Page 48 of The Blood Crown

Ven gave Karro a nearly imperceptible nod, and he stepped away from the female, releasing her from where he’d caged her against the wall. But as she moved to take the lead once more, Ven’s hand lashed out, wrapping around her wrist.

Aurelia could have sworn she saw Karro tense, something like anger flashing in his eyes as they dropped to where Ven gripped Valea’s arm, gone just as quickly.

“Why—” Ven asked with quiet menace. He didn’t need to finish the question for each of them to understand what he was asking.

It was what all of them were wondering . . . Why was she helping them?

“He sired you as well,” Valea’s pale red eyes burned brighter as they clashed with the crimson of Ven’s, “I don’t need to tell you what he is.”

He held her gaze, seeming to search for any deception there before he finally released her.

And in the corner of her eye, Aurelia could have sworn she saw Karro’s shoulders drop just a fraction as they followed after the female.

Valea took them through back passages, clearly unused or forgotten with the amount of cobwebs that had gathered. But the footfalls and shouts of guards had grown quieter as she’d led them through the belly of the mountain.

“I thought there weren’t any other ways out of this place,” Karro uttered, looking toward the narrow tunnel ahead.

The Captain stopped abruptly, eyes searching the floor. “There aren’t.” Crouching, she lifted a bundle near her feet, throwing it to Karro. Reaching for another, she tossed it to Aurelia, and finally one to Ven.

Metal gleamed nearby. Blades, an assortment of daggers and swords piled up against the wall.

Aurelia unrolled the bundle, holding it out in front of her. Uniforms. White, with the red fist and dagger of the Nostari embroidered into the breast. A blood red cloak to match.

“You planned for this,” Ven uttered as he shook out the crumpled uniform, quickly pulling the jacket over his shirt.

“I was hoping for a quieter escape, but my sentries heard the ruckus you caused in the dungeons and there was nothing for it.” She looked to Aurelia, eyes narrowed. “Howdidyou manage to kill the Fengul without a blade?”

“The ring,” she answered. It was a half-truth. But until Valea got them out of this place, she couldn't risk the female knowing about her magick.

She avoided the female's assessing stare, tugging the pants over her hips and shrugging the straps of her dress down her shoulders as she pulled the jacket on.

“Youusedit?” Valea whispered, voice breathless with disbelief.

Cold fear crept up the base of Aurelia's spine as she studiously ignored Valea’s question—as if somehow acknowledging what she did would bring back that skin-crawling sensation of someone creeping through her thoughts. And she did not want to invitehimback.

But before she could think of a lie, Ven’s eyes lifted to where Karro stood, fury flashing across his face like a summer squall.

A growl ripped through the tunnel as he lunged at Karro, pushing him back against the rough stone wall, his teeth bared in a silent threat.

Aurelia gripped his arm, trying to pull him away from where he had Karro pinned. “What are you doing?”

But Ven didn’t seem to hear her as Karro struggled under his grasp. “She gave me her blood while I was unconscious,” he choked out. “I didn’t realize you claimed her until it was done—”

Ven’s forearm pressed harder, cutting off his words.

“Enough of this!” Aurelia hissed, grabbing Ven’s chin between her fingers and wrenching his face toward her.

A fire blazed behind his eyes that made him nearly unrecognizable. His pupils dilated, the black bleeding into the very edges of the dark red as his nostrils flared with rage.

“Look at me!” she ordered, but he made no move to ease up on Karro’s windpipe. “He was nearly dead—I gave him my blood."

His chest heaved, and for a moment she wondered if he would kill his closest friend—his blood, over something so trivial. He’d said himself that their claiming of each other meant nothing beyond these walls—beyond surviving this place. But itwas as if some primal instinct had taken over, some urge she couldn’t begin to fathom.

"It meant nothing beyond survival," she murmured, watching as his breath slowed just a fraction.

Slowly, the color came back into his irises as he studied her face, and finally, he stepped away from his brother.

Karro coughed, hands braced on his knees as he sucked down a sharp breath. “Told you,” he choked out, throwing a look toward Aurelia. Another low growl tore through the space and Karro raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

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