Page 1 of Let Sleeping Vampires Lie

CHAPTER 1

CASS

The echo of Valerian’s disembodied laughter still clung to the walls as Con and I descended the staircase. It slithered down the banister like smoke, a phantom reminder that he’d reached into this house, and toyed with us like children. The clan had heard it. Every last one.

By the time we reached the bottom steps, the foyer was a storm of movement. Vampires moved in tight clusters, pale faces drawn with confusion and fear, voices sharp with speculation. Conversations overlapped in frantic whispers. Eyes darted to shadows that hadn’t been threatening five minutes ago.

I felt the tension ripple through them like a living thing. Most of them didn’t know who Valerian Mobiuos truly was, just a name muttered in old warlock warnings or footnotes in Rene’s restricted archives. But after tonight? There was no hiding he was real. No hiding that he had set his sights on us.

No hiding that Rene was weakening.

And those whispers were spreading faster than any truth we could give them.

Con’s hand hovered near the small of my back, not touching, but ready. His presence steadied me more than I wanted to admit, the low burn of his protective instinct pulsing through the air like a second heartbeat.

“Eyes up,” I murmured.

He nodded once. “Already on it.”

As we stepped off the last stair, the room shifted, like prey sensing a predator. Conversations cut off. Every head turned. A hundred silver, gold, and red-tinted eyes, fixed on us.

Fear, confusion, suspicion.

I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “All right,” I called out, loud enough to cut through the tension. “Let’s not panic. Yes, that was Valerian, and yes, he enjoys theatrics. He’s playing a game.”

“Games that get people killed,” someone muttered.

“Games we’re ending,” I shot back without missing a beat.

Con stepped beside me, arms crossing over his chest in that intimidating wall-of-warrior stance that made younger vamps shut up instantly. “Valerian’s interference is already being addressed. We’re coordinating with Rene, Raven, the PSO, and the empowered task forces. You’ll be briefed as we get new information.”

That should have calmed them.

It didn’t.

Another voice rose from the cluster near the fireplace, dripping skepticism. “You expect us to trust that? The death dealers only answer to Rene. We’re supposed to believe his little pawns can protect us when he can’t even protect himself?”

The room went dead silent.

Like someone had cut the sound with a blade.

My spine stiffened.

Con stilled beside me, the air tightening around him like stretched wire.

I turned slowly. The vampire who spoke—Meredith, a redhead with a biting tongue and a habit of overestimating her political weight, stood with her arms crossed, chin tilted boldly as if daring us to challenge her.

Con didn’t look at her right away.

He looked at me.

A glance.

Brief.

Loaded.

Want me to handle this?