I shook my head hard. “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that. Fight, Drake. Please, I beg you, fight.”
His eyes fluttered open and he stared at me. “I had so much to tell you.”
Tears burned behind my eyes. “You will tell me all of it. Because I need you to.” I took his hand in mine and brought it to my face. “Please, for me, fight.”
A snarl rumbled his chest as if pain ricocheted through his body.
For a few long minutes, Drake seemed to shift in and out of consciousness, his fever increasing and his body trembling in shock. Praying to all the gods and goddesses out there, I sang a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I had a nightmare or was too sick and couldn’t sleep.
Finally, Thomas and Sarki joined me in Drake’s bedroom.
Sarki’s dark complexion gained a pale tint as she stared at Drake’s wounds. “What the …?”
“Sarki, please, use your magic and heal him,” I asked, a pleading tone to my voice.
She padded toward us, visibly shocked. “I-I can’t.” She knelt beside me, her wide gaze on Drake. “I’m only half-witch. My magic is weak. I can’t perform healing spells.”
My heart sank along with any hope.
Unless …
My secret be damned. If I could heal Drake and they found out about it, so be it. I wasn’t going to let Drake die.
“Can you make potions?”
She stared at me. “W-what?”
“Can you use your magic to make potions?” I asked again.
“Yes, but the only healing potions I know are salves, which only help with superficial cuts and diminish pain. I don’t know any potion for a wound of this magnitude.”
“I do,” I said, aware of Sarki’s and Thomas’s curious gazes. “We’ll need valerian, white sage, woad, multein, and witch’s bark, a mortar and pestle, and a spoon or glass. Can you find those for me?”
“I know there are mortar and pestles in the kitchen,” Thomas said. “I can get one.”
“And there should be all those herbs in the infirmary,” Sarki said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Hurry!” I told them as they ran out.
I counted the minutes, pretending Drake’s tremors lessened and his breathing slowed. He didn’t even try opening his eyes anymore.
I swallowed the terror building in my throat. Now wasn’t the time for despair. Now was the time for action. All I needed was for Thomas and Sarki to be back.
To make things worse, we had no idea who did this. It could have been anyone. They had entered Drake’s chambers undetected and simply—I sucked in a sharp breath, pushing the images of Drake pinned to the wall from my mind.
I glanced around the room, praying whoever had tried to kill Drake wasn’t lurking in the shadows, waiting to finish what he had started.
As a precaution, I reached under Drake’s pillow and pulled the dagger from under it. I kept it close to my side in case I needed to defend our lives.
It took them a while, but finally Sarki and Thomas came back with all we needed. While Thomas swept through the chambers to make sure we were safe now, I instructed Sarki on how to make the potion—which herbs to crush first, the quantity, the order, when to apply her magic, and what kind of spell she needed. She did it all without questioning how I knew all of this.
When the herbs became a thick, dark blue potion and it bubbled without the need for fire, I told her to stop. I grabbed the spoon Thomas had brought, dipped it into the potion, and fed a spoonful to Drake’s mouth.
As the thick liquid went down his throat, he coughed and tried to spit it out. I placed my hand over his mouth. “Swallow it. I know it tastes bad and the texture doesn’t help, but please swallow it.”
I didn’t think he was hearing anything at the moment, but as I poured more of the potion into his mouth, he started swallowing—and gagging.
“That should be enough,” I said, after ten spoonfuls.
The three of us watched Drake with hawk eyes.
“I don’t see anything,” Thomas said, his voice breaking.
“Wait,” I said, praying it had worked. Praying it would work. “His wound is deep. It might take a while.” At least, I hoped that was the only problem.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the stake was pushed out and Drake’s wounds started closing.
I let out a relieved sigh and content tears filled my eyes. I smiled at Sarki and Thomas, and found they looked as relieved as I felt.
Another long moment passed and Drake groaned. His eyes fluttered open and he glanced at me. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” I asked, running my hand over his face. I felt the need to touch him, to feel his chest rising with each breath he took, to see the color returning to his beautiful face.
“I …” He pushed up and groaned, his hand going to his chest. His eyes widened. “I was pinned to the wall, like Reynard had been.”
“Prince Drake,” Thomas started. “Did you see who did it?”
Drake frowned, thinking. “No. I was sleeping, then I was pulled up and pinned to the wall. Everything happened too fast, in the dark, and I had been half asleep.”
“You didn’t even catch a scent?” Sarki asked.
He shook his head. “I … Like I said, I was half asleep. I remember too many scents, but half are probably from my dreams.” He glanced from Thomas, to Sarki, to me. “Wait …” He glanced down at his shirt and the floor, soaked in red blood. “How am I alive now?”
A wide smile took over Sarki’s lips. “It was all Thea’s doing. She knew exactly how to heal you.” I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or curious, but right now, I didn’t care. All that mattered was that Drake was fine.
“What did you do?” Drake asked, a hint of wonder in his voice.
I shrugged. “I was always curious and studied Wiccan. I learned a potion or two.”
I ignored Sarki’s heated stare, one that told me she knew I wouldn’t have been able to find the recipe for a healing potion like that in a random book at the library.
