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Kade
“I NEED TO SEE CAROLINE.”
“What’s the secret password?” A redheaded man on Caroline’s ship asked me, staring me down.
I held his gaze as I firmly said, “Kill Sebastian.”
Though there was still a look of suspicion behind his brown eyes, he moved away, allowing me to climb aboard.
“Where is Caroline?” I asked, glancing around.
“Right here,” her familiar voice said from behind me. “Please come and speak to me in private.”
I followed her across the ship and into the captain’s quarters.
Closing the door behind us, she turned to me, anxious for an update. “Well?”
“Sebastian and Alessandra got married a couple of hours ago,” I told her.
“They really moved along quickly on the marriage front, didn’t they?” she noted.
I nodded. “Yes. Alessandra insisted on moving the wedding up so that you won’t be able to take control of the coven now.”
It was, quite possibly, one of the best things Alessandra could have done. As much as I hated the idea of having Alessandra as Queen, I hated the idea of Caroline being Queen even more.
“What do you mean so that I ‘won’t be able to take control of the coven now’?” Caroline asked. “What would Alessandra and Sebastian marrying have anything to do with it?”
“It says in the Stark Coven Doctrine that you can’t become Queen if they get married.”
“No. It doesn’t,” she replied matter-of-factly.
“That’s what Alessandra said,” I insisted.
“Well, Alessandra is wrong. I have studied that doctrine for years now. I know it like the back of my hand. It does not state that the marriage will give them the upper hand.” Caroline’s eyes locked on mine. “Poor Sebastian. He was played like a fool.”
“So it would seem,” I murmured. Her words had made my stomach drop. I should have known Alessandra had been lying. Why hadn’t Sebastian been smart enough to read that damn doctrine?
Because my brother was too trusting, too gullible. He always just chewed up and swallowed anything he was fed. It was pathetic.
And it also made me realize how unfit he was to rule our coven. The Stark would have been better off with anyone other than Sebastian. That only led to another realization.
It didn’t matter how I felt about my brother. I needed to push all of those feelings aside.
If I cared at all about the Stark Coven, about our legacy, about my father, then I needed to do whatever it took to become the next King.
“I know what Alessandra’s next step will be,” Caroline went on, pulling me out of my own thoughts. “She’s going to insist we hold an election.”
“She did mention an election,” I recalled.
My aunt nodded. “That’s what I was expecting. I’ll go along with it. I’ll pretend to have this election, but in the meantime, we’ll be planning our own course of action.” Her eyes met mine. “We’ll figure out a way to attack Sebastian without him even realizing what will hit him. I’ll need your help, of course.”
“Of course.” I paused. “One of the vampires from our coven mentioned that Sebastian’s going away for a few days, to search for my father.”
“Has he left yet?” Caroline asked.
I shook my head. “No. He’s about to leave soon, though.”
“I was afraid of that,” she murmured with a sigh. Then her eyes flicked over to meet mine. It was clear that an idea had come to her. “You should go with him.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Me? Go with him?” I chuckled. “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
“Just hear me out. If you go with him, you can try to steer him in the wrong direction—prevent him from actually finding your father.”
“Why would I do that?” I asked.
“If your father comes back, it means he will become King of the Stark Coven again. Is that really what you want? To live under your father’s rule?” She asked me pointedly.
I thought about it for a moment. As much as I wouldn’t have minded seeing my father again, she was right. I would have rather left our coven completely than live under my father’s rule again.
“No, it’s not what I want,” I admitted.
“Very well. Then you will go with Sebastian. And you will report back to me when you return home,” Caroline replied.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you for being so cooperative, Kade. In fact, there’s something I’d like to do for you.”
“Oh?” I was unable to hide my intrigue.
“I hear that your brother has temporarily discontinued auctions,” my aunt said.
“Yeah, he has.”
“That’s such a shame.” She shook her head sadly. “We’ve just gotten our newest arrivals. I’d like for you to choose one of them for yourself.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I already have a harem of my own.”
“I’m certain. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.”
“Well... if you insist.”
“I do.” She smiled. “Come with me.”
“Okay.” I shot her a smile and then followed her out the door we had come in through.
I followed my aunt across the ship and to a ladder that led to the upper deck.
Once we’d climbed up it, I spotted the slaves she’d spoken of.
There were twelve of them—all girls who wore identical light blue dresses. They were all handcuffed, their feet were chained, and they wore numbered tags from their necks.
Some of them were sitting on the floor, while others were standing against the rail of the ship.
A man stood in guard of them.
“Well?” Caroline asked, glancing over at me. “Do you see any you might like?”
“I think I need a closer look,” I replied. I could barely smell any of them from where I stood. Of course, I smelled human blood, but I couldn’t make out any individual scents.
I took a few steps closer and looked each girl up and down. The first girl who stood in line was a pretty blonde. She had fair skin, gray eyes, and a shapeless body.
Leaning in closer, I inhaled her scent and then immediately wrinkled my nose.
Too salty. I liked them sweet.
I walked to the next girl and then the next, comparing each of their scents. All of the girls stared back at me with an incredible look of fear in their eyes. I wasn’t sure if they knew what I was or if it was the fact they’d been taken prisoner scared them the most.
As I reached the end of the line, I spotted one more slave who I somehow hadn’t noticed before. She was standing a few feet away from the others. Her back was turned as she stared out at the ocean below.
There was something different about her, something that made her stand out from all the rest—something that just let me know I had to have her.
I turned to Caroline. “That’s the one I want.”
My aunt stared back at me, confused. “Are you certain? You haven’t even seen her face yet.”
“I’m certain,” I replied firmly.
“Brutus, please unchain Number Thirteen,” Caroline commanded.
“Yes, ma’am,” the man replied as he walked over to her. He pulled out a set of keys and began to undo the chains that bound her feet together.
“You’re lucky, Thirteen,” my aunt said to the girl. “You’ve been chosen by a prince! How lucky for you.”
Once the girl’s legs and hands were free, my aunt instructed, “Please turn to face your new owner.”
The girl slowly turned around.
As she revealed her face to me, I sucked in my breath.
Julia’s emerald green eyes stared back into mine.