Chapter 31
Thirty-One
CHERYL
ELLNESARI, PRESENT DAY
H eidi was taken to another room in the manor, and we haven’t seen her in three days. But from time to time, we hear her screams. On the first day, she begged for Freya, but the fuckers only allowed her friend to join Heidi the following day.
I’m anxious and can’t keep still. “This is madness. How is she still in labor?” I ask no one in particular as I pace the room.
“Indy will help her. I know he will,” Lana replies.
Oh good grief. Lana’s infatuation with Lord Indigo is annoying and nauseating. I can’t believe she’s that blind to the evilness of his character—not only his, but all these motherfuckers who are keeping us here.
“If he could help her, he’d have done it by now. Aren’t the Nightingales supposed to have great powers?”
“I don’t think they have the knowledge to help vampire females during birth,” a brunette vampire who hasn’t spoken much since I arrived replies.
“How much different can it be from Nightingale pregnancies?”
No one has an answer for that. They know only what they’re allowed to know, and I guarantee not everything they were told is true. I bet these assholes lie through their teeth.
“What’s wrong with Heidi?” Ollie asks. She’s sitting with her mother on the couch.
Lana pulls her closer, tucking the little girl against her body. “She’s having her baby.”
“But why is she screaming so loud?”
“Because childbirth is a painful process, sweetie.”
Ollie looks up and stares at her mother with her eyebrows pinched together. “Did you scream too, when I was born?”
“Yes, of course.” Lana kisses her daughter’s forehead.
The door opens and a group of guards enters without being announced. No fake politeness this time.
“You.” One of them points at me. “You need to come with us.”
“Me? Why?” I ask, without making any motion to move from my chair. Hell, I haven’t done anything. What could those jackasses possibly want with me?
“Do not ask questions.” The guard walks over and grabs my arm with a beefy hand.
“Hey, let me go!” I try to break free, but that only makes the second guard approach and take my other arm.
I keep struggling, and now I’m truly afraid.
But none of the females in the room react or try to help me.
It’s like they don’t care that I’m being manhandled by these assholes.
My gaze connects with Lana’s, and all I see is guilt.
But she also remains quiet, clutching Ollie tighter against her chest.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask once we’re out of the room.
“I already told you to stop asking questions,” the burlier guard replies through clenched teeth.
They drag me down the corridor, and it doesn’t take long for the scent of blood to reach my nose and Heidi’s screams to become louder. I begin to suspect where they’re taking me.
According to Lana, Lord Indigo is a healer, but whatever knowledge or Nightingale magic he possesses, it’s not helping poor Heidi one bit.
I cease struggling when the guards stop in front of the door where Heidi’s screams are coming from.
Here, they knock, then enter only when Lord Indigo tells them to.
“We brought the wolf,” one of the guards says like their boss can’t see for himself.
He nods. “Good. You can go now.”
“Are you sure, my lord? She’s feral.”
Lord Indigo’s gaze drops to the collar around my neck. “She’ll be on her best behavior.”
I snarl, but that’s as far as I go in showing my displeasure.
I take in my surroundings, searching for Heidi.
The room is similar to our quarters in decor, but it’s smaller in scale, and there’s a big window, allowing daylight in.
It’s less depressing than ours for sure, or it would be if it didn’t reek of desperation and imminent death.
Heidi is in a large bed with her head propped up on pillows.
Her upper body is covered by sheets, but she’s naked from the waist down.
Her legs are parted and covered in blood, which also drenches the bedsheet.
Fuck. She’s been bleeding profusely. At this rate, she might actually die of blood loss—something I was sure wasn’t a possibility for vampires.
Maybe Lana is right and what I believe to be true about the race isn’t accurate.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Not great. She’s quickly losing strength.” Lord Indigo checks her pulse.
Her pale face indicates as much. “She needs to feed.”
“They’ve brought male Nightingales, but their blood isn’t helping her,” Freya, who is by Heidi’s side and holding her hand, replies. “I suggested your blood.”
