Finding Fire

Chapter 27

Nicolas ran as fast as he could to reach Aleksander. He found the new king and his bride in a study right off the ballroom. About five guards met him with swords drawn as he entered the room at blurring speeds.

He held his hands up to signal he was there in peace. The swords were not put away, but the guards relaxed a little bit.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be keeping a low profile," said Aleksander.

"Fredrick is the traitor," shouted Nicolas, breathlessly.

Evie straightened. "Fredrick is one of the most trusted guards," she said.

"He lied to Annabelle today. He was trying to figure out if she recognized his voice. We have to find him. Annabelle is looking for you right now in the ballroom. I need to make sure she's protected." He quickly backed out of the room and raced toward the ballroom with the guards on his heels to search out Fredrick.

He'd only gotten about twenty yards when he heard a sickening crack. As he turned back, Aleksander's pained shout echoed through the entire palace.

He expected to see a dead king, but what he saw was worse. Fredrick was holding onto the queen. Her eyes looked pained and terrified, but she was completely limp in his arms. Why wasn't she moving?

Aleksander looked as if he was about to explode. Fredrick held Evie at an awkward angle, with one arm wrapped around her neck. "Do you know the secret to ripping a vampire's head off its shoulders?" asked Fredrick. "Break the spine first. That way they can't fight back." He made his point by tightening his grip while Evie's eyes went even wider.

"No! What do you want?" shouted Aleksander.

"I want you to die," said Fredrick.

"Then kill me and let her go," said Aleksander. Even as the passive words came out of his mouth, his eyes screamed that Fredrick would pay.

Fredrick shook his head. "I need to keep your little queen for security. Nicolas is going to kill you."

"What makes you think I would do that?" asked Nicolas.

"Your little girlfriend is bleeding to death right now. She only has minutes left. If you want me to tell you where she is, you have to kill the king."

Nicolas felt his fangs bite into his lip and knew that his eyes had changed as well. He needed to get to Annabelle. She couldn't die.

He ran to a guard and ripped his sword out of his hand before he even had a chance to react. In a second, he stood right in front of Aleksander with the sword at his neck. Aleksander didn't even fight it. Evie moaned at the sight of Nicolas holding a sword to her husband's throat.

Nicolas looked Aleksander in his equally black eyes. "I know you understand. It only takes a second for the ones you love to die."

"Do it," was all Aleksander said.

Without hesitation, both men moved faster than they ever had to Fredrick. Evie, who had quietly begun to heal, bit Fredrick's wrist holding her around the neck so hard that the bone cracked. Aleksander ripped her out of his arms as Nicolas pushed the silver sword right through Fredrick's heart.

He didn't wait to see how Aleksander or Evie were doing. He ran to where he'd last seen Annabelle. He sniffed the air, searching for any trace of her blood in the air.

The pit of his stomach sunk when he reached the room he'd last seen her. The scent of her blood saturated the air. Fredrick hadn't been bluffing.

He ran toward where the smell was even stronger. His worst fears were confirmed when he saw her lying in a pool of her own blood.