Page 160 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood
“Are you ok?”
He looks at me again and then nods.
“I’m fine, I just feel a little unwell,” he says.
Vampires don’t get unwell. Do they? Or is that another secret they have kept from us?
“Mayb—”
“I said I’m fine,” he snaps. Then his face softens. He steps forward, raising his hand to my cheek as his thumb sweeps across it. “Sorry, I’m just tired, but I’m ok.”
“Are you sure?”
He nods. “Yes, but I need to go.”
“I don—”
But before I can finish my sentence, he has already left the room, leaving me alone to try to understand what the hell just happened.
Anger courses through me as I stare at my sister through the bars. I may understand his reasoning, but I still hate that Karius locked her up. I also hate that less than thirty minutes ago, I wasn’t even thinking of her as I gave in to the pleasure he drew from me—only for him to vanish seconds after giving me the most intense orgasm of my life. I shake away the thoughts. I’m too angry to think about him.
“He’s right, you know,” Willow says as she takes in the scowl on my face.
“It would have made no difference locking you in a bedroom where you could get a good night’s rest, not treating you like some enemy to be feared.”
She stares at me, her eyes filled with a sadness I’m still too afraid to ask about.
“Adina, you saw what those things did, how strong they were. If there’s any chance that I could turn into on—”
“There isn’t. We killed Julian. You saw the others; they went straight back to normal as soon as he died. Besides, Finn figured out how to make what we need, so it’s going to be fine.”
She shakes her head. “We still don’t know enough. Not yet. You might be angry with him, but he’s being a good leader. A good prince.”
I tilt my head back in frustration because I know she’s right. If this were anyone but Willow, I would be saying the same thing. I felt the doubts that held me captive when we were out there, and a small part of me still feels like this isn’t over. It would be foolish not to take every precaution.
“Gods, I’ve missed your annoying wisdom.”
She laughs at this, and the sound tugs at my heart.
“I’ve missed you too,” she whispers.
I splay my fingers against the shadow bars separating us, and she does the same on her side. I let out a breath.
“I’m sorry I let him take you.” I try to fight the tears, but they spill anyway.
“None of this is your fault, Adina.”
I shake my head. “It is. If I had just listened to what you had told me in the beginning instead of doing everything my own way, then maybe none of this would have happened.”
“Some things are meant to happen.”
I sigh.
“Tori’s dead,” I whisper.
She nods. “I know.”
“How?”
