Page 85 of Death Raiser

“You bastard. He could’ve killed me.”

“Ah, but if I stepped in prematurely, I never would’ve seen what happened next.”

“It couldn’t have been that exciting.”

“I disagree. I learned you won’t try to steal the book from me or help someone else do it, and I also discovered you’re powerful enough to control vampires.” His gaze dropped to my hands. “You’re not just a descendent of Morcant, are you?”

I clamped my mouth shut.

“You can keep your secrets for now, but you were never in any real danger. I gave my word ensuring your safety and I take oaths made in the veil very seriously.”

“I’m not sure which of those things I should be most concerned about, but I’d also like to know why you were close enough to witness everything but never said anything to me. Were you following me?”

“Of course, I was following you. I wanted to see what you’d do and whether you could sense the book while I had Harrison take it to another location.”

He must’ve moved it from the library to see if I followed the trail. I hadn’t noticed at all, but I also hadn’t been trying to sense or track the book. I pushed my magic out, coating the walls and floor as it moved through the castle. Bones called out to me. Everywhere. So many bones. So many human lives…

But I’d held the Book of the Dead in my hands, and I knew the flavour of its magic.

There.

The book had been moved to a room down the hall. I let my magic fall away and kept my face impassive. I might have the power to find the book, but I had no intentions of going after it.

“Well,” I said. “Now that you know you don’t have to hide the silver from me, I’m going to say goodnight and find my room.”

Levi scoffed and shook his head “It’s more morning now and that wasn’t the only reason I was following you.”

“What was the other reason?”

He opened his fist to reveal a wavering soul. “It’s time to send you home.”

I blinked at the Lord of the Veil while the vampire assassin continued to bleed out by our feet. Levi had stabbed him through the heart, there was no coming back from that. As soon as the blood left his system, the vampire would start to rapidly decompose.

“You’re sending me back? Now?”

“Yes,” he said. “You have fulfilled your favour and your wound is healed. For the record, I didn’t use the favour to ask for your blood because that doesn’t exactly fit the requirement of freely given, does it?”

“So you opted for seduction?”

He dipped his head. “I must admit, it wasn’t a hard decision to make. I want you with or without the blood and still would’ve tried to make you mine. I may not be happy with how things played out between us, but I hope you’ll see things my way eventually. I still want you as a queen by my side.”

As much as I’d look badass with a crown, the whole idea seemed terribly wrong to me.

“You have held up your end of the deal,” Levi continued. “Now it’s time for me to do the same.”

Unease swirled in my belly. We hadn’t bargained for how much time I’d spend here. “I was hoping to wait longer so Steve would assume I died.”

Levi glanced at the soul quivering in his palm. It didn’t zoom off so Levi must be holding it in place with his power. He most likely used the souls as informants—his own personal army of spies. What had this one told him?

“Do you trust me?” Levi asked.

No. Not at all.

I hesitated.

Levi chuckled and shook his head. “Of course, you don’t.”

Really, what did he expect?

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