2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Tovi

T ovi gripped the hilt of her dagger tighter. She had no desire to use it, but as the werewolf before her stirred in his sleep, she needed some sort of defense.

In case Kade shifted in the small confines of the ship’s cabin.

Dried mud crumbled from her plum velvet cloak. Grass stuck out from her hair, tickling her cheeks. She did not appear entirely as intimidating as she wished. Tovi cringed, unaccustomed to appearing so drab in front of others. Well-dressed. Groomed. Put-together. Appearance was a shield—the first line of defense.

How you’re seen is what you are.

Her mother’s voice filtered through her mind as if the high-nose vampyr sat beside her. Tovi bristled; knowing her mother, a slew of snide comments would surely follow. Wear this. Shoulders back. Smile. For Goddess’s sake, not like that. Tovi shook away the phantom memories. Her mother would also balk at what Tovi planned to do next, but it didn’t matter—the woman was long gone and dead, and at present, Tovi had no time to care about her attire. Not when the werewolf she planned to bargain with roused from unconsciousness .

Kade’s eyes snapped open, revealing pools of rage that leveled on her. As he sat up, Tovi remained still, waiting, clutching the dagger so tightly, her bones burned.

“Where are— Moons , we’re on a boat, aren’t we?” Kade grabbed hold of his bunk’s frame, clamping his eyes shut and shaking his head.

“Yes.” Tovi held out a steaming cup of tea, dagger still in the other hand. “Herbs to help your nausea. I heard you’re not a fan of boats.”

He eyed the tea, the blade, and then her. “Where is your brother taking Evelyn?”

Tovi sighed, rolled her shoulders back, rested the dagger on the table, and abandoned the cup of tea beside it. She steeled her patience by grabbing a glass of wine, readying for the arguments to come. “Drystan, no doubt,” she said.

Kade inspected the room, eyes landing on the packs wedged into the corner. “And where is this ship headed?”

“Nūa. We’re on the same one you planned to board this evening.”

Her vampyr hearing detected Kade’s racing heart.

“Where’s Bleu?”

Tovi tilted her head—like Evelyn, the Son of the God cared so fiercely for others.

“Your horse is accounted for,” she said. “I had him placed on this ship along with all your belongings. He’s fine and safe.”

“And Maxie?”

At the sound of her name, Evelyn’s familiar scurried out from her hiding place and onto his bunk. She bumped her forehead into Kade’s shaking arm. He relaxed a fraction, but his ire didn’t lessen.

He studied Tovi, jaw ticking. “How is it you’re a vampyr? I’ve seen you walk in the sunlight.”

Instinctually, Tovi reached for the red stone hanging on her necklace. Its smooth surface sent shivers of reassurance through her. She pulled it free. Kade’s assessing eyes narrowed. She’d expected questions. Some she planned to answer. Others she’d have to evade carefully, tactfully. But this, she could easily share.

“This is a bloodstone, a rather rare and powerful gem. It allows me to walk in sunlight as well as masks my vampyrism, scent and all.”

She didn’t mention the bloodstone’s limitations—it worked best in obscured light, as direct sunlight still drained her—or the fact that without it, she’d combust into flames the moment the sun’s rays touched her. She’d never share her weakness with anyone, regardless of her intention to convince Kade to work with her.

Tovi also didn’t mention that hours ago, she’d woken in an icy panic, petrified Riven had taken her bloodstone. The bastard had buried her in a box—hence the muck—miles away from Callum. She and Riven had always danced to the tune of pranks, starting long ago as humans. Growing up on their parents’ humble farm, Riven would trick her with Far Darrig sightings then sneak up behind a corner, scaring her into a paler shade. In retaliation, she’d leave worms in his boots overnight and giggle at his disgusted screams come morning.

Their sibling relationship had manifested into enemies decades ago. They’d moved past faerie scares and slimy insects. Locking each other in dungeons. Threats of sunlight. Playing the games of court. Killing their lovers. Tovi winced at a particular memory, one she liked to forget.

One where she’d been a spoiled and selfish princess.

But something had changed. Riven had changed. He’d captured Evelyn, and that unnerved Tovi. Not only because Evelyn was Tovi’s dearest friend, but because of Sorin, the continent vampyrs, witches, and werewolves all called home. If Riven succeeded in his plan, they faced a threat they could not survive. She needed alliances, and Kade needed her.

