Page 28 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

“It’s not him,” Rhianelle says firmly.

My heart warms at the fierce conviction in her voice.

“I agree,” Shade surprisingly says. “It could just be rats.”

“Rats?” Rhianelle echoes the curiosity in my mind.

“Back in Tiamat, the heavy pollution resulted in a mutation to the rodents. They’re big enough to drag children and dogs into their lair. An elven girl once slept near the sewer for an hour. When she woke up, her ears were chewed.”

He makes a cross gesture to his own ear and Nel lets out a soft whimper. It is so like my Nel to befriend someone strange like this guy. But this bastard has only made her sad and scared so far.

I move past him.

Shade scratches the back of his neck. “Don’t go there. Those dumbfucks are using…”

His warning means nothing to me.

“Asterdust?” Rhianelle’s grip on my hair tightens with her shock. “But it’s forbidden.”

“Some of us need it to kill time,” he says tediously. “Your uncle may have paid the guild well, but the Grimsbane are assassins, not watchdogs.”

Nel falls silent on top of me.

“It’ll be fine,” Shade reassures her. “War is upon us. Soon their thirst for blood and chaos will be satiated.”

Her heart rate speeds up at his words and I decide it’s time to part ways with the grey-haired fucker.

After a short walk, Rhianelle taps my shoulder, signaling me to put her down. “Svenn… I left my book in the clearing.”

“Stay,” I tell her.

This is the closest we’ve ever been to each other since our wedding night. I run my hand over the smooth skin of her leg. Her bone feels easily breakable in my grip.

Too fragile.

“I never did apologize for trying to kill you,” I suddenly say. “I’m sorry.”

For fucking up your life. For everything.

She readjusts her position on my shoulder a little. “Was it because you’re afraid the Rhunhraefn will corrupt me like the other curse bearers?”

I don’t have a good answer to that. “Yes.”

“Do you still want to kill me?” she asks again, her voice is a whisper.

“No.”

That I am certain.

Rhianelle is silent for a moment.

“Can I ask you for a favor?” she asks.

Here it comes.

What will it be? Will she send me to kill Eirik Bloodhound now? Will she force me to kill every one of her enemies and rescue her friend? Will she ask me to reveal my power so she can parade it in front of her council?

“Can you go over there?” She points to a tree.

---