“Mine? What makes you think my blood will help?”
“You’re a wolf shifter,” Lord Indigo answers. “A hybrid we didn’t know existed. The sun in the mortal lands does not harm you.”
I look at him through slits. “How do you know that?”
He waves his hand dismissively. “Not important.”
Heidi whimpers, then curls forward while her face scrunches up. Freya turns to Lord Indigo. “We’re wasting time.”
I’ve never given my vein to any vampire besides Ronan, but I can’t decline helping Heidi—not that I have a choice. If I said no, Lord Indigo would just force me.
I walk over before he decides to drag me to Heidi’s side. He moves out of the way, and I sit at the edge of the mattress. Pulling up the sleeve of my dress, I offer my wrist to Heidi, but her eyes remain closed, and she doesn’t bite.
“She’s too weak. You have to open your vein for her,” Freya tells me.
“Oh, okay.” I bite my own wrist, and when there’s enough blood pouring from my self-inflicted incisions, I offer it to Heidi again.
Freya has to pry Heidi’s mouth open so the blood can drip down her throat. I expect the taste of blood on her tongue to animate her a bit, but she doesn’t seem to get a boost of energy—she doesn’t grab my wrist and suck the blood herself. This isn’t good.
“My blood doesn’t seem to be working,” I say after a while.
Tears run down Freya’s cheeks as she stares at Heidi’s face. “Please, Heidi, you need to fight. I can’t live without you.” Her voice cracks before she sobs loudly.
I realize then that Freya’s protectiveness toward Heidi goes beyond friendship. She’s in love with her.
Lord Indigo pulls my wrist away from Heidi. I open my mouth to protest, but he speaks before I can. “You’ve given enough.”
The door opens, and in comes Lord Valkor’s daughter, Lady Nisha.
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. Out of all the assholes here, I hate her the most. But her presence ignites something in me.
For the first time since I was sedated, I feel my wolf’s presence.
Hope flares in my chest. Whatever they’ve done to make my wolf dormant is wearing off.
Maybe they won’t remember to knock her out again now that their attention is focused on Heidi.
Lady Nisha has an air of disgust as she walks across the room. Her nose is wrinkled, and her lips are nothing but a slash on her face.
“Lord Indigo, my father requires an update,” she says in a bored tone as if she’d rather be anywhere but here.
He looks at her with narrowed eyes and grits out, “I’m doing the best I can.”
She looks at the bloody mess on the bedsheets, then at Heidi’s sweaty and pale face. “It doesn’t seem like this one will make it. Maybe we should just cut the baby out of her.”
Freya’s eyes flash crimson as she bares her fangs at Lady Nisha. “If you touch her, I’ll kill you, bitch.”
Lady Nisha sends Freya flying across the room with a wave of her hand. Freya hits the wall with a loud bang and doesn’t get up right away. She seems stunned—probably because she banged her head.
The noise jars Heidi awake. She turns her face in Freya’s direction and raises her arm, reaching for her. Both Lady Nisha and Lord Indigo remain unfazed about the pain etched on Heidi’s face.
The odious female turns to Lord Indigo. “My father will be displeased if you let the female and her offspring die. I suggest you decide soon.”
“She needs stronger blood— vampire blood,” Lord Indigo replies.
Lady Nisha stands straighter, and immediately, I know what Lord Indigo wants—Ronan’s blood.
He’s a strong male, and his blood probably would help Heidi.
My heart beats faster, and even though they want to use him for food, I can’t help wanting Lady Nisha to do as Lord Indigo says.
I need to make sure Ronan is all right, and maybe, after he helps Heidi, we can escape.
“The vampire warrior can’t come to her assistance. He’s not strong enough.”
Her reply snuffs the excitement out of me. What does she mean, he’s not strong enough?
I jump from my seat at the edge of Heidi’s bed, not hiding my worry. “What have you done to Ronan?”
The bitch levels me with a cold stare. “He’s a stubborn male, but I just figured out how I’m going to break him.”