Page 25 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

The well-dressed vampire deplaned first, and we followed, Lucien still clutching my hand. The sun was low, the time difference making it morning once again.

Lucien smiled brightly up at me from the lowest step, pulling his sunglasses on. “Welcome to Bucharest, Phoebe.” I knew I would never forget the image of Lucien’s smile as he looked up at me with an expression I was afraid to name.

Romania?I was in Romania? I had never left the country before without using a rift and the sudden sensation of jet lag dragged on my mind. Exhaustion weighed on me, even though I’d slept the entire plane ride. How did people do this?Lucien took my first stuttering step down the stairs as consent and pulled me along after him. I really needed to stop allowing him to do that. I was not docile. Well, at least not usually.

Another black SUV idled nearby for us, a couple of mortals waiting beside it. They bowed to Lucien when he approached. I rolled my eyes as the three of us got into the rear of the vehicle. I got that Lucien wasroyaltyor whatever, but the bowing? It was a little much in this day and age.

Once we were settled in the SUV, I thrust my hand toward the well-dressed vampire. “I’m Phoebe.”

Instead of taking my hand and shaking it as I expected, he shot a sly look at Lucien and pressed a kiss to the back of it. His voice was even deeper, and his southern drawl, smoother, losing its creole twang. “Elijah Jackson, ma’am.”

Lucien’s head swung toward the other vampire, his eyes narrowing at him. He snatched my hand away when Elijah held onto it longer than necessary, kissing it in theexact spotElijah had.

I yanked my hand away, rubbing it along my jeans. “Was that necessary?”

Lucien smirked at me. “Completely.”

The countryside sped by, and I pressed against the window to catch sight of it. Picturesque farmland rolled out in front of me. People walked along the side of the street as we approached the city center, soaking in the rising sun and crisp air. The cobbled streets rocked the SUV as we drove, the old buildings of Bucharest towering around us, passing by too quickly for me to appreciate them fully. We departed the bustling town, moving farther from the cluster of people.

Lucien shifted closer to me on the seat, leaving me no room to back away. He pointed out various sites as we traveled. His pleasure at showing me his home was reflected in the way his accent deepened. His scent flooded my senses when he leaned over me, brushing against me each time he pointed out historical landmarks and remarked on his own history with the city. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to make myself as small as possible, avoiding touching him as much as possible. The smell of him was driving me insane. The more he flooded my senses, the more I forgot why I needed to be plotting my escape.

“We’re almost home, Phoebe,” he murmured into my ear, his breath on my skin making me shiver. What was it about Lucien that frayed my nerves?

“Youare almost home,” I snapped. He frowned but refused to back away. I needed distance, and he refused to provide it, pressing on me until I wanted to scream. I just needed to think, clear my head, focus. But I could do none of those things when he was close. I could barely remember my name when his hands were on me. He had kidnapped me, and worse, he bound my powers. I needed to remember that.

New Rule No. 1: Trust No One. Especially Lucien.

The trees parted after an hour of ascending a steep mountain road. I caught sight of the castle and couldn’t help but gasp. It washideous.A gargantuan eyesore, and the only access to it was from a single stone bridge supported by massive arches that sunk deep into the ground. Carved of midnight stone, it occupied the whole plateau. Its towers reached into the sky like monolithic sentinels. As we drove closer, I noticed the turrets actually spiraled, making the castle seem even more twisted and dangerous. Each one came to a tight point, seeming to pierce the sky. The entire building appeared to jut from the mountainside. The drop from the edge of the ramparts was almost a mile into the valley below.

It looked more intimidating and foreboding than I could have dreamed. The longer I stared at it, the harder I shook. The absolute darkness of the stone made it even starker against the bucolic countryside, the only light coming from the rough cut-outs retrofitted with glass. A sparse copse of trees lined the grand entrance, the only other color against the ominous black.

“You grew up here?” I asked, unable to stop the question.

I couldn’t imagine growing up in such an imposing place. My home had been full of warmth and magic. We did everything as a family, from homeschooling to magic lessons to playing with toys and fawning over celebrities. Gods, how I missed them.

“Yes, it was my mother’s gift to me for my coronation. She thought the king of the vampires should have a home that displayed his strength.” His voice rang with disdain. At least he didn’t sound overly proud of the imposing structure.

“It’s so big. Who lives here with you?” I couldn’t take my eyes off the monstrosity as we continued our ascent.

I tried to imagine a little Lucien running through the halls of the enormous structure. My brows furrowed, and I bit my lip. Lucien was so powerful and imposing it was a struggle to picture him as a child, but when I focused a little harder, I imagined a little boy with my eyes and his looks.

Where had that thought come from?

I shook myself, unable to afford fanciful thoughts like that. I had zero plans to stay with Lucien. The second I got these cuffs off,boy, bye.

Rule No. 5: Abandon Everything at a Moment’s Notice, even Lucien. No, especially Lucien.

“You mean besides you?” he quipped. I shot him a withering look, and his smile died. “There’s a whole passel of servants, and vampire nobles filter in and out every couple of years. You can invite anyone you like to stay with us.”

There was no one to invite. Any friends I’d once had turned against me when I blew up the Council, and my family was dead. I only had myself to rely on. I couldn’t even rely on Lucien. For all his talk about our supposedbond, he’d still bound my powers, the worst possible thing you couldeverdo to a witch.

As we drove across the bridge, I noticed several groups of people awaited us near the entrance. I could tell most were mortal, though a group of about fifty vampires stood in the shade away from the sun, and one young blonde woman stood pacing in front of them all. Every time she walked back and forth, she stopped, looked around as though surprised by her location, then continued on.

The car pulled to a stop, and I allowed Lucien to help me from the back this time, my eyes still on the castle. The mortal servants stood straighter, but the vampires looked bored. It was the blonde woman who drew my interest away from the massive structure. Even with my powers bound, I could sense the magic rolling off her. She wasn’t a witch. We gave off a very specific energy, but she was different. Her energy wrapped around her, constantly shifting and frenetic. It made my head spin just to be near her.

“Lucien!” the young woman called, launching herself into his arms, forcing him to drop my hand. I smothered the immediate annoyance I felt when he spun the blonde bombshell around, laughing with her before settling her back on her feet.

Lucien smiled down at the blonde fondly. “I have you to thank for the audience?”

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