Nearly a week passed before Jean and the youngest prince had returned to the estate. What was supposed to be a short mission turned into a series of outings in neighboring towns to gather intel. From busy streets to the poor villages on the outskirts, Prince Felix had uncovered some interesting accounts of the missing vampires, dhampirs, and humans in the region. 

“It’s like they vanished in the middle of the night,” Jean explained to Rowan and Julien as they reconvened in Julien’s bedroom. “Gone without any belongings or leaving a note behind. The families are at a complete loss.”

Prince Felix sighed. “And it doesn’t appear to be any particular demographic. It’s completely random, from village vampires to human beggars on the streets.”

“What would they want with the poor?” Julien asked, not even sure who or what “they” were. 

“The only commonality I’ve seen is near blood banks,” Jean noted. “Either their last known location was near the banks or if they had a connection to one. One lady said her husband is a blood transporter. Another is a security guard for one in the inner city.”

“Blood banks,” Julien muttered, thinking back to the Capillary. “If it’s humans going missing, it’s likely a vampire’s doing, right?”

“But for vampires and dhampirs too?” Felix prompted. “Why target their own? I’d say the Coalition, but I doubt they’d be capable of mass vampire kidnappings or murders within the main city. And they wouldn’t target humans either.”

“Unless they were that cruel to use the unfortunate for bait,” Jean voiced before looking to Rowan. “Which leads me to believe it’s a vampire clan.”

Rowan pursed his lips, sensing where Jean’s line of thinking was headed. The mere thought of Oscar’s role in all of this left a bad taste in his mouth.

Julien looked between the two guards, eyes widening as something clicked in his head. “You think the Liszts’ are recruiting.”

Jean nodded. “It makes sense. Humans desperate enough to sell their blood for money are going missing, and vampires are looking for bait. Coerce them and either turn them or recruit starving vampires and dhampirs. It’s risky in the main city, but both groups hover near blood banks.”

“Why recruit those that are weak if they’re looking for strong clan members?”

Felix made a disgusted sound. “They’re easy to coerce. They’re compliant enough to do whatever it takes to get blood or money. And if they’ve got members in connection with blood banks, it’s a no-brainer.”

“I was right?” Julien frowned, glancing between the guards before settling on Rowan’s pensive face. “That something was fishy about the Capillary. They support many of the upper elite vampires in the town. Us included. That would explain the wealth, but the report seemed normal.”

Jean regarded that information for a moment. “Anyone could fib reports.”

Julien pursed his lips. “But there’s a money trail. How would Anton be able to cover that up? And why risk his business with us to help some startup clan.”

“Greed?” Felix offered. “Our family is pushing for more rights and protection for humans while exploiting them for blood gives Anton more of a supply. Keeping up with the demands of clientele is difficult if more humans don’t wish to donate their blood to us vampiric kind.”

“The whole point of pushing for more of their rights is so they want to donate,” Julien bemused. “An olive branch of sorts. We protect them, they help us.”

Jean let out a non-committal noise that sounded on the cusp of annoyance. “It’s foolish to think they’d willingly accept that. Our kind has perpetuated centuries of fear and mistrust. A simple law put into place isn’t going to undo it all. These kidnappings or murders are proof of that—regardless of who’s to blame. We simply can’t protect everyone.”

Julien’s fangs extended. “I’m not stupid. I know it’s frivolous, but it’s better than nothing. It’s a start at the very least.”

“My point is that I’d expect someone with ties and business with us wouldn’t go directly against what we’re trying to stand for,” he continued before either Jean or Felix could intervene. “Regardless of how fruitless our efforts of change may be.”

Rowan remained silent and nearly wholly still aside from his eyes, watching as the two argued. Jean made a fair point, realistic and to the point, but a part of him told him that Julien’s sentiments weren’t to be negated either. Vampire politics and business were as complicated as any were, and while he saw no desire to try and understand it, it was clear that no matter how pointless it seemed, Julien’s concerns over Anton held merit. After all, as the clan’s lead blood supplier, it surely deserved to be investigated further. 

“I don’t disagree,” Jean finally muttered, lowering his head as if remembering despite being older, Julien was still a part of the royal family. “However, I think it wise not to anger anyone involved in whatever nefarious scheme if it is the case. Especially one that practically feeds the entire estate.”

