by Alicia Rades
“When you’ve been a blood slave long enough, feeding becomes a drug. That high you get from it… it screws you up, Rae. I’ve spent a long time trying to heal after what Maliya did to me.”
My stomach twisted at the mention of the horrible woman.
“But…” Venn stared at me with such sorrow in his eyes that my heart tore in two. Tears welled in my eyes for him.
“But what?” I squeezed his hand tighter.
“I’m scared I’ll forget all it if another vamp feeds on me.”
The bathhouse went eerily silent as his words hung in the air. A lump rose to my throat as I thought about him going through all of that again.
“It’s not going to happen,” I heard myself say.
Venn eyed me curiously, as if to ask what I meant by that.
“Tomorrow night is the Awakening Ball,” I reminded him. “If everything goes as planned, there won’t be any vampires left to feed on you.”
Venn’s lips lifted at the corners. “I hope you’re right.”
“Hey,” I teased. “Don’t ever underestimate the Ravenite.”
Venn chuckled, but it sounded pained. “Never.”
17
Breathe in… and out. In… and out.
The night of the Awakening Ball had arrived, and I was practicing deep breathing exercises like Sondra had suggested to me weeks ago. I’d been working on calming myself and preparing for tonight since I woke several hours ago.
I can do this, I told myself. Tonight, Valkas will die. Tonight, the vampires shall perish with him.
Unless he’s not carrying the dagger, a little voice in the back of my head replied.
And let me tell you, I squashed that little sucker with my mental hammer faster than you can say screw yourself.
“I am strong,” I whispered to the walls of my cabin. “I am powerful. I believe in myself.”
On the exhale, I pictured all the negative energy leaving my body. I slowly peeled my eyes open and held my palm up.
“Ardet ignis.” Flames erupted from my palm, shooting a foot into the air. They were gone as soon as they came, but the test proved to me that the meditation exercise was working. My powers still weren’t as strong as usual, but I felt more in tune with Synchrony than I had since I’d arrived on the island.
The cabin door creaked open, and I looked up to see Jenna arriving back from the kitchens carrying a handful of snacks.
“Hey, Jenna Bean,” I said, smiling up at her.
“You hungry?” She held out a granola bar.
“Not really,” I replied.
She rolled her eyes. “Eat, Rachel. Nightfall is in less than half an hour. You need to keep up your strength.”
I took the granola bar from her, but I didn’t open it. Instead, my eyes roamed her features—the angle of her dark bangs across her face, the shape of her straight nose, the paleness of her cheeks. For so many months, I’d dreamed about what it’d be like to see her again. Nothing had gone like I’d hoped, but I was still glad she was here with me right now.
Jenna furrowed her brow, like I was creeping her out. “What?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “I just can’t get over how much I missed you. You’re so different than I remember, but the same. You know?”
She smirked and sat beside me on the bed. She wrapped an arm around me and laid her head on mine. My heart warmed beneath her touch. “I know exactly what you mean. You used to be so sweet, and now you… kill vampires for a living.”
“Kill first, ask questions later,” I teased, stealing Teagan’s motto. God, I missed Teagan—and Fiona and the rest of them. I hoped they were figuring things out on their end.
“See?” Jenna teased. “Old Rachel never would’ve said stuff like that.”
“Yeah, well, old Jenna would’ve laughed more and would’ve played pranks on her cabin roommates.”
Jenna shot me a glance, like she couldn’t believe I was bringing that up. “This isn’t summer camp, Rachel. Are you saying I’m too serious for you now?”
“No, just more… grown up, I guess.”
Jenna snorted. “I’m not grown up, Rachel. I’m… I don’t know the word for it.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Strong, Jenna. The word you’re looking for is strong. You’ve been through so much here, and you’ve learned how to deal with it.”
“Yeah, because I had to in order to survive.”
I drew away to look her in the eyes. “Don’t downplay this. You deserve credit for everything you’ve been through. Everyone on this island does. After tonight, it will all be over and you’re going to get the chance to take your strength out into the world and make a difference.”
