Chapter 7
Rebekkah helped Lila remove every trace of Ambrose from her body. The red nightgown, though it belonged to Rebekkah, was burned. Her body had been scrubbed raw until Rebekkah said she couldn’t smell him anymore. Then Rebekkah gave Lila a new dress, one in black this time, and together they walked back to Lila’s room.
“You’ll want to remember to keep your emotions in check when they return too. Right now, you look downright smitten. Not to mention, you’re radiating heat. They’ll know Draven was here the moment they walk into the Morada.”
Lila smirked before sighing, trying to school her face into indifference. But she was just so happy from the time she had with Ambrose. Seeing him again, feeling him, hearing him—it was exactly what she needed.
“And how’s your head?”
“Hmm?” Lila hummed, still in a daze.
“You haven’t eaten anything, and you had a terrible amount of blood loss last night. Or have you forgotten?” Rebekkah raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
And on cue, Lila’s head swam. “Oh. Right.” She huffed a laugh, “Honestly, I forgot.”
Rebekkah smirked, “Well, lucky for you, Mousey, I already brought food. Light foods, toast and crackers. Cheese. It should help.”
They got to Lila’s door, where they both stopped. “Thanks, Bek.”
Rebekkah scrunched her nose again. “Hearing you call me that makes me want to gag.”
Lila startled back, before Rebekkah’s expression changed and she laughed.
“But I also like it. Eat up and get some more rest.” She lightly shoved Lila through the doorway, ushering her to her bed. And Rebekkah was right, a plate of food sat at the edge, calling Lila’s name.
After saying goodbye to Rebekkah, she sat in her bed, and ate all the cheese first. With her strength slowly returning, Lila lay on her bed, tray of food now on the floor. The sun had already been up, but Lila wasn’t tired. In fact, she was more awake than she had been in a long time.
Ambrose? she tried. But when no return came, she figured he must be asleep. Sweet dreams, she told him, sending him a kiss through the Concord—even if she didn’t think it worked that way.
Her chest warmed, thinking of him and their night together. The way the moon shone in his eyes, brightening his gorgeous hair, illuminating him like the god he was.
Her whole body started to warm.
Then, an idea hit her.
Lila’s warmth—it was connected to her emotions.
The moment the realization hit her, it felt as though everything had fallen into place, everything made sense and connected. Her time in the Viper Morada, it was hard getting warm because of the lack of joy. Her time in the Crow Court was too easy—scorchingly so. Her emotions ebbed and flowed, and with it, the heat and warmth she radiated.
Lila jolted up in bed, testing her theory. She thought of Ambrose, of his lips on hers. Immediately, she felt her body warm, her heart, her fingertips, everything.
Love and lust and joy—they all brought about the comforting warmth Ambrose had spoken of so many times. It was her love for Ambrose that healed him and all the other strigoi around. It was her love that healed her after Ambrose had nearly killed her.
So if those emotions brought on a comforting, healing warmth, what did emotions such as fear and rage bring on?
Lila tried to imagine it. She first pictured Ciro enthralling her to kiss him as she stood over his dead parents.
A small prickle of energy crackled along her fingers.
She needed something more raw, more . . . traumatizing.
And that led to one person.
Hektor.
Lila swallowed and stood up, pacing her room from her newfound discovery. She imagined Hektor, pinning her to the floor just as he threw Marcus off her, biting into her thigh. She imagined Hektor, smacking her ass as she walked by him. She imagined Hektor, groping at her breasts as he drank from her. Hektor, as he drank murine after murine and forced her to watch. Hektor, who ogled at her when she was still a teenager. Hektor, who stood at her door every month, when her period would come, licking his lips. Hektor, as he fucked Drusilla but stared into Lila’s eyes.
Hektor, who had turned her brother.
Something in Lila’s chest had clicked into place, and she felt like such a fool for not realizing—not utilizing—it sooner. Just like her love, her rage could be weaponized. Just like her love, her rage was a weapon.
Lila opened her eyes, rage seeping from her pores. She hadn’t even noticed the uneaten bread on the food tray had been toasted black, the sheet to her bedding singed at the edges, the hay within smoking. She yelped and quickly patted out the smoke.
