I clenched my fists. Including Dorian, six vampires stood before me—some clearly more dangerous than others. I caught sight of another adult female standing against the wall, but she didn’t move. She watched us all, seemingly unphased.
Kane, still clenching his teeth, knocked his shoulder into Dorian’s. “How could you risk the only safety we have left?”
“This one won’t hurt us.” Dorian’s voice rang out over the group. “I would not play with your wellbeing.”
“How can we know for sure?” the female barked. She looked to be in her twenties, short, but built like a tree trunk.
“Judge for yourself, Bravi,” Dorian replied. “Anyone want to take a bite?”
Excuse me?
I tensed at the sudden, but not unexpected, betrayal. The vampires surrounded me. Their pointed canines were much more noticeable now as they sneered. Children peered at me from behind the adults’ legs.
I shifted my weight, but my legs were like cement. I’m going to be torn apart.
Their eyes glowed with anger, boring into me. My armored suit felt like paper. I could see the ripples under their skin now. Dorian had looked at me like that, but this was far more unsettling.
As the pack studied me, Kane stepped closer than I liked. I readied myself for something desperate, anything to take one of them down with me.
“Humans are unpredictable,” Kane spat at Dorian, curling his lip up over a fang. “Anything could make her change her mind!”
“Maybe so,” Dorian said evenly. He intercepted Kane once more, placing his hand on the other vampire’s chest. “But if we want to gain humans’ trust, we’ll have to trust them, too.”
A quiet settled over the cavern. The only sound was my labored breathing.
“The last thing I want is to put what’s left of us in harm’s way.” Dorian’s voice remained steady. “But we have to remember that we’re all in this together.”
Kane grunted, shaking his head, his eyes still locked on me.
The group looked at each other, questioning. Someone grumbled. I stayed wary, scanning the circle in case one of them lunged for me.
Dorian’s hand gripped mine then, and he pulled me from the group, toward another passageway that I hadn’t seen in the shadows. I looked over my shoulder at the furrowed brows and tense gazes that followed me, feeling just as puzzled as some of the vampires looked. Kane moved back to stand beside an older female vampire that I hadn’t seen before. She leaned over a bent leg wrapped in dirty fabric. Her expression was just as foul as his.
Dorian led me down the hallway, and we wound around a curve. He ducked down through a small doorway in the stone. I bent down and followed him.
When I stood and looked up, we were in some kind of grotto. It was much smaller than the large cavern I’d nearly been murdered in. Natural ledges were carved into the rock walls. A single torch cast light around the room. A thin wooden frame held a bed. A ripped old book sat on a ledge to my right, alongside a little figurine carved out of wood—a bird slightly resembling a redbill.
Dorian eased himself onto the stone floor and exhaled heavily. He gazed down at his feet, then looked up at me. From this angle, I could clearly see the strain of fatigue on his face, darkening the skin under his eyes. He gestured toward the bed.
Sit down? I glanced at the spot, then back at the vampire. A moment passed; then, I eased myself onto the fraying cloth covering the bed. Yep, Stockholm syndrome. Great.
He leaned forward. The torchlight caught the pale blue of his eyes. “Now I can give you some answers.”
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Darklight releases September 8th, 2019.
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Bella x
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Read more by Bella Forrest
DARKLIGHT
(Supernatural romance)
Darklight
HARLEY MERLIN
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
THE GENDER GAME
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)
THE CHILD THIEF
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)
HOTBLOODS
(Supernatural adventure/romance. Completed series.)
Hotbloods (Book 1)
Coldbloods (Book 2)
Renegades (Book 3)
Venturers (Book 4)
Traitors (Book 5)
Allies (Book 6)
Invaders (Book 7)
Stargazers (Book 8)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
(Supernatural romance/adventure)
Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Series 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk
(Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Series 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Series 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)
A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)
A Den of Tricks (Book 54)
A City of Lies (Book 55)
A League of Exiles (Book 56)
A Charge of Allies (Book 57)
A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)
A Battle of Souls (Book 59)
Series 8: A Voyage of Founders
A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)
A Land of Perfects (Book 61)
A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)
A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)
A Camp of Savages (Book 64)
A Plague of Deceit (Book 65)
An Edge of Malice (Book 66)
A Dome of Blood (Book 67)
A Purge of Nature (Book 68)
Season 9: A Birth of Fire
A Birth of Fire (Book 69)
A Breed of Elements (Book 70)
A Sacrifice of Flames (Book 71)
A Conspiracy of Realms (Book 72)
A Search for Death (Book 73)
A Piece of Scythe (Book 74)
A Blade of Thieron (Book 75)
A Phantom of Truth (Book 76)
A Fate of Time (Book 77)
Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
A Shade of Dragon 1
A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
A LOVE THAT ENDURES TRILOGY
(Contemporary romance)
A Love that Endures
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3
THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)
The Breaker (Book 2)
The Chain (Book 3)
The Keep (Book 4)
The Test (Book 5)
The Spell (Book 6)
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
(Supernatural romance)
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
DETECTIVE ERIN BOND
(Adult thriller/mystery)
Lights, Camera, GONE
Write, Edit, KILL
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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