***

“Oh, hello, can I help you?” Maya’s voice cut off the Mississippi vampire.

Cain entered the kitchen behind Victor and looked around. Only Maya was present. He sighed in relief. The two defanged vampires were gone, as was any evidence of the operation that had taken place the night before. The place looked spick and span, a hint of bleach still in the air. It appeared Maya had scrubbed the place down to get rid of David’s and Kathryn’s smell.

Victor turned back to him and stared to the door where others were gathered, tossing the vampire who stood there an annoyed look. Cain didn’t have to turn around to see who he was communicating with. Lee had already outed himself as being loyal to Abel by giving Victor a hint at where he could find the two traitors.

“Well, it appears I was mistaken,” Victor said calmly and nodded. “We’ll be on our way then.”

Cain stepped aside. “A misunderstanding, I’m sure.”

“This is not over.”

“It is for now.”

Without another word, Victor left the kitchen. As soon as he was out of earshot, Cain glared at Lee before issuing his order to Gabriel. “Tie him up.”

“But, Your Majesty . . .”

Gabriel grabbed him and took him away.

Looking at Maya, Cain asked, “Where are they?”

“Faye is trying to get them off the property.”

“How?” he asked, his heart already thundering.

“She didn’t say.”

“Fuck!” he cursed, guessing what Faye was planning. She was going to get them out through the tunnels.

Faye! he called out to her via their bond. Faye, where are you?

But there was no reply. No wonder. She had to know that he was furious at her for revealing the most closely guarded secret of the kingdom. But that wasn’t even the reason his heart was pounding like a jackhammer: Faye was taking a risk by navigating the tunnels on her own. She wouldn’t know which exit to surface at and could still run right into the hands of the Mississippians. While they were leaving the property now, Cain was certain they had some of their men dotted around the forest to keep watch on them. If they caught Faye trying to smuggle out the two defanged vampires, they would capture her.

“To the queen’s suite, Gabriel, Eddie!” he ordered and ran back into the palace. Inside, he charged down the service stairs and ran along the corridor as if the sun were on his heels.

Meanwhile, he sent his thoughts to her. Faye, don’t take the tunnels. Come back! It’s too dangerous.

But there was no reply.

I won’t be angry. Please just come back.

Still, there was no reply.

The door to Faye’s suite stood wide open. Cain charged in, Gabriel and Eddie on his heels. It was empty. Without a thought for the confidentiality of the tunnels, he touched the mechanism to open the hidden door in full view of his two friends. As soon as the door opened, he squeezed through it and entered the passageway.

“Faye!” he called out to her, his voice echoing in the confined space.

He inhaled deeply. He could only smell his own and Faye’s scent, indicating that no strangers had entered the secret passageway that led toward the tunnels. Stunned, he froze while Gabriel and Eddie stepped into the corridor.

“What?” Gabriel asked.

Cain turned to him. “She didn’t take this route.”

“Then which way?”

“I don’t know.” He’d never revealed the other secret doors that led into the tunnels, though he’d planned to do so once she was queen. But he’d never gotten the chance. “She doesn’t know any of the other secret passages.”

“How many are there and where?”

“Shit!” Cain cursed, suddenly realizing that she knew of one other entrance. “The cell. I told her how I escaped from the cell. She must be using that entrance to the tunnel.” But with some luck it would take her a while to find the mechanism that opened the door. It would slow her down and give him a chance to stop her.

Gabriel and Eddie were already charging out of the queen’s suite, Cain now chasing them. Cain ran faster, passing them at the next turn and racing ahead of them toward the cellblock. He reached it moments later.

The door to the cell he and Robert had been in was open. Cain barreled inside. It was empty, but an odd smell lingered. It reminded him of something, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

His eyes wandered to the place where the secret door was hidden, but it was closed. Had Faye not been here yet? Or had she simply closed it behind her to make sure nobody found it? It was the more likely scenario.