Chapter 11
ELEVEN
LOCHLAN
I don’t know where I am, but I know where I’m not.
One minute I was in a regular bar and now I’m in some kind of dark forest. The trees are massive, with low hanging branches, almost willow like, but they’re black.
Everything is black—the leaves, the bark, the grass and moss covering the ground. What the actual fuck?
“Where are we?”
Iswyn glances over his shoulder at me, his charming and alluring smile gone now. “My home.” He snaps his fingers and several glowing beings float down from a tree. Their bodies are almost translucent with no discernible legs or facial features. Just arms and bodies.
“Bring my guest some elixir.”
At Iswyn’s command, the beings flit off.
“Come along, vampire. We’ll get you situated.”
“You can help, right?”
“Of course. You made a wise decision to approach me. I am the most powerful in my district.”
That news settles my frayed nerves a bit. “I must have sensed that.”
“Yes.” He smiles again, but it’s tighter now.
We stop in front of a door I didn’t notice before.
It’s covered in black moss and when it opens, I’m greeted with more darkness.
My pulse kicks up, but I enter. I’m a vampire, after all.
It’s not like I’m in a lot of danger here.
At least, I don’t think so. I’m sure if a fairy could kill me, Cassius would’ve warned me.
Right? Wait… He did tell me not to mess with the fae, but was that because they’re dangerous to me or just because it’s a bad idea?
Shit, I really should have asked some follow-up questions.
Iswyn leads me down a hallway and then the narrow corridor opens into a vast room seemingly carved out of a massive tree.
The ceiling is all rounded curves with more lush branches hanging from it, and it smells like earth after a heavy rain.
Light filters in from an unknown source, but it gives the place a cozy feel, as does the comfy looking furniture.
“Please sit,” Iswyn says. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Okay. I can’t stay long though. My people will be looking for me soon.”
He simply nods, looking up as those glowing beings flit into the room carrying trays filled with fruits, pastries, and beverages. They set it all down on a small table in front of the couch, bowing as they back out of the room.
Now I have to wonder how powerful Iswyn actually is. Those beings are treating him like royalty, but maybe that’s just how it is in the fae world.
“Please have a snack.” Iswyn sits on the couch, elegantly crossing his legs. “We have the finest.”
“I can’t ingest human food.”
He laughs then, loudly, throwing his head back like I just said the funniest thing ever. “I’m not human and neither is my food. Trust me, you can eat it.”
“Oh. Right. I forgot.” It smells really good, and I could use an actual meal that isn’t liquid, so I sit next to him, grab a pastry, and sink my teeth into it. I moan at the taste. The flaky crust melts on my tongue and a medley of unknown fruity flavors explodes on my tongue. “Wow.”
Iswyn smiles proudly. “Lovely, yes?”
“Very.”
I spend the next several minutes shoving pastries into my mouth and washing them down with some cool lemony beverage. Iswyn nibbles on a strawberry, watching me with a pleasant expression.
“So, can you help me?” I ask, my words slightly muffled as I chew. It’s like I can’t stop shoveling this food into my mouth.
“I already have, vampire.”
I pull my head back slightly. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve accepted my hospitality, eaten of my food, drunk of my vineyard. You are mine now.”
I stop chewing as his words sink in. “Sorry?”
“You’ll live here with me and never need to drink yucky blood again. I’ll fulfill all your needs. You can eat like a king every day and be my consort.”
“Consort? What the fuck does that mean?”
Iswyn leans over and puts his hand on my thigh. “It means you will be my lover.”
I shake my head, scooting away from him. “No. I can’t do that. I have a life. I have…”
Jareth.
…Roman.
The fact that Roman’s name even pops into my head is a surprise to me, but it feels right and true anyway. I can’t stay here, away from both of them.
Oh no. What have I done?
“Your life is here now, vampire. You will be happy once you adjust.”
“What kind of bullshit bait and switch is this? You said you would help me.”
“And I have.”
“I asked you to remove my vampirism or make me like mortal blood. You said you could.”
“I did not. I said I could help you, but I didn’t say how.”
Cassius’s warning replays in my mind a little too late. I should’ve held out for a witch. I have to get out of this somehow.
“So, I’m just trapped here?”
“You’re my guest. Permanently.” He moves suddenly, as fast as I can, and then he’s right beside me, his strong fingers with their sharp nails gripping my face. “And you will not try to leave or I will kill you.”
“You can’t kill me. I’m a vampire.”