Jenna’s eyes brimmed with tears. For a moment, I saw a glimpse of the sensitive sister I used to know. “No one has ever called me strong before.”
“They didn’t have to. Because you already know it’s true.”
She smiled, but I could tell she was holding back.
“You don’t have to be afraid to show your emotions, Jenna Bean,” I assured her. “It doesn’t make you weak.”
She pulled me into a hug so hard it knocked the wind out of me. Her voice cracked when she spoke. “I know. It’s just been so long since I’ve been around someone I felt I could share my emotions with.”
I rubbed her back. “Well, I’m here. Always, from now on.”
Jenna pulled away from me and wiped her eyes. “It’s just about time for me to head up to the chateau.”
“Me, too. Valkas wants me dressed like a queen, he said.” I rolled my eyes.
She chuckled. “Do me a favor, will you?”
“Anything,” I promised.
Jenna sniffled. “Make me proud tonight.”
I nodded. “I will.”
“You look gorgeous,” Bri raved.
I turned to the mirror in the private suite I’d been assigned to get ready for the ball. Bri had been waiting there with an endless supply of makeup and a black dress that had more feathers on it than fabric. Apparently, Valkas had personally assigned her to help transform me for the ball.
I gasped when I saw my reflection. I didn’t look gorgeous. I looked like a freaking monster.
My eyes were rimmed in dark black makeup, and my lips were a dark shade of red I’d never worn before. Bri had twisted my hair up into an elegant bun, which was the only good thing about the whole ensemble. The dress would’ve been okay if it weren’t for the fact that it was so poofy I could hardly move in it. It had a corset top with lacey straps and beautiful beading I actually liked, but then there were the feathers… so many feathers. They completely covered the skirt and trailed up my back, ending just below where my wings might be if I could semi-shift.
Valkas was mocking me. You’re a raven, but you’re my raven. And as long as you’re mine, you will never fly.
Maybe I was looking into it too much, but that was the kind of message I was getting.
I fingered the corset. “Do you think it’s a little… much?”
Bri stood behind me and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. “Not at all. Valkas is a very flashy person. I hope I did enough.”
“Oh, I think it’s enough,” I said before turning to her. “He didn’t happen to say anything about how tonight would run, did he? He never clarified for me when I’m to arrive at the ball.”
Bri started cleaning up the makeup spread out across the vanity. “No, sorry. He didn’t say anything to me. I’m just here to make you pretty.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” Bri said kindly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready myself. My master is waiting.”
Bri exited the room, but I caught the door before it swung shut and poked my head into the hall. Two guards stood on either side of my doorway, staring ahead like Secret Service agents.
I cleared my throat, and the guy to my right glanced over at me. He was super tall and all muscle. The other guy was short and stocky.
“Excuse me, but do yo
u know how I’m to arrive at the ball? When can I leave to go down there?” I tried to sound as innocent and curious as I could.
“Don’t worry,” Muscles said in a gruff voice. “We’ll escort you there ourselves.”
“I was kinda hoping to arrive in time to see Valkas make his big entrance,” I said. “I heard it’s really amazing. I would hate to miss it.”
The guards exchanged a look at each other, as if I made a good point.
“So, will I be arriving before him?” I pressed.
“No,” the first guard said. “You’re not to make your entrance until Valkas announces you.”
“That’s fine. Whatever he thinks is best. Thank you.” I retreated inside the room and shut the door behind me. That act was so totally not me that it was embarrassing.
I paced around the room, thinking about what the guard had said. I knew how to get to the staging area and when I was supposed to arrive—Ronark had briefed me on that much—but he’d left the how up to me. How was I going to get past the guards unseen? My eyes fell upon a statuette of an angel on the nightstand.
Ironic, I thought. A symbol of purity in the middle of a vampire nest.
My fingers trailed over the outstretched wings. They came to a sharp point, and I decided it was as good a weapon as any. I turned to the bed and took the corner of the sheet between my hands, then tugged as hard as I could. A long piece of fabric tore off, and I used it to secure the statuette to my thigh. The dress was thick enough that it hid the weapon nicely.
