Death Game: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #3) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,88

no idea what their roster with Fyrlia and Sundulus was, but whoever wasn’t on duty tended to show up. The other day there were over five hundred here. Tonight, under half of that number. Were Fyrlia and Sundulus expecting trouble before tomorrow?

My staff had erected a huge white screen over the length of the pool. Speakers stood at either side and in the pavilions behind the chattering crowd. Every pillow and blanket in the house were on the grass right now, occupied by lounging vampires.

… Who appeared to be grouped in clusters that I strongly suspected were harems.

I really hoped the movie Tommy chose didn’t have sex in it.

“Hey, girl,” she said, shifting over to make space.

I plonked myself down. “Sorry to keep you all waiting. I lost track of time.”

“Did it have something to do with those?” Tommy eyed the stack of papers in my arms.

Yeah. Turned out the worst thing was the wait.

If there was anything else to do, I couldn’t think of it. I could only pore over every angle of my strategy again and again.

Laurel was on my other side, men draped over her like blankets.

“Will everyone be ready tomorrow?” I asked her.

She dipped her head, squeezing the thigh of a red-haired hunk on her left. “They will. And they’ll enjoy every second of it.”

Good.

I sighed.

Tommy took the papers from me and set them on her side, tossing a blanket over my legs.

“I take it you haven’t heard from them?” she murmured.

My oldies?

No.

They had until ten o’clock tomorrow morning to show with the documents, but I hadn’t heard a peep. At the very minimum, I’d expected them to organise another soiree to hammer out the final details.

I was going in alone, and I couldn’t blame them for their decision. My oldies had only ever seen the tormentor and the executioner in these beautiful creatures. If I spent three decades in the company of the Tonyi triplets, I’d never help them in a million years.

Even for me, for the memory of my grandmother, I’d asked too much of them. I knew that, but desperation drove me to ask anyway. Regardless of their answer, they’d deserved to understand what was happening and that our part was drawing to a close.

Without their help, I might be able to restore balance to Ingenium. But what if Fyrlia had made large purchases in the last twenty-four hours? Tommy had pushed the acquisition team hard over the last few days. They’d acquired four more properties, but there was no way to really know I had enough.

The uncertainty of the outcome kept me up each night. My hair was limp. Circles marred the area beneath my eyes. I felt tense to snapping point.

The movie started, and I smiled as the intro music played. The Boat that Rocked. One of my favourites.

It had sex in it.

Grimacing, I glanced around, wondering how long these horn-dogs would last. I gave it twenty minutes. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so judgmental, considering that if Kyros was here, we’d be halfway through the seventh exchange.

Closing my eyes, I focused on him, and my insides shook at the defeat and misery filling him. There was an undercurrent of determination, too, but he felt so fucking terrible. I followed the thrumming beat north. He wasn’t at his tower or our Lyall Bay property. Maybe his parents’ place? Their family would have gathered together for their last night.

If I’d thought separation was hard after the fifth swap, it was nothing on how I felt now. Fear about tomorrow wasn’t the only contribution to my appearance. I was draining away to nothing the longer we stayed apart.

That scared me more than anything.

If I failed tomorrow, both of us would fade to a whisper. For me, I’d survive and live a half life. For Kyros, King Mikael’s work would become that much easier.

Three days without him and I knew without a shadow of doubt that if he was taken from me, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to free him. Because I needed to.

Because I wanted to.

That was a game I’d never stop playing.

Tears gathered behind my eyes as his morose mood deepened.

I couldn’t take it. Sliding out my phone, I tapped out a message.

I love you, Kyros <3

Hesitating—because part of him must still hate me for what I did—I pushed Send.

I tapped out another.

I’m going to fix this. Your family will be okay.

Staring at the message, I hovered my thumb over Send. The thing was… I couldn’t promise that. If I