Page 33 of The Blood Crown

Aurelia scoffed, even though she knew there was a thread of truth in the female’s words. The beasts of this court might try to kill her simply because she wasn’t one of them, but they’d have to face the king’s wrath for it. For now—she was still useful, the newly healed skin of her back was proof of that.

“The insult they throw at you,” Valea’s ice-white brows lifted, “parfodai.” Her smile sharpened. “Do you know what it means in the old tongue?”

Aurelia remained silent, worried that her words would give away too much.

“Parasite.” Valea’s gleaming teeth bit off the last syllable. “Half-breeds don’t possess power except that which they consume from others.”

It confirmed as much as Aurelia suspected. They thought she was harmless. Powerless. Weak.

And not long ago, they would have been right.

Valea gave a predatory tilt of her head, studying her. “And if you’re smart—you’ll continue to let them think that.”

Aurelia feigned a look of confusion at the words. The fear that drenched her scent was real enough as the pale female laid her bare, her gaze sharp as a blade.

Valea turned, her platinum braids swaying as she uttered over her shoulder, “Parfodaior not—you’re the only fresh blood that has been in this mountain for centuries. And males do stupid, reckless things when they don’t have battles to fight and scars to collect.”

And as Valea disappeared into the shadows once more, Aurelia was left feeling that her words had been more caution than threat.

Chapter 17

Days bled into nights inside the belly of Mountveil.

Roheer had only been the first of the rebels discovered within the court, and each night more traitors were brought forward and more justice doled out.

Ven seemed to collapse in on himself. Something like resignation in the set of his shoulders as night after night, Aurelia was brought before the court, a silent reminder of what would happen should he refuse his father’s orders.

Ven was no stranger to killing, but a foe who could not fight back was no true opponent. There was no glory in what he was tasked to do every night. No valor. And she knew what it cost him to use his gift—to pry the thoughts from the traitors’ minds. Enemies or not, it was a violation.

Some broke in moments, their eyes going vacant with a single glance. Others were stronger, taking Ven minutes or hours to wring the truth from them.

Though she would never voice the thought aloud she, too, was beginning to feel the despair of remaining here. And withevery passing day, she lost hope that they would find a way out of this place.

The last of the rebels had been rooted out tonight, an entire bloodline ended as the king declared that their kingdom was free from vermin at last. But even the sycophants of his court couldn’t seem to bring themselves to revel after the bloodshed they’d all witnessed.

More humans were brought into the chamber, shambling forward with hazy eyes, and the Nostari tore into them, all pretense of civility gone in moments.

Aurelia glanced at the faces, hoping that a pair of hazel eyes were not amongst the ones led out to slaughter. But even if it wasn’t tonight, it was only a matter of time before the young woman with the chestnut-colored skin succumbed to the same fate.

And she couldn’t have said why it mattered—why she cared about the stranger . . . But she sent up a silent thanks to the Unnamed—or Fate or whatever god willed it, for every night she did not see her.

The guards at her side released her, leaving her to take their fill of blood as they did every night.

They’d grown lax. She was a half-breed, after all. Aparfodai. And what need was there to watch someone who wasn’t a threat?

Moving toward the edge of the room, she melted into one of the dark corners where the torchlight and wandering eyes would not find her, until at last she ducked under the doorway leading to the tunnels.

Valea’s warning echoed in her mind—but there was no room left for cowardice.

Her heart pounded as she paused at every roughly hewn opening, peering into the spidering pathways that descended into darkness. Whatever guards might have been stationedthroughout the fortress must have left their posts at the scent of fresh blood, but it wouldn’t be long before they would return.

She smelled the air, searching for the scent that had assaulted her when she’d been thrown into the dungeons. Stale, stagnant. A place where things were discarded and forgotten.

Stairs plunged into pitch black at the next branch. A gloom that was so thick, she wondered if she reached out that she could touch it. And the smell . . . the smell tumbled her back into that dark abyss.

Here—Karro was here. She knew it in her bones. And if she could find a way to free him, they could both get Ven and finally leave this fucking place.

Chapter 18

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