by G. K. DeRosa
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, I need to have it.” The man took a step toward me.
A chill crept up my spine. I cursed my broken leg, and my stupid, stupid idea to steal that jet. What had I been thinking? I was going to be eaten by a pair of starving vampires in Draconis, and no one would ever find my body.
“I knew those royals were holding out on us, Beris,” said the woman as she continued to sniff around. “They’re keeping all the good stuff, while we starve.”
Beris was about two seconds from finding me. The only thing standing between us was the pine. I clasped the broomstick, my palms sweating as he peered around the tree trunk.
I didn’t hesitate. I thrust the end at his face, connecting with his crooked nose. A sickening crunch echoed through the quiet forest. His eyes widened, and blood poured out of his nostrils as he teetered back. He hit a tree and slid down to the ground. I hobbled up to my feet and pointed the broomstick at him like it was a sword.
The woman, Malery, sped to his side. She examined his nose before turning to me. “What the hell are you?”
“Nothing. I’m no one.” I gripped the broom like it was the only thing between me and certain death.
Her nostrils flared as she moved closer. “You don’t smell like no one. Your scent is intoxicating.” Her fangs popped out. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.”
The man wiped the blood from his nose and glared at me. His nose seemed to have healed and anger flashed across his silver irises. He snarled. “You’re going to pay for that, little girl.”
He lunged at me, his fangs descending.
“I belong to the king!” I screamed. I had no idea what I was saying, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
The nocturne stopped midair, his canines inches away from my neck. The woman’s arm had shot around his waist. She yanked him back, keeping a firm hold on his torso.
“Why did you stop me?” he growled.
Close up, the vampires looked even worse. Bones poked through their emaciated skin. Their clothes hung loose from their bodies. My history professor’s words sprang to mind: these were taranoi, part of the peasant population. They were starving.
“Don’t be a fool, Beris. She must be a human. I’ve heard stories that the royals used to keep blood slaves before the prophecy. They’ve been lying to us all along, keeping us away from the humans and indulging themselves. If she truly does belong to the king, do you have any idea what they’d pay to get her back?” The wiry woman eyed me, and my skin crawled.
Beris’ brow arched, saliva dripping from his chin. “You could be right.” His posture relaxed, and the woman released him.
“We’ll go to Castle De La Divin and trade her for gold dracs. We’ll have more synth than we’ll know what to do with.” Her gray eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together.
“Fine. As soon as I have a taste.”
He lunged.
Fangs clamped down on my neck, and a spine-tingling shriek shot out of my mouth.
Chapter 8
Kaige
A jolt of panic shot through my chest and I stumbled, nearly dropping the bag of clothes, food, and elixirs I’d brought for the little human. My hand found the rough bark of a pine, steadying myself.
What the hell was that?
My breathing was ragged and lungs tight as if I’d been chasing fast prey. Or more like something had been chasing me.
I straightened, rubbing my forehead, my skin clammy. The cabin wasn’t too much farther. I’d parked the car a good distance away. No one had followed me, but I couldn’t take any chances.
I continued through the thick forest, ignoring the stabs of anxiety tattooing my skin. It was probably the warning Royal Guard Maxum gave me before I left Castle De La Divin. Two field taranoi had disappeared from a group bringing aevitas for harvesting.
Field taranoi were the poorest of nocturnes. They were either born into that life or were sent away by the king as punishment for petty crimes. They worked the aevitas fields far from the castle. The plant was created by the alchemists and one of the main ingredients used in synth. It grew year-round and its stalks were tough and riddled with thorns. Maintaining the fields wasn’t a pleasant job.
The taranoi wouldn’t have traveled this far from the castle. They were probably just searching for a stash of synth in the city.
An acrid taste crawled up my throat. I’d hate to think of what a starving taranoi would do if they discovered a human in Draconis.
Nothing good.
Paralyzing fear suddenly slammed into me, and I fell to my knees. An invisible hand clutched my heart, razor-sharp claws tearing into my flesh. What was happening? My eyes searched the dark winter forest for a reason behind the unsettling sensations.
There was no reason for me to be crippled by terror so sharp it ripped me in two.
And then it hit me. The panic wasn’t mine.
Garridan’s words yesterday came rushing back, cold and sharp across my face. He’d said there could be consequences. A bond. I would sense things. Feel them.
The little human was scared. She was in trouble.
I bolted, acting on pure instinct. The forest blurred by as my body answered her call. Branches slapped across me and briars tangled around my feet, but nothing would stop me. I had to get to her.
My teeth ground together as a hundred curses tumbled through my mind. I’d underestimated her stupidity. She had fled from the cabin, probably trying to find her way back to the plane. Something had found her instead.
Images of starving taranoi flashed behind my eyes. They could want plenty of things from her, but the most imminent would be the hot, salty blood flowing through her veins. Crimson flooded the edges of my vision, and my fangs tore out. No one was claiming that human’s blood.
No one except me.
I ignored the dark thought, batting it away with all the others I’d heard since finding her. The air in the forest thickened, and my skin felt like it was on fire. She was close.
A cry tore through the night.
