Page 92 of Blood that Burns

“He wanted the Council to see how ill-equipped Julian was to rule. To allow Lawrence to host a party with everything that’s been happening within the vampire empire would leave the Council questioning why Julian didn’t stop it. Or at the very least insist upon safeguards.”

I suck on my teeth. “But what does that have to do with killing Stacey?”

“I’d like to know that as well,” Julian nearly growls.

“It was a test. Byron was testing my loyalty. If I hadn’t carried through with it, he’d have cast me out of his circle, leaving us blind. She would’ve died a much more excruciating death.”

“Leavingyoublind,” Law barks, completely glossing over the part that came after that. “We were never clued in on any of this.”

“And you couldn’t be,” Marcellus says, voice raised. “He hardly trusted me as it was, even after you both turned your backs on me. If we’d been meeting up to discuss my findings, he would’ve known. He has eyes and ears everywhere. Including inside these walls.”

“She was the sacrificial lamb to uncover a greater threat.” Julian says the words just above a whisper.

Marcellus doesn’t answer that. He doesn’t need to.

“Shante told me as much,” Law says, drawing all our attention.

“What are you talking about?” Julian demands.

“At the cabin, when she came to help Marina, she said that Stacey had a sixth sense and knew she was going to die. That she’d choose death over turning.” He sighs. “I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about at the time. Figured it was her form of comfort. You know Shante—half answers.”

We’re all quiet for a moment. I’m wondering what’s going through the heads of Marc’s brothers. Killing Stacey was awful, but what about the reasoning behind it? Is killing one person to save millions damnable? Especially considering she was going to die anyway.

I don’t know anymore.

At one point in my life, I would’ve said yes. A life is a life, but that was when I was young and unable to fathom the devastation one vampire could unleash on the world. If her death somehow allowed Marcellus access to ways to save more people, then I wonder if it wasn’t worth it. And that thought makes me feel like an evil person.

You’re not evil. Not even close.

“The man who turned Shannon—was that also a test?” I ask, wanting to move on from the topic of Stacey. It’s too difficult, even though I didn’t personally know her.

“He was one of Byron’s new bite leaders. He was supposed to be there only to witness that Julian was allowing his human slave to walk freely. I was told he was simply there to observe and report.” He takes a deep breath. “I learned afterward that wasn’t the case. They weren’t entirely convinced that my loyalties were with them. They didn’t tell me of their plans because they didn’t want Julian tipped off. Law’s party gave them the perfect opportunity to create division within the Council. A way to sway council members to Byron’s side. It also gave them an opportunity to take Marina to uncover why Julian is so attached to a human.”

“What else do you know?” Julian asks, and I seize up.

My eyes meet Law’s, and I can tell he’s doing his best to not give away his fear. He’s frightened. I feel it slinking though my veins, chilling my blood while my stomach rolls.

“I can give you the names and locations of those running the new bite initiative. It’ll buy you more time if you kill him.”

“Why?” Law drawls, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

“With Byron dead, they’ll likely go into hiding, thinking he sold them out. With them off the streets, it will slow the progression of new bites for a time,” Marcellus explains.

“When Byron dies, it will be for all the lives lost because of him. Not to buy us time.”

Marcellus shrugs. “Your reasons mean little to me as long as he’s dead.”

I’m not one for violence, but in the case of Byron, I tend to agree with Marcellus. He’s better dead, and the rehabilitation facilities are already at max capacity. We need things to slow down. Evil should have no place on this earth, and it’s my new mission in life to do my part to snuff as much of it out as I can.

“Anything else?” Julian asks, sounding exhausted.

I hold my breath for what he’ll say.

“No. That’s all I managed to glean before you captured me.”

I feel the tension dissipate, but confusion settles in quickly. Why is Marcellus not outing Law?

And that, sunshine, is the million-dollar question.