With a glance in my direction, Dorian lifted his eyebrows. “The two of us?”
“Two Enforcers can share sleeping quarters, yes?” the Magister stared back with a reflection of Dorian’s skeptical expression. “Your council member will be staying in the room across the hallway here, just after I speak to him in my study about a few alliance issues.”
Alliance issues? I frowned, watching the careful way that the Magister moved, as if every single word he spoke was calculated to get the biggest reaction out of us. I’d realized now that was what he’d been doing when he spoke of my mother. He was trying to get a reaction out of me, see if I’d cop to being Zoe Bennett. Because he definitely suspected that was who I was, even if he wasn’t certain. Yet.
Would Ben cave when questioned privately? It wasn’t as if he had anything to worry about if he did. He was innocent in all of this, forced along just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And since he’d already pissed off Magister Salvatore once, he might not be so inclined to do it again. Ben had agreed to get us inside the Blood Coven castle, but had he agreed to get us out again?
Unease flittered through me as Dorian and I stepped inside the room and watched Ben disappear down the hallway with the Magister. Quickly, I closed the door and turned to my partner, my mouth half-open with all the questions I had raging through my mind. Did the Magister know who I was? Did he realize we’d made up the reason we were here? Did he have any idea whatsoever that we had ulterior motives? And if so, what would he do to us next?
But all those words fell right out of my head at the look in Dorian’s eyes. It wasn’t one of concern or alarm. Hell, if anything, it was the total opposite of that. He gazed at me with his glittering dark eyes, sizing me up like I was the first bite of food he’d seen in a very long time.
Shivers coursed through me as I swallowed hard. “Hi.”
“Hello,” he said with a deep growl. He stepped in close, snaking his arm around my waist and jerking me to his chest. “At first, I wasn’t so sure about this plan, but it’s landed me in a room alone with you. There’s only one bed, and we have all night long.”
My heart went wild, banging against my chest so fast I could barely breathe. “I thought we needed to find that rune. Ben told the Magister our flight leaves in the morning.”
His lips quirked into an amused smile. “So he did.”
Dorian leaned down and pressed his forehead to mine, his hands spread across my back, his fingers digging into my skin. He dropped his mouth to mine, hungrily tasting my lips with his own. I sighed against him, letting myself get lost in his kiss. My entire body came alive from his touch, and our bond surged with the intensity of the emotions passing between us.
Lust overwhelmed me, but Dorian pulled away far too fast. He was breathless, and his eyes had turned a bright red that betrayed an emotion he held tight within him. Dorian craved me, in a way I couldn’t fully understand. I’d seen it from him before, every time we’d come this close. It was the vampire nature within him, rising up to claim me as his.
Dorian wanted to taste my blood again.
“We have to stop,” he said as he twisted away from me. “Kissing you makes me hungry in ways I shouldn’t be.”
“That’s okay.” My hand snaked out to touch his shoulder. With a deep breath, I stepped closer and pressed my body against his back. “You can be hungry with me. You know that. Taste me, if you want. Drink me. I’m yours, Dorian. And I know you can feel that through our bond.”
“I shouldn’t.” His voice went tight as he whirled to face me. “I know we’ve shared blood a few times now, and because of that, you probably think it’s safe. But it isn’t, Zoe. I could end up hurting you. The taste of you is so good that I might accidentally let go and take too much. Go for too long. Let my strength get the better of me. What if I lost myself and snapped your neck?”
I flinched at that last part, but I didn’t let that stop me from proving to him exactly how I felt. “You wouldn’t do that, Dorian. Vampire nature or not. You’d never hurt me.”
“Not on purpose,” he said, shaking his head. “And if Magister Thorne were to walk in and catch us in the act, we’d both end up dead. He’s been known to execute willing humans. He thinks blood bags are just as terrible as the vampires who drink from them.”
“What?” I took a quick step back, shock pouring through me. “He’s murdered humans? Just for letting a vampire drink? But they’re innocent. Blood bags don’t do anything wrong.”
