Page 24 of The Blood Crown

“No!” Ven shouted.

Five guards held him down as he raged, fighting viciously like a male possessed as he clawed at them to get to her. But it did nothing to stop the inevitable as she was dragged back toward the edge of the cavern to whatever death awaited her.

Anguish twisted his features as his eyes met the king’s.

“Please—” The word was ripped from his throat.

A lank of black hair had fallen over Ven's face from the struggle, but the look of desperation unmistakable as the raw emotion in his voice.

The king's white brows creased as he glanced between her and Ven.

“Name your price,” Ven heaved, straining against the guards.

The king prowled toward her, the guards holding her so tightly that she couldn’t flinch away as he lifted the strands of dark brown hair that had escaped her braid. His hand was cold as he bared her neck and she wondered for a moment if he would just kill her himself. His eyes dropped to the side of her throat, as if searching for something.

He studied her—seeming to try to solve the puzzle of what she was.

“What I want, Venohan—Is what I’ve always wanted.” His tone was benevolent as he turned toward Ven. “For you to return to your rightful place at my side.”

Rightful place?

“So long as you remain, she will be unharmed.”

The fire behind Ven’s eyes banked as he shook off the grasp of the guards, nodding once.

The king smiled, turning his back to them. And with a dismissive wave of his hand, the white-haired warriors closed inon her, dragging her from the cavern. He chuckled darkly, taking a seat upon his throne once more, his voice rumbling through the space.

“It’s good to have you home—my son.”

My son.

Before the words could fully sink in, a sharp blow to the back of Aurelia’s head made the world go dark.

Chapter 13

The squeal of rusted iron brought Aurelia back to consciousness.

She was thrown into a place so dark that even her immortal eyes could not pierce it. The breath punched out of her lungs at the jarring impact. A blinding flash of pain and a trickle of warmth seeping down her arm told herthe wound in her shoulder had reopened. Maybe a few broken ribs along with it.

She spun around as a heavy door slammed shut, footsteps retreating into silence as she tried to find her bearings in the pitch black. The smell of rot and decay were near suffocating as she felt along the dirty floor for the edges of her confines, jerking her hand back as her fingertips grazed what she suspected were bones.

“Karro,” she whispered into the darkness, hoping that he might be in a cell nearby, that maybe he’d regained consciousness, too. But only echoing silence replied, until—

Scratching. Faint at first.

“Karro,” she breathed, shuffling toward the sound.

The scratching grew louder—turning into the screech of iron against iron. Like great claws were trying to cut through the thick metal door beyond her cell. A shriek sounded through the wall, so heart-poundingly close that she flung herself into the far corner, huddling at the edge of her cell. Her shoulder barked in pain, but as the awful sound continued, it became clear that whatever creature was beyond the door could go no further.

Trapped. Just like her.

Pressing her hands over her ears, she tucked her knees into her chest, nestling in the darkness and trying to drown out the noise beyond her cell. The hole in her shoulder burned, and she broke out into a cold sweat that coated her brow.

She needed blood. Badly. And immortal strength only went so far, it seemed.

Closing her eyes, exhaustion finally took hold.

Son.

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