Chapter 8 #2
“I’m Rasimir’s heir,” I said. Recalling the way my mother bargained with herb sellers at Derryton’s weekly farmers market, I raised my chin.
“I could rule all of Nocta one day.” Inwardly, I kicked myself.
Mama always urged me to be bold. Don’t say what you could do.
If you mean to do something, say it plainly from the start.
On the other hand, I didn’t want to rule Nocta.
I wanted to escape it. Rasimir could have his twisted kingdom.
The men looked at me, then at each other.
I chewed the inside of my cheek. At any second they were going to seize me. They’d carry me directly to Rasimir, who would—
“This way,” the taller guard said. He and his companion turned and marched down the corridor. Disbelief dropped my jaw. Then I hefted my skirts and hurried after them.
The Drakhold’s rooms and corridors passed in a blur of light and luxury.
Distant laughter and the chatter of a crowd drifted from somewhere.
The noises faded as we made our way down one long passageway after another.
The guards’ boots clicked against the marble, the synchronized beats driving my anxiety higher.
Finally, we paused outside a pair of glossy black doors. The taller guard rapped his knuckles on the wood and called, “Sir?”
“Come,” Vander’s muffled voice said from the other side. The guard opened the door and stepped back.
Princess or prisoner? I’d get nowhere acting like the latter. Squaring my shoulders, I swept inside.
A masculine study greeted me. Bookcases the same glossy black as the doors lined the walls. Candlelight illuminated the gold lettering on the spines of hundreds of books. Vander looked up from a big desk, surprise flaring in his silver eyes before he quickly concealed it.
“Thank you, Sergeant,” he said, darting a look at the guard behind me. “That will be all.”
The man hesitated. “The king—”
“That will be all,” Vander repeated firmly.
The guard bowed and then shut the door.
Vander waited a beat, his gaze intense as he stared at the door. Then he rose, rushed around his desk, and gripped my upper arms. “Corinthe,” he said in a low voice. “What are you doing here?”
All the tangled emotions of the past twenty-four hours rushed into my throat. “You lied to me.”
His mouth tightened, and he tossed another glance at the door. “We can’t talk about this here—”
“Then where?” I demanded, my voice climbing with my frustration. “When? Because if you haven’t noticed, I have to get married in three months!”
With a muttered curse, he pulled me toward a corner of the room.
I struggled against his hold. “What are you—? Let me go!”
“Quiet,” he grunted, maneuvering me into a tight corner made even tighter by his broad shoulders. Bookcases rose on either side of us. Vander kept a firm grip on my arm as he muttered something that sounded like “zid” under his breath.
Blue swelled at my shoulder, and I turned to see one of the books start to glow.
When I swung back to Vander, another book on the shelf behind him emitted the same soft blue light.
A faint line of blue ran from one book to the other, forming a horizontal boundary that threatened to brush our shoulders.
I’d seen it before, I realized, when Vander set the ward in the Wendlewood.
“What kind of magic is this?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about it.”
I jerked from his grip. “More evasion? You don’t need to pretend anymore, Sir Vander. I know exactly what you are. A liar.”
His sharp intake of air was loud in the confined space. He leaned close enough for me to see the individual auburn hairs in the stubble on his cheeks. “I believe I already cautioned you about calling me a liar, Princess.”
“It’s hard not to when you keep lying, Captain .” His nostrils flared, but I plunged ahead. “You said you’d earn my trust. You promised to protect me. You gave me your word as a knight.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing?” he bit out.
I couldn’t stifle my gasp. “You think bringing me here was protecting me? Rasimir is mad—”
“Keep your voice down.”
“—and Prince Lorcan is just like him.”
“You don’t know anything about Lorcan.”
Wait. Was Vander defending him? “You two hate each other,” I said.
Vander’s expression didn’t change. “As I said, you don’t know anything about the prince.”
“I know he drained Alon to death. He ripped away an innocent creature’s life and magic.”
Vander opened his mouth. Then shut it. The red serpent on his chest gleamed like blood against the black leather. The snake’s jaws stretched wide around the skull, which was sewn with the same crimson thread. The skull’s teeth were blunt, with no fangs. The serpent devoured a human, not a vampire.
“It’s complicated,” Vander said finally.
My anger burned hotter. “What I saw today wasn’t complicated. It was murder. And it was dangerous. Drinking dead blood drives a vampire over the edge. Eventually it drives them insane.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Vander snapped.