The heat she had created singed, burned, and melted the room around her. That was what her anger did. It burned.
Lila opened and closed her fist, adjusting to this new development. She had known she had power. She knew she could keep her and her brother alive in the coldest of nights.
But this . . . this was real power. Power she could use to defend herself and others. To save herself and others. She could turn strigoi back. She could heal whomever her warmth touched. And she could burn all of her enemies.
Lila was more than just a warm murine the Reinicks possessed. She was the fucking sun.
Hours passed, and Lila didn’t sleep a wink. She continued to test her powers throughout the day, finding it got stronger around midday. All her wounds healed as she thought of those she loved, and more items around the room boiled and singed as she thought of the brothers. She had a difficult time focusing on what she was affecting around her—it almost felt more like a radius than any one solid object. Which explained why her burst of energy affected all the nearby strigoi back in the Crow Court battle.
But, Lila figured, if she could manage to affect one item—or person—she may just be able to use her power as a weapon. She wondered if, like sunlight, she could burn vampires.
She couldn’t wait to test this theory on Hektor or Ciro.
So long as it actually did kill them.
It was just after sunset when she heard the loud and vivacious sounds of laughter and screams. Lila knew it meant the brothers and Drusilla were back. She hardened herself, prepared for anything, just as Hektor burst through her open doorway, a smile as wicked as sin spread on his lips.
Blood was coating his face and hands, giving him an even more deranged look as his eyes traced over Lila.
“What on earth are you wearing?” The smile fell to an almost-comedic frown. “That’s not what we dress you in. And last I saw you, you wore nothing—which is what you should be in now!”
Just as Hektor dashed into the room, a blur of red smashed against him, shoving him into the wall.
“I gave it to her,” Rebekkah hissed, as she pinned Hektor against the stone. Her forearm pressed into his neck, while her other hand held his wrist. Both of them snarled their teeth at one another like a pair of rabid wolves.
“Why? Want to get locked up again?” Hektor spit. “We can just leave you up there, no food. How long can you last this time? A week? Two?”
“Fuck you.” She shoved against his neck.
But if Lila assumed right, they’d been starving Rebekkah on and off again which would naturally make her so much weaker than—
Hektor shoved her hard, and his sister crashed to the floor. Her head jerked back, and Lila knew if the girl was human, Rebekkah’s neck would be broken. The blood he drank from Lila and all the other murine at the Reinick revel the other night had clearly made him so much stronger. He was oozing pride, and Lila knew whenever he got like this, it usually came with reckless behavior. Behavior, though, that brother Ciro—actual Lord of the Viper Morada—would highly disapprove of. May even reprimand him. May even kill him. So, taking the opportunity she was presented, Lila took a wary step back. Like a fool.
Predictably, Hektor was on her in the blink of an eye, his predatory instincts kicking in. He roughly grabbed her wrists and pulled her toward him. She let herself fall right into him.
“Ciro won’t like you touching what’s his,” she hissed, egging him on. “Don’t forget he’s your Lord.”
Hektor snarled, immediately satisfying Lila’s plan. She knew whatever he was about to retaliate with would be horrible, but at least she could play the long game. At least she could use these terrible moments to sow doubt.
“I can do whatever I want,” he grunted.
“Can you? It seems Ciro has you on a pretty tight leash. I think you’re more of his pet than even I am.”
Hektor backhanded her. But Lila had been ready for it. Though it still stung, and her head whipped to the side, she had gritted her teeth the moment after speaking. She used that slap to fuel her heat.
“You need to be reminded who’s the pet and who’s the master? Let’s get you into something more . . . comfortable.” Hektor smiled widely as he ripped the high neckline of the nightgown right down the center to Lila’s sternum.
“NO!” Rebekkah yelled, jumping back up to her feet, and crashing into Hektor, knocking him to the floor with her. She quickly shifted into her true form, splaying her wings out, and growling at her brother. “You. Will. Stop. Being. A. Fucking. Pig!” With each word, Rebekkah slashed her claws over Hektor, scratching up his face, his arms.
