Cain clenched his jaw. “He convinced me to invite the Mississippi clan to my coming home celebrations to make peace with them.” He sucked in a breath and pointed at the two vampires. “How can I make peace with a clan that does this to their people?”

“Why did you even agree to invite them?” Faye asked. “You know they don’t share our values.”

Should he have known this? Obviously the old Cain would have been aware of this. “I thought things had changed while I was gone. Abel suggested giving them another chance.” Though it appeared now that maybe he shouldn’t listen to anything Abel was suggesting.

“Nothing’s changed,” Faye replied. “They’re just as cruel as they always were.”

He’d have a word with Abel later. He motioned to David and Kathryn. “Let’s get you settled so you can rest.” Then he looked at Faye. “Will you show me which cottage is available?”

“Come!” she encouraged the two strangers and turned to the door.

As they all walked outside, Cain reached for Faye’s hand. Her head immediately whipped to him, and her face indicated surprise.

He smiled at her while he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on its back. A hesitant smile was her reply. In companionable silence they walked around the palace toward the long driveway. Cain glanced at the cottages along the way and let Faye take the lead, while he enjoyed her warm hand in his.

“This is it.” She pointed to a small wooden cottage that looked like all the others and walked to the entrance door, then turned to him. “I don’t have a key.”

For an instant Cain froze. Then he remembered the set of keys Abel had handed him on his first night back and pulled them from his pocket. He looked at the different keys but didn’t know which one fit the lock of the cottage. When he hesitated, Faye pointed to one of the keys.

“This one.”

“It’s been a long time,” he deflected, hoping she didn’t find it odd that he couldn’t remember which key to use, and unlocked the door.

The inside of the cottage was simple, but functional: two large rooms, one furnished as a living room, one as a bedroom, plus a small bathroom with a tub.

“I’ll have one of the servants bring linen and towels,” Faye said. Then she looked at the girl who was glancing around and making hesitant steps into the interior. “And I can bring you some clothes, Kathryn.”

At the sound of her name, the girl spun around. Her breaths came irregularly, but when Faye just remained standing where she was, Kathryn started to visibly calm down. “Thank you.”

David stretched his hand out to Cain. “I’m very grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

Cain took his hand and shook it. “Don’t thank me. This is Faye’s doing, not mine.” From the corner of his eye he noticed Faye cast him a soft smile. “Rest. I’ll have one of my people bring you everything you need.”

Then he turned to the door and walked outside. Faye joined him a moment later. He took her hand. “Come.”

Once out of earshot of the cottage, he addressed her again. “I didn’t want to ask in front of them, but how were they defanged? Any injury would heal during their restorative sleep. Their fangs would grow back within a day.”

Faye sighed. “Normally, yes, but these monsters implanted them with metal pellets where their fangs would re-grow and coated them with silver so that the wound can never heal. The constant pain must be excruciating.”

Cain shuddered at the thought. “There must be something that can be done.”

“We’d need a surgeon, but we don’t have one. We have to bring them to a human surgeon, but it will be risky.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Because Cain had just come up with the solution.

Faye turned to him, pleading, “But you can’t let them continue to suffer like this. The girl is numb with pain. I can feel it.”

Cain took her hands and drew her closer. “They’re not going to suffer much longer. I know a physician. She’s a vampire. I can bring Maya here to operate on them. Everything will be fine.”

Faye’s eyes widened. “Maya? Is that the woman you love?”

“Maya? God, no! Maya is a friend. And she’s bonded to a magnificent man not even I would want to cross.” Cain brought her clasped hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss on them. “Faye, there’s no other woman. Why would you think there is?”

“But I heard that you fell in love with another woman.”