Chapter 14
Fourteen
Nero
The camp was up ahead.
Light from the fire flickered over the faces of the fae warriors as they stared into the flames, blood still smeared on their chins and hands from their last meal. Animal carcasses and a few other creatures that lived in this forest lay rotting around their camp, along with piles of ash from the demons who’d gotten too close and paid with their heads.
It had taken me four days to track them here. They’d covered their movements well as they’d moved along the border. I’d had to go slow, and I’d taken more than one unnecessary detour.
I studied the fae soldiers sitting around the fire. I knew them all. I’d been tortured by most of them at the command of the old king. When I’d finally escaped, there’d been nothing left of my humanity. I’d been numb, broken in so many ways that my heart had stopped beating.
Even then, even as cold as I’d been after what had happened to me, I’d never lost my thirst for revenge. Killing the old king for what he’d done to my sister had taken centuries, but I’d done it.
I’d avenged Dorotha.
My chest ached at the thought of her, and I tried to rub away the new sensation.
I hadn’t had the strength to kill them then after my escape.
I did now.
What was left of the old king’s fae guard were holed up deep in the forest, still close to the border between our territory and theirs. They’d fled, but they’d stayed close, not straying far from home. The prime said they’d been spotted in the city, which was why I’d been sent to track and kill them, but finding them all the way out here, I wasn’t sure I believed they’d ever left this place.
Yes, I was going to execute them. I’d dreamed of murdering them since the day I escaped, since I found my sister’s beaten and bloody body. Killing these males was the only way to ensure peace remained between our people and the new fae royal house, but the prime inferring that they were an imminent threat to us, to the elders themselves, seemed unlikely since they obviously hadn’t traveled far from the border at all.
The prime was playing fucking war games and had held back important information. What was his endgame?
Drawing two of my knives from their sheaths, I let them fly, taking out two guards I didn’t recognize. Their bodies thumped to the ground, and the others exploded to their feet. Sliding my favorite blade free, I stepped from the trees. “Gentlemen, it’s been a while,” I said and flashed my fangs.
The fae drew their swords, but they couldn’t win, not when they were malnourished from drinking animal blood, and not at full strength. I ran at them, a blur of speed, slicing their throats, and removing their heads one at a time, their bodies falling limp to the ground like dominos.
Their deaths were too fast, too easy, after what they’d done to Dorotha at the king’s orders, but for once, death and vengeance wasn’t the most important thing to me—getting back to Mina outweighed what had driven me for longer than I could remember.
My feelings for my bonded may be a weakness and extremely dangerous, but there was no stopping it—and the days apart from her had made it clear that my bride had invaded every part of me, that she’d all but conquered me completely.
I needed to make sure there were no others along the border before I returned to her, because now that I’d spilled fae blood, those close by would know and they’d be coming. I couldn’t risk any of them following me home to her.
Another day at most to take care of any others, then I would return to my Lalka.
Mina
I stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
Nero had been gone four long nights. I missed him. There was no point trying to deny it or pretend otherwise. I missed my bonded male, I missed my mate. No, he hadn’t made me his in truth yet, but that didn’t matter. My heart didn’t care about that. He was mine.
I rolled to my side, curling around the pillow he’d used, breathing in his scent, and closed my eyes, to try and sleep—
There was a crash against my door. I shot up in bed as a feral growl came from beyond it, along with more thumps and crashes.
The sound of the lock turning came next. I jumped off the bed, scrambling back as the door was shoved open.
Two large vampires walked in. One of them dragging Pretender in behind him, bloody and beaten. Gods, his face was almost unrecognizable, his body misshapen from dislocated limbs and broken bones. Whoever these males were, they meant to do me harm and Pretender fought hard to protect me.
They were Nero’s enemies, the ones he’d told me about.
The male holding Pretender dumped him on the ground. Pretender reached a hand toward me, choking on his own blood—still trying to protect me even now.
Another vampire walked in.
I gasped and scrambled back until I hit the wall.
The prime.
The ancient male’s rheumy gaze slid over me, and he smiled. “Ah, there you are, Mina. Your friend here wouldn’t share your whereabouts. We had to search every nook and cranny in this place to find you.” He held out his hand. “Come here, child.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Nero told me to come and get you. He won’t be back for some time. You need protection.”
Pretender made a gurgling sound, struggling to get to his hands and knees. One of the prime’s guards slammed a booted foot down on his back, pinning him to the ground.
A cry burst from me. “Please…stop. Don’t hurt him anymore.”
“Then come here,” the prime said.
“Nero… H-he told me to stay here,” I said, my voice shaking as hard as my limbs. “That I wasn’t to leave.”
“Nero didn’t realize the scope of the assignment I sent him on. Now he does, and I am to provide you with safe accommodation until his return.”
Pretender hissed, sounding wild.
“I don’t believe you,” I rasped.
“You dare defy your prime?” one of the guards barked at me. “Nero is beholden to our prime, as are you.” He slid a wicked-looking knife from its sheath and dropped to his knees. Fisting Pretender’s hair, he wrenched his head back, knife to his throat. “Come easy or Nero’s ward dies.”
“Don’t hurt him!” What choice did I have? But I wasn’t stupid. They were trying to make me believe Nero wanted this, but I knew they were lying.
“I’ll come, just please, don’t hurt him anymore.” Pretender was the first friend I’d had in so long, and he was important to Nero. I’d never let anyone hurt him.
“Wise choice,” the prime said, and again held out his hand.
I took it, a shudder moving though me when his cold, clammy skin touched mine. The ancient male stopped beside Pretender and nudged him with his boot. “Your attempts to protect her were valiant, if misplaced.” He smiled wide, flashing his yellowing fangs. “I am prime, and I take what I want. Nero won’t mind if I use her first.” He gave my hand a brutal squeeze, making me wince. “If he does, well, he’ll just have to get over it.”
That’s when what he’d just said registered. Use me?
I tried to pull from his hold again. I’d rather die than let this monster use me in any way. He squeezed my hand tighter, so tightly I cried out in pain and my legs almost buckled beneath me.
“Fighting will only make it worse for you,” he said, then towed me from the room, while Pretender dragged his broken and bloody body toward the door, hissing and growling and trying to follow.