by R L Medina
He blinked at me in confusion but didn’t argue. I turned away before I had to explain myself. The truth was, I couldn’t explain my behavior nor the strange pull I felt toward Prince Ryn. Morbid curiosity? Why else would I want to spend more time around him than I needed to?
My pulse quickened as I left the others and retraced my steps through the dimly lit hall. Questions plagued me as I readied myself to face the vampire prince again.
A shadow moved ahead. I stopped in my tracks, squinting against the darkness.
“Hello? Ryn?”
It moved toward me, too quickly to make out. Fear crawled up my spine as I summoned my magic to shield me.
“Queen McKenzie. No one told me you arrived.” Fane’s silky voice reached my ears.
My body tensed.
“I’m not here to see you, Fane.” I huffed.
He emerged from against the wall, looking far too confident and too appealing. His vivid blue eyes lit up as he stepped toward me. The candles along the wall highlighted his sharp features.
A smug smile spread on his face. “So, you’ve agreed to help us? With the barrier? I didn’t realize you cared so much about us bloodsuckers.”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t. I care about my coven. I’m trying to save them, remember?”
There was that amused smirk again. It made me burn from the inside out.
“Trying to save them when they’re rooting for your failure?”
“What are you talking about?”
His blue eyes danced away. “Rumors have the habit of spreading. Even my recluse of a brother has heard what they say about you.”
I snapped my lips shut, refusing to give him the pleasure of any reaction. Curiosity bubbled inside me, but I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t ask.
As if reading my thoughts, he continued. “They say you can’t do it. Break the barrier. Break the curse. That you’re the weakest queen the coven has ever produced.”
Red spots dotted my vision. Who said that? Why hadn’t Kohl told me? Did he think it too?
“Oh, and that you’re kind of a bitch.”
I gasped.
Ungrateful assholes. I never wanted to be their stupid queen.
I tossed my hair back and glared at him. “Well, they’re wrong.”
His smile grew. “Obviously. If they saw what I saw…”
My eyes snapped to his, heat spreading up my neck. Was he… complimenting me? I shook off the uneasiness and licked my lips. His gaze followed my movement.
I stiffened. What was going on? How had I let the conversation get so out of my control? Ignoring the fluttering in my stomach, I lifted my chin and turned away. Space—I needed space from him. A place to clear my mind and unwind all the emotions that rolled inside me.
He moved first, giving me what I needed. Though his eyes still watched me.
“I’d be careful if I were you. My brother… isn’t as strong as he used to be. Never quite learned to control his bloodlust. I’d hate to find you dead and drained like that… what was her name?”
Anger sparked at his coldness.
“Julia. And please, don’t waste your worry on me. I don’t need it.” I shot my magic to the candles. The hallway glowed brighter as the fire burned with intensity.
Fane glanced at them and back to me. His face grew serious. “Even the strongest flame can be extinguished, cariad.”
Before I could ask him what his words meant, he was gone. Air whooshed around me and down the hall, making the candles flicker.
Coldness seeped into my skin. I scanned the emptiness, expecting to see a spirit. Was the dead witch still there? Could she have somehow found a way to preserve her spirit from the curse and if so, would she help us?
“Hello?” My voice bounced back to me, sounding eerie.
Shaking off the feeling, I started moving again. If she hadn’t helped us while living, I doubted she’d be any more willing to do so in death.
Fane’s words echoed in my mind. The weakest queen…
Pushing away the thought, I straightened and marched down the corridor. They wouldn’t be saying that once I broke the barrier spell.
I found Ryn in the same room I’d met him in. He was sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap. His head turned in my direction and I nearly stopped at the intensity of his gaze.
“Finished already?” he asked.
“No. I… we were hoping you had some food.”
Setting the book down, he stood and stretched, a smile on his face. I couldn’t help but notice what a paradox he was with his massive body that screamed warrior and yet a sweet, almost boyish grin.
“Of course. I’ve already anticipated you would stay for dinner. I have the dining room set for us.”
I blinked at him. Did he sound… excited? One day in his presence and I was questioning everything I ever knew about him.
“What about the others?” I finally found my voice.
He smiled brightly, “I sent in a tray for them so they could continue their work.”
My eyebrow rose. “How thoughtful.”
His smile faded. “I’m sorry, was that something I should have discussed with you first? I just thought you’d want to dine like a royal…”
I waved off his concern. “It’s fine.”
“Will you be eating with me then or?” He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the curls, “I’m not sure what you mean by fine.”
My face flamed. Tell him no. Tell him no.
“Yes. That’s fine. I’ll eat with you.”
The brilliant smile returned, that irritatingly, adorable dimple appearing once more.
Regret slammed into me, but I couldn’t take it back now. Why had I agreed to dinner? Dinner. I was having dinner with the bloody vampire heir.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“Are you ready now then?” His question broke my thoughts.
“Okay.”
Ryn led the way into a massive dining room that would easily fit two of my coven dining rooms. I gaped at the lavish décor feeling sorely underdressed in my jeans and blouse.