Tovi sipped her wine. “Look, I know you might regard me as the enemy, but you and I want the same thing.”

A growl rumbled from Kade. “Is that so? I’m not entirely convinced you didn’t help your brother, whoever the hel he is—”

“Riven is a prince of Drystan, and I a princess.” Her vampyr sight caught the slight tremor in Kade’s clenched muscles, her own predator instinct sensing another in her midst. The dagger glinted in her peripheral, still in reach.

“What do you mean ‘princess’?” he asked, eyes widening.

Tovi swallowed. Hate marred his amber stare, but she paid it no mind, used to having hate directed at her. Nothing new for a princess with a reputation. Besides, Kade also had every right to hate her—so much of what he knew about vampyrs were misinterpretations. She didn’t fault him for it.

“We are merchants, though.” Tovi gave him a lick of truth. “That isn’t a total fa?ade. Trade and profits feed our people.” At least, that had been her goal the last hundred years. A family-run merchant business that not only imported goods her people could not access, but also allowed her people to create income, businesses, purpose, a life .

“You’ve lied for years. Lied to Evelyn,” Kade said.

Guilt worked its vicious way through Tovi’s unsettled gut. She’d never imagined Evelyn would find out this way, so… horribly . That she was not only a vampyr but also a princess. As much as her brother played a hand in Evelyn’s abduction, Tovi had no one to blame but herself. Though she’d lied for years, she’d never meant to betray Evelyn. She was more than a friend—she was a sister. But Tovi doubted that sentiment still survived in Evelyn’s heart.

“Believe what you want, but I had no direct part in Evelyn’s capture,” she said.

Kade bared his teeth and stood on shaky legs. He hissed a curse as the ship leaned left, up and over the unseen waves of the Sapphire Sea. Maxie sat squat in his bunk, those all-knowing yellow eyes jumping between Kade and Tovi.

“I don’t trust you,” he finally said.

Tovi seethed, inhaling through her nose. “If you want any chance of getting Evelyn back, you need to start.”

Another growl rumbled through Kade. “ Stars above , say her name one more time, and I’ll throw you overboard. ”

She fought the urge to wince at the severity in his tone. Tovi didn’t doubt his threat for a moment, but in the presence of an opponent, she knew better than to react.

She remained calm, leveling her breathing as she met his stare. “Like I said before, my brother is headed to Drystan, a land you and other werewolves, as well as witches, have no experience with.” She sipped her wine, the tannins drying her tongue. The sensation of a thousand eyes crept over her skin. Though parts of her past would gain Kade’s trust perhaps, admitting the truth came dangerously close to a past version of herself she didn’t take pride in.

Tovi held secrets like metal armor. They protected her, protected her people.

Goddess , she cringed at the coldness in his eyes. She feared Kade’s judgment, how he perceived her motives. What would he think if he learned she’d witnessed Evelyn’s capture? The Daughter of the Goddess was her friend, but so much else had been at stake. Kade’s life. The prophecy. Sorin, their homeland. It all hinged on that difficult decision to walk away from her brother’s print shop. All for the chance her risky, outlandish plan might work. She played her own game in all this, a dangerous, tactful dance that made her heart race.

But if she had any chance of stopping Riven, she needed allies of her own.

Tovi inhaled, setting her shoulders. “He will most likely keep Evelyn in the castle— my home. If you want to get inside and have any chance of reuniting with her, you’ll need me, just as much as I need you.”

Every bit of Kade tightened—his muscles, his energy, his ire. Tovi’s instinct to fight flared. Even her fangs and talons threatened to unsheathe.

“What exactly are you saying?” Kade said.

“My brother has officially become a true threat. Not only to my people, but to all of Sorin. I can’t face him alone. Similarly, you can’t get Evelyn back without my help.” Tovi’s stomach churned. She knew how it looked—using her friend’s capture to her advantage. But she’d face Kade’s judgment if it meant following what her heart knew was right. “If I help you, I want an alliance with the Drengr pack.”

Kade shook. He fisted his hands, charging towards her. The energy in the cabin snapped. Light shined from both Kade’s hands and his eyes glowed. Tovi snatched her dagger, shielded her eyes with her forearm and braced for the attack she likely deserved.