There. Next to a large oak. Two taranoi had her, the female zeroing in on a spot to bite. The male’s fangs had already punctured the human’s neck, sucking down her warm blood.
If he killed her, any answers she held would be lost. The Collective could be helping a rival family steal the throne or my father could be trading resources with humans. What if the human government was stealing from us? A war would ignite between our worlds that would destroy all of New Isos.
Finding out what had burned in that plane was reason enough to save the girl. But deep down, I recognized the dark urges clawing from the recesses of my soul. It was something ingrained in me from my ancestors. It was buried deep in my blood.
Not deep enough anymore.
A harsh, guttural growl snaked out of my mouth, shaking the earth beneath us. The human’s green orbs met mine. Surprisingly, my arrival melted the heavy fear drowning her.
Air whipped across my face, and I stood before the three within the blink of an eye. My hands gripped greasy strands of hair, yanking the thin taranoi off and hurtling him into a tree. A crack echoed as his body hit. I didn’t need to check his pulse to know he was dead. The force I’d used wouldn’t allow for anything else.
The human fell to the ground as the female taranoi released her. She backed away, frantically shaking her head and lifting her trembling hands in surrender. “S-Sir, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know she was yours.” She dropped to her knees, bowing. “Please don’t kill me. I didn’t taste her.”
No crimson stained her mouth. She was a starving taranoi, no thanks to the king. Could I really blame her for wanting to taste human blood?
Yes.
I was on her in a flash, grabbing her jaw in my hand and piercing her with my silvery stare. “Forget what you saw.” My compulsion had quickly taken effect, her eyes glazing over. “Forget the human and forget me. You were with your friend looking for something to hunt, and he wandered off. You got
bored and wanted to return home so you left him.”
She nodded. “Yes. I got bored. I left him.”
“Now return to the fields and don’t look back.” I didn’t need to give her any Abscondam. The unwashed stench she carried was enough to mask the human’s scent.
The woman stood and marched back toward the direction of Castle De La Divin without sparing the dead taranoi a glance.
A soft whimper hit my ears, and I spun around. The girl was sprawled on the ground. I went to her side, crashing onto my knees before I realized my body was even moving. The scent of her blood hit me, my mouth instantly filling with saliva.
Moonlight glinted on the crimson leaking from her neck, staining her golden hair pink. I was mesmerized by it and the veins running beneath her skin.
Her hand covered the wound, but it wasn’t enough. “You have to stop the bleeding.”
I licked my lips. I knew one way to stop it.
“Kaige.”
I blinked. Right. I needed to stop the bleeding before she lost it all on the forest floor.
Gods, her blood smelled good. My eyes were pure silver, and my fangs were hanging out. I could only imagine what she saw when she looked at me.
Probably a monster.
Except I didn’t feel any fear from her. Maybe I could only sense it when she was in danger.
My jaw clamped shut, and I yanked my shirt over my head, pressing it against her neck. “I need to get you out of here.” I glanced at her broken leg, not even bothering to ask if she could walk.
“Is he dead?” Her green eyes were fixed on the taranoi lying crumpled by the tree.
“Yes.” The word came out as a growl, but it wasn’t meant for her. My fingers curled into tight fists. I wanted to beat him until he was nothing more than a puddle of guts.
Maybe I would.
“Why did she call you sir?” she asked, trying to sit up. “She acted like you were someone important.”
I pressed a hand to her chest, stopping her movements. She was only going to rip the wounds open more. “I’m not,” I lied. If she had something to do with those boxes on the plane, she’d never tell me if she knew who I was and what I could do to her.
Before she could ask more questions, I slid my arms beneath her and gently picked her up, cradling her against my naked chest. A gasp slipped from her mouth, and her free hand clutched my shoulder. Her pulse skyrocketed.
“Are you afraid of me?” I asked, not really sure which answer I preferred.
She swallowed hard. “No.”
My eyes flickered toward the blood staining her shirt. “You should be.”
Chapter 9
Kaige
I laid her on the bed in the cabin, my movements surprisingly gentle compared to the storm raging inside. Part of me wanted to lick the blood off her and drive my fangs into her for more. The other wanted to continue holding her.
I stood and backed away, pacing the small cabin floor. “What were you thinking?” I growled as reality sank in. I’d killed one of my own kind for a human. I was a traitor. I lost count of how many times I’d committed treason since finding that plane.
“I was thinking I needed to get home,” she stated bluntly.
“So you thought it was a good idea to walk, on a broken leg, through Draconis?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she mumbled.
Giving the human my blood to save her for questioning had also sounded like a good idea at the time. Had I known there was a possibility of forming a bond with her, I never would have done it.
A manic laugh bubbled out. No one would believe this. Hell, I barely believed it. If it weren’t for the girl lying in the bed and the odd sensations I’d experienced earlier, I’d think it was all a hallucination.
“Are you okay, Kaige? You’re not losing it over there, are you?” She tried to sit up, her hand flying to my shirt on her neck as she sucked air sharply.
I was by her side in an instant, propping her up. “You’re in pain.”
She bit her lip as she struggled. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. I had no idea.”
“I’m beginning to think you have no concept of fear,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her nonchalant behavior.
