Chapter 26: Blood Chords - Hunger & Harmony

Lips ghost along my neck, and laughter bubbles under soft kisses. When a fang comes up to graze against the shell of my ear, I accidentally snort before I whine at him.

“Niko.” I turn enough to press my pointer finger against his chest. “What’re you doing?”

I’m not sure when I signed up for a roommate. Not that I’d let him go anywhere. It’s only been a couple of nights, and he may not sleep like I do, but he makes a good teddy vampire.

“You’ve been so tense.”

I try not to let him see my frown. Turning back again, I muster a shrug.

“Just a bit tired.”

That’s only half the truth.

Cass and Selene’s private meeting continues to haunt me. Do I tell Niko? It doesn’t seem right to hide anything from him. We should face things as a team. Except Cass stole that from us, and left me unsure.

The show is tonight. In less than twelve hours from now, we’ll be at the venue. My stomach churns, and I bury my face in my pillow. Niko’s embrace remains steady.

“What’s your relationship with your aunt?”

Every possibility about tonight plagues me, but knowing the Archduchess will be there scares me the most. She wants to sacrifice me. Would she hurt her own nephew, too?

Niko hums, like he doesn’t quite know the answer himself.

“My family has never been warm,” he says. “I used to believe she was my only ally. After my father’s passing, she tasted power, and it all changed. Though, some say she orchestrated his downfall.”

I roll onto my back, and he adjusts around me.

“Why can’t you give her what she wants?” I ask. “Since you don’t want to be king.”

The silence doesn’t stretch long.

“I’ve considered it,” he says, his admittance so soft, a butterfly’s wings could break it. “Maybe I’ve held on for my mother. To change the system that destroyed her.”

I smile sadly. He returns it.

“We’ll get through tonight,” he says. “After that, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll leave my crown for good.”

“Yeah.”

Forcing a smile, I try to ignore my twisting stomach.

“We’ll get through tonight.”

* * *

Cameras flash at a dizzying pace. Even backstage, the weight of scrutiny and hysteria out there crushes my chest. I’m laboring on my own breath, trying and failing to remain calm.

Human media, the Midnight Court, and a selection of fans all gather in Sunveil’s historically brimming arena. This was the first stop of the tour, and the bright beginning I always wished for. Now, I pace the black floors dusted with rosin and glitter, gnawing at my inner cheek. This feels wrong. Even if I can’t hear them anymore, Dissonant notes would fit here.

“Cadence!”

My spine straightens when I hear her calling for me. Lorelai has been buzzing around since we arrived. Her energy isn’t helping. I know we’re all nervous, so I’m trying not to snap at her.

“Yeah?” I call back as I cross the hallway to ‌find her in an empty dressing room.

“Hey, I need to go to the bathroom,” she says, doing a little dance where she stands. “I know it’s kind of awkward right now, but can you deliver this to Ryel?”

She offers me a small box. It’s metal, and no bigger than a tin of mints. I tilt my head as I take it from her.

“Right now . . .?”

“Please,” she says, and I bite my lip. “Listen, I have to go so badly! You've gotta hurry before the show starts!”

“Well . . .” I close my fingers around it and shrug half-heartedly. “Okay.”

“I owe you big time!”

She shoos me away, and I take a breath after the door closes on me.

Confronting Ryel is the last thing I want to do. Niko’s been shielding me from him, and I’ve only seen his scowls in passing. Still, a job’s a job. I let a sigh loose and make my way to the band’s main lounge, knowing we’re within ten minutes of go time.

I knock on the open door. When I look inside, Ryel isn’t there. No one is.

Huh.

“Where’s—” I start to ask a crew member rushing by.

He zips past me without acknowledgment, and my stomach drops. There’s shouting from his headset. Frantic, and not in the “start of the show” way.

Wait. That’s not from his headset.

I run before I fully register it. Heart pounding and clutching the box, I hurry to the curtain again, following the commotion. The screams.

“Niklaus!” I shout, stumbling to a halt right before I enter the stage.

Taking it all in, it doesn’t seem real. The audience is in chaos, fans sobbing and cowering in the stands, with cameramen torn between hiding and recording. Archduchess Imara is held by two men and a blade; those holding her are dressed in distinctive brown coats. The weapon doesn’t glint—it’s wood pressing to her neck.

At the center of it all, Arteria faces off against five men in similar regalia. I've seen this uniform before.

Hunters.

Another scream lodges in my throat. Niko’s eyes flick towards me, and I fight my legs trying to run towards him. I will our bond to allow me access to him, but it’s too assured. All I can do is watch.

There’s more than those initial Hunters. Dozens line the auditorium, bullets, arrows, and more sharpened stakes waiting and ready.

An attack before the show started. How is this possible? My knees nearly give out. They have the clear advantage.

“Where is your queen, Leech King?”

One of the Hunters closest to Niko taunts him, drawing closer with his gun pointed. Selene bares her fangs at the lanky man, but Niko lifts a hand to halt her.

“What importance is a human to you?” he asks, tone measured. “Bring no harm to her or others. Your target is me.”

My heart can’t beat any faster.

“She’s no target of ours,” the man continues, lips curling on a vicious smirk as his eyes drag towards me. “I wanted to thank her, is all.”

Eyes widening in horror, I stumble a step back. All at once, I see Niko’s confusion, Ezren’s fear, Selene’s worry, and Ryel’s anger. It all zeroes in on me, and I’m breathless as the Hunter nods to me.

