by Alicia Rades
“No, I’m not going to kill you,” she said. “Just play along. They like a good show.”
“So, you’re not really mad at me?” I asked in a raspy whisper.
She smirked. “Oh, I’m pissed. But we can discuss that later. Wanna punch me?”
No, not really, I wanted to say. The fact was, I’d rather hug her. But hey, what are sisters for? I curled my hand into a tight fist and swung it at her face.
Jenna let the momentum take her. She rolled to the side, clutching her cheek.
I should’ve felt bad about punching her, but I grinned like a lunatic. That punch to the face was proof that she was here. My sister was alive, and we were together again!
I threw myself at Jenna just as she was getting to her feet. My arm locked around her neck, and I held her in a headlock.
“What now?” I whispered in her ear while she clawed at my arm. “I won’t kill you.”
“Knock me out,” she hissed.
“What? No.”
“You want this to be over? Kick me in the face.”
Punching her was one thing. Knocking her out was another. I didn’t want her to end up with a concussion or something.
“I’ll fake it,” she said. “Do it now!”
Apparently, Jenna had developed a thing for pain since the last time I’d seen her. I swung my knee up just between her eyes, and her whole body went limp. I let her body fall to the ground, and the crowd went crazy. People shot up out of their seats, clapping and hollering.
I stared down at Jenna, horrified. For a moment, I thought I’d truly knocked her out. That kind of blow from a shifter could kill a human being, but surely Jenna would be okay. Right? Right?
She opened her eyes for a mere split second to wink at me. Relief flooded through me. I wanted to kneel beside her and drag her into a hug, but Valkas was already strolling out into the ring. He grabbed my hand in his—shudder—and held it above my head.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Valkas called, causing the crowd to quiet. “I give you your champion!”
The vampires went ballistic again.
“So, that fight to the death thing…” I said to him. “Just a rumor?”
Valkas smirked, as he always did. I was starting to wonder if it was a permanent expression. “Something like that. I’d have liked to see what would’ve happened if you took it seriously.”
Valkas started toward the trail, and I had no choice but to follow him, seeing as he was still holding on to my hand. He gestured to Rogers, who immediately stood and followed behind us.
“What now?” I asked, glancing back at Jenna. She hadn’t moved an inch. All the other vamps were starting to get up out of their seats, leaving her forgotten. “What about my sister?”
“Relax,” Valkas said with a wave of his hand. “I wouldn’t waste good shifter blood. She’s too… sweet.”
Repulsive! There was no doubt by the way he said it that he’d fed on her before. My heart ached for my sister. How was I going to get her away from here?
“Where are you taking me?” I demanded.
He tugged on my arm. “You ask too many questions, darling. From now on, I’ll be the one asking questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
I didn’t even realize the irony until Valkas reacted. In the blink of an eye, his hand left mine, and it shot toward my throat. Instinct overtook, and I threw my arm up to block him. His face contorted with anger, and his other hand clamped around my neck as he shoved me hard up against a tree. My shirt rode up, and the bark skidded along my lower back, sending a raw pain across my skin. I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t fight back, either.
Rogers just stood there observing, his hands folded in front of him. He didn’t speak a word.
“I will not tolerate you taunting me,” Valkas snapped. His face was only inches from mine, sending my heart pummeling against my rib cage. He lowered his voice and spoke in warning. “Your sister’s blood can turn bitter real fast. So I suggest you don’t make this a habit.”
He wasn’t lying. That much was clear. My sister’s shifter blood couldn’t protect her forever.
“Yes,” I said in a raspy voice. It barely sounded like anything.
Valkas dropped me, and I inhaled a gulp of air. He grabbed me by the hand again and dragged me behind him before I could find my footing.
“Come,” he snarled. “We must celebrate.”
My stomach bottomed out. I didn’t know what celebrating entailed, but there was something in his voice that suggested I didn’t want to find out. Which meant I was still useful to him… for now.
I had to make sure it stayed that way.
9
Valkas led me back to the privacy of his room. The bed had been made, and the dagger he’d left on the desk was no longer there.
Rogers entered the room behind us and stood to the side. I swore the guy was just there for decoration. Which was crazy, considering he wasn’t even that pretty. I mean, sure, he had the tall, muscular thing going on, but slicked-back hair was so not my style.
Valkas forced me to sit beside him on the bed. You’d think when a guy brought you back to his room, he’d be gentle about it and treat you like a lady, but it wasn’t like that with Valkas. He practically yanked my arm out of the socket.
All I could think about was Venn, how he’d act like a gentleman if this were him.
Except Venn would never be in this type of scenario. He was too kind to run any sort of shifter fight club. And he definitely wouldn’t bring a girl back to his room without asking.
Venn. I didn’t know how much more heartbreak my body could handle, but I missed him so much.
Valkas leaned over to me, pressing his lips to the soft spot under my ear. My skin crawled, and nausea rolled around in my gut. All I wanted to do was pull away, but I didn’t. There was still the whole stay on his good side thing… no matter how disgusted it made me feel. I’d never felt so sick in my life.
“Now that you’ve earned your place on this island,” Valkas said, “there’s something you should know about me.”
