Valeri shuddered at the mention of Lady Ashlynn's vampires. Even now, days after she'd taken Lothian Manor as her own and appointed herself as Marchioness, no one had seen the second vampire she claimed had aided in her assault.
There were some who believed that there was no second vampire, and that High Inquisitor Ignatious was the only one she'd brought with her, but few people put much faith in that wishful line of thinking. Instead, Valeri and perhaps Tulori as well chose to believe that she was keeping a hidden blade in reserve, waiting for the first lord to assemble his knights to move against her before revealing the trap she'd set.
It was one of the things that made an active act of rebellion in the manor so unthinkable, and it was all the more reason that Valeri had to escape before it became impossible to do so.
