Page 54 of Trapped By Vengeance

“The blood they are about to enjoy is, unfortunately, temporary.” Baron Schwerin leans casually back in his wooden chair. “But to eat a heart is a permanent source of power. With her first kill, my jewel will become one of the most powerful creatures in all Constantinium.” He gives his daughter a soft smile.

Valda doesn’t return it as she stares down at me. “You don’t have to die.”

“You’ll cut out my heart,but I won’t die?”

She nods. “If you willingly drink of my blood first, we can turn your sacrifice into the Dark Ritual. You can become an estrie like me.”

“You mean I can become yourthrall?”

Valda’s gaze is urgent, like it’s her destiny I’m deciding right now and not mine. “I will be a kind mistress.”

I push her hand off my heartbeat. “The Rite of the Moon doesn’t demand a willing victim like the Dark Ritual. I didn’t choose to become the blood-tainted monster that I am. Icertainly won’t become a blood-tainted monster by choice likeyou.” I have lived by the Creator’s laws my whole life as much as a cursed werwölfe can. I will continue to do so now, even if it kills me.

With that, I grab her arm and push her off me, into her father.

Then I jump off the table and run for the staircase that took me to this wretched room in the first place.

I expect to hear a dozen estries rising and giving chase. But I hear only Baron Schwerin’s calm words. “He’s your hunt, Valda. Pursue him.”

Valda:

For a moment, I stare after Konrad, smelling the trail of terror and betrayal he leaves behind.

Then, the sensation of his heartbeat still pulsing against my fingers like a ghost pain, I turn toVater. “Does it really have to be this way?”

He blinks in confusion. It’s the only time he ever blinks now— his last surviving mortal tick. “But this has been the plan all along. You track down the werwölfe that conveniently killed so close to our territory and make him your first prey. Andhe’llmakeyoumore powerful than ever before.”

“But,Vater, he’s a good man. He has a daughter who depends on him, and he rescued me—”

“You won’t ever need someone to rescue again—”

I hold up a hand. “I didn’t say Ineededit. But it was a nice thought all the same.”

Vaternods. “It was. Very kind.”

A chair scrapes, and my father’s face changes as he glares beyond me. Looking like the storm waging outside,Vaterthumps his fist on the table. “Theoden, be seated. This isn’t your hunt.”

“But she doesn’t want him—”

Vaterglowers. “Do you want to spend the rest of eternity without ahand?”

Sighing, Uncle Theoden sits back down.

ThenVaterturns back to me, his expression soft again, like he isn’t the King of the most feared creatures in all Constantinium. “I will be honest— I had hoped seeing the carnage he wreaked would help remove any guilt you might feel in this situation.”

“He killed the monsters who murdered his family. How can I fault him? The guilt for slaying him will all be on me.”

“The guilt is a ghost pain from when you were mortal,” Uncle Theoden offers. “Which was not so long ago for you. If this will be too painful for you—”

Vaterglowers at him again and he falls silent

“Maybe he’s right,” I whisper. “I was mortal less than a decade ago. Mayhap I’m not ready—”

Uncle Theoden rises.

I whirl at him. “Do you want me to deliver your hand to my father?”

His eyes widen, and he sits back down to the whispers of the other Old Bloods.

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