Chapter 28 #3
The heavy weight of a man tackled me from the side, taking me to the ground.
I managed to roll onto my back and hacked at the side of his neck, punching the blade in and out with a warrior scream.
My voice sounded strange to my ears, like the cry of a vicious lynx.
None of these strikes would end them for good, but maybe long enough to escape.
My pulse pounded, drowning out every other sound.
I shoved his dead weight off me. A drifting shadow passed over me, then the solid form of a boot slammed into my gut and stole my breath away.
I coughed and rolled. Vice-like hands closed around my wrists, another boot stamped onto my chest and held me down.
“How hard can it be to take down one woman with a knife?” Dravyn was the man who stood on my chest. I couldn’t take a deep enough breath. “Tie the bitch’s arms behind her and let’s go.”
“She’s a ducai assassin, my lord,” one of them grumbled. “And you said not to hurt her.”
“I said not to kill her.” He hissed, fangs bared. The metal toe of his boot smashed into my cheek and snapped my head to the side. “I didn’t say anything about not hurting her.”
White bursts speckled across my sight. The pain came next, flaring like a hot fire poker.
Blood filled my mouth and leaked out of the side of my lips.
My ears started to ring and the world around me tilted, but I still swung my leg up, aiming for Dravyn’s groin.
His hand flashed out and caught my ankle.
“I wouldn’t do that again if I were you.
If you play nice, I won’t hurt you again.
If you keep acting like an animal, I’ll strip you of your clothes and put you in a cage like one. ”
I sneered and tried to pull my arms free as the straps tightened around them. A heavy stone sunk in my gut. I wouldn’t get away this time.
My cheek throbbed and felt swollen. The vampires dragged me by the chain hooked to my collar.
I went somewhere else in my mind as my boots scraped over the eerie road and fog swirled around my legs.
I imagined myself back at The Nightcap, sitting on Vander’s lap with his strong, muscular arms protectively around me.
He would come for me, but I was scared of what he would do to set me free. It was him they wanted.
It was strange how quickly life could change. One moment I was riding the high of my life, the next I was dropped into a dark ravine with no way out.
I didn’t focus on the details of the flickering torch-lit halls.
I blocked out the voices and faces around me, focusing only on the stone tiles in front of my feet as I memorized the turns—left, right, left, left, exit.
Dravyn jerked back on the chain, the metal bit into my throat and I stilled.
He held up a palm and we stopped before a set of high black doors with huge wolf heads carved on each side.
The same wolves as the royal crest of the twins.
Dravyn slid Vander’s viper dagger into my weapon belt and held my sword in his hand. Why would he give my weapon back?
Once the doors were pushed open, he shoved me in the back and I stumbled in.
Before me was a vast chamber filled with vampires in fancy ball gowns and luxurious suits the likes I’d never had the privilege of being exposed to.
String music drifted on the air. A group of them danced in unison, not a single step missed.
Others gathered in small circles, conversing, with glass goblets of red liquid. My stomach soured knowing what it was.
The smell of something sweet and calming on the air, jasmine or lavender, was jarring.
A group of men with dark circles under their eyes and plain clothes waited behind a table. Each of them had a thin tube attached to the inside of their arm. I gulped, realizing they were human and those tubes were a tap.
What looked like large golden bird cages hung from chains a few feet above the heads of the party guests. I counted ten around the expansive room with impossibly high ceilings. Several of the people inside the cages wore close to nothing as they danced to the slow, enchanting melody.
Several of the monsters turned to stare at me and my captors. My skin crawled. So many lovely statuesque faces. The beauty was part of the predatory nature of vampires, to attract unsuspecting victims.
“Why do you bring this filthy woman in here?” A man stepped toward us. His silver-tipped cane tapped along the glossy black and deep-gray marbled floor.
Dravyn’s eyes tightened and he dragged me forward by the collar. “Sorry to disturb your delicate nature by bringing in the food, Lord Arvid. Someone has to do the dirty work for your parties.”
“Get her cleaned up.” He curled his upper lip in disgust at me.
“In due time, my lord.” He dragged me through the parting crowd, flanked by the men who’d come in from the raid.
On the other side of the chamber two identical males with white-blond hair sat on golden twin thrones.
