A weakness.
It’s disconcerting. The Mother looks like she wants to say something, probably to rebuke me for not hiding my emotions better, but she holds her tongue.
“Are you expecting anyone?” she asks instead.
I shake my head.
“It could be Hestin,” I say as an afterthought, although I know it’s not him. I’d recognise the sound of his car’s engine. “Whoever it is, they’re not alone.”
I dart to the door, pulling it open. There’s no point waiting for them to knock. They are hardly trying for the element of surprise, and I don’t have time to waste on the niceties of pretending to be human. I need to deal with this quickly so I can talk to Farah.
And probably shout at the Mother. It’s not something I’ve ever really done, but god, do I want to. I’m furious with her for suggesting that Farah take Kirdem’s place. For one thing, I do not want Farah hundreds of miles away from me, and for another, Kirdem was just murdered.
I will not allow anyone to put Farah in danger. I’ve already done that enough myself for one lifetime.
“What are you doing here?” I demand as soon as I have the door open.
“The Mother is here?” Malfas asks, striding past me into my house. Damn his entitled arse.
His mate, Caelia, at least gives me a polite nod. “Hello Everette.”
“Caelia,” I greet her between gritted teeth.
Malfas bows to the Mother, completely ignoring me. He prides himself on being older than me, not that his age means very much. Other than Kirdem, I’ve always been the Mother’s favourite.
“You should be in Wales, Malfas,” the Mother says coldly.
“As we were,” Malfas tells her, “when we were attacked.”
That catches my attention. Neither of the vampires in front of me looks particularly hurt.
“By whom?” I demand.
“No idea. But after Kirdem died, I…” He hesitates. “I wanted to check that I still had your support, Mother.”
The implication is glaringly obvious and the Mother’s eyes darken with fury.
“Are you trying to suggest that I had Kirdem killed?” Her voice is deadly quiet, and I’m surprised Malfas isn’t cowering in his boots. He should be.
“O-of course not. I just…” He steps back nervously, causing the side table behind him to bang lightly against the wall. The vase sitting on the table drops to the ground with a crash. I watch it fall, knowing that I should catch it. Sybil will be so disappointed. She’s always liked that vase.
But I’m unwilling to move from my position. I’m standing close to the stairs, blocking Malfas and Caelia’s access to Farah. Not that it’s necessary.
“Malfas,” Caelia murmurs a warning. She’s probably the only reason the Mother has kept him alive for the last eight hundred years. “We wanted to see if we might have any information that could assist you in your search for Kirdem’s killer. In case there is a pattern.”
“You fear rebellion too?” the Mother asks, her eyes sharp as they land on Caelia.
“It was a vampire that attacked us,” Caelia says slowly, meeting the Mother’s eyes with surprising confidence, “so either we’ve lost your favour, or someone else is trying to pick off the elite.”
“Or it could be random,” Malfas adds with a shrug.
Caelia shakes her head. “I do not think so. A random, unmeditated attack would never bring Kirdem down and we were lucky to get away.”
Malfas glowers at his mate and I can easily imagine that his pride is hurt at the insinuation that he had nearly failed to protect not only his seat in Wales but his mate.
“Well, it would seem we have much to talk about,” the Mother remarks. “I don’t suppose you can have Sybil bring us some blood, Everette. It would seem your brother and sister have had an awful shock.”
With a nod of my head, I pull out my phone and send Sybil a quick text message. My eyes linger on the stairs before I lead them into the living room. I’m not ready for Farah to meet Malfas and Caelia, but I don’t like the idea of her cowering in a corner scared.
I try to push my concern from my mind as I settle onto one of the chesterfield sofas near the fireplace. I have a job to do. Then I can give Farah my undivided attention.
CHAPTER FIVE
Everette
“I wonder who will show up next,” I mutter sarcastically. “Perhaps the Spanish royal. I’ve not seen Breya in a long time.”
The Mother gives me a little smirk. She knows why I’m impatient and apparently, she finds it entertaining.
“We saw Breya last month,” Malfas says gruffly, missing my sarcasm entirely.
Breya and I have never been friends. Breya is the sort of royal that takes for granted the privileges of our position. The humans in her charge do not live long, healthy lives. She’s far too vicious for that. I might not like the idea of Malfas and Caelia near Farah, but I’d kill Breya before letting her into this house while Farah is in residence.
There’s a quiet knock at the door and then Sybil is entering with a tray. Four crystal glasses of crimson liquid sit on the tray and she puts them in front of us all on the coffee table, before turning to me.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“No thank you, Sybil.” I consider asking her to check on Farah but that would probably lead to questions. I’m not ready for Malfas and Caelia to know about Farah. Of course, if they’re planning on staying, I’ll have no choice but to introduce her, but I’m about to do that prematurely.
None of us speak, not until the door clicks shut behind Sybil and we hear her walk down the hall. Even then the Mother’s voice is low when she
