Page 105 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

I force myself to get up from Svenn and smooth the wrinkles in my nightgown.

“Where are you going?” The snap in his voice almost makes me retreat back to him.

“I’m just going to have a look.” I shrug innocently.

“You don’t seem to have grasped the situation here.” He yanks the chain to pull me back towards him and—yielded nothing.

He arches his brows, surprise alighting his eyes.

“How did you—”

I grin, showing him the fork I stole.

Picking locks is just another one of my survival skills.

“My dress has pockets.” I beam proudly. I silently thank Lady Deirdre for her wonderful creation.

I sense his amusement momentarily before the wrath of a dark god takes over his feature. “Rhianelle…”

I bolt back the way I came to the upper ward of the castle. My breathing fractures the faster I run. The quicker I get away from him, the sooner I can escape this place. I open the door to the bailey and regret the decision instantly.

Oh gods…

Another tumultuous roar wrecks the castle, the mountains and seas beyond. This one is different from the one before. More violent and far more dangerous.

I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Help.

“Nel!” I hear Svenn call after me before the haunting howl swallows every sound around us. He closes the distance between us once more, shielding my body with his own. Darkness envelopes me as his massive wings blanket over us with another layer of protection. His hand cups my face to his chest, covering my sensitive ears from the clamor.

I inhale his scent deep into my lungs and with every breath, the gripping fear I felt earlier begins to unfurl.

The air settles and I feel the brush of one of his wings against my cheek as he pulls them away.

“Are you all right?” he asks almost gently, his protective instinct overriding his cruel obsession. Some semblance of the man I know returns.

Svenn eases off me slowly. “Get inside. I’ll kill it and return to you soon.”

Nope. He’s still insane.

I ignore his instruction and stare ahead towards the calmness of the open sea. There is no movement, other than the gentle waves crashing through the shore.

“Where are they?” My eyes search the surface of the ocean to answer my question. Seadragons travel in pods with their tribes and clans. It’s strange that there are only two discernible sounds in these shallow waters.

I walk over to the crenellations, pricking my ears.

Svenn stands close next to me, his jutting wings dwarfing me. I’ve never been more aware of our height difference.

“Listen to that,” I say, tuning in to the haunting song. The tune feels familiar to my heart.

I’m so alone. It’s getting dark. I’m scared.

The pleading voice pierces straight to my chest. I can sense the fear and the familiar helplessness in that quivering tone. I take a step to climb the battlement.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Svenn pulls me back towards him, his face stark.

“I know this song. It’s a cry for help,” I say.

His grip on me tightens, unrelenting.

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