by T. S. Ryder
"Did Samuel put you in that auction?"
Her eyes widened.
"Was that why you tried to seduce me? You're working with him, trying to make me lower my guard so he can take my daughter."
Her eyes hardened. "I would never put Clarissa at risk."
"Pack your bags. I won't have a woman like you near my daughter!"
Adrielle's eyes flared. "A woman like me?"
Thomas' fists clenched. He wanted to beat the wall but forced himself to keep strict control. He would not be goaded. "A woman who would betray her husband."
"I'm not Erela. If you'd just listen—"
"Why should I listen to you?"
She didn't reply. She didn't need to. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned on her heel and ran. For a brief, insane instant, he wanted to go after her. To tell her that he was just angry, sad, and confused. That he didn't mean it – not really. But he stayed where he was, watching her go. The need to beat something returned and he strode to the gym.
She had lied. He ripped off his already ruined shirt and attacked a punching bag, ignoring the looks of the other vampires. Normally, he only came to the gym when things were especially bad. Otherwise, he used his own personal training equipment. Today, that space felt too small. Too close to Adrielle. His chest ached, making it difficult to pull in a breath. The dead tissue of his heart twisted, the memories of tasting her lips and blood making him feel physically ill.
Why had she lied to him? What was she hoping to get by sleeping with him? Was she trying to escape? Win his trust so she could flee? Take Clarissa with her? The gym emptied quickly as he beat on the punching bag. Had she been working with Samuel this whole time, or was it that she had been too frightened of Thomas to tell him that she was married?
It felt like he was in the gym for hours before he became aware of the thick, animal scent of werewolf. He glanced over his shoulder, panting, at Madrid. She sat on a bench, watching. As expected, she didn't flinch back when he snarled at her. She had joined the palace shortly before Erela went to Samuel. She had heard that there was someone who would be able to stop the full moon madness that took her every month, and Erela had given her control over herself. A healer before she was turned into a werewolf, she had quickly taken up the same role in the palace.
"The human is in the dungeons?" he grunted at her.
"Of course. Richard has been asking how he got through the mindless, but so far no answers. Do you want to interrogate him yourself?"
Did he want to go talk with Adrielle's husband? "No."
He didn't want to hear about how much the man loved his wife – how it was his great love for her that he managed to find his way here, come to rescue her, and return to their happy lives aboveground where they could laugh and dance in the sunshine, make love without fear, have children…
"Send Richard to me. The demons attacked the palace itself." He wiped his brow. "We've gotten complacent. It's time to take the fight to them. Wipe them out."
***
Two Days Later
His arms felt all stretched out from the effort he'd put into hacking apart the horde of demons. Their blood was splattered all over him, but there was still an unsatisfied feeling in the pit of his stomach. His men groaned as they entered the palace, a few of them muttering about seeing their wives, others sighing about not wanting to shower before falling in bed.
Thomas just wanted to get back out there again. The only time he could stop thinking about Adrielle was when he was away from the palace, fighting to get closer to Samuel's residence. He had called all of the neighboring villages, offering them safety in the palace while he waged his war. Most had taken him up on the offer, and many of their men had joined his army.
They had made advancements against the demons. They had just taken out a full battalion with minimal loses. He had returned with the wounded, but within twelve hours, they'd all be ready to go back. All these men needed was some rest and blood.
He broke away from his men, heading for his quarters. Once he was cleaned up, he'd get some blood from Madrid. She had been gathering blood bags from donations to keep him at full strength. It was awful stuff, made doubly so since it was the already-dead blood from other vampires. His mind flashed to Adrielle and his fangs lengthened, wanting to bury into her soft skin.
With a growl, he pushed the human from his mind. He was never drinking from her again.
The sound of sobbing caught his ears as he got to his floor. He tensed. That was Clarissa. He dashed down the hall, her name bursting from his lips. He knocked open the door to her room and took a fighting stance, ready to destroy whoever was making his daughter cry.
She was alone in her room. Her blankets were pulled up over her head, just her little face visible as she sat on her bed. He rushed to her side and gathered her into his arms.
"Are you hurt?"
Clarissa burst into sobs again. Her thin arms wound around his neck and she buried her face in his shoulder. Her whole body shook. She tried to say something, but he couldn’t understand her through her tears. Thomas rubbed her back, just wanting her to feel better. Eventually, she quieted and rested her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Papa, why are you and Adrielle fighting?"
A lump rose in his throat, but he choked it down. He wasn't going to bad-mouth Adrielle in front of his daughter – not when they had bonded so well. "Honey, it's… it's complicated. I'm sorry that we're fighting, but it's between us."
"She's leaving."
A tight, sharp pain stabbed through his chest, leaving him breathless. Thomas tried to push the pain away. He closed his eyes, refusing to think of all the ways he could convince her to stay. The fact was that she was a married woman and he couldn't have anything to do with her anymore. And wasn't she just obeying the order he had given her two days ago: to pack up and leave?
"It's for the best," he said, almost believing it himself. "It's just one of those things – it'll be better when she's gone."
