Page 187 of On Wings of Blood

My hand tightened instinctively on her waist and she jerked her head up.

I saw it then. The look of complete betrayal.

She thought Iknew. She thought I’d purposely made her stay to watch...this. A girl’s life force being drained away to fuel a magic that controlled thousands of innocent lives.

I nearly laughed. Then I caught myself. There was nothing funny about the look in her eyes.

She yanked out of my grasp and sprinted away from me.

I glanced down at the courtyard below before following, praying no one would spot us. If I’d thought letting her stay was risky before, now I knew things would turn deadly in a heartbeat if we were caught.

She was moving fast, heading back to the panel that led to the secret staircase, but my vampire speed made it easy to catch up.

I closed the gap between us, stepping in front of her.

Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a little.

“Pendragon, stop,” I hissed, my grip tightening as she tried to pull away.

Her eyes were wild with anger.

“Just calm down.” The words came out rougher than I’d intended.

“Calm down? After what I just saw?” She yanked herself free again, stepping back as if my touch burned her. “How dare you tell me to calm down after you stood there and let me watch that... that horror.”

“I didn’t know,” I blurted out. “I didn't know she was going to die. You have to believe me.”

“Oh, you knew.” Her voice was trembling with rage. “You knew exactly what was going to happen. I may have been an intruder but you were an invited guest. You were supposed to be down there, with them, weren’t you?”

I struggled to keep my composure. “Both things can be true. I’m telling you the truth.”

She gave a bitter laugh. But I saw there were tears in her eyes. “You knew she’d be sacrificed. You had to have known. You know who I believe didn’t know?” She paused. “Regan.”

I stared at her. “You think Regan would have actually cared? You think she would have stopped them?”

She shook her head slowly. “No. I think you highbloods all keep secrets from one another. But you–a Drakharrow–you’re in on the worst secrets of all. You’re sick, Blake. You’re a monster."

“I didn’t know,” I tried to say again.

“Stop lying,” she shouted.

Her voice was too loud.

I jerked into action before I could stop myself, darting forward to grab her. In an instant I had her tossed over my shoulder.

In another second, the panel had opened and shut. We were in the stairwell. I flew down the stairs with her struggling in my arms, beating at my back with her fists.

Only when we were far enough inside the passage did I finally put her down. Then I reached into a recess in the wall and pulled out the lamp I had hidden there.

As I lit it, she slapped me full across the face.

I grimaced but made no move to retaliate.

I watched as the tears fell from her eyes.

“You knew,” she said quietly. “The bowl. The chains. What else would they have been for?”

My heart thundered in my chest. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. The bowl is always there. Not the chains. I knew they’d take some of her blood. But she was supposed to be willing.”

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