They were preoccupied with women on their laps—several of them.
Each took turns pouring blood into the twins’ mouths from gold pitchers.
The smell of copper hit me hard and I gagged.
Ivy grew up the black stone wall behind them, intertwined with blooms of belladonna, and sat between them was a stunning willowy woman with a crown of silky black hair, on an ebony throne.
Two white wolves lay at her feet. I stared at the beasts.
I’d seen them before, watching me and Vander.
Once outside Nocturnus and then again in the Emberfall Woods.
The wolf on the left lifted its head and I met the golden eyes.
Intelligence flickered in them as if it recognized me. ..
Two human men wearing only a wrap around their private parts sat on the arm rests beside the vampire who could only be Belladonna, rubbing her arms and massaging her shoulders.
As I was paraded through the throng of vampires, the weight of their stares felt like waves crashing into me over and over. But I wouldn’t be knocked off my feet.
We were halfway across the room when a woman with dark red hair in an olive-green ballgown suddenly pushed from the crowd.
Her face was twisted with fury as she came at us.
Dravyn slowed as she approached. I was wondering if she was a scorned lover until the back of her hand cracked across my face and I fell into one of Dravyn’s soldiers.
She jerked the viper dagger from my belt and put it to my throat. “Where did you get this? Did you hurt him? If you killed him, I will gut you right here and now.”
The vampire holding my arms righted me. I blinked back the tears from the sting. My mind whirled in confusion.
Dravyn wrapped his long white fingers around her wrist and eased the blade off my throat. “Oriana, he is fine. Relax.”
I stopped breathing for a moment. Oriana?
“This is his.” She snarled at him, baring her teeth.
“I’m aware of that.”
“Where is he then?” she sneered at me. Those familiar blue eyes bore into mine. Eyes as blue as the sky. “Why does this woman have it?”
“He’s probably on his way here as we speak.” He lowered the dagger and lifted my sword. “Why don’t you take a guess about who she is? She was using this.”
Oriana took in the sword and tentatively reached for the red handle. Her fingers brushed over it, and she jerked back as if it had shocked her. My gaze fell to the LOA tattoo on her arm. My heart drummed as things started to fall into place.
Vander’s sister Oriana wasn’t dead. She was a vampire.
Did he know?
With a sharp breath she lifted her eyes to mine and her throat bobbed.
She carefully replaced the dagger in my belt and stepped back.
Dread etched into her features. I didn’t understand the reaction.
It was like she was afraid of me... or maybe what I reminded her of.
She was once his apprentice and now fought for the other side. A traitor to the League—to humanity.
I raised my chin and straightened my shoulders. Dravyn tugged on my chain and I kept moving. One of the kings pushed the scantily clad women aside to get a better look at us and rose to his feet.
“Lord Dravyn, what have you brought us?” He clasped his hands together with a grin.
He was handsome in the way Belladonna’s wolves were, but I didn’t want to get close to such a predator.
The other twin stood and the two of them walked side by side down the long set of steps to meet us at the bottom of the dais.
The two wolves at Belladonna’s feet sat tall like statues at her sides. She waved off her servants and watched me as she began stroking the snow-white fur of the wolf on her right.
Dravyn dipped into a bow. “Your majesties, I brought a gift.”
“A gift?” the one on the left questioned.
Their long white-blond hair was styled the same, pulled back into a tight low ponytail.
The only difference was the coloring of their attire, the trim of the suit on the left twin was blue and the other was gold.
“And why is this gift filthy and smattered with blood? She has sticks in her tangled hair and torn clothes. And you’ve bruised her face. I like my gifts pretty.”
Dravyn’s fingers curled around my jaw. His nails dug into my cheeks.
But I didn’t flinch, I kept my stare leveled on the kings.
Assassins looked down for no one. “This creature is Viper’s apprentice.
She wears his dagger and had Oriana’s old sword.
” He jerked on my sleeve. It ripped loudly, tearing at the shoulder seam.
With a sadistic smile he ran his thumb over my arm where I knew my tattoo was. “LOA.”
The kings glanced at each other and smiled. “I do like this gift. Do you, brother?”
The other nodded. “Most especially, Mars. Well done, Dravyn.” The twin with the blue-trimmed suit was Mars. So the other must be Quinton.
