Page 164 of The Vampire's Bride

“No.” Tears stream down my face. “Valaric.” I use the last of my strength to speak his name as my head falls back and I fall away into the dark and beckoning void.

CHAPTER 70

VALARIC

Flame-tipped arrows fly over the castle wall, spearing rooftops and crashing through windows. I would be worried about fire if not for the protective spells I placed on the estate for this exact purpose.

Fire is the weapon of choice for most Vampire hunters, especially during the daylight. It is one of the first spells I cast on the castle shortly after moving in. And despite that Jonathan somehow weakened my wards, this protective enchantment is still intact.

Damar drags me into the castle, restraining me in an iron grip. “Let me go!” The darkness within me howls in rage. “I must save her!”

“No! You’ll die out there!”

“I don’t care!” I snarl. “She’s my mate!”

“I vow to you we will save her,” he grinds out. “But you must listen to me. You cannot go rushing back out into the sunlight. You’re still weak from the exposure. It nearly killed you.”

“She is my heart.” Agony sears through me. “You don’t understand.”

“Do you think you’re the only one who has ever lost someone they loved?” Damar snaps.

His words shame me for I know he understands my pain.

“I vow that we will get her back.”

“How?”

“The escape tunnels,” he says. “They lead to caves near the base of the mountain, just outside of Corvania. We will go there and wait until dusk. As soon as the sun sets, we will find her.” He frowns. “In the meantime, there is also the possibility that she could be rescued by the wolves. They are somewhere in the forest. If we are fortunate, they are nearby.”

An ember of hope sparks in my chest.

“Come,” he commands. “You need blood so you can heal faster.”

I follow him to the kitchens, and he disappears into the storeroom. When he comes back out, he hands me a tankard of liquid. I don’t have to taste it to know what it is, as the bittersweet scent of iron touches my nostrils.

“Drink this.” He hands it to me. “It’s from Eben’s last kill. It’s only a few days old.”

I’ve never liked old blood. My lips curl in disgust but I force myself to drink it down. I must heal quickly if I want to save Juliet.

When I’m finished, I glance down at my hands, watching the blisters slowly fade as my skin begins to heal.

Damar and I make our way down the spiraling staircase to the bowels of the castle and the secret door to the escape tunnel. The sound of stone scraping against stone echoes throughout the space as it opens, revealing the dark maw of the hidden passage.

The air is cool and damp, my eyes quickly adjusting to the absence of light as we make our way through the dark tunnel.Thick cobwebs line the rough rock walls and I brush them aside as we follow the twisting paths that smell of earth and wet stone.

We walk in silence, my mind replaying the terrible images of Juliet’s unconscious form, bruised and broken, reminding me of the moment I first saw her. Anger burns in my chest like a living flame, demanding blood and vengeance.

Jonathan will pay for harming my wife, for taking she who is mine. He does not know it, but he has already seen his last sunrise.

“We’ll get her back,” Damar breaks the silence.

“I know.” Rage simmers in my veins. “And when we do, we will kill them all.”

CHAPTER 71

JULIET

Awareness slowly trickles back into my mind and my eyes blink open to unfamiliar surroundings. My wrists are bound, my head throbs, and pain radiates through my entire body. I’m sitting on a horse, surrounded by a dense forest, heavy snow falling around us.

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