“We should investigate it further regardless,” Julien pressed. “I can’t imagine father allowing Anton or anyone else to just walk all over us by targeting our citizens and feeding enemy clans. He sent you both to gather information; it’s only fair he learns of this now rather than later.” He glanced at Felix. “He’d probably listen to you over me, anyway.”

Rowan picked up the bitter tone in the prince’s voice. It wouldn’t have been the first time Ivan had favored Felix’s level-headed opinion over Julien. Of the youngest, Julien always had radical and often outlandish opinions and ideas to pitch to his older siblings and parents. 

But despite the tensions and possible messy outcome of exposing Anton’s potential misdeeds, Rowan saw the value in raising concerns now. It was possible that putting a halt to Anton’s meddling with other clans—whether the Liszt clan or not—proved to be the lesser of two evils. If it meant fewer blood bags and, in turn, resorting to hunting for a meal, Rowan would take the latter—a minor inconvenience for preventing a major catastrophe. 

But if Anton’s odd actions were tied to the Liszt clan, Rowan wasn’t sure an investigation would be appreciated or even gone unnoticed. They needed to approach this cautiously—something Julien needed to understand wholly.

He cleared his throat before turning to Julien. “Lord Ivan would benefit from hearing about this. From either of you.”

Julien blinked. “You agree with me?”

“A threat is a threat. He did say to report anything.”

“Maybe it’s best you both go together,” Jean added hopefully. “If it’s coming from two princes, there’s a chance he’d at least send a few guardsmen to investigate.”

Julien couldn’t have gotten off the edge of his bed. “We’ll go now.”

Felix grumbled behind him but peeled himself off the lounge chair to follow his brother. With hardly a glance toward their guards, the princes exited the room, swiftly descending the hall. Rowan trailed behind them, walking a few paces ahead of Jean, who appeared lost in thought.

Despite the agreement with Julien’s concerns, Rowan could read Jean’s expression muddled beneath the surface. He slowed his pace enough to remark, “There’s more to it than you let on, isn’t there?”

Jean let out an amused chuff before letting the princes step out of earshot. “Some reported a female has been working with them.”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed. “What about her?”

“She’s likely coercing people off the streets to join their cause. It’s all hearsay, but if she’s capable of coercing all these people, it’s not only Oscar we’d have to look out for,” Jean trailed the last bit, ensuring the princes wouldn’t overhear. “And if it’s a lover or one of his spawns, what would that say of his strength and abilities.”

Rowan didn’t entertain the idea of retorting back, lest exposing his connection to the Liszt clan, but it brought troubling possibilities. He was sure his family perished in that fire, but he wouldn’t put it past Oscar to take another wife, even turn a lured mortal for the sake of breeding more vampiric spawn to use like chess pieces. Rowan certainly hadn’t inherited much strength in the psychic elements, often lacking conviction and charisma when it came to coercion. But if a younger lass had adopted Oscar’s knack for coercion, the Liszt clan would have no problem gaining numbers and strength like Jean feared.

He’d become just another chess piece in Oscar’s scheme had he inherited such a skill or had not stood up to him that night. That thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.

Rowan failed to gulp down the knot in his throat. “You believe it’s tied to him.”

Jean nodded solemnly. “I can’t imagine anyone crazy or powerful enough to bargain with Anton. Or go up against our clan. If the rumors we’ve heard in the city about him are true, the Coalition are a bunch of saints compared to him.”

Rowan’s gaze drifted to the princes before them. He and Jean had sworn an oath decades ago to protect them against whomever and whatever that might be. It had appeared to be a simple task back then, with the exchange of stability and routine.

But as the princes faced the double doors to Ivan’s office, eager to take on the injustices within the city, it became abundantly clear that as long as Oscar Liszt was alive, they were running headfirst into the very past Rowan was running from. 

Rowan could only hope that Jean’s deduction was wrong. 

—

Ivan Rosenthal was seated at his mahogany desk as though he was expecting the princes. Julien always found him more intimidating in his office than in the throne room. Something about the office’s various artifacts and macabre decor felt like a warning not to upset the patriarch of the family. After all, most of the dated artifacts were trophies from Ivan’s younger days, spent conquering enemy clans and mortal empires who sought to eradicate vampires. He remembered his older brothers’ tales of the sorry groups to encounter Ivan’s wrath, even a rumor that if you listened closely, their vengeful ghosts liked to linger in this very room. 

While he outgrew the scary ghost stories, Julien couldn’t stand being here for long. He could’ve sworn the eyes on looted portraits would follow his every move.

