Page 35 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

Cassandra’s lips were stained bright red from the Red Vines. Lucien likely had the candy imported to Romania just for her. An act Cassie obviously appreciated by the way she demolished the sugary treats. Her fingers were red, and she left little fingerprints on her own cheeks.

The sound of my laughter was startling to my ears. Gods, when had I last laughed? Elijah seemed determined to take advantage of my good humor. “Most vampires are hoping to find Lucien following you around like a lovesick puppy. The odds are in favor of you leading him on a merry chase.”

My smile widened at the image of the legendary vampire king being led around by a barely immortal witch. I could understand the appeal for any under Lucien’s rule to witness such a sight.

How could I deny the people?

XVI

The Realm of Mortals.

Întuneric Castel, Romania.

My palms are glowing, but nothing is happening. Tears fall down my cheeks as I try again, summoning every ounce of energy I have. “Work, damn you!”

No, no, please, not again. The glow flickers in my hand, then dies. “No! No, no!”

I curl my hands into fists and let out a piercing wail. I pull my aunt’s corpse into my lap, tears dropping from my face to hers.

“DON’T FOLLOW ME.I don’t need my powers to cut off your balls while you sleep.”

Elijah seemed to take my stern warning to heart. He swallowed hard, and his complexion lost all semblance of color. Of course, it also could have been that I grabbed a nearby melon baller before disappearing down a dark hallway.

Free of my immortal shadow, I further explored the depths of the castle. My plan for escape on the back burner, I noticed things I had overlooked earlier. Some areas of the castle were modernized, like the bathrooms and kitchens, but it was stillancientin others. I hadn’t spotted a single piece of technology—not a camera, television, or laptop, nothing. It was barren, cold, isolated, and lonely.

If someone, definitely notme, wantedto make the castle welcoming, they could. There were little traces of life throughout the labyrinth, a discarded pile of books in a corner, three mismatching pairs of shoes in Cassandra’s size. There was even a section of the black halls that had faded pink paint on the walls. I tried to picture Lucien and his vampires painting the walls of the castle and came up short. I trailed my fingers along the stone and thought back on how my life had changed over the last twenty-four hours.

The way Lucien dropped into the alley in New Orleans and dispatched those two vampires still made me shudder. He had been ruthless, heartless, and cold.But also kind of…awe inspiring? If I was honest, it kind of turned me on. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen a male worthy of admiration, and none came close to Lucien. If the stories were true, he was a man deserving of his title and throne, something I hadn’t thought possible. Men with power rarely deserved what they had, at least in my experience.

I had to stop these thoughts. It was not a good idea to soften toward him, no matter the pull I felt. I hated that even as I wandered this castle, I was wishing he was next to me, guiding me, touching me. His presence was soothing and stirring at the same time. I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head to deny the longing. The slight rubbing of the metal on my wrists made my eyes flash open and cooled my obsessive thoughts. He’d bound me and kidnapped me. He took what was mine. I relaxed, much more comfortable now that he was once more the villain in my mind. The lack of my powers stung, a phantom limb I wished to scratch. He knew that, and still bound me.

I turned a few more corners and heard the clash of steel against steel. Instead of just aimlessly wandering the halls, the sound gave me direction and led me to a sparring room. Various weapons and arms decorated the walls, from swords to guns, from daggers to maces. The floor was covered with a black exercise mat, bolted at the edges and softening the stone floor. Of all the rooms I’d stumbled into, this was the first that looked well used, and it was by far the most modified.

Elijah and Lucien faced off against each other, two blurs of immortal speed. I could only catch the flashes of silver as blows were exchanged and their swords met. I tracked Lucien by his eyes, the green intense as he fought. Elijah’s glowed red, and I took a step back out of habit, knowing how unpredictable vampires could be.I took a step back but didn’t leave the room, knowing that Lucien would never let Elijah harm me. I huffed in disgust at the unwelcome thought, ignoring the rush of warmth that filled me. The men came together like titans clashing, exchanging heavy blows. Lucien swept his leg out, taking Elijah to the floor, Lucien’s sword at his throat.

“You’re still telegraphing your hits,” Lucien corrected the other vampire, who swatted his king’s sword out of his face. Finally, I caught an uninterrupted sight of Lucien looming over the other vampire. His body was still long enough for my breath to whisk out of my lungs and set my heart to hammering.

Oh. My. Gods.He was dressed only in a pair of loose, black sweatpants, with the slightest sheen of sweat on his chest, his muscles on glorious display. I’d seen him shirtless in Tír nAill, but had convinced myself there was no way he could be as hot as I remembered. I had told myself it was the ambrosia—you know, the ambrosia, I didnotdrink—that made him seem so attractive. So wrong, I had been wrong.

My breath caught in my throat, and my cheeks burned as I pressed my thighs tightly together. I tried to control myself and failed miserably, desire flooding my body. Oh, how I wanted him.I could still feel the way he had touched me and the spike of lust when he had tied my hands to the bed. I never knew bondage could be so freeing.

Lucien caught sight of me standing in the doorway, and a wide grin split his face.Well, that was just rude. He wasn’t allowed to be even more attractive. It wasn’t fair, especially to me. The smile made his hard features soften, and my heart thudded in a completely different,dangerousway. For a moment, I could have sworn he was actuallyhappyto see me, and it made my stomach flutter.He thinks I’m his mate. Of course, he’s happy to see me.The butterflies died a brutal death, making my lips tug down.

My frown made his smile slowly die, and I felt a flash of guilt. I was a captive here, not a guest, and shouldn’t feel bad for making my warden realize the reality of the situation. I would not think about the fact that it was the first time since I met him I’d seen his smile reach his eyes.

He bowed formally to Elijah before grasping the vampire’s hand to pull him up. “It looks like we will have to postpone. Myqueenneeds to speak to me.”

A growl caught in my throat at his statement. Elijah bowed to Lucien, his hand over his heart as he did. “My king.” He took a few steps toward me and paused, repeating the gesture. “My queen.”

“I’m not—” I sputtered, but Elijah didn’t wait for my response before passing by me and disappearing down the hallway.

Fucking vampire.I wasnothis queen. I wasn’tanyone’squeen.

Lucien slowly returned the sword he’d used against Elijah to its place on the wall, the muscles of his back flexing as he did. I barely stopped from licking my lips at the sight, concentrating on not drooling.

Phoebe! Rules!

Right, my rules, the rules that kept me alive for a decade…what were they again?

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