Clarissa gasped. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. She ripped away from him and threw a punch at his face. Thomas blocked it instinctively, then winced. Before he could check to see if she was hurt, she jumped to her feet and began kicking and punching at him with all her strength. He was forced to withdraw, trying to catch her wrists without hurting her.
"How can you say that?" Clarissa screamed at him. "We need her! It's your fault she's leaving and I hate you!"
"Clarissa—"
"I don't want to look at you anymore!" She gave him one final kick, then turned away and hid her face. "I hate you. I'll always hate you. I hope that my real father comes and takes me away."
She might as well have run him through with a dozen silver swords. Thomas stood there, gasping. His chest hurt so badly that he couldn't stand straight. For a moment he was certain that he was dying, but vampires couldn't have heart attacks. He moved back as Clarissa started to sob again. She crumpled, but this time he didn't go to her. She wanted nothing to do with him.
His feet took him to Adrielle's room before he realized where he was going. He lifted his hand to knock but stopped. Why should he? Anger flooded him again and he opened the door and strode in. Adrielle was shoving some clothing into a bag on her bed.
"Did I say you could leave?" Thomas demanded, his voice rough.
"You told me to pack."
"I didn't tell you to leave."
Adrielle's eyes were red and puffy, but she glared at him nonetheless. She continued to pack the bag. "So, am I really your slave now?"
"I bought you. You belong to me."
"I don't belong to you." Her hands clenched. "I don't belong to anybody. You don't own me. I'm not your possession. I'm leaving, your majesty. I'm not going to stay here watching you go out to get yourself killed and then pretend like I shouldn't even care. I'm not going to get stuck circling the drain again. I just won't. I have half a mind to take Clarissa with me, to get her away from your narrow-minded, pig-headed—"
Thomas laughed through another surge of anger, his own fists clenching tighter. "What happened to me being a good man?"
"I guess I was wrong. Big surprise there." She shook her head as tears spilled down her face. "I'm an idiot for thinking you were different. Should have just listened to you, I guess."
What right did she have to be angry with him? "Stop playing the martyr. You're the one who betrayed your husband."
"And if you'd just listen to me—"
"There is no excuse for what you did."
"You know what I think? I think that when you look at me, you're seeing Erela. You're mad at me. I get that and you have that right. But you're not this mad at me. You're angrier with yourself. You're hating Erela right now for what she did to you, but instead of directing it at her, you decided that I am the one who you can't forgive!"
"Shut up!" Her words hit too close to home for him to listen to. He strode forward, but turned and paced away at the last second. He couldn't touch her. He couldn't hurt her. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know anything. You know what I think? I think that you are just like Samuel, twisting things your way. Did you sleep with him, too? And here I thought you might be…"
He thought she might actually be falling in love with him. Adrielle let out a strangled sound. And then her fists started to rain down on his back.
"You idiot!" she screamed. "You stupid, stupid idiot! If you'd just listen!"
He turned, letting her fists pound into his chest. Tears flowered down her face. The pain in his chest twisted tighter. If she kept beating him, would it restart his heart? Like some sort of violent CPR?
"Idiot!" she screamed again. "How could I fall in love with you?"
And there it was. He was a fool for thinking it was possible. How could she fall in love with him? It was impossible.
Chapter Twelve – Adrielle
How? How had she been so stupid? How could she have let herself fall in love with the wrong man again?
She continued to beat her fists against his chest, hating herself for hitting him but reveling in the pain that burned through her hands each time they made contact. Sobs choked on her as she hit him over and over again. Was this how William had felt when he was beating her? What sort of person was she that she could do the same thing?
Finally, she was able to tear herself away from him. She collapsed onto the bed, her whole body shaking. Her brain felt like it was being squeezed from every side: her throat too small, her lungs burning for air. She curled in on herself, hating everything.
"I can't believe that I let myself fall in love with you," she whispered. "I thought you were different. I thought that you actually cared. I thought that you might actually be able to love me. But you're just like everybody else. What's wrong with me that nobody can love me? What about me is so disgusting – so unlovable?"
There was no reply. When she looked up, Thomas was gone. Had he left before or after her admission? She took a deep, shuddering breath. Did it really matter? She understood why he was so angry. To learn that she was married… Although, for her part, she considered the whole marriage a sham. The person she thought she was marrying wasn't the person she married.
If only Thomas would listen to her, let her explain… She had wasted years and years trying to change William, blaming herself for every time he hit her. She couldn't go through that again with Thomas. If he wasn't going to listen, she wasn't going to talk.
Her gut still said that she could trust him, but she was too fragile to trust it. She couldn’t trust herself. Wiping her eyes, she resumed packing. She had to get out of here. The darkness had held her prisoner for too long. She had to get away before it consumed her.
"Adrielle?" Clarissa's voice made her jump. Her heart twisted again as the little girl inched into her room. "Don't leave."
Adrielle sat on the bed and held her arms out to Clarissa. She sniffed and climbed into Adrielle's lap, snuggling close to her.
"I don't want you to go," Clarissa whispered.
"I know. I don't want to go, either. But I have to."
The little girl's fists tightened. "Because of Papa. He's driving you away."
