Page 22 of Cruel Vampire King

He was silent, staring at me.

This was insane.

“How do you have magic?” I demanded.

“I’m half-elf. It’d be weird if I didn’t have magic,” he drawled.

“Did you use it on me?”

His other eyebrow lifted, and he gave me a look that questioned my sanity. “Of course I did. You’ve been dead if I hadn’t.”

So, was it that magic that was making me so desirous for him? Why was he playing these games, anyway? If he was hard, if he wanted me, why not just take what he wanted? A man like him, he didn’t care about the effect it would have on me. Certainly not after he killed my entire family! So why was he standing there, as though waiting for me to make the first move?

“Why bother saving me from the kelpie?” I snarled, because it was the only question I could ask. “Why go through that trouble when you’re happy enough to put me through the Blood Trials in the first place?”

His face darkened. I’d upset him. His nostrils flared and for a moment, I thought he was going to open his mouth. But he didn’t say a damn thing. He only turned and stalked off through the forest, leaving me weak-kneed and shaky, craving his closeness even as my hatred for him grew.

Chapter 9

My legs stayed shaky as I made my way through the moonlit forest. I jumped at every little sound, but not from fear. Even when a death scream rattled the night—too distant to be Ysara or Kael—I wasn’t afraid. I kept bracing myself for the sweep of desire that would take me if Luken decided to jump out of the bushes again. Was he watching me still? Or had he taken off by now, laughing at the joke he’d played on me?

At camp, Greyson breathed deeply as he stretched out near the fire. Thessa was awake, heating some of the leftover griffin above the flames. As I entered the clearing, she looked up, her hand going for her sword.

Relief washed over her face. “Greyson told me you and the others were hunting another team that got too close.”

Hmmm. Wonder why he hadn’t just told her the truth? Not that it mattered. I shrugged the question off and sank down next to her. “Everything is fine, Thessa. Go back to sleep. I’ll take watch.”

Thessa studied me, her clear eyes full of trust even as she tried to parse out the truth of my words. It was almost unnerving how easily I could read her face. She was an open book. Even though I knew I shouldn’t think these things, even though I knew I shouldn’t underestimate her… it was impossible not to think of her as a kid, every thought laid bare on her face.

“Thank you,” she finally said. “I am exhausted.”

I nodded once, staring into the fire.

“I thought you might be hungry.” She nodded at the griffin carcass. “It’s safer to cook it again. Although we really shouldn’t eat it at all when we can’t refrigerate it.”

Despite myself, I chuckled. “Go to sleep, Thessa. Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m just saying, food poisoning is no joke.”

She laid down, though, pillowing her head on her arms. Her eyes soon grew heavy, her face relaxing in sleep. She looked more like Darcie than ever in this moment. What had brought her here? I still didn’t know what crime she’d been convicted of. Didn’t know if there was anyone out there, watching her and praying to the Gods to spare her life.

I turned quickly and cast a puzzled look at Greyson. Why had he told Thessa we were hunting another team? Protecting her innocence or…? I didn’t know.

Eventually, Ysara and Kael returned, yawning and smelling of sex. I added a few small twigs to the fire, giving them a disapproving look.

“You’re taking stupid risks,” I told them. “Is sex really worth risking getting caught by another team or one of the beasts of the forest?”

“Spoken like a true virgin,” Ysara answered breezily.

I growled, my cheeks flushing. “Spoken like someone who doesn’t want to get massacred because her teammates decided to—”

Kael lifted his hand. “Hey. There’s no point in arguing here. We didn’t go that far, anyway.”

“It’s still a stupid risk,” I insisted.

“Mind your own business,” Ysara snapped, her usual careless mask slipping. “By moon and blood, girl! If you can’t understand why we’d think that such a risk is worth it, you don’t have the experience to be talking to us. Keep to your watch and leave us be.”

She turned her back to me. I stared into the coals, my shoulders slumping. I’d taken that too far. I knew that now. I’d only lashed out like that because I was frustrated and jealous and confused. I stayed quiet, letting Kaela and Ysara slowly fall asleep. At one point, Greyson twitched, and I thought he might wake up, but he only changed positions and fell back to sleep.

---