by Becca Blake
Above all, he wondered whether she regretted their time together, or if she was craving more of it as much as he was.
Once Adrius was dead, maybe they could escape and start a life together.
But that was a foolish dream. If they survived at all, why would she want to be with him? He was a vampire, a monster whose kind had made her suffer. She could never love him. And he could never make up for what she’d experienced.
No. They’d only been together to steal a moment of happiness. Nothing more than that could ever be between them.
One thing at a time, he reminded himself. They still had to figure out what to do about Adrius.
As he closed the drawer, a knock came at his door, this one harsh and demanding. Definitely not Vara. Before he could answer, his sister entered the room. She slammed the door shut behind her.
“What do you want?” Nero asked.
“I know what you did last night,” Neryssa said.
It was safe to assume she wasn’t talking about Vara.
“What do you mean?” he asked. Playing dumb was his only option.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the closed door. “Lord Adrius seems to have misplaced his dagger.”
“Perhaps he should take better care of his belongings.”
Neryssa swung her arms down and slammed her fists against the door behind her. “Dammit, Nero. Don’t get cute with me. It’s not funny. I’ve been able to cover for you to spare you from his rage a few times now, but I can’t keep doing it. And definitely not for something this serious.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m going to give you one chance.” She raised a single finger. “One chance to return it to me and accept the punishment. If you won’t, I’ll go to Lord Adrius and tell him exactly where his dagger went.”
Nero shrugged. “I don’t have it.”
Neryssa let out an exasperated snarl. “I’ll be damned if I fall out of his good graces. I finally have stability. I finally have wealth. And I will not lose those because my idiot brother can’t keep his twitchy fingers to himself.”
“Search my room if you’d like. It’s not here.”
“Then where? I know you took it when you gave me that awful hug. You’re not nearly as smooth as you think you are.”
Nero raised a brow, but said nothing. If he wasn’t as smooth as he thought he was, he wouldn’t have gotten away with it without Adrius seeing.
“Fine. I suggest you prepare for Lord Adrius’ arrival. I can only hope I still have a brother by the time he’s finished with you.”
Chapter 13
Though every instinct in his body screamed at him to run, Nero forced himself to remain in the bed until Neryssa’s footsteps disappeared down the hallway. When silence settled in the halls once more, Nero slid out of bed and slipped on a pair of shoes. He cracked open the door just enough to peer down the hallway.
The hallway was quiet. Empty. There was no sign of Neryssa— or anyone else, for that matter.
It wouldn’t be long before Adrius arrived to question him, and he needed to be back in his room before then. He’d hoped he and Vara would have more time to plan an attack on the vampire lord, but he hadn’t counted on Neryssa noticing the missing dagger. And even if he had, he wouldn’t have guessed she would turn on him so quickly.
But then, she’d already shown that she was more than willing to do exactly that.
He didn’t have time to worry about that now. If his sister was truly lost, he could mourn her later. For now, he had to take this chance to save himself, Vara, and all the others under Lord Adrius’ control. All of the humans and elves, imprisoned for food and slaughtered when they no longer served a purpose. The other vampires, who had been compelled into slavery and corrupted. They all deserved better than this.
The mortals’ living quarters were near the entrance to the dungeon, a constant reminder of where they’d end up once they were no longer useful servants. Their rooms were small and crowded, and the entire hallway stank of despair.
A small human girl peered up at him through choppy red bangs, her bright eyes wide with fear at the sight of him. Just by the way he was dressed, it was obvious he didn’t belong among the servants. He wasn’t mortal like them. He was one of the creatures who held them captive. There was nothing he could say to assuage her fear, to convince her that he wasn’t cruel like the others. That he didn’t intend to hurt her.
So, Nero didn’t try.
“Do you know Vara?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
The girl’s gaze darted toward one of the doorways, and she lifted a shaking hand to point.
“Thank you,” Nero said, offering her a small, tight-lipped smile that concealed his fangs.
She scurried back into one of the other rooms and hid amongst the others, who eyed him warily.
None of the rooms had doors, but it still seemed rude to enter unannounced. Nero knocked on the wall next to the doorway.
The quiet murmur of conversation silenced at Nero’s knocking, and the mortals gaped at him. Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem vampires came to call on mortals very often.
And if they did, it didn’t seem like they came for anything good.
Nero cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Vara.”
Those who were standing stepped aside to reveal Vara. She was huddled in the corner, clutching one of Nero’s shirts to her chest.
As soon as she saw Nero, the tension fell away from her shoulders, and she pushed herself to her feet.
A man gripped her shoulder and gave her a meaningful look as she passed, telling her without words to be careful. She nodded her understanding, then stepped out into the hallway with Nero.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice a harsh whisper. “You’re putting us both in danger.”
“He knows.”
Her cheeks paled. “How?”
Nero ran a hand through his hair. “My sister figured it out. She’s on her way now to tell him.”
“No,” Vara said, clutching the bundle tighter.
“You’ve just been holding it?” Nero asked, pointing to the bundled up shirt.
She nodded. “I don’t know where to keep it. There aren’t many places to hide things down here. Maybe you should take it back.” She pushed the dagger back toward him.
