by Leigh Walker
But here I was, surrounded by rebels—the same group my father and brother had joined—and all I wanted was to escape. I silently prayed to get back to the castle in one piece.
But as the hours passed and the sky darkened, that possibility seemed to slip further and further away.
In my dream, something tugged at my rope.
I woke, thrashing. Something was tugging at my rope!
“Get off!” But a large, cool hand clapped over my mouth prevented me from screaming. I struggled against my attacker, trying with every ounce of force I possessed to dislodge them.
“Gwyneth. Gwyneth.” His voice was so low I could barely make it out. “It’s me.”
I squinted at the darkness, heart pounding, until Dallas brought his face to mine. “It’s me. I’m taking you to safety.”
I moaned beneath his hand, eyes swimming with tears. He’d come for me. Or was this a dream?
But he loosened the rope quickly, his moves silent and deft. I rubbed my raw wrists. Real, this was real. I tripped and fell against him as I struggled to get up, to free myself from my captivity. Oh, to be a vampire, and not a clumsy human.
But Dallas didn’t seem to care that I was only human. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, kissing the top of my head. There was so much emotion between us, I could barely breathe.
But now was not the time. He grabbed my hand and we started to run.
We’d made it to the edge of the camp when I heard it—some sort of creaking—and then suddenly, a large, heavy web of chains dropped from above.
We were knocked to the ground, captured beneath a chain-link net.
Dallas’s skin started to smoke. “Ah!” He cursed, curling up in a ball, trying to get away from the contraption. “It’s silver. Try to get it off me,” he hissed.
I smelled charred flesh as I struggled to lift the dense net away from him.
Several heavy sets of boots crunched nearby, dropping down from the trees. “Here we are,” said a voice in the darkness. Lieutenant Handsome. “An excellent haul. Bring the chains,” he commanded. “We have ourselves a most-esteemed prisoner.”
Chapter 26
Caught Between Two Worlds
They tied us up next to each other but not close enough to touch—me in my rope, Dallas in his silver chains.
“Does it hurt? Can you bear it?” I asked.
The prince winced, clearly struggling to compose himself. “It’s bearable.” But smoke still wafted from his skin where the chains touched him. White tendrils curled into the air then disappeared.
“Are you able to do anything? Use any of your powers?” I kept my voice low. Vampires could talk inside humans’ heads, sometimes manipulating them. I’d never seen Dallas do it, but Eve had used it on me a few times. It might help us.
“Not with these.” He looked down at his chains.
“I am so sorry.” I bit my lip, holding back the tears that threatened. There was no use crying now. Plus, if I started, I might not stop.
“Don’t. I should have slaughtered them all before I came for you, but I couldn’t bear to leave you tied up and vulnerable like that.” Dallas smiled, even though I could tell it pained him. “And I’m the one who got us here in the first place, remember? Stalking off from the stables, all high and mighty.”
“You had every reason. I was a fool.”
“You’re not a fool. You’re a young woman who has no experience dealing with the knaves and jesters that populate my world. You’re innocent, Gwyneth. It’s a miracle and a blessing, and it’s one of the things I love about you.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it, momentarily stymied.
He laughed, but it sounded strained. “You know, Tariq was probably right. If my father had sent you home, I would’ve thrown the contest. Perhaps my jester is smarter than I give him credit for.”
“Do you think he’s smart enough to come looking for us out here?”
“No.” Dallas looked down at his chains. “But don’t worry. I’ll think of something.”
The dirty prisoner, who was guarding us, snorted. “You royals are all the same. Think that because you’re born with a crown on your head, you’ve got some special power. I say, take the crown away, and you’re nothing, not even a man.”
He stepped closer, leering at me, clearly goading Dallas. “Perhaps I should show the young lady what a real man’s like.”
Dallas grinned at him, his teeth large, white, and scary in the darkness. “You know, I’m going to quite enjoy disemboweling you when I get the chance.”
“And I’m going to quite enjoy this while I have the chance, thank you very much.” The prisoner knelt before me.
My stomach lurched as he smiled his fuzzy smile, reaching for me.
“Get the bloody hell away from her!” Another voice rang out. A large soldier with a massive chest stepped forward. He grabbed the prisoner from behind, tossing him out of the way with brute strength. The prisoner landed in a heap, cursing, as the soldier leaned down to peer in my face.
My world went woozy as his brown eyes locked with mine.
“Hey!” called the prisoner from the ground. “What’d you do that for?”
“That’s my sister, you ass.” Balkyn smiled at me. “And if you ever come near her again, I’ll be happy to let the prince disembowel you.”
“They didn’t know. They couldn’t have.” Balkyn untied me gently, rubbing my wrists to help the blood-flow return.
“It doesn’t matter.” I kept my voice low. “It means they would have done it to any of the other girls. The way they’ve treated me is not okay, Balkyn. If you hadn’t been here just now…” My gaze traveled over to Moss Mouth. “I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
“I’m so sorry. But you’re right, and I’ll talk to them. You have my word.”