“I don’t know what to think.” Disgust leaked into my voice. “But you stood there and watched it happen. I was a fool to think you had any honor.” I stepped away from the corner.
Vander hauled me back. His fangs flashed as a growl rumbled in his throat. “You go too far questioning my honor, Corinthe.”
“Let go of me!” I jerked against his grip, my elbow knocking into the books behind me. The blue light wavered.
He hissed, his fingers biting into my skin as we tussled. “Settle down!”
“No!” Panic flooded me as his fangs appeared between his lips. I fought harder. My elbow struck the shelf, and fiery pain streaked up my arm. “Ow!”
Vander loosened his grip. “Are you all—?”
I wrenched my arm free and punched him in the mouth.
His head snapped back. Fist throbbing, I started for the door.
Hard fingers gripped my shoulders, and I was spun around and pressed against the bookcase.
Shelves bit into my back, and Vander’s blazing silver eyes and long, pointed fangs filled my vision.
His lip was split open. Blood seeped from the wound and dribbled down his chin.
A sweet, intoxicating scent hit my nose. It filled my lungs and sizzled through my veins like wildfire.
The monster inside me snapped its restraints.
Hissing, I seized Vander’s jacket in both fists and jerked him into me.
I got a split-second glimpse of widening silver eyes before I latched on to his lip.
Blood splashed my tongue. Something wild and potent followed.
It charged down my throat and danced through me.
Pounding drums beat in my ears. Swallowing, I deepened the kiss.
Glimpses of unrestrained bonfires and a thousand flowers opening and closing flashed in my mind.
Stars pinwheeled behind my closed lids. Power built, and it was thick and green, its tendrils wrapping around and around my heart.
Stop. I had to stop. But I couldn’t. The drums pounded harder.
A swift, bubbling river flowed down my throat, its essence sweeter than honey.
The river gushed faster. Power swirled, and it was beautiful and terrible.
In my mind’s eye, Vander stepped into the river. He muttered something I couldn’t catch. Then he turned toward me. Dazzling sunlight spread around him, turning his hair to flame.
A tongue stroked mine, putting a gasp in my throat as the kiss turned more intimate.
Long fingers speared my hair, and a masculine groan rumbled into my mouth.
The wild, bubbling river became the hot, silky sweep of a skilled tongue.
The honey on my lips flowed deeper into my body, pooling between my legs as a restless ache built.
Stubble scraped my chin, the prickling rasp sharp but not unpleasant.
Rain-soaked air surrounded me. The tongue sucked at mine, sending more liquid heat flowing to the juncture of my thighs.
I whimpered, and a surge of boldness made me flick my tongue against the larger one thrusting deep into my mouth.
Vander tore his lips from mine. My fingers slipped from his jacket, and I slumped against the bookcase. We stared at each other, our chests heaving as we caught our breath. Pink stained his cheekbones, and the pulse in his neck fluttered wildly. The cut on his lip was gone.
I touched my mouth, then realized what I was doing and quickly lowered my hand.
“Are you all right?” Vander asked gruffly.
I pushed away from the bookshelf. “Yes. You taste different. Is it because you’re turned?”
He gave no reply. His silver gaze was unwavering, all of his doors latched and bolted.
Except he’d kissed me.
“You kissed me,” I said, the words jumping from me before I could stop them.
He swallowed, his eyes flicking to my mouth. “You kissed me first. But you’re right. I…shouldn’t have done that.”
“Then why did you?”
His eyes didn’t leave my mouth. “You’re beautiful,” he muttered. “And I’m stupid.”
Wait. He thought I was beautiful?
“Sorry to interrupt,” a cold voice said.
Vander and I jumped. Lorcan stood in the doorway, his dark eyes locked on us. He stared at Vander for a long moment before looking at me.
“Come, Princess. Your father worried you got lost. He sent me to fetch you.” His hard smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I believe he wishes to speak to us about our wedding.”
A nxiety fluttered in my stomach as I kept pace with Lorcan. How long had he stood in the doorway? Had he seen me kiss Vander?
Gods, I’d kissed Vander. Of all the reckless things I could have done, that topped the list. But his blood had beckoned, and the monster had answered.
It could never happen again, especially now that I knew how good Vander tasted.
His blood was invigorating. Addictive. But it was also a tempest. Drinking him had felt like standing in an open field with a storm approaching. Kissing him had felt…better.
I licked my lips.
“Keep up,” Lorcan said as we turned down another corridor.