“Belladonna, my queen.” Mars turned and held out his hand to her. “Come, see what Dravyn has brought us.”
Her fluid steps swayed her hips. Her tight-fitted white gown trailed a few feet behind her.
She pushed her long, black hair over her shoulder on one side and stepped between the kings.
They both slipped their arms around her.
Quinton kissed her temple, while Mars ran his fingers over her collarbone.
The stories all said she was beautiful. They were right. A goddess among mortals.
I looked for an escape but there were no windows.
This was a tomb.
My pulse became erratic. I had to get out of this place.
I needed out. The swishing of gowns, the tapping of feet moving in time to the haunting music.
The smell of blood and the wafting scents of heavy perfume made my head throb.
The surrounding vampires laughed and watched me like I was a strange animal they waited to see perform. This was hell.
Belladonna’s green eyes locked onto mine and held them.
An invisible but dark-feeling essence swirled around me, a thick cloud seeking to smother.
Sweat beaded on my back. The intensity of her stare felt like a pressure on my head.
Was she attempting to use her power on me? Rumors claimed it only worked on males.
After several beats of my pounding heart, she pulled her stare and looked to Dravyn. “So, my assassin is finally going to come home.” Her voice was like bells, lovely and seductive. “He has vexed me as of late.”
“We don’t like our queen vexed.” Mars licked the side of her face and Quinton kissed her neck.
The scrunch of disgust on my face was involuntary.
“I believe he will come,” Dravyn answered. “To give her Oriana’s sword is one thing but to give her his dagger as well?” He tapped it on my hip. “I think she might even be more than an apprentice to him.”
Belladonna smiled, revealing pretty white teeth.
“Ah, yes, I think so, Dravyn. Heterochromia is rare. I’ve never seen eyes like hers.
” She leaned her head against Quinton. “Under all that filth I think she is rather lovely and I would like my Vander to be happy when he arrives. Have my servants clean her up and dress her properly.”
I cringed at her use of my Vander. He wasn’t hers. He was mine. My heart.
“She’s vicious, my queen.” Dravyn jerked on my collar enough to make me stumble. “We can’t leave your servants alone with her. She will kill them.”
Mars curled his fingers around a lock of Belladonna’s hair. “After his behavior lately, I’m not sure he deserves her dressed up like a doll. He has some explaining to do.”
My pulse started to drum louder, pumping in my ears. A cold dread worked its way through my veins.
Dravyn nodded. “I say we keep her in a cage like the bait she is.”
Belladonna sighed and pushed the hands of the kings off her. Neither one of them appeared bothered. “Fine. You deal with him when he arrives then.” She waved a dismissal and turned back up the steps, heels clapping lightly.
My breaths came faster. I tried to settle my unsteady breathing, but panic pulled at me, tearing at my fragile composure. I’d managed to keep myself calm but the facade was crumbling.
Everything about the way they spoke of Vander confused me.
It was as if they knew him and well. Since Oriana was a vampire, I could understand how they knew his name, but the way they were talking about his behavior, like they expected something different, and calling this his home.
.. He had explaining to do? It didn’t make sense.
Vander was loyal to LOA. He was with me all the time. He killed vampires.
He... was a vampire.
The golden cage closest to the dais lowered. Dravyn cut the straps holding my hands behind my back. I stepped inside without a fight and curled onto my side, letting my bruised swollen cheek rest on the cold metal. The door closed and clicked. Dravyn smiled at me, raked those dead eyes over me.
Wasn’t he supposed to be the one who killed Oriana? Wasn’t he the one who’d taken her? She didn’t act afraid of him.
Tears slipped out as my cage rose. My throat felt uncomfortably tight. A heavy weight seemed to press on my chest.
Breathe. Breathe. There was a storm building inside me, threatening to tear me apart. I clenched my teeth until my jaw ached. I wasn’t sure if I could stop screaming if I started.
From up here I could see the number of the vampires. Hundreds. There were hundreds below me.
Dancing, drinking, careless.
A woman with a metal collar around her neck like mine danced with a male vampire, except hers was gold and encrusted with rubies. I spotted another with a collar. Three more. They talked and moved among the crowd freely.
Silent tears streamed as I wrapped my arms around myself. Was that what they would do to me?