“Enough of that.” I hugged him fiercely, still not believing my brother was alive and that he’d come to my rescue. “I’m so happy to see you. I didn’t know if you were still alive.” I wanted to tell him that the prince had been helping me look for him, but I didn’t dare.
Dallas hadn’t said a word. He watched us silently.
“What’re you looking at, bloodsucker?” Balkyn asked him.
“Balkyn.”
My brother turned to me. “Don’t tell me you’re defending this vampire. I know all about that sick contest you’ve been in. He’s had you captive, Gwyn. You’ve probably got Stockholm Syndrome or some such rubbish.”
I took my brother’s measure swiftly, and it broke my heart. I didn’t risk looking at Dallas.
“I’m fine, I promise, and I’m not defending him.” I scoffed. “I just don’t think we need to goad him.”
I grabbed Balkyn’s hand, bringing his attention away from the prince and back to me. “We have so much to talk about. Is father still alive?”
Balkyn’s face twisted. “Yes, but he’s ill. That’s why he’s not here.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
My brother shook his head. “We don’t know. He’s had a fever for a while, and then for the past few weeks, he hasn’t been able to get out of bed.”
“Oh no. The poor thing…”
“He’ll be all right, I expect. He’s a tough one.” Balkyn smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Speaking of tough, how’s Mom?”
“She’s fine. Winnie and Remy are, too. Winnie just had the flu, but she’s better.” I refused to look to Dallas, to bring Balkyn’s angry attention back to him. The prince saved her.
“I’m so glad. You’ve been getting on without us?”
I shrugged. “Not very well, actually. We’ve missed you terribly, but we’ve done our best.
I squeezed his hands. “But…where have you and Father been? I was hoping to have word from you, at some point. It’s been so long. We all thought you were dead.”
Balkyn’s eyes blazed in the darkness. “We couldn’t write or come home. We’ve been…away.” His burning gaze flicked to Dallas, and I flinched. “Ho
w can we kill this bloodsucker, anyway? Is it true what they say about a stake to the heart?”
“No, actually.” I licked my lips. “We just have to wait until the sun comes up.”
Balkyn tilted his head, inspecting me. “This one can be out in the sun. I’ve seen it myself.”
I didn’t hesitate. “But not for long. If you keep him out all morning, by the time the noon sun hits him, he’ll be dead.” The lie came forth easily.
I wished I could tell him that silver had no effect. But that proverbial cat was already out of the bag and currently singeing the prince’s skin.
“Are you certain?” my brother asked.
“Yes. They can only withstand the sun’s rays for so long. In short spurts, some of them are able to move about during the day. Some of them can’t tolerate it at all, of course. And the prince can only manage a few hours before weakens so much that he will die.”
Balkyn scrubbed a hand over his face. “How do you know all this, sister?”
“They’ve taught us a lot at the palace with lectures and books. Whoever wins the Pageant will become a vampire’s wife. They’ve been educating us on all the particulars so that we can be prepared.”
My brother grinned at me. “Then you are going to come in quite handy.”
He stood and reached out a hand for me, pulling me to my feet. “We’ll leave the vampire prince till morning then. It’ll be dawn soon enough. And when the sun sits highest in the sky, we’ll have a toast as we watch him burn.”
Chapter 27
How To Save A Life
On Balkyn’s arm, I was treated like rebel royalty. My brother bragged that I knew all sorts of vampire secrets, that I would be a tremendous asset to the cause. The men who’d threatened me earlier were now obsequious, offering me ale and blankets.
I thanked them, a smile plastered to my face. But on the inside, I was scheming to get back to Dallas, to somehow get away. I had no idea what I was going to do. Balkyn refused to leave my side. Whether that was because he was thrilled to finally see me again or because he did not trust me, I wasn’t sure. I finally fell into a light sleep, propped against a tree, as the rebel men sat around their dying fire.
When I opened my eyes, it was full-on daylight. I struggled to my feet, my heart in my throat.
“Ah, you’re awake.” Balkyn held out his hand for me. “Come and see.”
In the morning light, I could see my brother clearly. He had changed in the years since he’d left home, growing from an adolescent into a man. Always tall, his body had thickened with muscle. His hair, which he’d always worn a bit long, was cut brutally short. And his face was different. Gone were the boyish good looks and cherub cheeks. His cheekbones were more prominent, jutting out of the hard planes of his face, and dark circles ringed his eyes. He looked as if he had suffered greatly. A large scar ran from his ear down the side of his neck, as if something savage had clawed him.
He felt my eyes on him. “I’m sure I’m not as you remembered, but I don’t want to talk about it, Gwyn.”
“You’ve been hurt.”
He shrugged. “War does that to you.”
We walked through the woods in silence for a moment before he continued. “I might not have recognized you, you know. You’ve changed too. Five years is a long time.”
I patted his shoulder. “Too long.”
I had mixed emotions about finding my brother, but one still stood out clearly: love.
“I knew you were at the palace for the contest. So when I heard they’d taken a young female prisoner, I had to come see for myself. I had to see if it was you.”
I shivered, remembering the filthy prisoner kneeling before me. “I’m so glad you did.”
“Me too.” He stopped walking. “There’s a clearing just ahead. We’re keeping the prince there until it’s time.”