“Are you okay, Prince Drake?” Thomas asked.
Drake took a long breath. “I think so. Thank you for your help, Thomas. You too, Sarki.”
“My pleasure.” Sarki pushed up to her feet. “Since you’re okay, I’ll return to my chambers. It’s still the middle of the day, and I have a long night ahead of me.” She waved us goodbye and sauntered out of the bedroom like a top model on a catwalk.
After some more questions of “are you sure you’re alright?” Thomas shuffled out of bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Once alone, Drake took my hand and stood, pulling me with him. He held my hand tight and stared down at me, his eyes with a new shine. “I have no idea how you did it, but thank you.”
Swallowing hard, I took a step back. Rumors would spread, even though I hoped Thomas and Sarki didn’t tell anyone about it. But, once Drake was well enough and thought about it, he would know something was amiss. He would put two and two together. He would probably feel betrayed and question me.
Better if I told him the truth myself. “I have something to tell you,” I forced out.
He lifted an eyebrow, proving to me the healing potion had really worked and he was doing well already. “What is it?”
I sucked in a sharp breath, sure he would hate me with my next words. “I’m a witch.”
20
Drake
I couldn’t have heard her right.
My instinct kicked in and I took a large step back. “What?”
Thea’s cheeks gained a flustered tint. “I’m a witch.”
That didn’t make sense. How was she a witch? If she were, she wouldn’t have been chosen to come to the castle. We screened everyone who applied for an invitation and only picked the best candidates.
“That can’t be true,” I said, my words echoing what thrummed in my mind.
“It is.” She sighed. “Many years before I was born, Lord Reynard had trouble
with a few witch covens, the Blackmarsh, the Bluemoon, and the Silverblood. He attacked Silverblood first, taking the witches by surprise. And he stole the heart of the coven. Do you know what that means?”
“The heart of the first witch from the coven,” I said, knowing well. “The witch may die, but her heart is kept alive, beating inside a chest. The heart is supposed to stay close to the coven, usually inside a sanctuary, otherwise the witches lose their powers.”
“Exactly. Lord Reynard stole the heart of the Silverblood coven. When he turned to the Blackmarsh and Bluemoon, they were prepared. They ran with the hearts of their covens and kept them safe.”
I nodded. “I remember that. I was involved with some werewolf business up north, but I remember hearing about it. It was about fifty years ago, maybe? Lord Reynard came back to the castle and showed the heart to all of us as if it were a trophy.”
Thea pressed her lips tight. “That’s the heart of my coven.” I sucked in a sharp breath. Oh, hell … “For fifty years, the witches in my coven have been weakening. I was born weak. We did what we could, using potions when spells wouldn’t do, but some covens crave war and blood. Blackmarsh know we’re weakening. We think they know our heart was taken, and they plan on attacking us.” She paused, staring at me with a harsh glint in her eyes. “They plan on attacking my coven, my family. And, without the heart, there isn’t much we can do to protect ourselves.”
It was like the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together. “You’re here to retrieve the heart.”
She nodded. “We’ve been trying to get in here for many years.”
“But … how? We wouldn’t let witches in.”
“We have resources. Besides, we’re weakening, but our magic isn’t all gone. In a last attempt, we used a lot of it to trick the system, as you said, and get me invited in.”
Though it was a suicidal plan, and a little crazy, I had to agree it was also genius. “Why you?”
“Because I’m young and still have a little magic. Not enough to make a powerful healing spell, though.”
I hated witches, always had. They were a miserable, insufferable bunch who only liked to stir trouble and take advantage of everyone. I wanted to hate Thea. But she was doing what she had to do to keep her family safe. She was putting her life at great risk for a mission she was likely to fail, but she was their only hope. More importantly, she had saved me. She didn’t need to do that, but she risked Sarki and Thomas finding out what she really was to save me. If she hadn’t been here, if she hadn’t come to this castle, I would be dead by now.
“But … you could have been killed during the feast.”
“We took that part into consideration when devising a plan.” She fished a thumbnail-sized brooch from the inside of her nightgown’s collar. “I’ve been using this, because it makes my scent undesirable to vampires. They wouldn’t push me away, but they wouldn’t attack me either. That was how I planned on surviving the feast and be placed with the other blood slaves. Until you claimed me.”
That brooch was supposed to make her scent bad? How come it didn’t work for me?
“That’s why you like to roam around the castle,” I said, realizing the truth. “You’ve been looking for the heart.”
“In vain, though. I’m sure it’ll be hidden somewhere I can’t reach.” She bit her lower lip, her bright blue eyes shining. “I know you must hate me now, but I beg you. If you know where it is, please, tell me.”
“You know your mission is suicidal, right? Even if you can get to the heart, how do you plan to escape? It’s impossible.”
“Once I have the heart, my magic should increase. It’ll probably be hard, but as long as I make it outside, another witch from my coven would come and take the heart from me.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “So you did come to die?”
She lifted her chin. “If that’s what it takes, yes, I came knowing it’s unlikely I’ll walk out alive.”
“That’s crazy,” I muttered, pacing in front of her.
“Please, Drake, if you know where the heart is, tell me.”
