Page 56 of Trapped By Vengeance

“Son of a werwölfe,” I mutter, but I don’t dare go back outside and risk an army of an estries tearing through me. “No—daughter of an estrie!”

Between curses, I push a chest in front of the door to seal it closed. Then I set a wooden chair on top of that chest, bracing it against the handle in lieu of a bolt.

I’m not sure it will help, but I put the tiny table holding the washbasin on top of that chair just in case.

This is what I get for going against the advice of my Guild master. I let myself be played the fool by the first pretty girl who batted her lashes at me and my emotions got involved. How could I know that when I handed her that flower girl’s bleeding heart blooms, I was actually handing her my own bleeding heart— both physicallyandmetaphysically— in hereyes? Which is exactly what that advice was supposed to protect meagainst.

Not taking my eyes off the door, I take several steps back to where my coat is hanging by the hearth. Then I put it on. If I’m going to perish, I might as well ensure I’m buried in my most precious possession.

If there’s anything left of me to bury, that is. I might be one of the most powerful creatures in all of Constantinium, but there isn’t a single werwölfe that can survive against twelve estries.

No, I can’t think like this. Eloise needs me to live. There’s no one else to take care of her. And her grandfather was there for me when I had no one. I’ll be there for her, which means I need to rely on what wits haven’t deserted me, so shifting will do me no good.

Turning, I scan the room. The four-poster bed is useless to me, but there is a door leading to the balcony. It can be useless, an escape, or an entrance for my enemies. I’ll only find out if I go outside.

I take my saber from my belt and step outside into the pelting rain.

The darkness from the storm makes it so difficult to see. But when I do, it looks like the balcony is overlooking a steep overhang. I will die if I fall straight down, past the foundation of the castle and down the cliff to the ravine below. But mayhap I can find some way to climb down—

“Creator,” I gasp. “I know that I was overzealous. That I trespassed your parameters. That I have incurred the bloodguilt I was trying to appease . . . but for Eloise’s sake, please have mercy—”

“I’m sure He’ll have mercy for your sake, too.”

I whirl around to find a phantom on the balcony before me. The wind tears through long black tresses, yanking themaround a pale face with lips that are too full and eyes that aren’t dark enough to properly represent her soul.

I aim my saber at her, and she knocks it uselessly away. Because I’m the useless fool who can’t bring myself to attack a damsel, even though I now know that she is far more than that.

Unblessed steel won’t do any good anyway, so I turn back to the balcony. I’m ready to throw myself to the mercies of the ravine over the woman in red behind me.

“Konrad, wait!” Hands grip my collar and yank me backward. Then I’m thrown against a stone wall, Valda’s hands against my chest sealing me in place.

I quickly knock away the hand over my heartbeat. “I won’t let you eat my heart, Valda. That’s sick!” If Valda got up here, there must be a way for me to get down without passing the room of vampires.

“I’m not here about that!” she yells over the gale whipping around us and threatening to send us both into the ravine.

“Oh, is there another organ you’d prefer for the first course?”

“I don’t want to eat you!”

“That’s right; you don’t like to eat.” I jolt as thunder claps. “Wait,that’swhy you didn’t eat my food?! Estries only drink blood. I wasted all that food for nothing!”

“That’s not important right now—”

My fingers slide over my itching neck. “Wait— did you drinkmyblood?”

“You said I could.”

“Just moments ago, as a bargain for my life. Certainly not before you began feeding on me!”

Valda huffs and throws up her hands. “Just forget about that and listen. I want to hire you!”

I stare at her, looking like a gyst rising from the moors in this storm. It really isn’t appropriate how beautiful she looks no matter what blood-tainted creature she is. “What?!”

“I need a bodyguard to protect me during my adventures.”

Lightning flashes, and I wonder if I’m safer out here with the storm and a known estrie . . . or inside with all the estries Idon’tknow. “What?”

“Across Constantinium. I convincedVaterI needed your skills more than your heart, and he agreed.”

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