Her hands traveled from my stomach up to my chest, exploring. I wanted to take her right there in the gazebo, but I was able to control myself. She had no idea what she did to me.
A dog’s bark echoed through the park. We pulled apart in an instant.
A boy with his pet came running down the path, playing fetch. A few yards behind him, his parents walked arm in arm.
Thinking fast, I removed my black cloak and jacket and set them on the bench. I was left in my white shirt to match Bianca’s colors.
I sat. “We shouldn’t be seen together. You should leave first. I will stay here until it’s safe to go.”
She nodded. The same disappointment I felt was stamped on her beautiful face. As she started to walk away, I grabbed for her hand.
I couldn’t bear the idea of her going back to the White Queen’s threat of the pit, so it seemed that while I’d been kissing her, my mind had worked out a possible solution for her situation. It was an abhorrent idea, but at this point, I cared too much about her not to mention it.
“Mr. Oakes sells bloodshade to Troves, as you know,” I said, “and some of them aren’t necessarily the best people in the city.”
She gasped and looked appalled, just as I’d suspected she might.
“I would rather you be safe than them,” I quickly added just as I let go of her hand. “Go!”
“Nyro,” she said in a rushed whisper, “I want to see you again.”
I bit my lip, trying to resist the temptation. Us was a bad idea. “It’s not safe.”
“Two weeks,” she said. “Flagfall House. Square B2. It will be safe.”
Then she was gone.
CHAPTER 10
Bishop Dragoslav led me down a dark hall toward one of Maximus’s drawing rooms. There was the same amount of light as usual, all the sconces glowed with candle light and the moon shone through the windows to our left. But I didn’t understand why everything looked so dim.
A shiver went down my spine. My limbs trembled with it. I rolled my shoulders back. Was I growing sick? A cold perhaps. Maybe a chill had gotten into me while sitting outside with Bianca. I hadn’t felt cold, but my body wasn’t the same. The Black King’s blood had changed it, and I still didn’t quite understand how.
Regardless, just an hour ago, sitting in my dormitory, I’d felt fine. Then I’d been summoned for a bi-weekly appointment I’d been ordered to keep, and I’d started feeling sick almost as soon as I entered the palace.
My stomach spasmed. I stopped, bracing a hand against the wall.
The Bishop glanced over his shoulder. “You’d better hurry,” he whispered from under the shade of his ever-present hood. “The blood from your first feeding is wearing out quickly. You will be in much pain soon.”
Was that what I’d been feeling? A wakening thirst for blood?
At the thought, I felt both hunger and revulsion. I didn’t move.
The Bishop walked toward me, grabbed me by the elbow, and led me forward. I would have resisted, but my legs seemed to move of their own accord, taking me to the place where my cravings would be satiated.
I hated myself for it.
Dragoslav pushed the door to the drawing room open and shoved me inside. I first spotted Maximus checking his appearance in a mirror. He turned as the Bishop shut the door behind us, a click sounded as he turned the lock.
For an instant, I was assaulted by disappointment as only Maximus and Dragoslav appeared to be in the room, then a terribly sweet scent assaulted my senses, and my eyes snapped to Talyssa. She was sitting at the far end of the room, looking as someone who wanted to disappear into the sofa she occupied. Her hands were clenched on her lap, and her shoulders were hunched forward as she tried to make herself as small as possible.
“Ah, Nyro,” Maximus said, extending his arms in welcome. “It seems just moments ago you became a Rook and now it’s time for your second feeding.” His red eyes flicked toward Talyssa for an instant.
I took a step back and collided against Bishop Dragoslav. He grabbed my shoulders, angling them in Talyssa’s direction, then gave me a shove. I staggered forward but managed to stay on my feet despite the weakness that shivered over my body.
“I have something rather special for you, Nyro,” the King said, coming closer with an infuriating swagger.
My eyes darted toward Talyssa. She stared at the floor, unmoving, like a bug trying not to be noticed.