“Your report is late,” Ivan addressed Felix first. “You were to wrap up a few days ago.”

Jean spoke first, taking a few strides from his post at the door. “Apologies, milord. We felt it best to investigate further once we knew the scale.”

“Scale?” Ivan sat back in his chair before turning to his youngest child. “What have you uncovered?”

Felix gulped, glancing at Julien before addressing their father. “At least a hundred civilians have gone missing. The families we interviewed have all similar MO’s, often disappearing in the dead of night with hardly any witnesses. The ones that have seen anything appeared to have been coerced, missing chunks of memory or misinformation.”

Ivan drummed his fingers on the table. “And the culprit?”

Julien cleared his throat, almost wishing Rowan had stayed by his side instead of at the door. His guard wasn’t great for morale support, but standing in front of Ivan like this was like an ant under a microscope. “Likely another clan.”

Ivan’s jaw tensed, eyes piercing Julien still. “A clan,” he echoed.

“One powerful enough to coerce hundreds of people,” Felix added. “Likely more depending on the number who haven’t reported anything.”

“A clan is unlikely,” Ivan said. “They’d be foolish to do such a thing in our territory.”

A lump sat in Julien’s stomach like lead. “I believe they have an ally who’s just as powerful and has access to enough resources to supply them.”

“Go on.”

Julien gulped, resisting the urge to glance back at his guard. “Anton.”

“Anton,” Ivan let the name simmer on his tongue, before shaking his head. “That’s preposterous.”

Left stunned at the immediate dismissal, Julien’s resolve was crumbling. “I—I mean, the humans are boycotting and rioting outside his steps. They call it unjust, and those humans there did not look happy. With multiple blood banks to his name, he could very easily supply another clan. The reports didn’t seem accurate, and it’d make sense if he were greedy for more clientele.”

He couldn’t tell if his ramblings made any sense, but with Ivan’s pointed glare, Julien could already feel the sting of inconsideration. He was certain the others int he room could feel it too, remaining silent as to avoid Ivan’s wrath.

“He’s our main supplier,” Ivan said plainly. “He’d lose more than just our business with what you suggest. Accusing Anton would jeopardize our partnership with him. Do not bite the hand that feeds us.”

“But if he is—”

“No,” Ivan interrupted, his voice rising in irritation. “Enough with your childish whims. Anton has everything to lose if he so much as thinks about aiding an enemy clan.”

Childish? Julien’s teeth pinched his bottom lip. He knew he should keep his mouth shut, but his stubbornness couldn’t let this go. “Shouldn’t we at least properly investigate him? What if he is, and we just let it go, only for it to bite us in the ass later.”

“And cause tension between us over suspicions?” Ivan’s words are like a whip, gripping Julien’s already tense limbs like a shackle. “Or waste our resources on some unfounded belief?”

Frustration washed over him. “I’ll do it myself, then! You want me to be responsible for my actions, and I will. Isn’t everyone always telling me that I need to grow up? I’m supposed to be a mature vampire soon, anyway. I’ll look into it under the pretense that I’m trying to learn the business and keep our partnership healthy and thriving. Make sure that he’s being truthful and not hiding anything. If he’s being honest, great. But if he’s not, we can sort it out, right?”

While it felt good to get off his chest, the sudden mood in the office seemed to shift. And not just because of the macabre decor. Something akin to embarrassment and fear started to sink in as Ivan regarded him silently. 

And after an unbearably tense second, Ivan tilted his head. “You’re not ready.”

Julien blinked, then again, as those three words weighed on him. Calmer than before, he found the courage to ask, “Will I ever be in your eyes?”

And before Ivan could interrupt, Julien added, “Let me try.”

Another impossibly tense few moments pass as neither of the princes or guards dare to move from their spot. The only movement was from Ivan’s fingers slowly tapping the desk in a steady rhythm. 

“Marlowe.”

Rowan lowered his gaze in a semi-formal bow before standing in line with Jean, just behind the princes. “Milord.”

“You know your duties and are aware of the risks.” While Ivan’s words are brisk, everyone in the room knows the profound implications handling an investigation like this can have. 

“Yes.”

“Good.” Ivan glanced over at Felix. “Continue looking into these disappearances. Aid in whatever the grieving requires. And remember to report back on time. You’re dismissed.”

Even as they exited the moody office, Ivan’s unspoken “Don’t disappoint me” echoed throughout the room.