Page 73 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

‘Now’s the time if you’ve got any ideas, Mischief,’ I hiss.

‘Wait for it—’

I sense Chiara behind me before I feel her breath on my hair. Her hand closes over my mouth and pulls my head back. My heart races as she exposes my neck. I can’t have her biting me again. I don’t think I can endure it.

‘Wait for it—’

I don’t know what the fuck Mischief wants me to wait for, but what else have I got? I bide my time, as she says.

Chiara’s other hand strokes my hair. It’s such a gentle movement that it catches me off guard.

‘Why do you struggle?’ Chiara whispers in my ear. ‘You’re only making it harder on yours—’

An image of myself ramming my head back into Chiara flashes through my head.

‘Now!’

I do what the kitty says and slam my head back as hard as I can. Chiara never saw it coming. I think I hear a crack.

She sucks air in through her teeth in a shocked gasp.

‘Run, Esta!’ Mischief screams.

I hurry up the stairs as fast as I can. The sudden head movement made me dizzy, so everything is spinning as I dash up the stairs. I feel a trickle of blood run down my neck—the jolt opened the wound again.

‘You will regret that,’ Chiara growls behind me.

I don’t turn around, I don’t reply, just three more steps and I’ll be at the—

Chiara reaches me just before I would have reached the door. She slams me into the wall and turns me around, one hand on my wrist and the other pushing into my shoulder.

‘Silly girl! My nose will heal before ten minutes have passed.’ The anger leaves her eyes, and a mad twinkle replaces it. ‘Your blood will help me heal the small damage you just dealt. Look.’

And I do look, because there’s a thin trail of blood running out of her nose. Did I break it? I can’t believe I managed to draw blood. I doubt I have the strength to knock her out completely, but I did that. I managed to hurt a vampire. Only by chance, yes, but that doesn’t matter. I did it once, and I can do it again. I’ve just proven to myself that it’s possible.

‘You’re welcome,’ Mischief purrs in my head.

Now what? I think at her, hoping she can hear me. I don’t see why she wouldn’t, but I don’t want to make assumptions.

Mischief has my back, though. ‘Give me a moment, I want to try something.’

I seriously hope I have that long. The thirst in Chiara’s eyes says otherwise. I beg Mischief to hurry and do the only thing I can to buy time:

I piss off Chiara some more.

‘How did it feel when my head hurt your nose? A human, hurting you!’ Against my better judgement, which I seem to have left at Kate’s, I lean my head towards her as far as I can. ‘How did that feel?’ I whisper.

Chiara’s hand flies around my neck and chokes me. The wound sears to life again. My vision flashes white as the fire returns to my neck.

‘And how did it feel,’ Chiara hisses, ‘when my fangs punctured your weak flesh? You think you’ve suffered, human? I can bite you anywhere and prolong the pain—your neck is just the easiest place. You don’t know agony, you stupid child, but you will when I’m done with you. You will beg me for death long before that.’

My mouth goes dry, because I believe it. If I don’t get out now, I’ll never get a second chance.

Whatever you’re doing, do it faster, I silently beg Mischief.

‘Nearly there,’ she replies.

It’s a good thing Chiara is more sadistic than she is smart. Someone else would simply have killed me, but no, someone has to make it last. I thank every god in all the universes that she is that kind of person.

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