Afraid my voice would betray me, I only nodded in response. We came to the clearing and I tried to keep my face neutral. It was a terrible sight. Dallas sat, chained in silver to a chair, in the middle of a field. Smoke wafted off of him, up toward the sun, which climbed in the sky.
I moved closer and saw marks where the silver had dug into his flesh. Scorch marks. I thought I might faint, but Dallas’s gaze flicked to me briefly, giving me strength. I couldn’t fall apart. Not now.
“Come and have a seat.” Balkyn smiled. He led me a safe distance from Dallas, to the makeshift stands the rebels had erected out of coolers and camping equipment, all the better to watch the prince burn.
The rebels had started another fire. I shakily sat down and watched them. The soldiers laughed and traded stories, drinking steaming coffee from tin cups. One of them flipped bacon in a frying pan he held over the campfire. A picnic. This was a celebration for them.
“I wish father could be here to see this.” Balkyn rubbed his hands together as he eyed the prince. He had a sip of coffee then offered me a slice of bacon.
“No thank you.” I felt sick, but I sat tall, a fake smile plastered to my face.
There had to be a way out of this. I just had no idea what it was.
The time ticked by. The sun climbed higher in the sky.
“Will he burst into flames?” Balkyn eyed the sun’s progress.
“I don’t think so. I think he just…dies.” To my credit, the prince did look weak. He slumped in his chair, head lolled back, smoke rising from his skin.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run to him and rip the chains off with my teeth, then carry him home. During the time I’d sat around their campfire, I’d noticed that each of the rebels had a gun. Many of them also had large knives strapped into their belts.
Even if I can get one, what on earth am I going to do with it?
“Shouldn’t be too long now,” Balkyn told the others.
“This is going to be bloody priceless,” one soldier said.
“We’ll put his head on a spike and bring it to the palace, so he can watch when we slaughter the rest of his family,” said another.
I arched an eyebrow at Balkyn. “You’re attacking the castle?”
He nodded stiffly. “We’ve been waiting for the right time.’
“There’s not that many of you,” I noted.
“We’ll figure it out. And now that we have you, you can help us.”
Did I imagine it, or was there a testing tone to his voice?
He turned his attention back to the prince, watching and waiting, his hands clenched on his lap.
Don’t move, a voice said.
I jerked my head around, startled.
You bloody bootlicking idiot, I said, don’t move!
I sat perfectly still. I knew that voice in my head. And I’d never been so glad to hear it.
Chapter 28
Crash To The Other Shore
I’m going to go after these men, Eve thought into my head. Get the silver off the prince, and wait for me there. You won’t be able to move him, I don’t think. I can’t touch him with those chains on him, but he doesn’t look good.
I wanted to tell her about my brother. No matter what had happened, I couldn’t sacrifice Balkyn. I couldn’t lose him again so soon.
I didn’t know what to do. So I didn’t move.
What in the bloody hell? I’m not getting any younger, Gwyn!
I hesitated again, but she wouldn’t wait. Eve stalked out from behind a copse of white ash. At first glance, she looked pretty and innocent, slim and slight in her pants and tunic, her strawberry-blonde curls glinting in the sunlight. But as she came closer, grinning, her aqua eyes glowed unnaturally, blazing like the sun.
“What sort of demon is this?” one of the rebels shouted.
“One of the fun ones,” she said jauntily. Then she showed him her fangs.
I shot to my feet and took off running for the prince. “Eve!” I shouted, pointing wildly at Balkyn as I ran. “That one’s my brother—spare him!”
I didn’t look back as I sprinted to Dallas. “Oh, my God.” His didn’t seem conscious. His
eyes were closed, and his jaw was slack.
“Dallas?” I lifted the chains from him. Some had burnt into the layers of his skin, leaving deep, ugly marks behind. Bits of flesh stuck to the chains as I pulled them off as gently as I could. “I am so sorry.” Tears spilled down my face, but I ignored them, concentrating on freeing him from the silver. I got the last of the chains off and threw them to the ground, as far away as I could manage.
He sat up suddenly and took a deep, wheezing breath. His eyes snapped open. “Thank you.” He turned to me, blinking and dazed. “Are you all right?”
I scoffed. “Are you?”
Distracted by the fighting behind me, he didn’t answer. I turned, too, afraid for my friend. But Eve was winning. She had a soldier in her grasp, her fangs deep in his neck as he convulsed. The dead bodies piled up around her. The rebels who still lived didn’t dare move. She kept picking them off, one by one.
“Do not kill the filthy one—he’s mine!” Dallas shouted suddenly, almost knocking me off my feet.
“And do not kill my brother!” I screamed.
I turned back to the prince. “Can you walk?”
“Yes, but probably not that well.”
I leaned down, brushing the hair from his forehead and inspecting him more closely. “You didn’t answer me before. Are you all right?”
He reached out and stroked my cheek. “I am now.”
“I am sorry, Your Dallas.” He smiled at my little joke, and it gave me hope. Even though Eve battled behind us, the words tumbled out. “I did doubt you, when you gave me no reason. It’s just that I care for you. Very, very much.”