“In his mind, they do,” Dorian said. “To him, they’re helping keep the vampires alive. They’re helping make them stronger. When he has executed them, he’s claimed they help vampires murder.”
I couldn’t believe it. Every new thing I discovered about the Blood Coven made me realize just how little I’d known about the supernatural world. And how stupid I’d been to believe that I’d been fighting on the better side. Everywhere I looked, people were doing something terrible, whether they were vampires, werewolves, or mages. Hell, the fae were even getting into it at this point, too.
“I know what you’re thinking, Zoe,” Dorian said. “Our coven was never involved in that. The Bone Coven has never executed a human in the history of their existence.”
“But they’ve chosen the blood mages as our allies,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “To the point where Magister Salvatore has sacrificed the integrity of our own coven. Who’s to say he won’t end up agreeing to human executions as well?”
“That’s a step too far, even for him,” Dorian said, shaking his head.
“I hope you’re right,” I said with a hollow sigh. “Because he’s neck deep in it now, and once this is all over, no telling what the Blood Coven will ask him to do. Hell, that could be why Ben got whisked away into the Magister’s office…unless of course, he’s asking him about us.”
Dorian frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Thorne dropped in that bombshell about my mother,” I said. “I think he realized who I am, and he was trying to get a rise out of me.”
“I think he suspected, but you didn’t confirm. By not rising to his bait, I’m sure you’ve lessened any doubts he might have had about you. Or else he wouldn’t have let us inside this room for the night. We’d have been thrown into the dungeons.”
“They have dungeons? Of course they do. Why am I not surprised? That’s straight out of Vampire 101.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Dorian, do you think there’s something a little unusual about Magister Thorne or is it just me?”
“There are a lot of unusual things about Magister Thorne,” Dorian said. “But I’m guessing you’re referring to his appearance.”
“It’s a little vampy, don’t you think?” I asked. “He looks more like the leader of a Clan than a Coven.”
“Oh, is that so, Zoe Bennett?” a chilling voice slithered into the room.
With a jolt, I turned toward the voice and found Magister Thorne’s tall, thin frame filling up the open doorway. The door had been shut only seconds before, but he’d somehow snuck in without either one of us noticing.
“Magister,” Dorian said after clearing his throat. He slid his body in front of mine, shielding me from view, though I had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t going to help. Not here in this place. “Is there something we can help you with?”
“That would make you Dorian Kostas.” With a shake of his head, he laughed and stepped further into the room, revealing Ben’s tense form behind him. So, he’d betrayed us then. It was the only explanation. Just as soon as he’d had his chance, Ben had told the Magister exactly who we were and why we were here.
Dorian didn’t respond. He merely slid his hand to his belt and bent his knees in preparation for an attack.
But the Magister smiled. “I have two dozen men in the hallway, ready to knock you out if you so much as blink the wrong way. You’re outnumbered, and you’re way outmatched. Lucky for you, we don’t want anyone to get hurt. Hand over your weapons and your chalk. Turn around and fa
ce the wall. You’ll be staying in different accommodation tonight.”
Chapter 11
For the second time in twenty-four hours, I was a prisoner. And it was getting pretty fucking old. Sighing, I stood from the hard-as-nails cot that was bolted to the wall and paced the small space. The Blood Coven, it turned out, was a firm believer in the old medieval tactics of dungeons and torture chambers. I was stuck in a concrete cell underground, complete with the thickest metal bars I’d ever seen. They were slotted into the floor and could only be opened by a crank that would lift them, inch by inch, toward the ceiling.
Even I couldn’t get out of this one, lock pick tool or not. And, as it turned out, they’d been sure to confiscate that anyway.
Across the stone passageway, Dorian sat in an identical cell, a dark scowl etched deeply into his face. Rage radiated from his body. Even from this distance, I could feel it rolling off of him. It seemed our bond could communicate intense feelings, which meant…well, it meant there was a high probability that he knew just how insanely I wanted him. Which was pretty embarrassing, but now was not the time to focus on that.
