Page 76 of Heir of Blood and Moonlight

As I neared thecell door, a glowing sigil appeared surrounding the lock, growing brighter the closer I drew. I stopped in front of the bars blocking my way and curled my fingers around the cool metal as I peered into the shadows.

Thane dozed on the cot on the left side of the cell, just as in my vision, and Javier melted into the shadows in the back right corner. I wouldn’t even have known he was huddled there on the floor if I hadn’t been able to feel him through our bond. Neither man moved at my approach, and I assumed they were exhausted by blood loss from feeding the queens. Either that, or they had been beaten into unconsciousness.

“Javier?” I called in a whisper. “Thane?”

There was no movement in the corner, but Thane jerked awake, raising his head to peer toward the cell door. One of his eyes widened, the only visible part of his shadowed features. He sat up slowly, carefully, like it took far more effort than it should have to do even that simple movement. When he stood, his face passed through a patch of sickly light. Parts of his face werebruised, and one eye was swollen completely shut. The shifters must have been starving him of mortal blood, or he would have healed already.

Bastian stepped forward on my left and crouched in front of the lock, holding up the keys one at a time and squinting as he painstakingly compared the sigils on each to the one on the cell door. I wondered why he didn’t just try each key in the lock. At this rate, it would have been much faster.

“If I use the wrong one,” he explained, glancing up at me, “it’ll trigger the ward and the flood hatch will open.”

Thane moved like an elderly man as he shuffled toward the cell door. “Sophie?” he rasped. “What are you—you shouldn’t be here.”

A huge pale hand gripped one of the bars directly above mine, and Ash’s bulky arm brushed against my shoulder. “We came for you,” Ash murmured, his voice a gentle rumble in the darkness.

Thane’s throat bobbed, and he peered over his shoulder at Javier, the movement making him wince.

It pained me to see the powerful vampire so weakened, and I uncurled the fingers of my left hand and extended my forearm into the cell. “Here, take some blood,” I said. “You’ll need your strength.”

Thane snapped his head around, his lips pulled back and his teeth bared like he was barely able to restrain himself from tearing into me. With a fierce grimace, he turned his face away again.

Ash reached through the bars and covered my hand with his, pushing my arm down so it no longer extended into the cell. He leaned closer until his lips nearly brushed my ear when he spoke. “He’s afraid he won’t be able to stop once he starts. Better to wait until we get this door open so I can restrain him while he feeds.”

“Oh,” I said, swallowing roughly. “I didn’t realize.” I gripped the bar once more, feeling awful for unintentionally taunting Thane with my blood. “I’m sorry.”

“Javier’s in bad shape,” Thane said, his voice rougher than before and his face still angled away. “They stopped restricting how much blood the queens can take from him.” Thane peered at me out of the corner of his good eye. “I think they’re hoping the queens will kill him.”

I pulled back, horrified. “Why?”

Thane bowed his head. “Because they have me now,” he admitted. “A fresh blood bag, and since I’m nowhere near as powerful as Javier . . .”

Hands on my shoulders told me Gavin was behind me. “You’re the lesser threat,” Gavin finished for him. “It makes sense. I would have done the same.”

“Got it!” Bastian exclaimed, flashing me a fierce grin when I glanced down at him. He fit the huge iron key into the lock and held his breath. The sigil flared, then faded to little more than the ghost of the mark.

Bastian exhaled heavily and turned the key. A muffled clang echoed down the long corridor, and Bastian dragged the cell door open.

Ash, Gavin, and I stepped back, allowing the door to open all the way, and then Ash stalked forward into the cell to embrace Thane.

“Get to work on the other cells,” Gavin told Bastian.

I followed Ash, eager to feed Thane so I could move on to Javier.

Ash moved to stand behind Thane and wrapped his arms around his beloved, pinning Thane’s arms to his side. “Go ahead, Sophie,” Ash said, nodding to me.

I raised one hand, extending my wrist toward Thane. He stretched out his neck, reaching for me as I stepped closer, closing the distance between his mouth and my wrist.

Thane didn’t hesitate. The instant my skin brushed his lips, he struck, digging his razor-sharp teeth into my flesh. I gasped, feeling nothing but pain, no hint of pleasure or desire in his bite. Tears welled and spilled over the brims of my eyelids, and I released a shuddering breath as he ravaged my wrist.

“That’s enough,” Gavin hissed.

I tried to pull my arm back, but Thane dug in with his teeth. “He won’t let go,” I whimpered in pain.

Suddenly Gavin was there beside Thane and Ash, gripping Thane’s jaw and forcing his bite to release.

With a muffled sob, I snatched my hand away and hugged my gnawed arm against my chest.

Bastian curled an arm around my back protectively and pressed his lips against my temple. He took a deep inhale, breathing me in like he needed the comfort as much as I did after that mildly traumatizing scene.

---