"No." Adrielle shook her head. Maybe her fighting with Thomas was pushing her to go, but she wasn't going to put all the blame on him. "Honey, it's not because of your father. This is… this is a complicated thing, and it's my choice. I'm leaving. Thomas isn't making me go."
A sniff. "But he's not asking you to stay, either. Adrielle… Right now I hate him. I hate him so much and I don't like it."
Shock rippled through her. "No," she said instantly. "No, you can't hate him. He loves you, Clarissa. He… he's a good person. I know he is."
"Then why are you leaving?"
Adrielle sighed. She was asking herself the same thing. Her head ached. If she couldn't stay here for fear of what Thomas might be hiding beneath the surface, how could she leave Clarissa? It would hurt Thomas so bad if she took his daughter. But he said it himself. She needed light. She wasn't sure what was going on in Thomas's head, but his constant leaving to battle demons and coming back slick in blood… It wasn't healthy for his daughter, either.
Maybe if they left, he'd realize what was most important. Maybe he'd remember to think about his daughter. Maybe he'd listen.
"We'll pack you a bag," Adrielle said, still uncertain if she was doing the right thing. "But we have to tell your father that you're coming with me, okay?"
Clarissa's face hardened slightly, but she nodded. They hurried to Clarissa's room, and Adrielle packed up enough clothes for a couple of days. After that, they would come back. She let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She would come back. This wasn't running away forever. This was just to give both her and Thomas enough time to breathe and think. Then she would come back and make him listen to her.
And William? Should she take him with her back to the surface?
No. Adrielle's heart hardened. He deserved whatever he got down here.
Clarissa pulled her pack onto her back and grabbed Adrielle's hand. "I'm ready."
"Okay. Let's go see your Papa, then."
Her stomach churned as they headed towards Thomas' office. He was going to be furious. She knew there was a good chance that he wouldn't let them leave. Her footsteps faltered as they got closer. The demon attack on the palace was concentrated on Clarissa. What was she thinking, trying to take her away from where she was safe?
Adrielle swallowed hard and glanced down at her. Clarissa looked back, uncertainty in her own eyes.
"No," Adrielle whispered. "No, this is wrong. Thomas isn't William. He would never…"
"He would never what?"
"Hurt me."
Clarissa's eyes widened. "Of course not! Papa would never hurt anybody unless they deserved it, like demons or those caught under demonic sway."
"I know. He's just angry and hurt. I can't run away from him like he's a monster. He's not. He's a good person, and this is… This is wrong." She dropped to her knee, hugging Clarissa. "We're staying, honey. And we're going to talk to Papa. Even though I might be terrified he won't listen, I have to try."
With a relieved smile, Adrielle returned their packs to Clarissa's room and then headed for Thomas's office. Clarissa clung to her hand, but her blue eyes were bright and excited. They were going to tell Thomas how they felt and he was going to listen. She wouldn’t get into her own issues with Clarissa in the room, but that didn't matter. The point was that she was feeling unlovable, and that was exactly how Thomas felt. Broken. Undesirable. Because of forces out of their control.
"Thomas—" She stopped in the doorway.
Thomas wasn't inside. Samuel was. He smiled at the two of them. Adrielle opened her mouth to scream, but a corpse-like hand shot out of the space beside the door. It yanked her in, and another demon jumped out and grabbed Clarissa. A vampire guard lay crumpled on the floor, blood pooling behind his head.
Adrielle wrapped her arms around Clar
issa and pulled her back from the demons.
"Hello, Clarissa." Samuel smiled at her. "I heard your wish for me to come and take you away, so here I am. I've been waiting for this for a long time. Finally, my daughter is coming into her own, and she will be the greatest of us all."
"Stay away from her," Adrielle hissed, pulling back more. "Don't you dare come near us."
"She is the one who wished to go, Adrielle," the demon replied with a toothy smile. "I am only here to give her what she wants."
Clarissa burrowed closer to her. "No! I don't want to go. I want to stay with Adrielle. Don't you come near me!"
"You already made your wish. Nobody can stop it now." He jerked his chin. The demons with him jumped forward and grabbed Adrielle's arms. They ripped her away from Clarissa. She screamed, and Adrielle yanked one arm free. She head-butted the nearest demon, then jumped at Samuel, screaming for Clarissa to run.
A black shadow shot from Samuel's hands. It punched hard through Adrielle's chest. Her lungs seized; her heart stopped. She choked, her chest feeling like an elephant was sitting on it. She dropped to her knees, pain twisting in her heart. Clarissa screamed. Adrielle's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed.
Chapter Thirteen – Thomas
Thomas strapped on his silver sword, careful not to touch the sharp blade himself. After sleeping and filling up with blood, it was time to head out again. Richard had reported that there were another hundred vampires ready to go to the front lines. He would accompany them, allowing a hundred of his soldiers to return and rest before rejoining the fray in twelve hours.
Rage still burned through his veins, but there was an undertone to it now: a deep sorrow that made his stomach twist and limbs feel heavy. He still couldn't understand why Adrielle had lied to him. Why hadn't she told him about her husband when he first brought her to the palace? Why hadn't she told him the first time she gave him that sexy smile as she leaned back on her desk?