Page 148 of The Forbidden Dragon King
How is Daire managing to make the ugliness of this evening beautiful?
Maximinus pats Aurelius’ shoulder. “Nephew, after your hard work in the wars, I thought that you deserved a reward. On your brother’s deathday, when you have finally finished his great work and brought peace to ourkingdoms by winning the Second Fae war, not only do we have the conquered Shadow Fae ex-king as our entertainment. But I have something else. A surprise.”
He waves his hands, and the doors creak open again.
This time, the prisoner who stumbles through isn’t carefully trained to look willing.
Instead, he’s bloodied and shackled in silver chains that are searing his wrists, ankles, and collared neck. He is staring around himself in terror.
He appears to be my age, olive skinned, and stunningly handsome. He is dressed in a diaphanous black robe that glitters in the light. It’s pleated, made up of a kilt and a sheer tunic that is threaded with gold and parted down the middle to reveal his smooth chest.
An obsidian scarab beetle pendant with diamonds for eyes, as if it’s only waiting to spring to life, lies between his pecs. The entire outfit is threaded with violet ribbons, which are also woven through his long, black hair along with diamonds like stars.
His hair flutters down in tangled lengths to his waist.
Yet it’s his mouth that I notice first: his canines that are elongated into two long, sharp fangs around the bit gag, which is pressed too tightly between his lips.
I stumble back, pressing against the wall.
A vampire.
I’ve never been in a room with one before.
I don’t know what I thought one would look like. I didn’t know that they would be thisbeautiful.
I want to hurl.
How can I think that way about the monsters that killed my entire court? My parents?
But then, the vampire raises his head, and his hair falls away to reveal his wine-red eyes.
I gasp.
A beautiful monster with piercing red-wine eyes and black hair fluttering to his waist like shadows…
It’s the monster from my dream, the one who has haunted my nights ever since.
The Alpha who I haven’t been able to forget…
I shiver.
I don’t know that I’m panting, short, painful gasps, until I hear someone’s panicked voice,breathe, love, bloody breathe…
Daire scrambles off Quintus’ lap, losing his aloof coolness for the first time.
“Where by the Shadow Gods do you think you’re escaping to?” Quintus attempts to snatch Daire’s silky costume and drag him back, but Daire easily dances out of his grasp.
Daire ignores Quintus like he’s an irrelevancy, slipping his arm around my shoulders and dragging me to rest against his neck instead. “Deep breaths of my pheromones, love.”
I cling to Daire, as I’ve wanted to do all night. I rest my nose against his scent gland, allowing the smell of frost in the sunshine to steady my breathing.
“That’s it. No need to watch.” Daire’s strong fingers are gentle, cradling the back of my head. Then he appears to be struggling to focus on the vampire, before he adds tohimself in a horrified whisper, “The arseholes actually found a Blood who looks like Sin.”
Despite myself, I turn my head.
Curiosity killed the Omega.
“Lanlin…” Aurelius takes one step forward, reaching out, as if to cup the vampire’s bruised cheek. When the vampire draws back, flinching in fear, however, Aurelius studies him more closely. Then he shakes his head and steps back. “Who…? What the fuck is going on? Who is this prisoner?”