“I don’t know where it is.”
“You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell me?”
Frowning, I halted in front of her. “If I knew, what would you do? Go there now, picked it up, and run.”
She stared at me for a moment. “Something like that.”
I shook my head, feeling betrayed. Not only because she hid who she was from me, but because she was willing to die for her coven. What about me? Didn’t she consider that? Did she think I wanted her to die? Or to run away and never look back?
“I don’t know where it is,” I repeated.
Her shoulders sagged. “And I’m guessing you won’t let me roam the castle anymore to search for it.”
Hell … What now? Was I supposed to keep her as a prisoner inside my quarters? Or inside her bedroom? I couldn’t do that to her. Though it hurt me, I understood what she was doing. I might have a problem with all supernatural beings—vampires, witches, werewolves, and the others—but that didn’t mean I wanted them gone. I just wanted peace between all the covens and packs and species.
“With the investigation into Reynard’s death, the castle is on high alert. It won’t do any good for you to roam around. In fact, I want you and Thomas inside my quarters at all times.”
“But—”
“I’ll look for the heart for you.”
Tears filled her wide eyes. “You would do that?”
The hope in her voice cut through my heart. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I cared about her too much. It didn’t matter if she was a witch or if she was planning on leaving me soon. As long as she was safe and well, I would be okay. And to make sure she continued to be safe, I would have to help her.
I took a step toward her. “I would do anything for you.”
A muffled sob caught in her throat, and a tear slid down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I cupped her face and wiped the tear away. “Don’t thank me yet.” I wound my arm around her waist and pulled her into me. I had to feel her body against mine, her heart thumping and vibrating under my hand. I wanted to wrap her around me and keep her for eternity.
That realization took my breath away.
I wasn’t falling for her. I had already fallen.
Surrendering to the pull inside my chest and the raw desire in my heart, I leaned into her and kissed her.
21
Thea
There was nothing better in this world than kissing Drake.
I confess that when I told him I was a witch, I had expected him to rage and yell and maybe even throw me out, to go live with the other blood slaves, or to be taken by whoever crossed my path first.
Most likely Alex.
I shuddered at the thought, but then Drake’s tongue swept over my lips and I lost my mind. My mind and my heart.
Vampires were monsters, but Drake was different. He had a good heart. If he led Castle DuMoir, maybe things would change, and the witches wouldn’t hate vampires so much. If he became the new Lord, maybe he would let me walk out with my coven’s heart, but that wouldn’t be the end for us.
Because I really didn’t want it to end.
I had come in here sure I was going to die, one way or another. I was supposed to retrieve the heart and hand it back to the coven. If I died in the process, I had been okay with that, because it was my duty. I would die with honor. Doing what was right.
But now, with Drake’s soft lips pressed against mine, moving in a frantic rhythm, as if I were the moonlight of his existence … now I wasn’t so sure I wanted to die.
Taking my breath away, Drake spun us around with his super speed, and pinned me to the wall. Without breaking the kiss, he glued his hard body to mine and ran his hands down my hips.
His mouth wandered from my mouth to my chin, and he bit the soft spot between my shoulder and neck. On instinct, I threw my head back and moaned, digging my nails into his shoulders. I felt
when his fangs elongated and he grazed them over my skin.
A sliver of fear snaked through my chest, but then he whispered, “Don’t worry. I won’t bite you.”
He didn’t give me time to process his words. He grabbed my ass and pulled me up. Instantly, I wound my legs around his waist. The skirt of my nightgown rode up, and I wiggled, adjusting against him, rubbing on him, making him even harder for me.
His chest rumbled with a growl as he slipped his fingers between us and rubbed through my underwear. Heat and lust traveled through me, and I moaned, my back arching. He moved his mouth from my shoulders to my cleavage, dragging his tongue on the curve of my breasts while his finger inched under my panties. I shivered as he touched my center.
“Please,” I whispered. The feelings, the sensations zipping through me … I never thought I was the kind to beg, but right now, I would beg. “Please.”
Finally, Drake slipped a finger inside me and I stilled. For a brief moment, all I could do was pant. Then, my hands tightened around his shoulders, and I pulled him to me. He slid a second finger inside me and rubbed my clit with his thumb. Whimpering, I ground my hips in rhythm with his hand.
It didn’t take long for my body to start tensing, my hips shifting, my nails digging so hard into his skin I was sure I would have drawn blood if he weren’t a vampire. I was so, so close.
“Like this?” he whispered before taking my mouth again. He kissed me even harder and deeper than before, ripping little moans out of me. Drake increased the pressure of his thumb and thrust his fingers faster. “Show me how much you like this.”
Eyes closed, I threw my head back, whimpered, tensed, and then broke into little trembles in his arms. I melted, my legs dropping down hard, and if it weren’t for his arms around me, I would have slipped to the floor.
Drake held me close and brushed back a strand of my hair from my face. “Are you okay?”
Floating in paradise, I smiled at him. “I’m more than okay.”
“We’re not done yet.” He leaned into me and took my mouth with his. His hands worked to open and push down my nightgown.
The Vampire Heir Page 11