“I rarely share my Troves,” Maximus continued, “especially for something like a second feeding. We’ll have to do this carefully. Dragoslav and I will make sure you don’t hurt Talyssa beyond repair.”
I shook my head. “No, not her,” I said even as my mouth watered at her scent.
“Like I said,” the King stopped in front of me, “this is uncommon, but I aim to give you an incentive for the task you are to perform for me.”
The task? What task?
My mind was a foggy swirl. I didn’t know what he was talking about. Only that scent and the sudden ache in my throat and gums seemed to matter.
“You will find Talyssa... exquisite,” Maximus said, his lips tipping into a crooked smile. “After tasting her, you’ll find yourself craving her.” He ran the back of his hand down my cheek in a too-tender caress. “I will let you have more of her, I promise. But...” he paused, putting much emphasis on the word, “only if you bring me what I want. Otherwise, you’ll never have her blood again.”
I should have been disgusted by the scheme. Instead, my skin tingled with anticipation and saliva filled my mouth.
“Go to her,” Maximus said, moving aside and extending a hand in Talyssa’s direction.
Somehow, I managed to stay put, my will overriding the terrible hunger that the sight of the innocent woman stirred in me, even as she shrank from the monsters who surrounded her. To how many horrors had Maximus subjected her already? How many more yet to come? And now, I was to add to them.
“No need to be so shy, Nyro,” Maximus said gently. “Go.”
My entire body clenched in refusal. My fists trembled at my sides. “Let me out of here,” I said through the cage of my teeth.
If I hurt Talyssa, what would I tell Bianca? How could I face her?
Maximus sighed tiredly, then flicked his fingers at Talyssa as if she were a dog. “Come here, dear.”
She rose to her feet and approached. Her scent grew stronger, and it seemed like the only thing I was able to notice. Everything else faded to nothing.
Her eyes, at last, met mine. There was no fear in them, only resignation.
“No,” I growled. Yet, my body tilted in her direction like a tree yielding to sunshine.
“It’s fine,” Talyssa said. “I understand you have no choice.”
Tears filled my eyes. She was a Trove just like my brother. She suffered as he did, and now I would be responsible for more of that suffering. How could I ever forgive myself? I had fed once before, I knew that. But the fact that I couldn’t remember what had happened had made it easier.
This... I would never be able to forget.
Maximus smiled sweetly at her, then inclined his head.
Talyssa came closer, put her hands on my chest, and lifted her chin, baring her throat.
The most amazing sweetness invaded me, like hot honey coating my tongue and sliding down my throat.
Unable to resist, I leaned forward and bit into her soft, pale throat.
CHAPTER 11
The pleasure was like a drug.
Addictive. Exhilarating. Forbidden.
In the end, however, all that was left was unsurmountable guilt.
My nights turned torturous. Wild emotions and sensations haunted my dreams, dreams of want and lust in which I got lost.
In them, I ripped into Talyssa’s throat like an animal, a beast going for the kill, straight for the jugular. The most amazing nectar flooded my mouth. My body spasmed with pleasure and Talyssa’s scent switched to another I recognized all too well: Bianca’s.
She was unde
r me, naked. My mouth was at her throat, though not hurting her. Instead, I gave her pleasure. She moaned. I deepened my kiss, thrust harder. My hands explored her body. She was exquisite, everything I’d ever wanted in a woman and more.
Now, I woke up panting, my body and my bed soaked in sweat. Want burned in me. The sheets were balled in my fists, and I had to clench my teeth and buckle down not to growl in disappointment. She wasn’t really here. The dream had left me ragged, the edges of me raw.
Rook Datcu slept across the room. I managed to contain myself and not wake him. He already hated me, no need to give him more reasons.
I left the bed and dressed in the dark. My skin was hot. I needed to leave, get away from the fire burning in the fireplace. Datcu stoked it every night, even though we had no real need for it. He seemed to enjoy the warmth.
