LOGIN“What are you going to do? Rip out everyone’s eyes?” I asked.“Only those who look for more than three seconds.”“That’s a potential massacre.”“It’s a screening.”I shook my head, still smiling. The horseback riding competition continued on the track. Eleanor was on her third lap, Apollo jumping the obstacles with a grace I hadn’t expected from such a large animal.Celeste, William and Victoria remained in the other VIP box, oblivious to the small jealousy drama that had unfolded on our side.“I need to go to the bathroom.” I announced, standing up.“I’ll go with you.”“Mortyss, it’s the bathroom. Five meters from here.”“Exactly. Five meters. Too far.”“Are you going to stand at the door?”“I am.”“You’re being terrible today.”“I’m being dedicated.” He stood up too, his hand finding mine. “Don’t argue. After the horse trainer, I’m not taking any chances.”“What do you think is going to happen? Another man offering me champagne in the women’s bathroom?”“I don’t know. But I’m not go
The breakfast was served in the informal dining room. A smaller, more intimate table where the family gathered when there were no guests. Celeste was radiant, serving pancakes and fresh fruit as if she were feeding an army.William read the newspaper — the paper kind, as always — and grumbled something about the stock market. Victoria had her tablet, but she set it aside occasionally to make sarcastic comments. Eleanor was already dressed in her horseback riding uniform, her blonde hair tied in a ponytail.“Evelyn, darling!” Celeste saw me enter and smiled. “Sit here, next to me. I saved the most golden pancakes for you.”“Thank you, Celeste.” Evelyn sat down, and I took the seat beside her.“And you, Christopher.” Celeste looked at me with an expression I knew well. “Did you sleep well?”“Very well, Mom.”“Good. Was your room in order?”“Perfect.”“And the sheets? Were they comfortable?”“Yes, Mom.”“And the pillow? Wasn’t it too high?”“The pillow was great.”“And…”“Celeste.” Willi
“What?” My voice came out weaker than I expected.Mortyss did not turn around. He remained with his back to me, his fingers still touching the astronomy trophy.“That morning. In the pocket dimension. You asked me where the real Christopher was, and I dodged the question. I said it was a story for another day.” He took a deep breath. “Today is that day.”“Mortyss…”“I lied to you.” He finally turned. His eyes were violet, the human disguise had vanished. There was something I rarely saw in his expression. Vulnerability. “I said he was on a retreat in Switzerland. Then I said he was in a trance. But he isn’t. He’s dead.”I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs suddenly weak.“Tell me everything.”He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, as if he needed a barrier between us.“I found him years ago. Christopher was twenty-five, had just inherited his grandfather’s fortune, and was on the roof of a building in Brooklyn. He was trying to find a reason not to kill himself. He hated the life
The family dinner arrived before I was ready.Not ready in terms of clothing — the dimension had provided a dark green strapless dress that matched my eyes. Or ready in terms of shoes — the low-heeled sandals were already on my feet, and simple jewelry completed the look, but as expensive as the others.I meant ready emotionally. Jess was still adapting to her new condition, and every minute away from her felt like a betrayal.“You’re dwelling.” Mortyss observed, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt in front of the mirror. He wore a dark gray blazer, his hair combed back, his eyes in the brown disguise. Christopher Rockefeller in his most polished form.“I’m not dwelling.”“Yes, you are. The bond doesn’t lie.” He turned to me. “Is it Jess?”“Of course it is. She’s still getting used to… everything. The blood, the fangs, the hunger. And I’m going to spend the night at a family dinner as if nothing is happening.”“You’re not going to a dinner as if nothing is happening. You’re going to a di
The blood bank’s freezer was unprotected.Humans trusted alarms, security cameras, and electronic locks. Things I could disable with a thought.I crossed the refrigerated storage like a shadow, my violet eyes adjusting to the darkness. The blood bags were organized by type — A positive, B negative, O universal. I took a variety. I didn’t know which would be compatible with Jess’s new palate.While stuffing the bags into a thermal bag that the dimension had provided, I felt Evelyn through the bond.She was quiet.Not the quiet of someone who is calm, but the quiet of someone who is sinking. The guilt was a dark and heavy wave pulsing from her side of the bond, so strong that I could taste it: bitter, metallic, familiar. I knew that taste. I had felt it for centuries after killing the real Christopher.I closed the bag and opened a portal back to Jess’s apartment.Evelyn was leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the floor. Nox, in his cat form, was curled at her
The Monopoly board sat between us like a battlefield.I had three properties. Mortyss had double that. My money was shrinking with every round, and that damn hotel on Park Place was sucking me dry to the last dollar.Nox watched from the sofa, his black eyes following every move as if it were a tennis match.“You’re going to have to sell Atlantic Avenue.” Mortyss announced, his voice dangerously satisfied. He was leaning back against the cushions, shirtless, the gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His tail snaked lazily behind him. “It’s the only way out.”“I’m not selling anything.”“It’s math, Little Star. You don’t have the money to pay the rent.” He pointed out, using the nickname he had given me days ago because of the golden sparkles in my eyes.“Who said I’m going to land on Park Place?”“You’re six spaces away.” He pointed at the board. “The die is right there. The odds are against you.”“To hell with the odds.”I rolled the die. Six.My pawn advanced and stopped exactly
What I saw ignited a fury that not even the six demons had awakened.Nox in his true form, huge and crystalline, was tearing a snake-man apart with his claws. Another creature, a shapeless mist, was retreating from something on the ground.Two red-eyed men lay unconscious near the trash can.And Ev
The Mercedes engine purred softly as I drove through the streets of Manhattan. The lunch with the Rockefellers had been… strangely pleasant.But now, with the overcoat thrown on the passenger seat and my hands firm on the wheel, my mind was elsewhere.Meizan.The penthouse in Williamsburg. Kent Str
The Rockefeller mansion was in the Upper East Side, a limestone manor that occupied an entire block with its symmetrical facade and tall windows.I parked the black Mercedes in the circular driveway and sat for a moment, hands on the wheel, eyes fixed on the mahogany door.I hated coming here.Not
“Do you feel this?” He growled against my lips, his hips pressing against mine. His cock was hard, huge, pulsing against my thigh. “Do you feel what you do to me?”“I feel it…” My voice was a whisper. “You’re… so hard…”“Because of you.” He licked my neck, the forked tongue passing over the bite ma