“You brought it, didn’t you? The symbol of your loyalty?”

Drawing a shaky breath, I glance down at the only thing in my blanched fingers. The box. Plain, metal, and nondescript. My throat runs dry as the man chuckles.

“Yes, there it is!” He gestures for me to approach. “Don’t keep me waiting, come on. It’s me, Silas. Your good friend.”

I shake my head. More than that, I throw the box like it’s on fire, shaking so hard I can’t form a single word.

Clambering onto the stage, it breaks open, the box sliding away from what was inside. I tense up, fearing an explosion or a weapon.

Nothing like that happens. Instead, only a small, brown leaf gently floats in the opposite direction, gliding to Silas himself before it rests against the black floor. I don’t recognize it.

Ezren does.

“Samara . . .”

“An ash tree seed, yes, very good!” Silas continues his taunting as my blood runs cold. “What better symbol for the Order than an ash tree’s samara?”

I’m unraveling as the Hunters all join in his laughter. Arteria stares at me. The entire room does, including the cameras.

“No, she . . .” I whisper.

Lorelai. She gave me this. Did she fall victim to Hunters’ tricks? Or is . . .she . . .?

“It’s not me,” I say, raising my voice. “I’m not a traitor!”

Each vampire and member of the Court watches me as I rush to find my words. Is there any undoing this damage? This sabotage? Niko’s love, Selene and Ezren’s trust . . .

“A traitor to who?” Silas continues, scoffing at me. “You’re a human, Cadence Monroe. Mortal. You’re a vampire’s dinner before you’re his equal.”

I pause. Taking in his putrid words, I let my fingers curl into fists. My whisper lashes out towards him, and every Hunter who dares show their face here.

“I am no such thing.”

“Look, you don’t have to pretend anymore,” he continues, shrugging casually. “We’ll take it from here. Your mission is complete.”

I no longer shake from fear. It’s rage that sinks its teeth into me. I take a few more steps closer to the Hunters, closer to Niko.

If I didn’t want to listen to a prophecy, I definitely don’t want to let this Hunter continue his lies.

“Cadence, wait!”

I stop short, searching for that familiar voice.

Cass stands in the front row, not far from the Court. He’s dressed in Sancte Noctis attire. I hardly recognize him outside of his hoodie and glasses.

“The prophecy!” he calls out, even as Hunters zero in on him. “The real one! You've heard⁠—”

Before he can finish, a man apprehends him. Out of the corner of my eye, Selene’s body jerks.

“What’s this? Some sort of human informant, huh?” Silas says from where he stands.

Cass doesn’t deny it. His eyes remain on mine, like he’s trying to get me to understand. Everything’s happening too fast, and there isn’t much time. Still, I try to focus, my eyes darting from him to Niko’s unnerved frown.

The real one . . .The real prophecy.

Archduchess Imara said the Dissonant Queen rises in silence.

Silence harbors the end.

That song. A lullaby that echoed at the company building, the voice I scorned for mocking me. Was it the answer all along?

I need more time.

“You can claim my connection to you, but you can’t prove it,” I say, and Silas pauses. “The prophecy, on the other hand⁠—”

“Is false.” He shrugs again, shaking his head. “As much as we’d benefit from it being true.”

Remaining calm, I speak before any of the Hunters continue.

“Do you think love binds me to him?”

My words sweep like arrows across the room. Silas glances between me and Niko, his irritation climbing.

“This bond was never my choice,” I continue, squeezing my fists at my sides. “It’s only fate. Only prophecy.”

I pray to any star that’ll listen that Niko understands. We need time, and it comes at a steep price. A public one.

“Ask the king’s right hand,” I say. “She holds Mendax, an artifact that tells lies from truth. Go on. I can prove you wrong.”

Silas’ smirk has faded, replaced by an unimpressed frown. Still, he gestures for the Hunter closest to Selene to release her.

I meet her stare, nodding subtly. More than anyone, she must understand, right?

“Mendax is under my shirt,” she says as she reaches in, announcing her actions to avoid further chaos.

When she pulls out the amulet, my first encounter with it feels so far away. Its dark liquid reflects shadows as she raises it up. A few sobs swell from the crowd.

“Does Cadence speak the truth?” she asks, the vial starting to vibrate. “The bond wasn’t her choice?”

I don’t want to break my confidence, but I can’t help but find Niko’s eyes. His jaw tightens, but he’s otherwise still. He braces for what’s next. I tear my gaze away before I lose this moment.

The entire room waits, the walls themselves leaning in to watch my fate unfold. It isn’t long before the liquid turns clear, confirming my words as truth.

Silas swears under his breath. I notice the Hunters exchanging glances, like they don’t know what to do next. What was their plan? Why was I such a key part?

“I’m not with the Order,” I say, tone steady as I square my shoulders. “I don’t know why you’re trying to run with that lie, but it’s insulting. I never chose this Dissonant bond.”

Framing myself as a victim means publicly denouncing Niko. What other choice is there, though? The Hunters are on their back foot now, and I have time to confirm the prophecy. The true one.

Silas shifts on his boots. This wasn’t the outcome the Hunters expected. A hum settles under the chaos of the room, like a distant lullaby.

Screams cut through the quiet again as sapphire smoke rises around us. I lift my arm to shield my face, coughing as it suddenly obscures my vision.

Once the thick fog dissipates, the Hunters are gone.

And with them, all of Aurea’s trust.