Flinging my cloak over my back, I exited the room, eased the door behind me, and began walking through the palace grounds, headed for the woods. The night was more beautiful than ever. I hated it. It meant Talyssa’s blood still mixed with my own, igniting the vampiric senses Maximus had forced upon me.
More than a week had passed since I’d fed from Talyssa, but her Trove blood was much stronger than whatever they’d fed me the first time. My renewed strength showed no signs of diminishing.
An image of her ravaged throat flashed before my eyes. I blinked and forced myself to stare at the crystalline icicles hanging from the trees. They reflected the moonlight, sparkling like jewels, an effect my merely human eyes had never captured before.
Such wicked and costly beauty.
Still, the bloody image didn’t leave my mind.
Talyssa stood, wobbling in front of me. She was pale, void of all color. Her head lay limp to one side. Maximus was holding her gently in his arms while Dragoslav hauled me away, a tight chokehold around my neck.
The Black King fed Talyssa his blood. Just the right amount. Her wound healed. She regained some color but continued to lay limp, feeble.
“She will recover soon,” Maximus had said. “Worry not. She’s strong.”
In that moment, I had wished she would die, hoping never to see the reproach in her clear, blue eyes.
My mouth went dry, and I pushed all the memories away. They made me crave blood, made me hate myself even more than I already did.
I tried to think of Bianca instead, but that was no better. Too many questions assaulted me. What would I tell her? Would she understand my weakness? It was the same hunger that now sang in her veins, after all. She had to know it was impossible to resist.
An owl hooted. Snow gave beneath my boots. I inhaled deeply, willing the chilled air to clear my mind, trying to guess what Maximus would ask me to steal.
A fallen log lay in my way. I went to cross it but was brought short by a shape stepping from behind a thick tree. My senses rose like the hackles of a dog. I was about to lash out when a familiar voice stopped me.
“No further. The King hunts,” he said in his whisper-low voice. It was Dragoslav, dressed all in black, red eyes peeking from under his hood.
I stood stock-still for an instant, quieting the unrest the Bishop’s sudden appearance had caused. I took a step back, pushing away the hand Dragoslav had laid on my chest.
I tried to act nonchalant as if his presence didn’t make me uncomfortable. He retreated toward the tree again, pressed his back against it and looked straight ahead without saying a word.
Maximus enjoyed the hunt. Deer were kept in the large wooded area behind the palace and were replenished after he’d killed them.
“Can’t sleep?” the Bishop asked, surprising me. He wasn’t the type for idle conversation.
I chose not to answer. I didn’t want to encourage him. Instead, I turned to leave.
“He toys with you,” he said, his voice barely audible as if he feared King Maximus might overhear. “You aren’t the first and will not be the last.”
No idle talk then. I stopped and glanced back, wishing I could see his face. Was that jealousy in his voice?
“How long have you been in the Black Court,” I asked.
“Two-hundred and ninety-eight years,” he said without feeling.
My jaw dropped open. I knew he’d been a Bishop for a long time, but...
“That’s longer that Maximus has been king,” I said, unable to hold back my awe.
The Bishop turned in my direction, reclining his shoulder on the tree trunk. “We joined at the same time,” he said.
Maximus had been king for two-hundred and seventy-five years, which meant it had taken them twenty-three years to rise through the ranks to challenge and kill the previous king.
“You knew him when he was human,” I said, finding the fact almost impossible to believe.
“Since he was a child, actually” he said. “I’m his sister.”
All the nighttime sounds seemed to die down, and all that was left was the echo of those words inside my head.
I’m his sister.
I’m his sister.
I’m his sister.
Maximus and Dragoslav were brother and sister.
Dragoslav was not a man at all but a woman.
But it was the fact that they were siblings which astonished me most. A strange pressure built in my chest, and I found myself thinking of Timotei.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. This wasn’t common knowledge. Members of the Board hardly ever talked about the Bishops, especially Dragoslav. Was this the reason?
