Page 50 of Chess

They wouldn’t need to hail a taxi tonight since Rav’s portal was an easy walking distance to the club scene. As they approached the road, a flood of cars passed, the night still being young.

Ever grasped Chess’s hand and they continued at a casual pace once they reached the opposite side, as not to draw in any unwanted attention. Bright lights flickered from buildings just ahead, and chatting and music clashed together while they passed. She could pick out precisely who was going to the clubs by the flash of their clothing and the pep in their step.

As they turned down a sidewalk, a faded white building, covered in graffiti paintings, stood at the corner of the road. This was it … the club the guards had mentioned where Rav was staying, though there were no guarantees he would be there. This wasn’t a new club to Ever—this was where Rav had met Imogen.

Back then, they’d known of the Queen of Hearts, who she was, how she was married to a kind male. But this was where Rav had been lured in by her, or perhaps it was her to him.

The front glass door of the club opened and music boomed louder as two men, their arms draped around one another, walked out kissing while one reached for the button of the other’s trousers.

If they couldn’t find Rav tonight, then they would have to either wait here, go back to her brother’s palace the following night, or go home. The last choice wasn’t an option.

Chess held the door open for her and she walked inside, catching a whiff of blood, sweat, and something smoky. A tattooed woman at the front desk, wearing a black crop top, started to open her mouth when Ever met her gaze. She let her influence seep into the woman, grasping and tightening.

“Let us in,” Ever demanded.

The young woman nodded, her red ponytail bobbing.

As they slipped through the hallway leading to the dance floor, the blood, as always, called to her, sending an intoxicating thrill deep into her bones, her marrow. Bodies gyrated around her, grinding, on the brink of pleasuring one another, but she didn’t catch sight of white hair.

“I’m going to scout upstairs,” Chess said. “Check around here for him, and keep your eye on the bar. He has the tendency to always show up near one.”

“Be careful,” Ever whispered. She didn’t want to separate, but if Rav slipped past one of them, the other could catch him.

He winked and slinked away, his arse flexing against his tight jeans, just as Chess knew how to do best.

Pushing a lock of her wig forward, Ever covered her face a bit better while she searched the crowd. Blue and green lights flashed as a new hip-hop song poured out through the speakers. The club scene reminded her of the times she’d met March, but she placed the memories into a hidden box for now. He was gone because of her.Because he’d wanted it, she reminded herself.

Her gaze drifted through the crowd, searching, and found nothing. But then her heart picked up, her lungs pumping harder as she spotted someone who had once been dear to her. Farther ahead, near the edge of the crowd, long white hair wandered away, like a rabbit begging to be followed. Rav moved the same as he always did, silkily. She wanted to get Chess, but she also couldn’t lose sight of her brother. Keeping her hand near the knife in her pocket, she broke through the crowd. She turned down a bare brick hallway, then another, finding two couples against the wall kissing, their hands roaming over each other’s bodies.

Ever thought she had lost him, when her brother rounded the corner. Her shoulders fell—it wasn’t Rav. The hair matched his, only it wasn’t tipped with red. Something was off about him as he studied her with bright blue eyes and a knowing expression—he was a vampire, but that wasn’t all...

Just as she drew out her knife, the couples—vampires—shoved off from the walls and locked onto her wrists, another with a blade at her throat. One of the vampires ripped the knife from her hand and Ever dropped her fangs as anger rolled off her in waves.

A mortal would’ve screamed. She knew what happened when one screamed while in the grips of a vampire—they wound up dead, and any mortals nearby would be influenced to forget.

“Rav’s been looking for you,” a female cooed, her dark braids pulled up into a bun atop her head. Ever recognized her as one of the females from the night she’d seen Rav at the club.

“Then take me to him,” Ever demanded. She would try to find a way out of this, but if she didn’t, at least she wasn’t hiding away in a hole in the ground any longer.

The five vampires led her to the end of the hall and unlocked the door before bringing her down a flight of metal stairs. Blood and sex permeated the air of the room. The answer as to why came when her gaze drifted to three naked females wrapped around a male with white and red-tipped hair… Her brother.

“What is it?” Rav panted, his fingers digging into the waist of the female atop him, guiding her as she rode him, her breasts bouncing. The other two were taking care of each other, stroking between their legs, their opposite hand caressing Rav’s arms. Ever wanted to spit in her brother’s face.

“Seems we found a White Queen,” the dark-haired vampire said.

“About fucking time,” Rav groaned with ecstasy. “I’ll see my lovely sister in a few moments.”

Ever clenched her jaw, ignoring the sounds of her brother’s growls, the females’ moans. Once he shouted a long curse, he peeled his sweat-slicked body from the females to slip on a pair of leather trousers and approach her.

“I’ve been trying to find you for a very long time.” Rav cocked his head, his brown irises pinned to hers. “Why would you stay hidden from your own brother for so long?”

“Stop with the games,” Ever spat, the blade at her throat digging in further. “You turned my guards against me.”

“It wasn’t difficult.” He shrugged. “You shouldn’t have put your nose in Scarlet’s business.”

There was no use discussing how it was wrong to turn mortals without their consent. He knew her feelings on it, and he didn’t give a damn. “If you’re going to kill me, then just do it.”

Rav removed her wig before patting her down, searching for her hidden weapons. He fished out the gun within her boot. As he lifted it, he glided a finger down the barrel. “Let me guess, you were going to try to shoot me from afar like a coward? Then rip out my heart? How cliché of you, sister.” He swiped the tip of his tongue across his lower lip and chuckled.

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