“Wow. You eat here all by yourself?”
Sadness flickered on his face. “We all used to eat here. My father, stepmother, Fane, and me. Sometimes a friend or two.”
I spun around in surprise. “Stepmother? You and Fane aren’t brothers?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “We have the same father. Different mothers, but I call him brother.”
How had I not known that? I frowned, trying to remember the history I’d been taught, but found my mind coming up blank. There were so many pieces I didn’t know.
Ryn came around to pull out a chair for me, much to my surprise. Guilt needled me at the thought of the others still working without me. I should have been there helping them. Not sitting at the massive table with the vampire prince.
But I didn’t leave. I sat and listened to Ryn’s stories as somewhere in the distance classical music began to play. A servant brought us food fit for a king. Well-seasoned steak and vegetables. Antique silver goblets filled with red wine. An assortment of chocolate. How in the hell had their cook been able to whip all that up so quickly?
What did vampires need with all the lavish treats anyway? Wasn’t blood their main source of nutrients?
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ryn’s voice brought my head up.
I gaped at him, unsure of what to say.
He spread his arms, indicating the table before us. “How crazy this is? You and me. Here. On a date.”
My eyes bulged. “Date?”
A small smile spread on his face. “Food, candles, and music. Not that I’m any expert, but I’d say this has all the makings of a spectacular date.”
I straightened my back and stared down at my plate, heat spreading up my neck.
“I’m sorry, Kenzie. I didn’t mean to offend you. It… was a joke. In bad taste, I guess.”
Kenzie? I sucked in a breath. How did he know my nickname?
“Only my b
est friend calls me that.”
He cocked his head at me. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought the nickname suited you.”
My eyebrow arched. “How do you know what suits me? You don’t know me.”
Silence filled the room.
His lips spread in a small smile. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
I bit back my own smile. Damn. Why did he have to be so… sweet? Remember what he did to Grace. To the others. But he’d admitted he was the one to save her, doing what she requested. The humans though… their blood was on his hands. I couldn’t forget that.
Noticing his stare was still fixed on me, I tossed my head back. “It’s fine.”
I took a sip of the water, hoping the cool liquid would cool me down. The room had grown ten times warmer.
“But if it was a date… how is it? For you, I mean?”
I took another sip. His eyes watched me, making me blush even more.
“I… I don’t know how to answer that?”
His face fell, and I immediately regretted my response. Ryn was nothing like I’d pictured. He was nothing like his arrogant brother, but I couldn’t get swept into their games. I had my coven to think of.
“What are you thinking?” His low voice sent another shiver up my spine.
I refused to meet his gaze. If I didn’t look maybe I could be strong.
“Kenzie.”
My heart raced.
“What’s wrong?”
The genuine care I heard in his voice made me wince. It was real. Whatever it was. It was real for him just as much as it was for me.
But it was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. So wrong.
I licked my lips and took a breath. His eyes dipped, following my movement. My face flamed.
“I… I have to go.”
A wounded look flashed on his face. “Did I do something? Say something wrong?”
Ugh. Why? Why did he have to be so… different than what I’d expected? This couldn’t be the same vampire who had earned the nickname heartless.
It just couldn’t be.
“No. You were fine, but I should go. Figure out the grimoire and stuff.”
My mouth was running away and the more he stared at me the more idiotic rambling spewed out.
“It’s because I called it a date, isn’t?” He frowned. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No. It’s fine. It’s just that it’s getting late and I should go back to check on the others. It’s all good.” I winced at how high and squeaky I was sounding.
I shot to my feet and fought the urge to squirm under his unnerving stare. My skin flushed. Damn these vampires and their otherworldly beauty. It was hard not to be transfixed.
Unlike his cocky brother, Ryn didn’t seem to notice my turmoil. He stood and walked toward me, concern written on his face.
My gaze dipped to his lips. What would they feel like against mine? My eyes snapped up, heat spreading up my neck.
He stepped closer, making my heart fly. I backed up instinctively and cursed at myself for allowing him the higher ground.
My back pressed against the stone wall. I shivered at the cold contact. Ryn’s eyes drifted to my exposed neck, his nostrils flaring.
Shit.
16
Valeria
Morning light streamed in the small window of the old townhouse. I rubbed my sore back and cracked my neck, trying to get out the knots from sleeping on the hard kitchen floor. The thin blanket the rogue witches had left was hardly enough cushion. Though I appreciated their help, I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t let us sleep in an extra room.
The witches. My wolf warned.
I stood and glanced at the others. Drew and Becca were already up, but the others were still curled on the floor.
“They’re coming.” I broke the silence.
Drew and Becca gaped at me. The same two witches reappeared from the staircase, whatever invisible barrier they’d built now gone. My wolf lurked near the surface, silent and ready.
Though these weren’t the same rogues that attacked our camp, we couldn’t help but remember the damage caused by the witches. The death. The destruction.
My wolf growled.