You can’t get it up? Let’s hope to God, because if things went in that direction tonight, I didn’t think Jenna and I were making it out of here. I’d die before I let the devil take my virginity. The greater good be damned.
I wasn’t an expert on how vampire magic worked, but judging by some of the horndogs I’d run across during patrols, those parts still worked fine and dandy.
“Is he going to watch?” I gestured toward Rogers, who stood as still as a statue. His eyes were hard and looked untrustworthy. He took a job with the Soulless, for heaven’s sake. I never trusted anyone with a heart black enough to side with vampires.
“What did I say about questions?” Valkas snarled.
“Right. Forgive me.”
Valkas scoffed, like that was never going to happen. “No, darling. He’s not here to watch. In fact, he’s here to help.”
I almost asked him to elaborate, but I clamped my mouth shut at the last second. Surely, that couldn’t mean what it sounded like.
“You see, I’m very particular about my meals.”
Meal? Well, that was better than other types of torture, but it still wasn’t exactly a good thing. Being feed on was like being administered drugs you didn’t want. It wouldn’t kill you, but it was still a violation of your body.
Valkas pressed his lips to the underside of my jaw again. This time, I actually did shudder. “I don’t like my women… squirming.”
At that, Rogers muttered the first words I’d ever heard come out of his mouth. “Quod dico facies.”
My whole body went rigid, and panic tore through me. I tried to move, but my muscles wouldn’t comply to my demands. It was like my whole body had gone to sleep, like my limbs weren’t getting the signals that my brain was sending. What had that bastard done to me?
“Lie back,” Valkas commanded.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t move.
“Um…” Good to
know my voice was still working.
“Shh,” Valkas said, like I was some pet that needed soothing.
Rogers flicked his wrist, and I fell backward onto the bed. Fear ignited in my chest. If I had control of my body right now, I’d be shaking unlike ever before. For the first time, I wanted to beg for my safety. It was my last resort. Rogers had put me under some type of spell that turned me into his own personal marionette. How powerful was this creep?
“Don’t worry, darling,” Valkas said, looming over me. He reached up to brush a dark strand of hair out of my eyes, as if that was supposed to comfort me. It only made my heart pound harder—and definitely not in the good way. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
Valkas’s fangs elongated, catching in the light of the burning sconce next to the bed.
“No, please—”
I gasped as Valkas’s fangs sank into my neck. A sharp pain shot out across my skin, but was quickly replaced by a sense of euphoria. My heart rate instantly slowed, and a comforting warmth spread over my extremities like a soft blanket. My muscles relaxed, like I’d been immersed in a tub of calming potion.
I’d been bit once before, but that had lasted only a few seconds. It was easy to forget what it felt like after just the slightest taste. When Valkas fed on me, I felt so calm that I altogether forgot a vampire was stuck to my neck. I didn’t think about the fact that I was trapped on this island. I didn’t think about Jenna or Venn or my family. All that mattered was this feeling overtaking my body, like nothing could ever hurt me again.
I lost all sense of time. Valkas could’ve been feeding on me for a minute, or he could’ve been feeding on me for an hour. When he pulled away, I felt lightheaded and tired. I noticed him licking his lips but saw that there was no blood on them. He apparently wasn’t a messy eater.
That was the only thought that went through my head before the reality of what had just happened hit me like a landslide. As soon as it registered, all the calmness I’d felt vanished. It was replaced by a dirty feeling beyond anything I’d ever felt before. I wanted to dive into a vat of chlorine and wash all the ickiness off of me.
I regained control of my body, and my hand slapped up to my neck. I wiped at the liquid there and pulled my hand away, expecting to see blood. But it was only saliva. Vampires could heal the wounds they inflicted with their saliva so that their prey didn’t bleed out. I felt so woozy that I nearly forgot that tidbit of information.
I wanted to yell at Valkas, to tell him how wrong it was that he’d done that. But judging by the satisfied smirk on his face, he already knew how wrong it was.
I started to sit up, but Valkas placed a hand on my shoulder and pressed me back into the mattress. How could I have been so calm when he fed on me? This mattress felt like a rock.
“But darling,” Valkas said. “We’ve only just begun.”
Dear Lord. Don’t tell me he was going in for another round. I didn’t think I could handle any more blood loss. I felt like puking as it was, but maybe that was just from Valkas’s close proximity.
Valkas lay beside me and propped himself up on his elbow. He twisted my hair around his finger while he spoke.
Gag.
“You are very sweet,” he said. “Sweeter than your sister, even. It's a shame we hadn't met sooner.”
Yeah, a real shame. I kept my lips sealed.
“Where were you that night?” Valkas asked, like we were old friends catching up.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I replied, careful not to phrase it as a question.
“That night your sister came to us.”
My whole body tensed, and it wasn't from some puppeteer spell, either. He said it so casually, like he actually believed she made a choice coming with them. Maybe in his own twisted way, he did believe it.
“Oh? The night your men murdered my parents?” I couldn't help the question this time as my body shook in anger. Why would he bring that up? Was he trying to piss me off?
