Chapter 3

CAERYN

The clock on the wall chimed, and I rose from the table. "I should go. I don't want to be late."

My mother stood, pulling me into one last embrace. "Be careful," she whispered. "Please."

"I will."

She pressed something into my hand, a small cloth pouch, warm from her pocket. I didn't need to look inside to know what it was. Her salve, the one she used on her wounds. She was giving it to me.

"Mother—"

"Take it." Her voice was firm. "Just in case."

I tucked the pouch into my dress pocket and squeezed her hand. Then I turned and walked toward the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

The corridor beyond the kitchen was cold and dark, the servants' passages winding deeper into the manor. I followed them with practiced steps, my mind already turning toward what lay ahead.

The heir's chambers. The boy..the man who had been the subject of whispers for as long as I could remember.

I had never met Malcolm De Laurentis.

I had seen him from a distance in passing, at formal gatherings, at the rare ceremonies that required the presence of all the Bound. He was tall, light blonde hair, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to see through everything at once. He had never looked at me. He had never looked at any of us. He moved through the world like he was apart from it, a ghost in his own house.

Rumours said he was broken and dangerous.

I didn't know what to believe. But as I climbed the stairs toward the main floor, my wrist aching and my heart racing, I felt something I hadn't felt in years.

Curiosity. And curiosity, in Vespera for a bound was the most dangerous thing of all.

The main floor was a different world.

The servants' passages opened into a corridor lined with silk wallpaper and marble floors, glittering chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. The air smelled of roses, candle wax, a sweet, cloying scent that made my head spin. I had walked these halls a thousand times, and they never failed to make me feel small.

I kept my head down as I walked, my footsteps silent on the polished floor. A few vampires passed me, minor nobles, lesser members of the De Laurentis court and I pressed myself against the wall, making myself as invisible as possible.

Don't look, don’t speak Caeryn.

The heir's chambers were at the end of the east wing, behind a set of double doors carved with the De Laurentis crest, a serpent coiled around a rose. I had never been inside. I had never been assigned to this part of the manor before.

I stopped in front of the doors and took a breath.

Keep your head down, Caeryn, no matter what he says or does, do not look him in the eye. I raised my hand and knocked.

The heir's chambers were empty.

I stood in the doorway for a long moment, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The room was vast, far larger than any space I had ever been allowed to enter. High ceilings arched overhead, lined with dark wooden beams. Tall windows stretched from floor to ceiling, their heavy velvet curtains drawn shut, blocking out the morning sun. The only light came from a dying fire in the hearth, its embers glowing a soft, sullen orange.

And the smell. God, the smell.

It hit me like a wave, woodsmoke, old books and something else, something deeper. A scent I couldn't quite name. Something clean and cold, like winter air. Something that made my chest ache for reasons I didn't understand.

I stepped further inside, my footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. The room was immaculate, every surface polished and gleaming. A massive four-poster bed dominated one wall, its dark sheets perfectly smooth, untouched. A desk sat near the window, covered in papers and leather-bound books. A sitting area with two high-backed chairs faced the fireplace, a small table between them holding a half-empty glass of something dark.

I moved through the room slowly, my eyes taking in every detail. The bookshelves lining the far wall, filled with volumes I couldn't read from this distance. The paintings hanging above the mantle, dark, moody landscapes that seemed to swallow the light. The wardrobe in the corner, its doors slightly ajar, revealing a row of dark suits and white shirts.

It was a room fit for a prince.

And it was empty.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The heir wasn't here. He wasn't anywhere. The chambers were cold and untouched, as if no one had lived in them for a very long time.

I set to work.

I dusted the shelves first, careful not to disturb the books. I swept the floors, wiped down the windows, straightened the papers on the desk. I avoided looking at them too closely, I didn't want to know what a vampire heir wrote in his private journals. I changed the sheets on the bed, my hands moving quickly, efficiently. The fabric was soft, expensive, nothing like the rough linen I was used to.

As I worked, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. But every time I looked up, the room was empty. Just shadows, silence and the faint, lingering scent of winter.

When I finished, I stood in the center of the room and looked around one last time. The chambers were clean to perfection. Ready for someone to return.

But no one was here.

I left the room and closed the doors behind me, my heart beating a little too fast.

---

The servants' corridor was quiet as I made my way back toward the kitchen. My shift was over, the heir's chambers didn't need anything else, and I had other duties to attend to. But as I walked, I heard voices drifting from around the corner.

I stopped.

Two maids were standing near the laundry room, their heads bent together, their voices low and urgent. I recognized them, Anna and Roselyn , both Bound, both assigned to the upper floors. They didn't notice me.