“I can’t. It’s useless to me. I can’t hurt him, but you can. If you still intend to help me, now’s our only chance. After he questions me, he’ll know you have it. I can’t hide anything from him.”
“I’m not ready,” she whispered. She’d been so confident the previous night, but her voice quivered now.
“You have to be.” Nero glanced over his shoulder, as though Adrius and Neryssa might appear from the shadows at any moment.
No, they wouldn’t look for him down here. They’d go to his bedroom first.
“You’re strong, Vara. I know you can do this. Keep yourself hidden until the moment is right. Wait until he’s distracted with… whatever he’s going to do to me.”
Nero swallowed back the lump in his throat. He didn’t want to think about whatever hell he was about to experience. If Vara could succeed, at least his pain would be worth it. If he were to die that night, at least it would be to rid the world of a creature as evil as Alasdair Adrius.
“He’s going to question me, so I can’t know where you are, or if you’re there at all. So, if you’re coming, wait until I’m gone to follow me.”
Without waiting for her response, Nero spun around and sprinted back toward his room.
The hallway was just as empty as it had been when he left it, and there were no signs that his room had been visited during his absence. Everything remained tidy, exactly as he’d left things. If Neryssa or Adrius had been here, surely they would have torn the room apart searching for the dagger?
Nero kicked off his shoes and rolled back into bed, forcing his body into a relaxed position. He tucked his arms behind his head and cr
ossed his ankle over his knee. He willed himself to be calm, leaving the nervous swinging of his ankle the only outward sign of the anxiety that clenched his chest.
All that was left now was to try to stall Adrius long enough to give Vara a chance.
It wasn’t a good plan. But it was the only plan he had.
When the vampire lord finally arrived, Neryssa stood by his side. Her icy, grey eyes met Nero’s, and in them there was no trace of their familial bond. Only a sadistic malice remained in her gaze, and it chilled Nero just as much as the vampire lord’s presence.
“My dagger is missing,” Adrius said. His voice was calm and conversational, as though he’d only come to discuss the unchanging weather in the cavern or years-old news from a nearby city.
“So I’ve heard,” Nero said. “I’ll let you know if I see it lying around anywhere.”
Even as he lay on the bed, reclined in such a casual pose, every muscle in his body was tense.
“Your sister seems to think you were the one who stole it from me.”
“I’m wounded that she thinks so ill of me,” Nero said dryly.
“You are a thief,” Adrius said. “And quite a good one, as I recall.”
Nero could only do this dance for so long before Adrius grew tired of it. And what then? Nothing but pain awaited him.
“I’ve always done what I must,” Nero said. He kept his eyes fixed on the vampire lord and carefully avoided Neryssa.
“You will speak only truth to me, boy,” Adrius growled, the weight of a compulsion on his voice. “Did you take the dagger?”
“Why would I do that? It would do me no good— I can’t harm you.”
“I have no patience for word games. Where is the dagger?”
“I don’t have it,” Nero bit out. He couldn’t lie, but Adrius hadn’t compelled him to be forthcoming and say all he knew, either.
Adrius turned to Neryssa, his teeth bared. “Have you wasted my time?”
She flinched away from his raised hand.
“No, my lord— I’m certain Nero is the one who took your dagger. It’s clear that he’s dancing around your questions.” A wicked smile flashed across her face. “You could compel him to speak the full truth, but where’s the fun in that? Let me get the truth from him.”
Adrius’ brow quirked up as he considered her offer. “Very well. I suppose this will be an interesting test, won’t it?”
“I’m sure it will be quite entertaining for you, my lord,” Neryssa said.
“If you are wrong, or if you fail to get the truth from him, you will accept the punishment he would have received for the theft.” He unhooked the whip from his belt and handed it to her.
Her mouth hung open as she accepted the weapon. She was right that Nero had stolen the dagger, and she knew it. But she hadn’t counted on this bargain.
Perhaps he could stall long enough for Vara after all. He only had to endure whatever cruelty Neryssa could inflict on him. And changed though she was, Nero didn’t believe her cruelty could compete with their master’s.
“You will harm none but your brother. And you will not kill him— that right belongs to me alone.” He turned to Nero. “And you will not stop her or attempt to do anything that could harm her.”
Neryssa walked slowly over to the bed. The cruel mask she’d been wearing slipped, and for the first time Nero saw in her eyes a glimmer of the girl she’d once been, the sister he’d taken care of in the years since their parents’ deaths. Doubt flashed across her face, and she hesitated for a moment as she stood before him.
Nero stilled, waiting for her to decide. Either she would attack him, or she wouldn’t. And if she didn’t, they both knew Lord Adrius would show her no mercy.
And there was the matter of Vara, who still hadn’t shown herself. Once Neryssa started her assault, it would be the perfect distraction for Vara to attack the vampire lord… if she showed up at all.
“Did you take the dagger?” Neryssa asked.
Nero held her gaze but remained silent.
“Tell me you took it, and this will be over.”
Behind her, Adrius crossed his arms.
“You heard him,” Neryssa said. “If you don’t answer, he’ll hurt me.”
