Page 27 of Cruel Vampire King

Would she let herself be killed, then? Would she pick one of us to fight alongside? Or would she turn herself into the sacrificial lamb?

And when she died, would anyone care? Was there anyone out there, wanting to save her the way I wanted to save Darcie?

Chapter 11

We searched all day but didn’t find the missing packs. Finally, around mid-afternoon, we gave up. We each drank our fill from the river, topped up the waterskins, and headed away from the river.

It wasn’t worth sticking around, in case the grindylows stole our weapons or the waterskins we had left next. Unfortunately, the graceful downslope we had been traversing shot into several steep hills that we had to struggle up. By the time night came, we were all hot, sweaty, and exhausted.

Worse, we’d found no more water.

“I might be able to rig something up to collect dew,” Thessa said, searching the bushes around our campsite as dusk fell. She collected several broad leaves. “Or maybe we should get a water auger?”

“Stick with collecting dew,” Ysara offered. “We don’t exactly have the time for drilling a well.”

What would we do for water if we didn’t find more? My mouth was dry already—but that was a problem for tomorrow.

Tonight, I had a different problem.

In that, Marissa came for me again. She was already carrying me through the forest before I even woke. I let out a yelp, but when I started to squirm, she clasped me closer to her chest.

“Calm down. You’ve been invited to a ball,” she said, then laughed a silvery laugh. “You know, your team should be better at setting guards. That big elf-man that was supposed to be on watch took off as soon as you were sleeping. I wonder if he’s planning a double-cross.”

Greyson left us? I didn’t say anything. He couldn’t double-cross us until we were out of the forest. Maybe he was looking for water. But why wait until we were sleeping?

I shoved those thoughts away. I’d confront him tomorrow… if I came back. The forest whisked by in a dark blur. We seemed to be going uphill first, then downhill. Abruptly, the trees disappeared. Marissa carried me across a wide, flat lawn toward an estate house. It wasn’t the same palace as before, the one with the stained glass windows. It was no less impressive, though.

Marissa moved more slowly across the lawn this time, and I caught sight of a line of limos and fancy cars in a distant parking lot. We slipped in through the back of the house, through a set of double doors made of heavy, dark wood.

“I can walk,” I told her.

“Not fast enough.”

She carried me through a small door nearby, into a narrow corridor. It was well-constructed, the walls covered with expensive wallpaper and thick carpet on the stairs. But it was very clear that this wasn’t the main staircase. If I had to guess, she’d whisked me up the servant’s staircase. I cocked my head and caught a few passing sounds of laughter or talk.

“So he doesn’t want anyone to know I’m here, does he?” I asked sourly.

She gave me a hard look. “Of course, he doesn’t. What do you think?”

That wasn’t exactly what I expected her to say, and I fell silent.

Marissa emerged into a richly decorated bedroom. She set me down, and I took a moment to collect myself before I tooka good look around. It was a smaller room than the first time, but I liked this one better. A queen-sized canopy bed sat in the middle of the room, the emerald green curtains drawn. Along one side of the room was an ornate writing desk with a rolling top. Beside it were five floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, each shelf full of books.

I headed over to it as Marissa disappeared through a second door. Poetry, the old classics, new bestsellers, books I’d never heard of. They were all ornate. When I pulled one off the shelf, my heart leapt to my throat. Sprayed edges! The cover was ornately decorated, hand-painted if I didn’t miss my guess. I carefully opened it and it fell open to a brightly illuminated page.

I hadn’t read a book in four years. Now with the weight of this fancy book in my hands, a sudden pull of longing filled my chest.

By the moon’s blood, I hated my life.

“The bath is ready,” Marissa said as she came back into the bedroom.

I closed the book and put it back, then turned to her. My jaw was set as I lifted my chin. “I’m not taking a bath. Take me back to my team in the forest.”

Marissa clasped her hands behind her back. “I won’t do that until the king orders me to. But I also won’t force you to bathe, Elara Tideborne. I don’t think you understand the king. But that’s alright. You’ll see in time.”

I squinted at her in suspicion. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Marissa.”

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