“It’s no secret,” she said. “Just... obscure knowledge that gets dimmer and dimmer as time goes by.”
That might be the case, but she had to have a reason to tell me this now.
“He’ll tire of you,” she said in an off-hand tone. “Especially after you fail his task.”
The way she said it left me now doubt she wanted me to fail. The question was still... why?
“Unless you die trying,” she added, “in which case he’ll mourn your death for a few hours before moving on to his next toy. He’s always been like that, even when he was a child. Nothing unpleasant ever holds his attention for long.”
I thought I had seen a glimpse of the real Maximus in the beginning, that night I tried to escape with Timotei. He’d seemed intent on proving I was no better than him, on showing me that, with vampire blood in my veins, I would be a monster, too. Of course, he had been right. The thing was... his desire to teach me a lesson had meant that, once, he hadn’t wanted to be a monster. Once, he had been like me.
“I should get back.” I started to leave, then stopped as something occurred to me. “It’s never easy being the oldest, is it?” I asked. “Timotei is the same.”
“No, it isn’t,” she said.
I chuckled, feigning camaraderie. “Being the oldest always means being the responsible one.” I walked away, my mind in a whirl of confusion.
CHAPTER 12
“What are you thinking about?” Maximus asked from across the drawing room. He was sitting with a leg swung over the armchair, enjoying a glass of red wine. He wore a loose, white shirt and a pair of dark blue velvet pants that ended mid-calf. His boots lay discarded under the side table.
Scented candles burned in every corner of the room, impregnating the air with the smell of cinnamon and spices.
Neither Talyssa nor Timotei were in the room for which I was grateful. I didn’t think I would be able to resist their closeness. Even the scent of the servants in the palace, the new Challengers in the dining hall, the denizens out on the checked streets of Acedrex twisted my stomach with hunger, forcing me to press a hand over my mouth if I got too close. Not even keeping my stomach full seemed to completely stave off my cravings for blood.
It hadn’t been like that after the first feeding. Was Talyssa’s blood responsible for the change? Or would things get harder after each feeding? I wondered if it was the same for Bianca. Next time I saw her, I would ask her.
“Well?” Maximus said, growing annoyed at my lack of answer.
>
“I was thinking about your sister,” I said.
Maximus’s wineglass froze midway to his mouth. His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
“So is your name Maximus Dragoslav?” I asked, feeling a measure of satisfaction at seeing his surprise.
“Once,” he said, then threw back his head and finished the wine in one gulp. “I’ve been King Maximus for so long that sometimes I think that other person never existed.”
His words chilled me, making me fear that one day, I would be like him. I opened my mouth to ask him about that previous life, but he stood abruptly and started pacing the room.
“I saw you training this morning,” he said.
I frowned. “You did?”
How? He hadn’t been present. I had trained indoor with Knight Traian, my Quadrant leader.
“You looked strong,” he said.
Indeed, I was. I’d been able to lift a six-hundred-pound barrel without breaking a sweat, and I was able to run and climb faster than both Knights. It was wrong. I shouldn’t be able to do that. The way Traian and Arcos looked at me let me know they didn’t like it. Did they suspect I’d had the privilege of feeding from one of the King’s Troves?
I narrowed my eyes at Maximus. Where was he going with this?
“I think you’re ready,” he said. “It’s time to prove yourself, little thief.” He paused, then, with a smile that flashed both pointed fangs, he said, “I want you to steal Queen Lovina’s scepter.”
CHAPTER 13
Bianca did not know what she was doing to me, that she was playing with fire. Desire ignited my blood as her tongue grazed the corner of my mouth. My mouth captured hers as I fought not to rip her clothes off.
Instead, I pressed her against the wall, hooked my hands under her legs, and lifted her off the floor. She was light, yet strong.
All the way to Flagfall House, I had ached with lust. But, despite the burning desire in me, I’d promised myself to behave. Now, there seemed to be no memory of that. I had quite forgotten what it meant to be a gentleman.
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