“Dorian, can you spot Ben anywhere?” I called out to him. In the commotion, I’d lost sight of the council member, and the rest of the cells surrounding us were empty. That unease niggled within me again, making me question every exchange I’d had with the warlock. Was all this Ben’s fault? Had he given us up? I didn’t want to think it, but I couldn’t help but land on that conclusion. He’d disappeared into the Magister’s study, and only moments later, we’d gotten caught.
“He’s not down here,” Dorian said, his voice edged in anger. “They didn’t take him as a prisoner. He’ll be alerting the Bone Coven of what we did and where we are.”
“I can’t believe it.” With a frown, I slumped back onto the cot and glared at the smooth wall that was sporadically dotted with carved writings from previous prisoners. “After he helped us fight against the splinter coven, I thought we could trust him. Plus, he kept my secret.”
“The alliance is important to him. It’s important to the entire council,” Dorian said. “Ben is trying to keep the peace. By giving us up and preventing us from getting the rune to the rebels, he’s allowing the siege to continue.”
It was strange to hear Dorian speak this way. He’d always been nothing if not loyal to the coven. No matter what, and in any situation, he’d taken their side. It was part of his own personal moral code, and I’d always respected it, even if it did infuriate me at times. But over time, I’d noticed he’d been becoming more and more uneasy with the way things were handled. Maybe this whole Sun Coven siege thing was the straw to break the camel’s back.
“I don’t understand why he would do that, even in the name of the coven. The rebels said most of the mages trapped behind that wall are innocent people who are just trying to go about their lives. It’s not just council members. It’s not just Enforcers.”
Dorian nodded. “And yet Ben believes what the rest of the council believes. And what the Blood Coven believes. That every mage in this world should be fighting the fight and stopping the demons, even the ‘civilian’ ones, so to speak. In their minds, the ends justify the means.”
“And what do you believe, Dorian?” I couldn’t help but ask.
He sighed, an exhale that was one of the weariest sounds in the world. “Obviously, I believe that everyone who can should fight against these creatures. The future of this world and humanity is at stake. However, no one should be forced to do anything they don’t want to do. We still have our free will, after all. A lot of these mages won’t have experience in combat situations. They aren’t trained for it, just like most bone mages aren’t trained. Rounding up unskilled mages against their will is a recipe for a lot of unnecessary deaths. And that’s not even considering the horrifying plan to create an army of Nosferatu.”
His words sent chills through my body. “We have to stop them, Dorian.”
“Well, first, we’re going to have to find a way out of here.” Frowning, he glanced around at the dungeon cells. “Unfortunately, if I’m remembering correctly from the last time I was hear about fifty years ago, it’s not going to be that simple. These cells are built to withstand even the strongest Nosferatu. On top of that, they’ll be warded heavily. The only way out is if they let us out.”
Footsteps echoed down the long and dark passageway. My body tensed, but I forced myself to stay still. It had been hours since we’d been dropped into the dungeon, and this was the first sign of our captors. Dorian had warned me to stay calm and not to jump at the first chance of escape. We needed to wait until the right moment, lull them into a sense of complacency.
But I was itching for a fight.
Out of the darkness, a familiar figure melted into view. It was Ben, hurrying down the hallway and carrying nothing but a small ball of light in his palm. Anger pounded through me. He had a lot of nerve showing up here like this.
“Ben.” Dorian leapt from his spot on the floor, his eyes flashing with anger. “What are you doing down here?”
“Shouldn’t you be busy detailing ways the Blood Coven can torture us for information?” I snapped, narrowing my eyes.
Ben shook his head. “No time to argue. I know what it looks like, but I swear I’m on your side. I had to make it look like I was trying to turn you in so that I didn’t get captured, too.”
Dorian growled. “So, you were just looking out for yourself.”
