very ancient vampires divided themselves into houses at one time, and a queen ran each house. As time went on, after many betrayals, murders, and slayings, the houses dissolved. Vampires became more independent in many ways. But the queens still have great power, and they wield it. Queen Jade is originally from the Himalayan Mountains, north of China. She has lived in England for hundreds of years.”
Ophelia nodded, drinking in every detail.
“She is queen of a lesser house,” Lady Brookshire continued. “If she demanded your power, it is probably because she wants to be stronger.”
“I can’t let her get it from Ravenhunt. The woman is ruthless—” She hesitated. “If vampire slayers know about the queens and their power, why do you not destroy them?”
“There is a long history of vampire slayers making deals with the queens.”
“Isn’t that wrong?”
“Not all slayers believed vampires should be completely eradicated. We can live together.”
“Is that really possible?” Ophelia stopped. “I am so sorry. I forgot that you and your husband are vampires. I did not mean any offense.”
Lady Brookshire smiled. “I am accustomed to it. Your doubt is quite understandable. But remember, any mortal can choose to be a threat to other mortals. Any human can become a murderer. In the same way, a vampire can choose not to be a predator and respect human life.”
“Ravenhunt didn’t.” She bit her lip. Did that not say he should be destroyed? Yet in her heart she didn’t want to believe that.
“I believe he has changed. Slayers watch the vampires. Ravenhunt has been changing his ways, and he has only chosen the worst of human society to feed upon. He drinks from men who prey on weaker people such as women and children. And he has ensured he left them alive. I suspect he has changed for you.”
“But why?” she asked.
“Perhaps love?”
Ophelia jerked in shock. She had thought a lot about whether she loved Ravenhunt. She had not really thought about whether he loved her. What was wrong with her? Most women in love thought of nothing else.
Did he care for her? He hadn’t wanted her to die when he took her power.
But that wasn’t quite a declaration of undying love.
“You think we can bargain with this woman, Jade, for Ravenhunt’s life,” she said to Lady Brookshire.
“You must show her all the respect you would show England’s royalty. They require it, and when they are angry there is always hell to pay. But yes, I believe we can. I also believe love can spare him. I know so many it has saved. He was the Marquis of Ravenhunt, was he not?”
Ophelia nodded. “He must have kept the name when he became a vampire, instead of his actual surname.”
“It is Rollingsworth. For his Christian name, we do have a Burke’s Peerage.”
Most young ladies knew the surnames of English peers, but once she had been cloistered away from the world, she had no longer been treated as normal. Why would she have to know it, as she would never be out in Society and would never marry?
Ravenhunt hadn’t told her his true name. He had required her love, but he had not even been willing to give her his name. Had he intended to embrace destruction all along?
As they reached a set of white double doors, one opened. Mr. Sebastian de Wynter stepped out, a crossbow held casually at his hip. His golden hair was loose, and fell to his shoulders. “Our evil queen Jade has acquired three buildings,” he drawled. “She resides in a new town house on the outskirts of Mayfair, owns a lavish estate in the country, and operates a brothel in the stews. As you know, my dear sister-by-marriage, many brothels are owned by the vampire queens.”
Lady Brookshire did not even blush. “Indeed, I do know that. Now, which one will she use? Do you have any clues, Ophelia?”
She remembered everything Ravenhunt had said about Jade.
“Very logical,” Mr. de Wynter praised.
“She would want somewhere she could quickly transport a mortal,” Lady Brookshire said.
Ophelia knew quite a lot about prisons. She had been kept prisoner in her house for years, then as one at Mrs. Darkwell’s. “I think Jade would take him back to the prison he had once lived in,” she said. “To teach him a lesson. I think she would have taken him to—”
She and Lady Brookshire said, at the exact moment, “The Mayfair house.”
“We think she will be using the Mayfair house.” Panting, Harry ran out into the hall, from the same door as Sebastian de Wynter.
Harry had a crossbow, held in a more ready position. Lord Brookshire followed Harry.
“The ladies have already figured that out,” de Wynter said respectfully.
But Ophelia felt a pang of doubt. She had never led anyone anywhere. “I know each second counts. What if I am wrong, Lady Brookshire?”
Lady Brookshire took her hand. “Believe in yourself, my dear. I suspect that is hard for you to do. It took me time to do so, and I was trained as a vampire slayer. I had to learn where I belonged. You told me you were kept a prisoner. Unfortunately, all along, you’ve believed you deserved such treatment. You do not. Look to your heart and your soul, and you will know what to do.”
How could she know from her heart and soul? Anything would be only a guess—
No, from what Raven had told her, she was convinced it was right. She believed in herself.
Lady Brookshire’s eyes twinkled. “You must call me Althea. All my very good friends do.”
“Thank you, Althea. And you are right. I do feel certain about this,” she said firmly.
“If you believe you are correct, that is enough for me,” Lord Brookshire said.
A footman ran up to them, breathing hard, his wig askew. “My lord, your carriage is waiting.”
“Come.” Sebastian de Wynter put his arm across Ophelia’s shoulders and gently turned her in the direction of the foyer. “Let us rescue Ravenhunt and his sister.”
But Harry grasped her hand. “Ophelia, do you care for Ravenhunt? Even though he took you prisoner?”
She nodded. “I love him.” She touched her brother’s arm. “You mustn’t destroy him. He is not bad. He’s changed. You don’t have to take just my word for it. Lady Brookshire is convinced he has.”
“He was bitter and angry,” Harry said. “He assassinated vampires, preying on them as he did on mortals. For that, the Royal Society let him live. It was advantageous to them to. But Frederica—his sister—believed he had changed after his fiancee died.”
“He was engaged?”
“Before he became a soldier. According to Frederica, he was madly in love with Lady Margaret Primworth, but she died, and he went off searching for battles.”
Heavens. That was why he had become a soldier. That was what he’d wanted to forget: losing the woman he loved.
Was that why he was willing to be destroyed now? Was he still in love with Lady Margaret? Jade had kept him from ever reuniting with his lost love, even in the afterlife, by giving him immortality.
Ravenhunt had been kept here as a prisoner. He had been forced to do this woman’s bidding. He had been forced to kill for her.
Ophelia’s heart clenched as she alighted from the carriage. They had stopped at the end of the street on which Queen Jade had her house. As they gathered in the shadows—Althea, Brookshire, de Wynter, her brother, and her—Ophelia peered down the block. The block consisted of a row of new townhomes. The fronts were of white stone, the windows clean, the railings freshly painted black.
Lord Brookshire, tall and blond, rested his crossbow on his broad shoulder. His black greatcoat snapped around his legs, lifted by the breeze. “This is how we will get into the house. Jade will have it heavily guarded and her servants will be both mortal and vampire. She no longer needs anything from you, Ophelia, which puts you in danger when you go in.”