She scoffed. “Oh, I understand fear. I’m just not afraid of you.”
“I’m a nocturne, and there’s a gaping wound in your neck.” I parted my lips so she could get a good, long look at my fangs. “Make no mistake, I want to drink your blood.”
She gave a noncommittal shrug. “You’ve had plenty of chances to do it, and instead you saved me. Twice.”
My nostrils flared. “I’m starting to regret that.”
She pulled my shirt away, gritting her teeth. “How bad is it?”
I bolted, slamming into the nearest wall. “Are you insane? I just told you I wanted to drink your blood and you bare your neck like that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Either leave or get over it.”
My mouth hung open, staring at the little human. I wasn’t looking at her bloody neck. I was staring into her eyes, wondering if all humans were this crazy. With my luck, it was only her.
My jaw snapped shut and I stalked to the kitchenette, grabbing a clean towel from a cabinet. I wet it and reluctantly crossed the room toward her. “Stay still,” I grumbled, dropping down next to her.
My hands shook as I wiped away the crimson staining her neck. Such a small, delicate neck. A pretty neck. Too pretty.
An ache sank through my fangs again. Her intoxicating blood swirled around me, mixed with the jasmine and honey scent coating her skin. “Does it hurt much?” My voice was rough with strain.
“No,” she said quickly.
She was lying. I could see it in her eyes and in the tautness of her body. Her cheeks were also pale from blood loss.
“How did you find me?” she blurted, stealing me away from my thoughts.
I shrugged. “I’m a nocturne. I followed your scent.”
Her gaze was heavy on me, burning into my skull as if trying to read my mind. “That’s not it.”
My muscles tensed. “I heard you scream.”
She shook her head. “There’s something else. You’re hiding something. I can feel…” Her words drifted off as she turned pensive, trying to find an explanation for the strange, foreign things flowing through her.
Like they were flowing through me.
Ice slithered through my insides, and I backed away, my hands falling from her neck. Dread sank to the bottom of my stomach. Oh gods. This wasn’t a one-sided connection. I never wanted her to know.
I licked my lips, my fangs unexpectedly burrowing back into my gums. “Giving you my blood to stop you from dying has… there’s this… I didn’t know…”
“Spit it out already, Kaige,” she interrupted my stuttering.
My eyes narrowed. She was an impatient little thing. “A bond has formed between us.”
She blinked. “What do you mean a bond?”
“It seems we have a connection. A blood bond.” I sighed and dragged my fingers through my hair. “I felt your fear when you were being attacked. That’s how I found you.”
A moment passed while the gears in her mind processed the information. Once she understood what I was telling her, her jaw dropped and color flooded her cheeks. “Can you read my mind?” Her voice had gone two octaves higher.
I winced at the high-pitched sound. “No,” I hissed. “And I won’t be able to hear you either if you blow my eardrums.”
“Excuse me. You just told me we had some kind of weird bond thingy.” She laid a hand on her forehead, taking several deep breaths. “A girl’s thoughts are private.”
The edges of my lips twitched. “Are you thinking certain thoughts you don’t want me to hear?”
Her eyes flickered toward my bare chest. “No.” The beat of her heart accelerated.
She was lying all right.
She cleared her throat, running her hand over her blonde hair, trying to comb the locks. She wa
s a mess, but after a plane crash and then a nocturne attack, it was understandable. “So, this bond, is it permanent?”
“Let’s hope not,” I mumbled.
Her eyes narrowed at my remark. “Good. And I’d like to get home, I mean, if you’re planning on letting me go.”
“I’ll let you go.” As soon as you tell me what was on that plane.
“Great.” She shifted, trying to get off the bed. The movement tore at the wounds on her neck, and she hissed.
“Be careful,” I growled, moving her back. “You’re still bleeding.” I wiped the fresh blood off with the towel. Some of it smeared on my fingers.
Thirst crawled up my throat, burning every inch of the way. My fangs were out again, and my eyes glowed silver. I swallowed hard. The bottles of synth I had were in the bag I dropped in the forest.
“Maybe, if you gave me some of your blood, this bite would heal.”
My head snapped up at her words, a low growl rumbling in my chest. “I already said I couldn’t do that.” I jumped up and went to the sink, washing her blood off my fingers before I stuck them in my mouth.
“You seem fine—ish.”
“I’m not,” I growled, slight tremors overtaking my body. I quickly glanced in her direction as she held the towel to her neck, wincing. I couldn’t give her my blood again. What if that was the reason my compulsion didn’t work on her? The more I gave her, the longer I’d have to wait for it to clear her system.
My fingers held onto the edge of the sink, denting the metal. I hated the fact that the taranoi had had his fangs in her. I didn’t want that mark to even exist on her. His mark. A primal instinct in me wanted to make it disappear as if it never happened.
I leaned against the counter. Maybe if she didn’t drink my blood…
I glanced over my shoulder, meeting her eyes.
Her brow lifted in challenge. “What?”
I ran a hand through my hair, clutching the roots. “We can try something.” I marched toward her and sat on the edge of the bed before I lost my nerve. My finger slid against one of my fangs, slicing the tip open.