CHAPTER 10
Aimee
It’s been five days since the embarrassing incident, and I haven’t seen or heard a peep from either Killian or Blaise.
When I finally succumbed to my curiosity, halfway through this silent treatment from their part, and asked Nella about their whereabouts, she just vaguely answered that they were away on important missions.
I tried to press further, and pry more information out of her, but she just shrugged, stating that this kind of information was above her station.
At first, I was more than thankful that they left me to my own devices and filled my time with more sleuthing around the castle. But as the days dragged on, and I didn’t come up with any solutions to my lack of proper weapons, or a way to escalate those damn walls, dread filled my bones.
What if they were hunting down my sister, and they showed up at any moment, with Aurora in tow?
All hell would break loose for me. I started to regard their absence as the calm before the motherfucking storm.
It’s past midnight now, and I am filled with restless energy, so I decided to walk it off, slinking away through the shadows of the ground floor.
Maybe I can reach the kitchens below, and steal a butcher’s knife, taking advantage of the late hour.
Maybe the humans won’t notice one missing knife from the fully equipped castle kitchen.
And if they do, it’s easy to misplace a cutting blade in the hustle and bustle of such a big cooking area.
It’s not only the best plan I’ve got for securing a blade, it’s the only one.
A slightly ajar door, flooding the corridor with warm light, catches my eye as I head down the dim hallway towards my destination.
A slight moan resounds in the utter silence, and my stupid nosiness gets the best of me. I inch closer and peek through the crack.
What I see has me rooted on the spot, my breath catching in my throat.
The intimate room is faintly lit by overhead black candles, casting provocative shadows on the deep cherry red walls.
It looks similar to the sitting room where Blaise took me after our run-in outside by the fountain the other day, with the slight difference that there are no sofas or low tables.
Instead, a round, heavy table stands in the middle of the room.
Killian, Blaise, and a vampiress I’ve never seen before gather around said table, each one feeding from the throat of a human perched in offering on the tabletop.
All three of them are wearing similar combat leathers, and they look worse for the wear.
Another moan slips from the lips of the human woman under Blaise’s clutches, and the sound is more sexual than I would like to admit. Are these people here willingly, taking pleasure from being drained to an inch of their life by these dark creatures?
The air feels thick with lust and depravity, and even I am not immune to the intoxicating sultriness of the moment. My palms become sweaty, my thoughts a jumbled mess, and I’m not sure if it’s in fear or arousal.
I take a step back, ready to run away as silently as possible.
But, as my lack of luck would have it, the folds of my purple dress make a faint noise, and Killian picks up on it, raising his full-on crimson gaze and looking at me straight in the eyes.
I pray to any willing Gods that he won’t notice how affected I am by what I am witnessing.
He parts his lips from the redhead’s throat that is arching her back towards him, and a drop of blood runs down his chin, before he licks it away. He cocks a brow, as if letting me know that he indeed senses my inner turmoil.
“I see you’re feeling much better, little menace,” he says in a dry tone as he motions the human off the table. Two sets of red eyes snap my way, and I feel rooted to the spot.
Blaise rips his fangs from the human, regarding me with amused crimson eyes, while the vampiress keeps feeding, narrowing her stare at me.
There’s such blatant discontent in her eyes towards me, and I shudder. If I thought the males were wicked, she looks thoroughly terrifying.
“Come in, kitty cat. We don’t bite.” Blaise motions for me to step forward with his fingers. “Unless you want us to, that is.”
Killian throws a dark look his way, and Blaise just shrugs his shoulders before muttering, “Sorry, not sorry.”
“So this is the infamous magicless sister that your sorry ass brought in like a stray cat, Blaise.” The vampiress detangles herself from her mortal meal, cracking her neck. “She looks as insignificant as she is.”
I wince at the jab. I feel a comeback bubbling up in my throat, but I think better of it and stay silent. It’s clear that the female hates me already, for some reason I can’t even fathom, and I don’t need to add another immortal enemy on the growing list of dangerous creatures I should avoid.
“Now, now, Leilah, don’t be petty. Play nice, will you? This kitty cat has claws.” Blaise says, bemused.
“I would like to see her try. I’ll snap her neck in two before she even gets the chance to blink my way.” Leilah answers Blaise, but the words are meant for me.
“Leilah, you will do no such thing. She is my guest.” Killian sighs, annoyed by the female’s antics. “Take your feeding to your chamber, will you?” He throws her a last glance before turning to the other two humans.
“Thank you for your service tonight,” he says in a soft voice. “That will be all. You may leave.”
The women leave quietly, as Leilah exits the room as well, hatred burning in her gaze as she looks me up and down. The human man she was feeding from is following her, his gaze lowered.
“Where were you guys?” The words blurt out before I can think better of it.
“We had business to attend to elsewhere,” Killian says, sizing me up in that disconcerting way of his.
His gaze travels from my eyes to my lips, down to my cleavage and up again, and my skin starts heating.
I grit my teeth at the unexpected inconvenience.
Why do I always feel this way in his presence?
If I didn’t know better, I would say I’m wildly attracted to the male.
But that’s impossible, no matter how insanely hot he might be.
He’s the textbook definition of a villain, if there ever was one.