She pummeled and pummeled, but Lila knew it wouldn’t be enough. She had seen Hektor’s jaw get punched clean off his face before regenerating. This would be nothing. And it seemed Rebekkah knew this too as she spun around to Lila and yelled, “Go!”
Lila didn’t hesitate. She dashed out of the room, pumping her fists just as Ambrose had taught her to do, and ran down the hallway. She didn’t know where she was going, she just knew Hektor equaled danger right now. Maybe Ciro, for he was a semblance of safety, and perhaps she could use the opportunity to weave even more discord between the brothers.
The soles of her feet smashed into the cold stone below her, tiny, jagged edges scraping against her smooth flesh. She cursed her lack of training when her thighs immediately lit up, burning from the sensation. She had gotten past this in her efforts, yet here she was again.
Weak.
But not defenseless.
Lila ran through the Morada, toward the great hall where the main exit waited, and hopefully where Ciro resided. But, just as she burst through the door, deep regret settled into her bones. Ciro sat in an ornate chair on the center dais, Drusilla standing by his side, whispering into his ear. Both of them had smug expressions on their faces, covered in blood. With Drusilla here, there was little she could do. With Drusilla here, it was three against one. Lila tried to double back, but the moment she took the smallest step, she bumped directly into Hektor’s chest.
“Little Mouse tried to get away,” he smirked. Lila jumped back from him, deeper into the room.
“He was trying to rape me,” she said. “Trying to take me for his own.” She ushered to the torn dress, revealing the plane between her breasts.
Ciro’s eyebrow rose, a spark of fury aimed at his brother. Then Drusilla placed her hand on his arm and the fury dissipated.
Fuck.
As Hektor followed her in, he dragged Rebekkah in behind him. His hand was wrapping in her hair, pulling, as she fought against his grip.
Then Ciro stood. “What do we have here?”
“Rebekkah thought she could do as she pleased.” He pointed at Lila. “That is not what we left her in.” His voice was practically a growl. Over a dress.
Lila turned to Ciro, Drusilla still behind him. While Ciro schooled his expression into utter indifference, Drusilla’s lips tilted into a smile.
“Well, we can’t have that.” She stepped off the dais. “She is a pet, so why do we dress her like one of us?”
Hektor snickered, then threw Rebekkah forward at Drusilla’s feet. Immediately, Drusilla pressed one of her heels into the back of Rebekkah’s head, pushing her down.
“Tell us, sister. Why give the murine clothes?” Ciro asked calmly.
Lila seethed. They were treating their sibling like an animal. Their own flesh and blood. She thought of Marcus, and the idea of treating him so much less than made her stomach sick.
“You’re letting her do this to a Reinick? To your own blood?” she hissed, keeping her eyes locked on Ciro.
Drusilla grinded her heel deeper against Rebekkah’s head.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Ciro said in a sigh—as if he were bored and nothing else—“blood means nothing but food for a king. Remember, pet, I killed my own father for a title. Sibling or not, if my word is not obeyed, I will act.” His eyes found Hektor’s, for the briefest moment.
But Lila had had enough. She went to lunge at Drusilla, but just as she kicked off, Hektor wrapped his arms around her waist. She crashed into him as he roughly squeezed her to him, one hand dropping to her hip and pressing her ass into him. She started to fight, but the moment she felt his small, hard cock against her, she wanted to do anything in her power to not feel it.
She readied herself to summon her scalding heat, but just as she felt the first spike of body heat, Rebekkah shoved Drusilla away from her and stood.
“You leave her, naked and bloodied. You treat her worse than a pet.”
“And since when did you care?” Hektor snickered again, pressing his cheek against Lila’s. “Last we checked, she was food for you too.”
Rebekkah opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Drusilla backhanded her so hard, she went flying across the room.
“I’m thinking Bek has grown sentimental on us,” Ciro hummed. His hands were in his pocket as he raised his eyebrow at his sister’s beaten body. “Maybe we should leave her here, make her think about who she puts her alliance with.”
“Treat her like a murine, and maybe she’ll finally remember how different we are from them,” Drusilla sang. Her pride oozed off of her, making Lila sick.
