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Chapter 32

  Kahli could sense his presence. The King's mood slipped over her like a disgusting blanket, covered in slime. The sensation made her stomach lurch. If she could feel him, and knew that he was close, then he must sense Kahli as well. Proximity did not work in her favor. The closer she got to the King, the more she could feel. It made her heart race faster. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and dripped from her temples. Her hair matted to her face, as Kahli inched through the garden alone, each step taking her closer to the palace - closer to the King.

  Every tree, every shadow, every noise made her want to scream. He could be anywhere and she wouldn't see him until he was right in front of her. Kahli sucked in the frigid air and held it in until her lungs burned. Steadying herself, she moved forward. The King was just a vampire. He was like the rest. She said these things to herself over and over again, but the thoughts didn't reassure her. Instead, they made her more jumpy, because they were lies. The King was not like the rest of them. There was something different about him. While she saw the other vampires as vulnerable, the King was not. He wasn't weak. There was nothing to exploit, and yet, Kahli crouched through the garden of ice and stone, inching closer to him with the intention of killing him.

  The iced trees cast a canopy of lacy shadows on the frozen ground. Patches of light and darkness mingled together, masking anyone who was near. The moonlight was weak. Thin gray clouds covered the sky. Every few moments, the world went black as another cloud crossed the moon's surface, darkening the night.

  Kahli swallowed even though her mouth was dry. As she moved through the frozen garden, Kahli snapped a shard of ice from a tree limb. The piece of ice was heavy, with its tip formed to a perfect point. Holding it in her hand, she could feel its mass through her glove. Kahli clutched the weapon and moved forward, knowing each step was bringing her closer to the King.

  There was a question burning brightly in her mind. Normally, Kahli would sneak up on a Tracker and demand an answer before killing the vamp, but she didn't think that was wise. Not with the King. He was too strong, too powerful. Memories of their last meeting played through her mind and Kahli shivered. The compulsion scared her the most. She didn't know how to resist his commands. The King's threats rang in her ears as she stalked closer and closer to the palace.

  When she reached the back of the garden, a long shadow caught her eye. The stake rose in her fist. Kahli moved forward silently, ready to strike. But, when she realized what she was looking at, she lowered her arm. The ground was open, like someone placed a door in the frozen earth. Kahli glanced side to side before moving forward. The metal doors were thick and coated with ice. Each door was covered in a sheet of ice that cracked along the edge. Glancing into the hole, Kahli saw a set of stairs that descended into the dark earth.

  Carefully, she moved toward the hole without making a sound. Reaching out, she touched the ancient door with her gloved hand. It reminded her of the doors in the older safe houses. The metal was thick, and rust-colored, caked in ice. The snow at the throat of the hole was disturbed, pushed away. There were two sets of prints that descended the tired old staircase. Kahli pressed her eyes closed hard. Steeling her nerves, she took a deep breath and descended the stairs alone, immediately swallowed by darkness.