little of their conversation.
“Completelyunprecedented!” says a low, furious voice. “How could she have justswoopedin and assumed she’s taking over!”
“We should have expected this,” mutters a second voice, a little higher, but just as angry. It sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. “Xavian was bound to get staked in his ridiculous crusade with Tudor. The Crimson Stake was probably waiting for it to happen, so she could finally grasp his power for herself.”
“We have to eliminate her, immediately,” replies the other voice. “Before she can cement her position. If we convince enough vampires to join us, perhaps we could force a Winter strike…”
“No. It’s too risky. If she gets wind that we’re plotting something like that, she’ll stake us both in our coffins. We need something…more subtle. More immediate.”
There’s a pause. I look anxiously up and down the hallway, unsure of what to do. I don’t want to go into the other vampire’s office, uninvited. But I don’t want to go in this one either. It’s clear that whoever’s in there is plotting something bad, and I don’t want to have any part in it. Can I run? Do I dare?
Then a sharp gasp distracts me. It’s the first vampire. He hisses, “How did you get it?”
“A witch owed me a favour,” the second vampire says, in a self-satisfied tone. “If Crimson drinks this, she’ll be weakened. It’s temporary, but if we’re quick enough, we should be able to…”
“Wait,” snaps the first vampire. “Do you hear that?”
Suddenly, the door to the office swings open. Fear courses through my veins. A vampire stands before me, one that I recognize from thelounge. He has short, dark hair, pale skin, and the same horrifying grey eyes as the vampire who commanded me to come here.
Before I can move or speak, he grabs me by the front of my dress and pulls me into the office, slamming the door shut behind us. I scream, but I’m so deep inside the mansion, I don’t know if anyone can even hear me.
“What are you doing here?” he demands angrily, his bright eyes clouded with red.
“The…the other vampire sent me!” I stutter, squirming in his viselike grip. I know I have no chance of escape, but the instinct is impossible to override.
“Who? Roslyn Night?”
“I…the one with short hair…”
“And eyes like mine?”
“Y-yes!”
The vampire grimaces, and tosses me carelessly to the ground. The office is large, plushly carpeted like the other rooms of the mansion, thankfully. Still, I cower before him in fear.
“How much did you hear?” he demands.
I inhale shakily. This is it. This is how I die. “Please,” I beg, tears rising in my eyes. I know that I’ve overheard their plot, and although I don’t understand it, it’s clearly nefarious. “I didn’t hear anything! Let me go, and you’ll never see me again. I promise…”
“We have to drain her,” he snarls, his eyes narrowing maliciously. “She obviously heard…”
“Wait,” says the other voice.
