Page 25 of Claimed By Blood

“So the hand you presented to Cain?”

“Samuel’s idea.”

“Does he really know—”

“I don’t have a clue, and I didn’t really care. He was just… the only one of them who wasn’t a shit to us, remember? So when he suggested letting him run, I didn’t have to think about it too hard.”

I grimace as I remember the way our ‘brothers’ treated us. Sure, as children, they didn’t mind us. Even bragged about selecting us for Cain. Then, when it became clearwewere the favoured ones, Sigurd, Gaius, Alexander, and Attila all turned on us.

Of course, that was just another of Cain’s tests, to see if we could survive being hated by vampires vastly older and more powerful than ourselves.

“So where is he?”

Morwen shrugs. “If he mentioned anything, I forgot it. Side effect of his gift of being so bland he was basically invisible. If I were him, though, I’d go somewhere sunny.”

Makes sense. Because of the low chances of our kind surviving beyond the few centuries needed for them to become immune to sunlight, cities around the equator have always had a smaller vampire presence. Although older vampires don’t suffer from sunlight as younger ones do, they still tend to steer clear of those locations by force of habit.

If I were Samuel, that would be the perfect place to hide.

“Could you track him?” I demand, the wheels in my brain working overtime. “If I found a way for our sire to approve the mission, could you find him?”

“Great plan. Let’s announce to our sire that I deliberately failed a mission and then expect him to allow the two of us to just wander on down to Mexico, or Somalia, or wherever the fuck he’s settled for a second attempt.” She rolls her eyes, flopping back onto her back. “I could probably find him again. I did it the first time. But there’s no way you’re going to get that past Cain.”

“Letmeworry about that.”

I can think of something.

Morwen sits up. “You don’t actually want to kill Samuel, do you?”

I frown. “I have nothing against him. I just want to know if it’s true. If hedidknow of a way to…” I trail off, unable to even say it.

“To kill our sire?” Morwen finishes for me. “Look, hundreds of people have tried and failed. If you ask me, it’s a fairy tale. One that you’re blindly hoping will allow you to live happily ever after with that pack of yours.”

“Is it better to live and die for a cause you believe in, or live in despair for eternity?”

Morwen shrugs. “Lifeisdespair.” She rubs at her temples for a second. “You realise if you want to keep your thrall, you’ll have to deal with Callie. She still wants him.”

“Callie can’t have him.” Morwen grins at my grumpy—and decidedly not jealous—statement.

A plan starts forming in the back of my mind, but it’s risky. It requires a lot of parts to line up. Even then, Cain could easily throw it all off by sending others in our place.

“I need you to help me get back to full strength,” I mutter. “By the end of the week.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“We both know I’m almost fully recovered. I’m just rusty.”

“And then what?”

I hold her stare with my own. “Then you have to decide how far you’re prepared to go.” I glance back at the stairs. “Or how much you’re prepared to risk.”

CHAPTEREIGHT

EVELYN

The next timeI stride into Court, I’m prepared. Determination lends power to my steps, as I stride past the rows of vampires and bow before my sire’s throne. I’ve chosen a hooded version of the dress, and I wear the fabric over my face, shielding me from the onlookers.

I’m alone, and it feels safer this way. Draven’s displeasure at being left behind rankles at the back of my mind, but I managed to convince him it was more important for him to get in touch with the others so they can be prepared to meet us.

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