He laughs again, just as demonically as before. “You think you can survive without your head? Besides, you are at my mercy. You can only eat and drink when I say you can. They will neither serve you nor defend you. You see, I am the prince of these woods. I head the Nocturne Consortium.”
“And what is that?”
“My organization. I always need more soldiers or…” His thumb brushes across my cheek. “Pretty little things to amuse me.”
I’m in trouble. A lot of fucking trouble. The way I see it, there’s only one way out and it’s not gonna be pretty.
“I don’t need blood while I’m here?”
Iswyn shakes his head. “No.”
“That’s disappointing.” I’m making this up as I go, but I have to try. “I heard fae blood is a delicacy. Sweeter and better than anything else.”
Iswyn preens, just like I was hoping he would. “Why yes, we do have the sweetest blood. Would you like a taste, vampire?”
I nod, but he lifts his hand.
“I’ll warn you this time, drinking my blood will bind us forever until death.”
Perfect. “I’m already trapped here, aren’t I? I might as well enjoy the bounty.”
He smiles, tilting his head to offer his neck.
I have to concentrate on my helplessness, my anger at being deceived, my foolishness for trusting him, but mostly the awareness that if I don’t do this I’ll never see Jareth again, and that’s not acceptable.
Even if he hates me, I can’t let him worry.
I can’t let him suffer not knowing what happened to me.
This has to happen, and maybe it’s Iswyn’s fault for underestimating a desperate vampire.
As those emotions rush through me, my gums throb and my fangs descend. My eyes burn and rage swirls in my gut. When I open my eyes, Iswyn is calmly waiting for me to take a bite, so I lunge, letting the bloodthirsty beast within me surge to the surface.
I tear at the fae prince’s flesh, finding it as easy to rip away as tissue paper. He goes to scream, but I clamp my hand over his mouth, feasting on his blood. It’s not as sweet as he made it seem, but it’s not disgusting, or maybe knowing it’s my ticket to freedom makes it taste better.
Within minutes, Iswyn slumps in my arms, his lifeless eyes fixed on the ceiling.
I continue to indulge, draining every drop, which should keep me satiated until I find another solution to my problem.
And then, just to be safe, I wrench his limp head off his neck.
Like he said, it’s hard to live without a head.
I drop his body to the floor and let his head thunk down right after it.
It bounces and rolls a few feet while I gaze down at his body with indifference.
It’s the first time I haven’t felt bad about feeding...
not just feeding, killing. But this was different.
It was self-defense. I guess if I’m mad or panicked enough, I can get through it.
Rising from the couch, I look around for the exit, but before I can make it through the door, the room fills with glowing beings. They don’t have mouths, but their panic is obvious as they flit around Iswyn’s body and emit piercing noises.
Fuck. I bolt for the door, diving through it as the beings descend on me, then I’m running through a dark forest, branches tearing at my skin as I run. Birds swoop down from the trees, pecking me and screeching as the sound of angry voices reaches me.
“He killed Prince Iswyn,” a male voice shouts. “Find him and bring me his head.”
I dart through the forest using my super speed, unsure whether fae can catch up to me or not, then I spot a clearing.
The air here is thick and glimmers like a heat mirage.
I might be doing the absolute wrong thing here, but I’m out of options.
I dive into the center of the clearing, landing on my knees with a thud, but when I open my eyes, it’s silent.
The trees are green again and the moon is shining down, giving me just enough light to get my bearings. Except I have no idea where I’m at, no clue which direction to go in, and no idea if the fae can find me here.
I get to my feet and brush dirt off my jeans, but I quickly learn there’s no time to rest. Voices spill through the trees, getting closer with each passing moment. The fae.
They’re coming for me.
JARETH
“I smell enchanted blood.” A door opens and a man, obviously a vampire, sniffs the air. “You’re bleeding,” he says as his eerie eyes focus on me and his fangs become visible.
Roman steps in front of me. “He’s a friend, not a meal. You remember Jareth?”
Cassius blinks a few times then nods. “Hmm. Yes. Why have you woken me?”
“Is Loch with you? Or do you know where he is?”
“Of course he’s not with me. You would know that. Is something wrong?”
“Dammit,” I mutter. “You were supposed to watch him, Roman.”
“What happened?” Cassius asks.
“I don’t know,” Roman says. “He’s not here and Jareth had a vision. A concerning one.”
“He must be around here somewhere. He can’t leave the underworld without us.”
“I know.” Roman rubs his forehead. “A vampire wandering the underworld?”
“Not ideal,” Cassius says.
“What could happen to him?” I ask.
“A lot of things,” Cassius says while Roman growls. He’s acting so weird.
“Then we have to find him.”