Page 62 of Curiosity Killed The Vampire

Val glanced around the foyer, as though the walls themselves might be listening. “It could go either way. Edward and Siris have been circling each other like wolves since dawn. If it comes to a vote, I wouldn’t place money on either side.”

“Elections,” I repeated. The word tasted like ash.

“Rene insisted it go ahead,” Quinn said. “He said it was time.”

“That doesn’t sound like him,” Con said, eyes narrowing. “He knows better than to show weakness before the factions stabilize.”

“It’s not weakness,” Val said quietly. “It’s desperation. The clan’s already whispering that we need a new overseer…”

He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.

The implication was clear—without unity, we’d fracture. Without Rene, the clan would devour itself.

I felt my magic stir uneasily under my skin, feeding off the fear that vibrated through the room. “Has anyone spoken to him since?”

“Raven,” Quinn said. “She’s with him now.”

Con’s gaze flicked to the grand staircase, the slightest shadow of concern cracking his composure. “He is getting worse.”

Val nodded grimly. “If something doesn’t change soon, the clan won’t just split—it’ll cannibalize itself.”

The words hung heavy.

I swept another look over the foyer—at the faces watching us, the murmur of voices rising as if they could sense the balance shifting. For years, the clans had feared a coup, a challenge, a betrayal. But now I saw something worse lurking underneath.

They feared a void.

Con spoke first, voice level and as controlled as ever. “We see Rene. Now.”

Val dipped his head. “He’s in his suite. But be ready—if the factions find out you’re up there, they’ll take it as you choosing a side.”

I met Con’s gaze, the weight of that warning hanging between us.

He gave a humorless smile. “I already have.”

He turned toward the stairs, but Val moved quickly to fall in beside him.

“Con, you don’t understand,” Val said, matching his stride. “You think this is still about Rene’s health. It’s gone way beyond that.”

Con didn’t slow. “Then enlighten me.”

“Edward’s been consolidating support,” Val said, his tone low and urgent.

“That’s good,” Con replied, clipped, practical. “He’s stabilizing his people. The last thing we need is a vacuum.”

Val stopped walking, forcing both of us to halt. The look he gave Con was almost pitying. “Consolidating support for you,” he said quietly.

Con turned fully, the shift in his energy immediate—dangerous. “What?”

Val’s gaze flicked to me, then back to him. “Edward’s side thinks Rene is dying,” he said. “So does Siris’. But Edward’s people don’t want a messy transition—they want someone who already commands loyalty. Someone the clans can rally behind when the vote is called.”

Con’s expression darkened. “I never asked for that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Val said. “They’ve been reading the signs. You’ve been Rene’s right hand for a thousand years. The death dealers trust you. Cass trusts you. The warriors follow you. You’ve earned their allegiance whether you wanted it or not.”

Con ran a hand over his jaw, muttering something under his breath, more growl than words. “They’re using me,” he said finally.

Val’s mouth tightened. “Maybe. But Siris’ people have their own plan. They’re calling for a vote to name a new overseer from Shadow Bone’s lineage. A symbolic choice—to ‘restore balance’ between the old clans and the death dealers.”