Who cares if he looks utterly fuckable with those brooding eyes of his, and that rugged, pure male appearance?
Just because he definitely knows his way around a woman’s anatomy doesn’t mean my treacherous body should heat as if I’m ovulating.
“Business?” I ask. They look like they just came back from a fight, disheveled and a bit rumpled. I can spot at least a dozen sheathed daggers on each of them, and I’m pretty sure those are blood stains on Blaise’s leathers.
“Nothing of your concern, little umbra,” Killian says, and Blaise’s eyes widen just a fraction, glancing his way, before he regains his composure, covering it up with that easygoing smile of his.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind about not knowing your sister’s location. That we can discuss,” he continues in a stern voice.
“There is nothing to change my mind about. I don’t know her whereabouts.” I say, putting a bit too much force in my response.
Killian’s gaze narrows on me, and it’s clear he doesn’t believe me. As if I care!
“You must be an incredible liar, spewing such nonsense with a steady heartbeat,” he utters, taking a step in my direction. I stand my ground, tired of cowering in front of him.
“Well, if you can hear my heartbeat, then you should have your answer. I have no clue where she is, nor do I want to.” I grit my teeth in response. Gods, he grates on my last fucking nerves.
“And why is that, Aimee?” he asks as his heated glare burns a hole through my body.
He looks like he’s two seconds away from hauling my ass up on his shoulder and dragging me to his lair for a proper spanking.
My thighs should not be clenching at that thought, but alas, they are.
Five days ago I was a crying mess under his weight on the bed, and now I’m almost dripping for him?
I must be losing my damn mind, trapped in this fucking castle.
“Not of your concern, you vile bloodsucker!” I bite back. There goes any semblance of civility I had convinced myself of having the next time I saw him.
His shadows lash out towards me, but before they can reach their mark, Blaise jumps out in between us at blinding speed.
“Hey, hey, let’s not ruin an otherwise fun encounter,” the second-in-command throws at his King, his pointed look stopping the shadows’ advance.
“I’m quite convinced that if the pretty princess remembers anything, she will let us know. Won’t you, darling?” Blaise says, throwing a glance my way.
“Yeah, right,” I mutter under my breath. “I’m sure you will find her eventually, with or without my help.”
“Eventually…” Killian repeats agitatedly. “We don’t have such time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. What is it they are not telling me?
“Nothing. Nothing.” Blaise intervenes again, grabbing my upper arm and dragging me towards the door.
“Let me take you to your room, kitty cat. We’ve all had some long couple of days, and it’s better to continue this conversation when we’re feeling more cordial, mmm?” he throws over his shoulder at the brooding Vampire King before ushering me into the hallway.
We walk in silence for a few heartbeats as we ascend the stairs towards the upper floors, before he glances my way, smirking.
“Heard you guzzled down three bottles of the strongest faerie wine in the cellar, all by yourself, the other night. Who knew kitty liked to party hard? Next time, invite me over, will you?”
“Misery doesn’t need company, Blaise,” I say. “I wasn’t in a good headspace when I consumed all that bloody wine, and I paid for it the next day.”
“Hmmm, maybe drinking was not the right distraction, then. What you need is a mind-blowing tryst.” His eyebrows wiggle flirtatiously. “Nothing beats a good old roll in the sack. It does wonders for the soul.”
I burst out laughing wholeheartedly.
“Oh dear Gods, you sound just like Sariah. I think she said the same thing to me once.”
“And who might this intriguing creature be?” He cocks his head my way, curiosity shining in his eyes.
“Just a girl I knew. We worked together in Annerough.” I decide to keep to myself that we were roommates, or even tentative friends. “She has the same brand of playful banter as you, and probably the same personality.”
“Ooooh, she sounds merry. Should I kidnap her for you?” he asks with exaggerated courtesy, as if he’s talking about a gift, and not a goddamn abduction.
“Gods no, Blaise! You’re utter shit at kidnapping people! Please promise me you’ll put your days away for good! Who knows who you’d wrongly bring here again?!” I snicker, only half appalled by his antics.
“Go figure; it takes only one case of mistaken identity for everybody to label you forever as incompetent,” he mutters to himself, making me giggle. The sound surprises me.
“You’re not that bad, Blaise,” I sheepishly admit. “Not for a fucking vampire, that is.”
“Uh, is kitty warming up to me? Is that what is happening here?”
I shrug noncommittally. He is not the worst of them by far. If I have to interact with anyone while I’m trapped here, might as well be easygoing Blaise, rather than his peevish King.
“Must you push his buttons every Godsdamn time?” Blaise changes the topic, as if sensing my wayward thoughts.
“As entertaining as it is to watch, kitty, it will do us all a favor if you rein in your temper a bit. Don’t do it on my account, though.
I adore seeing you get your panties in a twist. Makes me want to take them off of you completely. ” His voice drops to a sensual whisper.
“It’s not my fault he is always such a tight-up asshole!” I reply begrudgingly, ignoring his innuendo.
“Oh, darling, you should know by now that contempt often masks other incendiary emotions,” Blaise offers with a knowing wink, just as we reach for my bedroom door. He bows and leaves me alone in the hallway.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?