“Yes and no,” Ben said hurriedly, pulling a key ring from his pocket. “I couldn’t very well get you out of your cells if I was in there with you. I’m going to unlock these doors and take down the wards. You’re going to go all the way down the passageway to your left. At the end of this one, you’ll unfortunately come to a bunch of cells that have Nosferatu in them. I strongly suggest that you go past them as quickly as possible. After that, you’ll come to a fork, and you’ll take the left there. It’ll open out into a sewage tunnel that can take you to another gate. I’ve taken down the ward there, but it won’t be long before they figure out it’s down and put it back.” Ben pulled another set of keys from his pocket. “And then you’ll be free. Out in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, but free.”
Hope flickered through my chest, but it was burdened by a heavy sense of suspicion. Instead of leaping to my feet, I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. “How do we know we can trust you? This could be another trap.”
“Because I would have absolutely zero to gain by doing this,” Ben said, shoving the key into the lock by the crank. “If I wanted to capture you, why would I let you go so that I could trap you again? It’s not logical, Zoe. Can’t you see that? All this time you’ve known me, I’ve done nothing but try to help you. Please don’t let one moment of doubt keep you trapped inside this cell when you’re moments away from getting free.”
“He’s right,” Dorian said as Ben turned to unlock the door to his cell. He pulled on the crank, and the bars rolled up from the floor, releasing Dorian from his prison. “There’s no reason to do this if he was against us.”
Doubt still clouded my brain, but I did my best to push it aside as I joined Dorian and Ben in the passageway. Immediately, Dorian grabbed my hand and pulled me close, angling his body protectively in front of me. Warmth filled me, even in this cool, dark, and dreary dungeon. Darkness wasn’t so bad, not when I had Dorian by my side.
After Ben had passed us the daggers the Magister had taken from us, Dorian turned left toward the tunnel that would take us to the exit, but I hesitated only a few steps in. “Ben, what will they do to you when they find out you let us go?”
“I’m hoping they don’t.” Ben shrugged. “I figured I’ll tell them that you are a master of escaping impossible places and situations, and that we underestimated you. Of course, by then, I should be on a plane back home.”
Dorian clapped his hand on Ben’s shoulder and nodded. “Thanks for the help. Come on, Zoe. Let’s get going before they notice Ben is missi
ng from his room.”
But once again, I hesitated, my eyes firmly on Ben’s face. “What about the rune the rebels need in order to get the Sun Coven mages out from behind that siege wall? Did you find it?”
“I haven’t really had a chance to look,” Ben said. “Not with everything that’s happened. I know you want to help the sun mages, but we’ll have to figure out another way. Maybe we can convince Magister Salvatore to reverse the spell, explain to him why the mages should be set free to make their own decisions.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really? And who is going to convince him? Me? I’m a con artist Enforcer-in-training who just agreed to break into the Blood Coven’s castle in order to steal from them. Dorian is a full-blown Enforcer, but he just did the same thing I did. And so did you. As much as I’m sure you’re hoping they won’t figure it out, they probably will. You leaving right after our escape is going to look pretty fucking coincidental.”
Ben winced. “It’s our only option, Zoe. I want to help those mages just as much as you do, but I don’t know how we can do that other than plead with the Magister. He’s a smart man, and you’ve worked with him enough to know that he’s open to listening to what you have to say.”
“Except he’s also the one who agreed to this siege plan in the first place.” I shook my head and let go of Dorian’s hand, stepping in the opposite direction of freedom.
“Zoe?” Dorian frowned. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to go find that goddamn rune.”
“It’s the middle of the day, so we’ll need to move carefully,” I whispered as we stood on the prison side of the gate. Ben still hadn’t unlocked the door to let us reenter the Blood Coven castle, but I could see his resolve weaken with every word I said.
“There are a lot of night owls in the Blood Coven,” Dorian said. “As the biggest enemies of the Nosferatu, their bodies have adapted to later nights than most people.”
The Bone Coven Chronicles: The Complete Series Page 48