Page 24 of Princess of Thorns and Ruin

“That was very thoughtful of her. Nice to meet you, Evangeline,” I say politely, mustering enough composure to forget about her warm blood for a moment.

“Can I unpack your dresses?” She moves through the room and searches for my luggage.

“I’m afraid my dresses did not travel with me. I will see my brother now. Can you—”

“They said—they told me to ask you to remain in your quarters for now. Because of the attempt on your life.” Her gaze falls to the ground, the suggestion she had to relay clearly making her uncomfortable.

An attempt…how poetic and abstract.

A whiff of lavender and blood pervades the air, and my mouth waters. My teeth unsheathe in my hungry mouth, and my gaze latches on to her neck. “Will you find my first-blood? He’s supposed to be here by now. His name is Leo Callas.”

“Immediately, princess.” With a quick bow, she scurries off, probably all too aware that she shouldn’t bother a hungry newborn vampire.

The servant’s door closes silently behind her—her stealth is impressive considering the feverish speed at which she left.

Dread blooms at the pit of my stomach. What if something happened to the other plane? What if Lucas and Leo got hurt? I pace the room, the grooves in the stones both familiar and eerie. Particles of dust float in the air and dry up my tongue.

I’ve been wracking my brains for hours, trying to determine who might have the kind of influence necessary to abduct me. The list isn’t very long. There’s the Zhaos, of course, the power-hungry vampire clan. We’ve been at war for centuries.

The vampire rebels haven’t tried anything in years, but they used to cause trouble back when Ludovic took the throne, so maybe they’re at it again now that he’s dead.

A hot sense of relief washes over me when Leo arrives a few minutes later.

“You sent for me, princess?” he grounds out.

I jolt out of my chaise lounge, my silk robe wrapped around my frame, and dash closer to him. His familiar scent calms my nerves. “What took you so long?” I don’t mean it as a reproach. More as a where-the-hell-have-you-been-I-thought-you-were-dead outcry.

Leo holds out his wrist, his eyes dark and dangerous.

I graze his skin with my fingers. “Wait. Not yet.” I don’t know if it’s anger, adrenaline, fear, or a mix of the three, but I’m no longer hungry. “I’m so relieved. I thought your plane might have been attacked, too.”

Deep lines crease his forehead. “You were attacked?”

This is not the homecoming I’d hoped for. Locked inside my room with death threats hanging over my head… I stare at him for a minute, tongue-tied, until the tightness in his shoulders eases.

“Will you hold me?” I squeak, craving his touch beyond reason.

He wraps his big arms around my frame slowly, his movements uncertain like he’s trying to figure out how to connect two puzzle pieces that don’t quite belong together. I hide my face in his chest, and the heat emanating from his body dizzies me. It thaws the frost. I should be ashamed of my weakness, but Leo isn’t one of them. Leo is mine.

“Were you hurt?” The tremble of his voice is barely noticeable.

I shake my head and look up at him, wide-eyed. “No, but I’m scared. Why would anyone want to kidnap me? Or kill me?”

“I couldn’t pretend to understand your world,” he says in a neutral, dispassionate drawl.

The tips of my ears burn. “It said in your file that you were interested in politics. You must have an idea.”

I’m still tucked in his arms, but somehow I feel the distance between us stretch and expand until he shakes his head and answers, “A change in leadership is an excellent opportunity to strike. Power dynamics are shaky when a king dies so suddenly.”

“But why would they target me specifically? I have the least amount of power, and if ransom was really their end goal, they wouldn’t have used lethal force.” I dig my fingers into his shirt, giving him no chance to retreat. The hard muscles underneath his button-down shirt steal my breath

His green gaze latches onto my neck. “Maybe they have a different angle, one that has nothing to do with ransom or you specifically. If your brother can’t protect his own sister, how can he be expected to protect his subjects?”

I dig my fingers into his chest before releasing him. “I hadn’t thought of that. I knew you had something to contribute.”

“Will that be all, princess?” he whispers.

The throaty request disarms me, and I want to acquiesce, but alas…“No, actually, I still need to feed.”

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