Page 10 of Claimed By Blood

Evie: He cut off Draven’s hands.

Finn: do u trust D?

I frown, wondering why he’s shortening his words. Come to think of it, he’s not even using punctuation correctly. Is this another thing to add to my—oh, wait, I don’t have a list anymore.

Damn.

Evie: I don’t trust anyone anymore.

It’s true. I have no idea whose side Draven is on. My gut says he’s a plant, tortured to pull on the strings of my pity so that he can get under my guard.

Finn: hold tight we’ve got a plan to get u out

Evie: It won’t work.

I have no idea how Frost got out—ifhe got out—but security is now airtight. The pack can’t have anyone left on the inside.

No one is coming to rescue me. The only way I’ll continue to survive is by playing Cain’s games.

A knock at the door catapults my heart into my throat. I swipe the app away and click the tablet off before heading over to it.

Draven still hasn’t moved, I note, as I cross to the door and take a deep breath, trying to scent whoever is behind it.

Muted, but floral. A natural scent that’s close to fresh laundry.

Immy.

Everything in me shuts down as I turn the handle. The process of wiping away my emotions is automatic now after a month of practice. But as it’s just the two of us, with no background noise to muddy the waters, I’ll have to be extra vigilant. I’ve barely opened the door half-way when a second smaller body rushes through and collides with my own.

Immy hugs me like she’s drowning and I’m the only thing that will keep her afloat. The suddenness of the contact shocks me enough that it shatters my emotional block and my surprise and confusion leak out before I can get it under control.

“I missed you so much!” she whispers, and I’m caught off guard again by the slight hitch in her voice. “Quick. Find your coat. We’re going out.”

She finally releases me and gives me a tiny shove into the room.

“I don’t have a coat,” I object, tugging my robe tighter around my body.

It takes a lot of effort not to let the bitterness in my statement show. A month of wearing the same dress has been taxing and has sent rumours flying. Some vampires must suspect it’s a punishment, I’m sure, though they’ll never openly admit it.

Immy shakes her head, smiling softly. “I convinced him out of that at the same time I convinced him out of the coffin. There should be a few different outfits in your wardrobe now. You still have to wear the dress to Court, but that’s it. And you can leave the tower now. I argued that it made no sense to keep you locked up when he has cameras all over Manhattan.”

My hackles rise in disbelief. There’s no way Cain would give in that easily, and I’m equally unconvinced that Immy actually has the spine to argue with him over anything. Is this some trick? Is she angling to get me punished?

“It’s true,” Immy insists. “I told him the mortals would sense something was amiss if you were the only one who refused to wear modern clothes.”

Cainisbig on appearances, so itcouldbe true. But I still don’t trust her. She grabs my hand and pulls me through my own room to the walk-in wardrobe. At first, I can’t see any difference. The rows of unbroken red dresses are just the same. There are a few different length versions, and a couple with hoods sewn on, but that’s as much variation as I’ve been allowed. The other side of my closet has been filled with Draven’s clothes—something I didn’t notice yesterday. Immy stalks past everything and pulls open the dresser at the back.

The cloth within is still a mixture of red and black—I suspect that Cain intends to keep me dressed in the colours of blood and death until the end of time—but the pieces are different. Denim, cotton, and a hundred other beautiful fabrics which aren’t lace and velvet.

I almost want to cry, but I recognise it for what it is.

Setting Immy up as my saviour. Convincing me she has my best interests at heart.

Not. Falling. For. It.

“Get dressed,” Immy says, grinning as she heads for the door. “And don’t forget your coat. I’ll be out here.”

I stare at the clothes as she leaves, trying to figure out her angle. This has got to be a ploy. We both know she was the one who betrayed Frost and me two centuries ago. She has to be delusional if she thinks I’ll ever put my trust in her again.

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