Page 42 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

“Master?” she returned.

He sighed. “Yes?”

“I sense Harker is close. Can Iplaywith him?” she asked, a fire lighting in her eyes. One that warned of the insanity that was her.

“Leave Harker be,” warned Vlad. “He is not to be touched on this trip.”

Radmila, who lingered behind, still staring off in the direction Scarecrow had gone, moved closer, gliding in a way that suggested her feet were not touching the sidewalk.

Vlad tsked. “Radmila.”

With a growl, she began to walk like a normal person, not a nearly thousand-year-old vampire.

Katarina touched Vlad’s arm lightly. “I will take them to feed so that you may enjoy yourself while here.”

His gaze flickered to Radmila. “Do not harm the Van Helsing. That is an order.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Katarina patted his arm. “All will be well.”

He nodded his thanks and watched as the women veered off. College boys were quick to rush after them. The men would work to feed the vampires’ hunger and in return, The Weird Sisters would give them a night of pleasure they’d likely never forget.

Everyone got something from the arrangement.

Except us, said the demon.We have been left feeding from only men and if we wish for sexual release, it is by our own hand only. We are pathetic.

Vlad rolled his eyes. He was about to comment when a slight tugging in his gut caught his attention. He stopped walking and drew upon his supernatural senses, trying to locate the source of whatever had caught his attention. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

The night breeze carried with it faint hints of night jasmine and honeysuckle. Scents that made him instantly think of Ponytail Girl.

His demon took notice as well, its complaints about being in Grimm Cove all but forgotten.Follow the scent!

Chapter Fourteen

Mina

I burstout of the cave and ran along the cliff face, staying close to the rock wall to avoid the water from the waterfall as it poured less than a foot from me. Mist from it dampened my clothes and hair again. I’d be a frizzy mess if I wasn’t already. That was fine. I didn’t have anyone to impress right now.

The pull in my gut twisted harder, like someone had tied a rope around my waist and was pulling on it, drawing me toward them. Whatever was happening on campus needed my attention—now. Leaving Willa only partially secured went against everything in me. She needed me too. My stupid fucking calling didn’t seem to care. It kept demanding I return to campus.

The feeling of having a rope around me increased, this time the yank was harder—more aggressive.

More urgent.

Whatever was happening at the college wasn't going to wait for me to work through my guilt about leaving my sister. I hurried down the ledge to the riverbank and then ran straight forthe woods. I’d barely crossed their threshold when every hair on my body stood on end.

Danger.

Something was watching me.

Something dark and dangerous.

Something that didn't want to be seen.

I didn’t let on that I sensed it, deciding instead to trust my instincts, which were still screaming at me to get to campus.

I cut through the woods, taking a shortcut that would deposit me in the cemetery behind the chapel on campus. Thankfully, the incident in Romania hadn’t left me with an allergy to holy relics. I had an ample supply of bottled holy water back at the Gallows Lane house, shoved under my bed in a container. Willa had helped me fill twenty travel sized bottles with the jug of it that I kept in my closet on the floor, back behind my boots. If any of our roommates ever happened upon the stash, they’d more than likely assume I had a thing for travel-size hand sanitizer and was really worried about getting thirsty at night—to the point I kept a jug of water nearby.

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