THRONE OF SECRETS Bonus Content

There may be spoilers in the bonus content. It’s best to read it after you’ve finished THRONE OF SECRETS.

THRONE OF SECRETS—BONUS CONTENT

Deleted scene with Envy and Gluttony—please note: this is an unedited scene from the first draft. It was originally located right before Gluttony’s sexy “nightmare” about Adriana along with the unedited newspaper column listed above. This content is meant to be read for enjoyment.

Some fun insight into why it was cut: During the second draft my editor and I wanted Gluttony to be more active, so I had him go to the vampire court to get the “tonic” himself. That organically gave him a way to actively hunt down solutions while keeping the essence of the “vampire venom” idea intact. It also gave us a chance to see what Blade was up to and include a cameo that worked to advance the plot. (Something I’d been hoping to accomplish for all my fellow Blade girlies!)

“Tell me again how clever you are,” Envy mocked, reading the paper with singular interest despite the clamoring noise in the tavern. “Miss Match is now being quoted in my circle, too. ‘Stay scandalous’ is rather catchy.”

I gave my brother a withering look, refusing to comment.

Adriana Saint Lucent was an absolute menace to our plans. But I’d take her down soon enough.

Everything was slowly falling into place for my next move. I’d chosen each item I’d sent to her with extreme care, including the bolts of fabric—everything served a larger purpose.

To the outside observer, the gifs were frivolous, excessive. Overindulgent. If they only looked deeper, they’d realize they were weapons of the hunt.

Snippets of conversation drifted over to our booth—my brother wasn’t the only one enjoying Miss Match’s ‘voicey’ column. I scowled into my ale. Adriana had turned what was meant to be an effort to hamper her meddling into a runaway sensation.

The Ox & Raven was more crowded than usual after today’s news broke.
Technically, yesterday, I noted, glancing at the clock behind the bar. It was after midnight.

I wanted to unfurl my wings and take to the skies to escape the incessant gossip about the clever Miss Match. Almost every cursed scandal sheet in the realm was using her catchphrase now. Stay scandalous! was also being chirped as a goodbye.

I swear I’d hear it in my nightmares later.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the realm started tattooing the damned thing on themselves. And most aggravating of all, almost every conversation happening around us revolved around her breaking the story first. I could only imagine how victorious Adriana felt. Meanwhile, I’d been stewing. I had a few ideas about how I could reclaim victory but hadn’t sorted out the best trap to keep her close just yet.

The riskiest plan depended on me proving a theory correct.

My attention drifted back to the clock. Each day that passed with Adriana freely walking the streets, was another day of balancing on a knife’s edge. It was only a matter of time before that hellion brought chaos raining down on us all. I knew she’d never stop hunting down the truth about the dragon attacks.

I had enough on my plate without tracking her through the city every night to thwart her efforts. The suitors would be arriving by week’s end and when I wasn’t playing the besotted prince, I needed to search for any lead on the dragons, myself.

I couldn’t be in three places at once. Short of chaining the damn reporter to my side, I needed to bind her to me one way or another. The sooner the better.

I thought of my mystery lover waiting on the rooftop of the Seven Sins and my mood soured further. I’d been ready to head out to meet her when my brother’s note arrived.

He’d located something that might help Silvanus and that took precedence above all.

Envy had left this morning after our meeting, then come back with a tonic he’d somehow managed to get from Blade, the new vampire prince.

Supposedly, the tonic was spiked with royal vampire venom and might thrall the dragon into answering questions. Vampire venom was potent, it was worth seeing if it could break through whatever was impacting the dragon.

The spell the witch used hadn’t succeeded. I was ready to strip naked, dance by the light of the moon, and wave bones around if it would help. Though that wasn’t far from my regular nightly activities, depending on how many spirits were imbibed.

I’d been eager to give Silvanus the vampire tonic at once, but we were advised to wait until daybreak to administer it. No one wanted to mix royal vampire venom and witchcraft in case it caused a worse reaction.