I smiled. For the first time in… forever, I was actually going into something with a plan.
A knock came at the door, and Muscles stuck his head inside the room. “Time to go, love.”
I held my head high and stepped toward him confidently. Neither me nor the guards spoke as they led me down the hall and to the grand staircase. The chateau halls were dead silent until we reached a wide hallway that ended at a pair of double doors. Chatter, music, and the sound of clinking glasses spilled out into the hall.
From this distance, I could barely see into the ballroom. It was beautiful, with a high ceiling and velvety gold curtains hanging from the tall windows. Everything glittered, from the flames burning in the chandeliers high above everyone’s heads to the champagne in everyone’s glasses. Most of the vampires were dressed in black, but their blood slaves were in all different colors. Some wore long silky evening gowns, while other were in big ballgowns like mine. I searched the ballroom for signs of Venn, but I didn’t see him.
Damn it! He was supposed to meet me out here.
The guards stopped me at the end of the hall so we wouldn’t be seen. We stood there in silence. Each passing second, I became more and more worried for Venn. I didn’t have the time to wait for him. Where was he?
Maybe he’d been assigned to a mistress and couldn’t get away from her. Yeah, that sounds about right, I told myself, though I wasn’t entirely convinced.
After several minutes of watching the doors with no sign of Venn, I decided that I was going to have to go along without him. We only got one shot to get Valkas alone, and I couldn’t miss it—Venn or not.
“It’s too bad you don’t get to see Valkas’s grand entrance,” I said to the guards, like I actually cared.
“Nothing we haven’t seen before, love,” the guard on my right said.
And it won’t be something you’ll ever see again.
“Would it be okay if I went to the bathroom beforehand?” I asked sweetly. “There wasn’t a bathroom in my room, and well… I’m still human.”
The guards exchanged a glance.
“Can’t you hold it?” Short and Stocky asked.
I gave a fake grimace. “No, not really.”
Muscles looked nervous, like the very thought of human bodily functions made him uncomfortable.
“There has to be a bathroom around here somewhere.” I turned and started down the hall in the opposite direction, gazing around curiously.
The guards hurried up behind me, like I’d hoped. “Ma’am, you are not permitted—”
“I just don’t want to interrupt the ceremony, you know?” I said. “Best to deal with this now.” I turned down a narrow, isolated hallway.
“Hey!” Muscles grabbed my hand and spun me around. “You’re not to go wandering off.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said innocently. “I just thought… no, it’s okay.” I waved my hand like it was no big deal. “I’ll hold it. Can I fix my shoe first, though?”
I leaned down to lift the skirt of my dress, and that’s when I struck. I slipped the angel statuette from its makeshift sheath and swung it at Muscles. He realized what was happening and ducked out of the way. Staying alert, I saw that the second guard was already lunging for me. I aimed the statuette at the center of his forehead, and it connected with a sick crack. The angel’s head snapped off and went flying. Short and Stocky stumbled sideways.
Meanwhile, Muscles reached out and grabbed hold of my dress. I yanked away from him, and a satisfying tearing sound filled the hallway. A weight fell from my hips as the top layers of fabric dropped away. I ripped off the last few remaining threads, leaving behind only the thin bottom layer. I suddenly felt like I could move again.
I quickly swung my leg up. The heel of my shoe connected with Short and Stocky’s face. Muscles jumped me from behind, wrapping his arm around my neck so tightly I couldn’t breathe. Gripping the statuette firmly in my hand, I swung it backward into his face. He cried out, and I spun around to see the angel’s wing was poking into his eyeball.
Woops.
The second guard was already on top of me, tackling me to the ground. He might’ve been shorter than Muscles, but his biceps were thick, and the guy was strong. So I took to playing dirty. I shoved my fingers in his hair and pulled as hard as I possibly could. I felt the strands disconnect from his scalp as he let out a cry of pain. It was enough to distract him so that I could punch him in the throat. He rolled off of me.