The thought of my parents punched an invisible hole through my gut. For so long, I'd avoided thinking about them. I pushed down the memory of their screams and their lifeless faces when I found them that night.
“My men?” Valkas asked innocently. “I think you mean me, darling.”
He smiled as the blood drained from my face. There wasn't much left to begin with, so I could only imagine how pale I looked.
“You were there?” Another question. Dammit.
“Oh, yes.” He gave me a cunning grin. “Who else could have murdered your parents in such a way?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shake the image from my mind. It'd been brutal and bloody beyond belief. I couldn’t bear to recall the memory.
Now I was lying in bed with the man who'd murdered them. This couldn't be happening. I knew the Soulless had killed them, but I'd never known Valkas had been with them that night. I’d dreamed so many times of facing the man who murdered them, but in my mind, he always had a different face. In my head, it was always the guy with the scar above his eyebrow, the one who'd rampaged through my room while I hid in my raven form. I never truly thought I'd meet the vamp responsible.
“It's ironic,” I said through clenched teeth, unable to keep my anger from rising to the surface.
“What is?” Valkas asked curiously.
I couldn't look at him. Instead, I stared straight up at the ceiling. “That you would be the one to take everything from me when I'm the only one who can kill you.”
I finally looked at him, only to see his eyes narrow at me and his nostrils flare.
“It wasn't an accident,” he snapped. Clearly, he didn't like being reminded that I was one of his biggest threats.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time. As you know, you pose a threat to my existence, and I don’t like feeling threatened.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear, clipping each word. I held my breath. He pulled away a moment later, but it didn’t seem soon enough. “Finding someone from an old life can be… tricky.”
“I didn’t know it was possible.”
“Possible, for sure. But tricky. Luckily, Rogers here”—Valkas gestured to him in the corner—“came to the Soulless several years ago. He helped me track down the young girl who could kill me.”
“You must’ve offered him generous compensation.” It was the only reason I could think of why a human would go along with this.
“One doesn’t need compensation when they believe in the cause,” Valkas drawled.
“And I suppose that cause is world domination.”
“Ah, see?” Valkas said. “You already know me so well. We could get along, if only you wanted to be on the winning side.”
“Oh, I do,” I replied, finally looking him in the eyes. “I just don’t intend for that side to be yours.”
Valkas chuckled. “So naïve. I like it. And how do you intend to kill me when I have your dagger?”
I shrugged, feigning disinterest. “I haven’t worked that one out yet.”
Valkas grinned. “Excellent. Just what I like to hear.”
“You tell a great story,” I said, “but it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Valkas stiffened, like he was offended. “And how’s that?”
“Well, you found me, but you took my sister instead.”
Valkas drew away from me and pushed himself to a sitting position. I finally felt like I could breathe again. As soon as he stood, I sat up. Valkas passed by Rogers and headed to the table in the corner, where he poured himself a glass of an amber-colored liquid. I figured it was whiskey or something, but I didn’t know why he was drinking it. It took a lot for a vamp to get a buzz. I think he just liked to hold the glass for something to do with his hands, like he thought it made him look intimidating or something.
Valkas took a sip and leaned casually against the table. “I don’t admit to many mistakes, darling, but in my four hundred years, I have to say that was my biggest.”
Before I could figure out how to phrase my questi
on as a statement, Valkas continued.
“The fact is, we took the wrong girl.” Valkas wore a pained expression, like it killed him to admit it.
I scooted myself to the edge of the bed so my feet hung off. It made me feel a little safer, like I could run if I had to. “So you tracked me down. You could’ve come after me again.”
Valkas shrugged. “I could have, but Rogers counseled me to stay put, that you would come for me one day. And it seems he was right.”
My gaze flickered to Rogers. “Witches can’t see the future.” Not without a magical object, at least. He couldn’t have one, right?
Valkas took another sip, then gazed down into his glass, like there was something interesting in there. “It depends on how you look at it. Can they see a play-by-play of real events? No. But can they see generalities? Sometimes, if they’re strong enough.”
Answers to questions I’d been asking myself for years began to fall into place. “The Soulless disappeared two years ago, shortly after you took Jenna. Which means…”
I purposely let my statement run open-ended. I wanted him to confirm my suspicions without me having to ask.
Valkas spread his arms out wide. “Which means, it’s all been for you, darling. I pulled back my men so that you’d come looking for me. I didn’t know who you were until you conveniently showed up in my room.”
So when he first mentioned Jenna, he was taking a wild guess, I theorized. It wasn’t exactly hard to figure out we were sisters, considering our resemblance.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Why are you telling me all this?”
Valkas crossed the room slowly, silently. He stopped in front of me, then his hand snapped out to crack across the side of my face. I let out a cry and brought my hand up to protect my cheek. It burned.
“What did I tell you about the questions?” he snarled. “You are such a curious shifter. The fact is, darling, honesty goes a long way.”
That was saying a lot coming from the most morally corrupt man on the planet.
“You must figure that if you’re honest with me, I’ll tell you something in return,” I guessed.
Valkas smiled, but it was one of the most gut-wrenching smiles I’d ever seen. I took that as a yes.