Page 37 of Prince of the Undying

He had sworn a vow of undying loyalty to me, which meant he wouldn’t run away from me—unless he was lying through his teeth.

Or had the Order of the Asphodel captured him already?

I scanned the lights overhead. There wasn’t enough darkness here for the shadows of his dagger to be effective. If I were trying to escape, I would have disguised myself and left the train station as fast as possible.

Keeping my head down, I followed the flow of the crowd out into the night.

Rain hushed from the sky over Vienna. Puddles glittered with the lights of the city, and spray hissed from the wheels of passing automobiles. I flipped up the hood of my jacket and strode to the center of the plaza.

I had lost Wendel. And I?—

“Ardis.”

A voice in the crowd hissed from not too faraway. Where?

“Ardis!”

A hand closed on my wrist. I spun around—Wendel.

Relief crashed over me in a wave.

He dragged me from the plaza and into the darkness. He pushed me against the bricks of a wall, his grip tight on my wrist.

My breath left me in a rush and fogged the air. “Where were you?”

Rain sliding down his face, he looked into my eyes. In the shadows, we were all but invisible to the passersby on the street.

“I had to protect you,” he said.

He kissed me, hard and fast, the length of his body pressing against mine. My hands locked behind his neck. Shivering electricity washed over my skin—his necromancy, or my nerves coming alive under his touch.

When we broke apart, I asked, “Protect me from what?”

“Not what.” He shook his head. “Who.”

Dread choked my throat and made it hard to breathe. “Assassins?”

His jaw clenched and he nodded.

“How many?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter. They’re dead.”

“God.” I blinked rainwater from my eyes. “How long have we been in Vienna? Minutes?”

His fingers tensed around my wrist. “They were waiting for us.”

“No. Not us.You.”

His throat worked as he swallowed hard. “You’re right.” His voice sounded husky. “You’re in danger because of me.”

When he released me, the warmth of his hand faded in the cold. He bowed his head, his rain-soaked hair obscuring his face. His shoulders slumped in the posture of a man who had admitted defeat.

It hurt to watch him like this. “We can’t stay here.”

“Take me to the Archmages of Vienna.”

The night was still young when we arrived at the Hall of the Archmages.

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