Page 43 of The Dragon King's Curse
The bang of the door against the wall jerked me awake. I opened my eyes to find several vampires in the doorway. One of them I recognized. The one who’d run from us last night. Son of a bitch.
“Feryn.” I shook her awake. “Go to the washroom. Lock yourself inside.”
She came awake with a start. When she realized we were no longer alone, she sprang into action. Holding the blanket against her, she snatched up her dropped clothing from the night before on her way into the washroom.
I was out of the bed in a heartbeat, reaching for the sword I’d rested against the wall next to the bed. The vampires were on me before I could raise the blade. Together, they used magick to tear the weapon from my grasp. I responded with a burst of fire that momentarily drove them back.
It wasn’t enough. They came at me again, their powerful magick throwing me hard to the floor. They used both magick and physical force to hold me down. One vampire, a well-muscled man with black hair, leaned down over me. Using a fang, he cut his own wrist, dripping the blood onto my mouth.
I fought hard, making it difficult for them to keep me in place. Try as I might to keep the blood from entering my mouth, a few drops slipped past my lips. Immediately I was entranced. Hypnotized. Ready to do anything he said.
He patted my cheek and smiled. “That’s right, Dragon King. Not so tough now, are you? I guess that’s because you no longer have a dragon. A pity really. We’ll be helping ourselves to the elf princess now. You’re lucky we don’t just kill you. You’re not the one we came for, and I hear Atlas Rein wants you alive. Your pretty girl there is going to help us get back to our realm. The Vampire Lord would love nothing more than to make that sweet thing his blood slave.”
Part of me wanted to struggle and fight. To scream at him that he couldn’t do that to her. I wouldn’t let him. With his hypnotic blood in my system, all I could do was lie there naked and watch as the vampires broke down the washroom door and dragged Feryn out.
Thankfully, she’d managed to dress herself. She put up a hell of a fight. Twice she tried to grab for her sword. Twice they stopped her. The rest of the vampires held her down while the one forced his blood into her mouth. Once he had her under his command, she became docile and easily manipulated.
“Come along then, beauty,” he said, leading her toward the door. “You belong to us now.”
A good hour passed before the effects of the vampire’s hypnotic blood wore off and I was able to move again. I hurriedly dressed, snatching up my sword. I rushed from the room and down the stairs to the front desk.
The innkeeper was busy with guests trying to check in. I didn’t give a shit about any of that. Shoving in behind the front counter with him, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, dragging him close.
“How the fuck did they know what room we were in?” I shook him vigorously as I shouted in his face. “Did you tell them where to find us?”
He raised both hands in surrender, his voice shrill. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I started my shift less than an hour ago.”
“The vampires who just broke into my room and kidnapped my princess. How the fuck do I find them?” Baring fangs, I snarled into his face, ready to bite it right off.
“I don’t know. There is a vampire gang that hangs around town. Rumor has it they were banished from the Blood Realm by the Vampire Lord. They attack those who venture out at night. I don’t know where to find them. Try asking around the tavern.”
The pitiful man was cringing, shaking, and almost in tears. I shoved him away. He was useless to me. Stalking into the tavern next door, I didn’t bother to keep a low profile.
Raising my voice above the music coming from the small band in the corner, I shouted, “Someone needs to tell me where to find the vampires who occupy this town. I want information, and I want it now.”
I hadn’t come this far with Feryn only to lose her now. I would cut down anyone who stood in my path and prevented me from getting to her. Never would I rest until she was once again at my side.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
FERYN
By the time the vampire’s hypnotic magick receded, they had already succeeded in taking me to their underground cavern on the edge of town. The entrance was in the side of a hill. Steep steps led down to an underground sanctuary where they would be safe from the sunlight.
There was nothing comfortable about the place. Dusty and unkempt, the furniture was worn and mismatched. These vampires were living in squalor. From listening to them talk, I learned that they had been banished from the Blood Realm by the Vampire Lord. No longer welcome in his kingdom.
They thought they could use me to persuade him to let them back in. Like a gift. No doubt they missed living in luxury. I didn’t know a lot about vampires, but I knew that they enjoyed the finer things in life. They had a tendency to look down on everyone else, believing themselves to be better than the rest of us.
I was brought to a small, dank room with only a cot and a table. They tied my hands and feet, shoving me down on the cot. Since my magick was linked to nature, there wasn’t much I could do to defend myself here. Because the cavern was built into the side of a hill, I could manipulate the earth and cause a cave in. That would only endanger myself, so it wasn’t an option.
“Don’t worry, princess. We won’t be here too long. Once we secure safe transportation, we’ll be on our way to the Blood Realm.” The vampire who’d hypnotized me with his blood grinned at me. I’d heard one of the others call him Sasha.
I said nothing in response. There was nothing I could say to change his mind. Instead, I opted to save my strength. Once I got the right opportunity, I would fight my way out of this. I didn’t survive the Fae King only to belong to the Vampire Lord.
“Nothing to say?” Sasha taunted. “That’s fine. I’m not much of a conversationalist anyway. Sit tight.”
What choice did I have?
When Sasha returned to the main room, he left the door open several inches. I had no problem hearing when one of his companions said, “I don’t see what the rush is. Why don’t we keep her for a few days? Enjoy her before we take her to Thorn. You know that elven blood hits hard. The high goes on for days.”
