Page 3 of A Song in the Night

After another few minutes, the sounds of rustling paper and a creaking chair become a lullaby, of sorts. Unable to resist any longer, I allow myself to close my eyes.

For now, I’m safe.

* * *

I’m not sure how much time has passed when I open my eyes again. Beyond the slanted windows, the sky is dark—I couldn’t have slept long, then, since I doubt I slept an entire day. I look down and find an orange knitted blanket draped over me. Was it Sylvia or Noah that covered me with it?

Why do you care?a voice inside my head whispers.

“Turn the volume up.” Noah’s voice is low, as if he’s trying not to wake me. But when I see Alexander Travesty’s face on a flat screen television on the wall across from me, I instantly sit up and throw the blanket off. I stand up and walk closer as the creature who caused some of the best—and worst—moments of my life approaches a podium and clears his throat.

“Good evening, citizens of New Ve. It brings me no joy to stand before you after such tragedy has befallen our great city. Lives have been lost, and I will not tolerate such crimes against the crown. Our police forces have conducted an extensive investigation and discovered the criminal responsible for allowing weepers past our borders. The individual who inflicted terror on our communities was a deranged sector worker by the name of Leo Hawster.”

The disgust is clear in his tone and the matching scowl on his lips. My eyes widen as I notice my sisters, Valerie and Beatrix, standing off to the side. I haven’t seen either since the bombing at the mansion, but my initial worry had eased when the news cycles didn’t mention their names. Seeing them with the king now brings it back in a rush.

As long as they’re living in the mansion, my sisters aren’t safe.

Dimly I realize that Alexander Travesty is speaking again. After a shaky breath, I manage to refocus on him. Our eyes meet through the screen, and it feels as if he’s looking right at me. Dread coils tight in my chest when the king smiles. “I encourage you not to be alarmed, as I have ensured he will no longer be a threat,” he continues.

I know it isn’t my imagination, the promise in his voice. A promise directed not just to me, but to all of New Ve. Somehow, without saying a single menacing word, the Vampire King has made it clear that opposition will be crushed. Any attempts for change will be defeated—no, not just defeated. Punished. Made an example of. Erased.

“Prick,” Noah mutters, slamming his laptop closed before kicking his feet up on his desk. Evidently he’s not too pleased the king took credit for his kill.

Sylvia just snorts in agreement. I fight the urge to clutch my stomach as it churns—I’m reliving my last encounter with Leo now. That night in the tunnels… I will never forget it. The loss of Drew still leaves me breathless with grief at times, and I can’t imagine how Nina is coping. I lost a close friend, but she lost her brother.

“That being said,” Alexander adds, “I will be extending the citywide curfew until further notice. With the exception of essential workers, no one is to leave their homes after sunrise. Your safety is of the utmost importance to the crown.”

“He’s trying to make it look like he hasn’t lost control,” Sylvia says, cracking open a can of Coke. She takes a long drink and sighs. “The curfew is going to do absolutely nothing, and he damn well knows it. He doesn’t give a shit if people die.”

Her voice is heavy with bitterness, and I can’t help but wonder what happened to make her hate him as much as I do.

Before Noah or I can respond, the Vampire King opens the floor to questions, and the media immediately erupts into chaos. Danielle Winters is sitting near the front, of course, and Alexander fixes his gaze on her first.

“If the person responsible has been caught, why extend the curfew?” she calls.

He offers a dazzling smile that makes me want to vomit. “The police are still finishing their investigation, Miss Winters. Once it is complete, we will reevaluate the curfew. Next question.”

At that moment, a pang of thirst hits me. The monster snarls in her cage, and I know I desperately need to feed. I miss whatever Alexander says next as I chew my bottom lip, thinking about how to handle this. I glance between Sylvia and Noah, unsure what to do. I feel as if I should ask permission to visit a feeding unit, but the notion seems ridiculous.

“I can hear you grinding your teeth, Travesty,” Noah remarks, finally looking my way.

“Do you have any blood around here?” I force myself to ask.

He laughs, shaking his head. “I don’t like bagged blood.”

“Oh.” I pause. “You always drink from the vein, then?”

His lips twist into a grin. “Depends on who’s offering.”

My fangs extend without warning, and I glance away. “I need a feeding unit.”

“Lucky for you, a new one opened just down the street.”

“Great. So I’ll just…” By the blood. I can’t bring myself to ask for permission.

“Just go. Be quick and speak to no one,” Sylvia interjects, the words laced with impatience. Flushing, I head for the door, but she speaks again at the same moment I reach the threshold. “Oh, and Charlie? It’s a busy street, but you’re still at risk. Don’t wander down any alleyways.”

I have to shove down the panic that tries to rise into my throat. “Got it.”

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