“And in the meantime,” Hektor groaned against Lila’s flesh, “we’ll return our pet to her . . . natural form.” He gripped the fabric at her hip, bunching it in his fist, and pulled. Again, Lila was stripped bare, the pull of fabric reddening her skin. “Ah, that’s better.” He cupped her breast and squeezed, humming from his throat.
Lila saw red. She bucked against him, clawing his arms, head butting his face—but nothing worked.
“Watch yourself,” Ciro said, in such a minute, pathetic way. She caught Ciro’s gaze from his spot on the dais, and he just watched. Bristling, but still. He did nothing.
“Coward,” she cursed under her breath, knowing he’d hear.
“Leave her alone.” Rebekkah stood slowly. Her limbs looked odd and . . . broken. “Leave her alone!” She leaped forward, claws bared. She tackled Hektor and Lila, digging her claws into his flesh immediately. As soon as the three crashed to the floor, Lila scurried back and away. But the fight before her was utter madness. Hektor shifted into his true form, and fought, smashing Rebekkah’s jaw with the heel of his palm.
Lila tried to back as far away as possible, but icy hands fell on her shoulders.
“Where are you going, dear?” Drusilla whispered, holding Lila in place. Then, louder, “Throw the princess in her tower already!”
Ciro moved forward, pulling his sister off Hektor. She fought against his grip, but didn’t budge. Hektor stood and brushed himself off, as though he were removing dust.
“Take her,” Ciro commanded, pushing Rebekkah at Hektor.
Lila and Rebekkah both fought against the people holding them—but it was no use. Rebekkah was taken from the room, kicking and screaming. Hektor backhanded her just as she disappeared from Lila’s sight.
“What are you doing to her?” Lila seethed, looking up at Ciro as Drusilla’s claws began pinching her skin.
He looked down his nose at Lila, keeping his eyes locked on hers and no lower.
“She’s your fucking sister. And you treat her like that? For giving me a dress?”
“For doing as she pleases,” Ciro bristled. “I am the lord of this house. I make the rules, set the commands.”
Lila snatched her shoulder from Drusilla, and stood up, not caring she was nude, not caring she was in a room with two of the deadliest vampires she knew—or rather, the two vampires who could actually be a threat to her. Ambrose was the deadliest, but she didn’t have to fear him.
She stomped up to Ciro. “You are a tool. You’re being used by that hag, and made to be a puppet when you could be making the Morada better. Has it even occurred to you that the Viper Morada is the only manor that still owns murine? That it is the only family to still live in the past? To still treat their only food source worse than insects? And you are the youngest generation! It makes no sense for you to be so archaic! You say you set the rules, the commands, yet you let Hektor do as he pleases with me!”
Then softer, looking into those yellow eyes. “Aren’t I yours to take? Aren’t I yours to touch? Why do you let Hektor have what is rightfully yours?” Inside, Lila was vomiting as each syllable uttered. She lied through her teeth, feeling sick at the notion of ever being anyone but Ambrose’s. But she needed to say it. She needed Ciro to be mad at Hektor.
Lila felt Drusilla’s presence behind her, just as her icy hand wrapped around Lila’s throat.
With the claws around her, Lila felt her fight kick back in. “She is making an army out of your food. Who will be left when she’s done? All those people she and Hektor murdered the other night at the revel? They’re lives were forfeit for nothing but gluttony, greed, and lust,” she spat.
Drusilla’s hand tightened, and Lila coughed out the only remaining air in her throat.
“You want to see what we’re doing with our murine, Little Bug?” Drusilla spoke against Lila’s ear, grazing it with a sharp fang. “Ciro, let’s show her. Show her what you have created. She disobeys you, acts like she is better than you. But she is your pet. You own her. And she will learn to behave or I think she may need to be put down, as any unruly pet should.”
With a sharp shove, Drusilla pushed Lila into Ciro’s arms, who immediately locked her in an embrace. “You’re right. I’ve been too soft with her since her return. She needs . . . reminding of who she belongs to.”
Lila’s blood turned to ice in her veins. She struggled against his grip, but his arms only squeezed harder—constricting her like a snake.
Drusilla snickered. “She’s been a bad girl. And bad girls deserve punishment.”