Envy wasn’t staying until then. Camilla was back from her gallery and not even threat of imminent death would keep him from her tonight.

Before he returned to his circle, I’d agreed to having a drink. Our problems were mounting, but stealing thirty minutes for a winter ale wouldn’t end the world as we knew it.

“Gifting a certain journalist with a new wardrobe and unmentionables?” He whistled softly. “You filthy dog.”

I swiped the scandal sheet from my brother’s fist, scanning the latest article as another round of frothy mugs of ale were set before us.

“Did you need anything else?” the waitress asked.

“We’re set for now.” I gave her a polite smile, then turned back the paper.

“Stay scandalous!”

My teeth ground together so loud that Envy almost choked on his ale. Gods-cursed Miss Match.

For the third time, I attempted to read the article and finally succeeded. Miss Match wasn’t the only one who knew how to manipulate the press.

Phase one of my plan had worked perfectly.

“Bloody hell.” Envy downed half his ale in one go, watching me speculatively. “This Ryleigh reporter is right. You set this up, didn’t you?”

A genuine smile curved my mouth. “I might have secretly fed information to a certain scandal sheet.”

“She’s going to have your balls.”

I didn’t have to ask which “she” he meant. Adriana would have been livid when the first parade of servants arrived bearing gifts. My cock almost swelled at the thought.

“The information isn’t traceable to my court. She’ll be upset with her coworker.”

Envy snorted. “I somehow doubt her coworker will be the source of her wrath.”

I ignored him in favor of reading the column.

It made me feel marginally better. Adriana would despise being part of the gossip ring, hopefully it would take some of the wind out of her victory sails and distract her from the truth.

“A rake of the highest order?” I scoffed. “These ridiculous columnists are like a bad rash, you rid yourself of one and another surfaces, more troubling than the last.” I ran a hand over my face, ignoring Envy’s dark laughter. “I didn’t intend for it sound so ridiculous. But it’ll do.”

Envy wiped a stray tear from his eye, attempting to sober himself. “I know you’re not actually sleeping with the journalist. What, exactly, were you hoping to accomplish, treating her like a mistress?” he asked.

An image of Adriana’s tear-stained face crossed my mind. I took another deep pull of my ale.

“Damage control on two fronts. First, payback for breaking my story first. Second, it grants me a very good excuse to march into her office tomorrow morning and ban her from attending the name-drawing ceremony. If I want her far away from the competition, she’ll do the complete opposite just to spite me.”

“Mm.”

I narrowed my gaze at my brother, despising whenever he made that accursed sound. “What?”

Envy sat back, scanning the darkened room. No one was paying us any mind, we’d chosen a booth in the back corner, nestled away from the thickest seating section. I still wore my “grandmother disguise,” my cloak pulled low to hide my features.

“You could have simply sent someone to her office and forbidden her from attending.”

“I didn’t want to risk her actually agreeing to it. And I indulged my sin.” I shrugged. “Power is power. This happened to bring me some much-needed joy in the process. It’s the first time all day I felt a modicum of happiness.”

Envy scanned me a moment, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You have another angle.”

When it came to Adriana, I had many plots ready to put to use.

If I couldn’t meet my secret lover, needling Adriana to distraction was the next best thing. Until I found a better solution to keeping her close, leading her into my snare was the smartest move. If she was focused on solving the mystery behind the gifts, she’d stop asking about the dragons.

There was, of course, another reason for my sending the modiste. One that was infinitely more practical for helping me solve a burning question I couldn’t stop asking myself.

I’d paid an obscene amount of coin to have the dressmaker work overtime.

I wanted those items delivered as soon as possible.

Envy leaned forward, elbows planted on the sticky table, uncaring that his pristine suit was getting soiled. “Whatever twisted game you’re playing, make sure you win.”

“It’s a hunt.” I offered him a slow, wicked smile. “Victoria aut mors.”

He sat back, his mouth curving into a matching grin. “Victory or death.”

I raised my mug of ale, clinking it against his. “Precisely. I won’t stop until I’ve taken her down.”