Beside him, Muscles had pulled the angel statuette from his eye. His face contorted in fury, and his growl echoed down the hall as he came at me.
I ducked just in time for him to stumble into one of the wooden benches that lined many of the chateau hallways. It crumbled beneath his weight.
I glanced behind me. Any moment now, someone from the ball would rush out here to see what all the racket was about. Thinking quickly, I reached for one of the broken bench legs.
The guard rolled over and looked at me with his one eye just in time to see the shattered piece of wood headed toward his heart. That was the last thing he saw before his body withered away into a pile of ash.
Short and Stocky lunged for me again. “Bitch,” he snarled in my ear as his hands clamped around my throat.
My throat felt like it was on fire as I gasped for breath. The broken pieces of bench dug into my skin beneath me. But in his rage, the guard hadn’t realized I still held my weapon in my hand. Smirking, I shoved the stake straight into his heart.
Ash rained down on me, and I sprang to my feet. The hallway was a total disaster, but I didn’t have the luxury of cleaning it up. Footsteps were approaching.
I had to get out of there. Fast.
I turned in the opposite direction of the ballroom and sprinted down the hall. I rounded a corner at the end and hid in the shadows as I peeked back to see who had come for me. At least six vampires had stopped in front of the scene.
I noticed Rogers there, too. He looked calm and collected, like he wasn’t at all surprised by this turn of events—as if he expected such a thing from me. He lifted his gaze and glanced around, but I snuck into the shadows before he saw me.
I hoped.
I hurried down a dark hall lit only by the occasional sconce. Breathing deeply, I tried to picture in my mind Ronark’s map he’d drawn me in the sand a few days ago. I was at least two hallways away from where I was supposed to be, but I could make it there without turning back the way I came.
Watch out, Valka
s. I’m coming for you.
18
My heart hammered as I raced down the hall. At the end, I found myself in a wider hallway with more sconces lighting up the path. I glanced both ways and saw a long stretch of marble floor that met up with the grand staircase. I hurried toward the main foyer, but the sound of a deep voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Walk faster!” Valkas barked. “I can’t believe how incompetent you are.”
Shit. I was late.
Valkas came into view. Four shifters walked into the foyer toward the ballroom, carrying the poles of the litter on their shoulders. It looked like a small carriage without wheels. There was the main box with a bench where Valkas sat, with four tall pillars rising toward the ceiling like a canopy bed. Long red curtains draped over the top and wound around the supports. The poles the shifters carried stuck out from each corner parallel to the floor.
Valkas wore a pointed crown and a fur-lined cape. He stared down at the shifters in front of him like they were nothing more than slave animals meant to take care of a king.
“Immortality doesn’t make me any more patient,” Valkas complained. “Sometimes I swear it’s a goddamned curse.”
Ronark shot Jenna a nervous glance. Yeah, yeah, I got it. Where is that Rachel bitch?
“You know,” I blurted. “I can help end that curse.”
Valkas whirled around, and his expression shifted. His eyes burned with more rage than I thought one person could hold, and his upper lip curled back over his teeth to display his long, sharp fangs. Four other pairs of eyes turned to look at me, and relief flooded their faces. The shifters took my presence as their signal. They dropped the litter to the ground and sprang on Valkas all at once.
He leapt upward and grabbed hold of the litter supports above him, swinging out of reach of the shifters aimed for him.
Ronark shifted mid-air. He was large, nothing like the hamster I'd been envisioning. He had blond fur and a thick mane, with strong, powerful jaws he snapped at Valkas.
A lion.
Valkas kicked the heel of his foot into Ronark's nose, then dropped back into the litter to knock Andi’s and Brad's heads together. Jenna reached up and wrapped her fingers in Valkas’s hair the same time Andi shifted into a black jaguar and sank her teeth into Valkas’s ankle. Jenna yanked his head backward, and he let out a rage-filled scream. It didn’t sound like one of pain, more like of warning.