“Ah,” Nero said, drawing out the word. “Is that the game you want to play, sister?”
Neryssa’s eyes narrowed. “Game?”
“You think to play the innocent girl you once were. You mean to convince me to admit to this in order to save you. You think that, even after you’ve gone crawling to your master to tell him of my crimes, that I will forgive your betrayal and save you from harm only because we’re blood.”
Her knuckles whitened as she clenched her fists. “This is no game. Accept the punishment you’ve earned for what you’ve done, and let that be the end of it.”
“You said you would get the truth from me. Did you intend to beat the answer from my lips?”
Neryssa’s face hardened, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the whip. “If I must.”
“Then, by all means. Do your worst.” Nero closed his eyes. “I’ve survived worse than you.”
Neryssa let out a frustrated snarl. Pain shot through Nero’s face as her fist connected with his cheek. She punched him again, this time in the stomach.
He hadn’t realized she could hit so hard.
The blows blended together in an endless supply of pain, until he was barely aware of where each hit landed. Blood trickled from his nose, and his entire body ached.
Somehow, her hitting him with her fist was worse than her using the whip. It was personal and brutal, and she channeled all her rage into every strike.
Adrius still stood in the doorway, unmoving. Vara hadn’t shown herself yet, and Nero wasn’t sure if she’d made it up to his room at all.
“I’ve grown tired of this,” Adrius said. He shoved Neryssa aside. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Nero looked up at the vampire lord. His vision blurred slightly, and he longed to curl up and sleep off his injuries.
“You will answer my questions, and you will answer them honestly. Did you take my dagger?”
“Yes,” Nero said through gritted teeth.
“Why?”
“Because I could.” Nero sat up and wiped away the blood above his lips. “You tested my resourcefulness. My ability to steal and get away with it. You know exactly what I can do, and you still underestimated me.”
“That will not be a mistake I make again,” Adrius said. “Where is the dagger now?”
“It’s not here. I don’t know where it is.” That was technically true. Vara had the dagger, and he had no idea where she was.
“What did you hope to do with it?” Neryssa asked, still huddled on the ground where Adrius had shoved her earlier. “You can’t hurt him.”
Nero shrugged. “I hoped I could find a way.”
The back of Adrius’ hand connected hard with Nero’s face. As he lifted himself upright once again, a sharp, high-pitched scream came from behind the vampire lord. Nero looked up to see Vara on Adrius’ back, the dagger in her fist. Her expression was twisted with rage and hatred, all the years of suffering at his hands.
Adrius spun around to grab her, his reflexes aided by his unnatural speed. Just as he grabbed her by the throat, she plunged the dagger into the base of his neck. He released his grip on her and reached for the wound. She fell to the ground, gasping for air.
Adrius fell to the ground on top of her. She kicked at him, tried to push him away, but he was too heavy.
Nero staggered to his feet. He had to help her.
But his own unnatural speed wasn’t enough.
Adrius lunged for her and tore into her neck with his fangs. He spat out flesh and blood, then collapsed atop her, unmoving, the pair of them a lifeless pile bleeding out onto the stone floor.
Chapter 14
Nero scrambled over to them as fast as his aching body would allow. He shoved Adrius aside and dropped to his knees beside Vara
. Her skin was still warm, but her eyes stared unblinking up at the ceiling, and her body was still.
“No,” he murmured, repeating the word over and over as though it were a spell that could return her from the dead.
Then again, he’d been returned from the dead, hadn’t he? He could do the same for her. He vaguely remembered drinking Adrius’ blood as he bled out.
Maybe he could still save Vara, bring her back, just as Adrius had brought him back.
He sliced open his wrist on his fang and held it up to her mouth. His blood trickled into her mouth, leaking down the sides of her perfectly still cheeks.
“Please come back,” he said. Tears stung the corners of his eyes and streaked down his cheeks, but he didn’t bother wiping them away. All his focus was on Vara. He had to bring her back.
“What are you doing?” Neryssa asked.
“I have to save her,” he said. “I have to.”
Neryssa’s hand on his shoulder was firm and might have been comforting if not for everything she’d done. She crouched down next to him and looked at the frail elven woman. “She’s gone, Nero. You can’t help her now.”
“No,” he said, pressing his wrist harder against her unmoving mouth. “I can bring her back.”
Neryssa moved closer and placed her hand on his arm, just above the wound. She gently pulled his arm away from Vara. “It doesn’t work like that. She has to be dying, not dead. She’s already gone.”
He looked down at Vara and ran his hands over the lips that had kissed him so sweetly.
“Did you love her?” Neryssa asked.
“I hardly knew her.” Nero brought his wrist up to his lips and licked the wound closed. He backed away from Vara’s body, averting his gaze so he no longer had to look at her. She’d deserved better than this. “At least she’s free from all of this now.”
“I’m sorry it happened this way,” Neryssa said.
“You did this!” Nero snarled as he turned on her. “Why? Why did you go to him and tell him I stole the dagger?”
Her composure slipped, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “If he found out on his own, he would have killed you. I thought telling him was the only way to save your life.”
