Page 17 of The Night Runs Red

When I was done, and tears threatened to fall, she let out a breath. “Oh, Calia…” Pity filled her voice, and I hated the way it sounded.

“No, don’t do that,” I snapped, wiping away the single bead of moisture. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I just need to get used to my new normal. It could be worse, right? He could have told me that if he couldn’t have me, no one could. At least I have the freedom to do what I want.”

“Do you, though?”

I fumbled with the ring on my finger; an ostentatious thing with a diamond big enough to be seen from the other side of Kallistos. I hated it with every fiber of my being, but it didn’t surprise me that the D’Arcy family curated a piece of jewelry to so obviously showcase their wealth. “Of course I do. He said—”

“And yet, he also said that you can’t pursue anything with Jasper. Doesn’t seem like complete freedom to me.” When I said nothing, Brielle sighed, frustration building in her tone. “Calia, there has to be a way—”

I panicked, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Every time I did, I felt the same pang in my chest as I had with his rejection. “It’s not that deep, Bri. I feel so much better after talking to you, okay? And listen, I don’t know when, but Rion is funding a shopping spree. I need a fancy dress for the mayor’s charity at the end of the month. Wanna join?”

At the change of topic, Brielle perked up and began talking enthusiastically about what I should wear. Brielle would be coming too, representing her family. Thankfully her mother had said she’d rather eat slugs than listen to the mayor drone on about his newest piece of real estate. At least I’d have one friendly face at my side.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Brielle and I ended our call with a promise on my end to let her know when the appointment was. I tossed the phone onto the sofa beside me, leaning back against the cushions. Silence descended, only the sound of my steady breathing kept me company.

During the tour, I’d lingered outside the library. The D’Arcy family had been around for centuries; I could only imagine the amount of books they owned. I didn’t even care that they’d likely be about stuffy things like politics and How to be a Dick 101.

During college, I’d devoured classic literature, especially stories with grand, epic romances. While they’d always hold a special place in my heart, I quickly found that my tastes ran a bit naughtier. I’d once lost myself in a series about a woman blessed by the stars, sworn to one brother only to be destined for another. It was passionate and demanded your attention from the first page. However, the chances of me finding any books like that in the D’Arcy’s private collection were slim.

But it was worth a shot.

Anything would be better than mindlessly scrolling on my phone, which I’d done for at least an hour before talking to Brielle. The amount of gossip already spreading about my marriage to Rion was insane. It ranged from a secret baby—no, thank you—to a love match—not likely.

Our picture was plastered across the front page of every newspaper, undoubtedly taken by Leonora, who’d snapped multiple shots as soon as we’d said ‘I do.’ At least whoever printed them took the time to digitally remove the bloodstains coating my white dress, because that was one reminder I didn’t want.

With a groan, I pushed myself off the couch and walked into the hallway. I couldn’t remember which direction led to the library, but it shouldn’t be hard to find. It was somewhere on this floor, near the staircase I was warned away from.

That was yet another thing that piqued my interest, and with everyone otherwise occupied, this might be the best opportunity to find out what he was hiding up there.

“Fuck it,” I muttered, walking toward what was sure to be a terrible idea. I couldn’t fight the feeling there was something important no one was telling me. It didn’t matter how often I tried to convince myself the secrecy was only Rion wanting his privacy; that slight tugging feeling lingered in my stomach and refused to dissipate.

All I had to do was go undetected by a houseful of vampyres with remarkable hearing, and make sure they didn’t find out about my little escapade to snoop around Rion’s stuff I had been explicitly forbidden from exploring.

Pfft. Yeah right.

Even if I managed to sneak by the rest of the household staff, Rion would know. I couldn’t explain how I knew, but it was tied to that feeling tugging at my gut. I could almost picture the look on his face as my scent drifted to him in passing, indignation driving him to seek me out .

It didn’t stop me. The heady thrill of wondering what he’d do if I was caught made my panties wetter than they had any right to be.

I quickly made my way to the winding stairway, taking care to step as lightly as possible on the well-worn wooden steps. As hard as it was, I tried not to use the handrail, worried it’d strengthen my scent. It didn’t take long for me to reach the landing, and I was surprised to find it strangely homey. The dark walls matched those throughout the rest of the house, but the small corridor was littered with personal touches.

Pictures hung along the walls, dating back to gods only knew when. Some looked like antique tintypes, the images printed on thin metal—worn and faded in spots where fingers had touched over the years. I couldn’t ignore my curiosity, allowing myself to linger and examine each one for as long as possible.

Raised voices sounded from down the hall, and my head snapped toward the door in fear. Shit, shit, shit. I was readying to bolt down the steps when I heard Leonora’s voice. “. . .woo the girl, Rion. Make her love you, make her trust you. That is all I have asked.”

“And you have asked for the impossible,” he responded with a small snort.

“By the gods, Rion, are you truly so dense? She is the key to everything; without her, we have nothing. You must give her a reason to stay.”

“Why?” he shot back. “She cannot go anywhere. And even if she tried, she would not last past the blood moon.”

Leonora laughed, and the horrible feeling from earlier sunk to the bottom of my stomach. “And if she tries to run? Would you confine her to a cell to keep her here until we can do what we must? She might be safer that way, even now… I cannot lie and say I do not wonder what her blood might taste like. She smells delicious—”

The sharp sound of a hand striking a thick surface caused me to jump back. A floorboard creaked, and I realized I only had seconds to act. Less than, really. The voices went silent as I made my decision. Turning on my heel, I raced as quickly as I could down the stairway.

The only problem was I was nowhere near a match for my vampyre husband.

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