I drew myself up and took a step toward them. “I’m Valeria. Alpha of the Shadow Wolves.”
They glanced at each other. I waited for them to introduce themselves, but they just stared at me in silence.
The shorter one nudged his companion and made a gesture with his hand. My wolf tensed, expecting a spell. The other witch nodded and signed something back. Realization hit me. He wasn’t casting. It was sign language.
“I’m Mark. And my boyfriend is Reed.” The taller one motioned toward the other.
I nodded at them in acknowledgment.
“Thank you for helping us. I know it was probably a risk for you.”
Mark grunted. Reed continued to stare at me.
Drew came to stand beside me. “Yes, thank you. Is there anything we can do for you?”
Mark signed the question to his boyfriend. Reed made a gesture that I suspected meant for us to leave.
“No. Just leave. It should be safe to go now. The wolves haven’t found us here and there’s only a few of us. We don’t want any more trouble.”
“Wait. Before we go, there’s something I have to ask you. Do you know anything about the rogue witches buried in the woods outside of the city?”
The two witches exchanged glances.
Mark frowned at me. “A lot of rogues practice their spells in the forest. Or used to anyway. But our group isn’t one of them.”
“Do you know what would have caused the bodies to… come back to life?”
His eyebrows shot up. “A resurrection?”
I nodded. “They threatened to kill us if we didn’t leave the woods. We were forced to come to the city.”
He turned to his partner and signed something. Reed’s eyes widened on me. His fingers flew and I looked to Mark to translate.
“He’s asking if you’ve seen any witches out there recently? Alive witches who have been casting. Only someone with a lot of power could perform that kind of magic.”
“No. No one.”
A skeptical look flashed on Mark’s face as he turned to Reed. I watched as they communicated, curious to know what they were saying.
Mark faced me. “When it’s safe, we will send someone to investigate.”
Disappointment filled me. I wanted to ask if they knew a way to return the witches to their graves but wasn’t sure they would help me with that.
“We can perform a protection spell for you guys. It’s temporary, but should be long enough for you to make it to the other side of the city”
“Thank you.” Drew gave them a grateful smile.
His eyes lit up with calculation and I knew what was on the tip of his tongue.
“We’re going to seek the queen. To form an allegiance. To stop Diego. You won’t have to live in hiding anymore.”
A stormy look crossed Mark’s face. “We want nothing to do with the queen.”
Drew’s brow furrowed. Maybe he didn’t understand the rivalry between the rogues and the Savannah coven. Even I didn’t fully comprehend their refusal to acknowledge the queen’s power.
“But she could help. Help you. Help all of us,” Drew continued.
Mark’s nostrils flared. “We don’t need her help. The queen and her witches think they have a claim on all the magic, but they’re wrong. Every witch should be equal.”
Drew gaped at him.
Reed shot his partner a questioning look, but Mark just shook his head at him and turned to us.
“Now. For the protection spell.”
After they waved their hands over us, they left. I couldn’t blame them for not wanting anything else to do with us. They were probably scared of Diego’s retaliation for what they’d already done.
It was a bold move on their part, but at least they had magic to protect themselves.
“Looks clea
r. We should head out.” Becca threw a pointed look at her brother.
He loaded water bottles into a bag Mat and Reed had left us. Anger rolled inside me at the thought of Diego and his wolves pawing through the few belongings the humans had. His pack didn’t need any more resources.
More and more, the alliance Drew insisted we needed made sense. We couldn’t keep surviving like we had been. We needed to be smarter. Stronger.
“Ready?” Drew’s question snapped me back.
I nodded and followed them to the door. Becca—still carrying her beloved guns—went first with Drew and I bringing up the rear.
“Are you sure you know the way back to my camp?” I asked her from the back.
She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Yes.”
My wolf snarled. How could she remember the way so easily? I frowned, wondering if I was making a mistake by bringing them home. But what else was I supposed to do? I couldn’t let Diego hurt any more humans.
The sun was bright as we scurried from building to building, scanning the area for any danger. My wolf was on high alert though she was desperate to break away and tear off after Elijah instead of escorting the humans to safety.
We ducked behind an abandoned catering bus. The back doors were open, and the shelves emptied of whatever had been there. It was a sobering image that portrayed our new life so well.
For a second, I felt as if we were in some elaborate post-apocalyptic video game or TV show. Any minute and the zombies would show up. Except this wasn’t pretend and there were no zombies. The danger was real, and our enemies were everywhere. I shuddered.
There was no restart or ending to this—at least not a happy one.
We made it to the outskirts surprisingly without any trouble.
My wolf was nearly beside herself as we left the city. I didn’t like being so close to Elijah and not knowing if he was okay either, but the humans needed a safe place to hide.
He will find them easily, my wolf argued.
I ignored her and took the lead as the back entrance to the subdivision appeared. They’d tied the gate closed with a string of Christmas lights, but where were the guards? My fists clenched as I strode forward. Had Diego come while I was gone? Heart racing, I listened for any sound.