Seduced by Blood (The Vampires' Fae Book 2) Page 2

  “It’s such a shame my son insists on keeping you locked up in this room.” He cocked his head to the side. “You must be going out of your mind with boredom. Vampires are powerful, sensual creatures. We’re not meant to be caged.”

  My skin prickled, my body warning me of danger. Not that I needed the alert. I was plenty aware how dangerous Carrick was.

  “He’s not keeping me locked up. I just needed some time to rest after… after the church and everything. It was a big ordeal.”

  “Of course,” the king agreed smoothly, glancing out the window at the forest beyond the castle walls. “But I do hope when you’re feeling better, you’ll allow me to give you a tour of the castle. I’m quite proud of it. Our grounds and gardens are beautiful as well. And perhaps I’ll even show you the artifact room. I collect ancient magical artifacts and objects; it’s become a passion of mine over the years, and my collection is my pride and joy.”

  “Thank you. That would be lovely,” I murmured, inwardly vowing to make sure that never happened. I didn’t want to spend any more time with Carrick than absolutely necessary. At the few dinners I’d attended in the main hall, I’d felt him watching me intently. I wasn’t sure why he was so interested in me, but his attention made my skin crawl.

  After a moment of silence, Carrick glanced over his shoulder at me from where he stood by the window. “How did you meet my son, Willow?”

  I blinked, startled by the abrupt change of topic. “He… he never told you?”

  A lazy smile curved the king’s lips. “My son and I aren’t as close as we once were. He doesn’t tell me much these days, I’m afraid.”

  My heart rate picked up a little. If Malcolm hadn’t told the king about the circumstances of our meeting, I wasn’t sure I should. There must be a reason he hadn’t said anything, and I trusted Mal much more than I trusted Carrick.

  But I wasn’t sure I should lie. Could I get away with it? Or would he be able to tell?

  “I… was attacked by one of the shades. Malcolm, Jerrett, and Sol came to my rescue. They scared the shade away.”

  “Ah. Yes, that sounds familiar. They do love to play hero.”

  Carrick’s heavy brows drew together, as if he couldn’t quite understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. He studied me carefully, and I watched him right back, unable to tear my gaze away.

  He looked so much like Malcolm it was unsettling. They had the same large, imposing build, the same dark hair and rich brown eyes, the same heavy features. But in Malcolm, there was a softness, a kindness behind his eyes that made his hard features even more beautiful.

  Carrick didn’t have that at all.

  There was something about the king, not a cruelty exactly, but an amorality that made my nerves buzz with unease.

  I got the sense he would do what he pleased when he pleased, and unlike Malcolm, he wouldn’t think twice about it.

  The older vampire inclined his head, seeming to delight in being so thoroughly examined by me.

  “You must like to play the hero too, my dear, to join them in their hunt,” he drawled finally.

  “Well, I don’t know about playing hero, but yes. I offered to help them find the shades and free those trapped goblin children. The kids were returned to their families, right?”

  I tried to keep the suspicion out of my tone as I asked, but the king’s face pinched with irritation as he waved a hand.

  “Of course, of course. As I told you they would be.” He moved toward me, his footsteps light as a whisper on the stone floors. “Tell me, my dear, how long have you been a vampire? You carry yourself like a human.”

  I bristled. A lot of mind-blowing information had been thrown at me over the past few weeks, and I’d prided myself on how well I had been keeping up with it all. Maybe it was stupid to be insulted that he’d compared me to a human, but I wasn’t one anymore. I was a vampire, damn it, and I was owning that.

  “I don’t know what that means,” I said stiffly, leaning against the door. “If you mean I’m not skulking in alleyways looking for humans to feast on, then I guess you’re right. Otherwise, I think I carry myself exactly like a vampire.”

  Carrick smirked as he came to a stop in front of me. “The fact that you say that tells me how young you are. When you’ve spent more time living as one of us, you’ll understand what I mean. It’s a subtle difference, but you’ll feel it.”

  I pressed harder against the door. The smooth wood was cool against my exposed upper back, and my eyes darted around quickly as Carrick approached, searching for a way out.

  “There. There it is. Your human side.” The vampire king chuckled, a low rumbling sound that vibrated his chest. “You’re afraid.”

  My gaze flew to him, and our eyes locked. “No, I’m not.”

  “My dear, there’s no need to lie. It’s all right to be afraid. Perfectly understandable, in fact. The human side of your brain still believes you are prey.”

  I straightened my spine, staring up into his eyes as he towered over me. Damn it, why did all these vampire men have to be so damn tall?

  “Yeah? Tell that to the shade I killed at the church.”

  Carrick huffed a laugh. “Terrified, but still brave. And feisty. I can see why my son is so attached to you.”

  A swell of warmth rose in my chest at that, but it was quickly doused by the fear that crashed over it. Whatever mind game Carrick was playing, I got the sense it had to do more with Malcolm and whatever weird, fucked up relationship they had than with me.

  Which made me a pawn, the most expendable piece in the game.

  “Thank you, sir—er, Carrick. But I don’t think he’s that attached. It’s possible he’s kept me around just for the entertainment value,” I joked lamely, trying to redirect our conversation.

  The king rested his hands on the door beside my head, caging me in. He dropped his chin slightly, staring into my eyes. His gaze was forceful, powerful. Hypnotic. I suddenly felt laid bare, as if I didn’t have a stitch of clothing on—nothing to hide behind.

  His dark eyes flashed, interest burning in their depths. “How long have you been a vampire, Willow? And who turned you?”

  3

  Sol

  “Well, that was a fucking waste of time,” Jerrett groused, as we stalked down the halls of the castle.

  “Agreed.” Malcolm’s voice was heavy with disgust and ire.

  “Why are we spending so much time talking about these goddamn shades instead of hunting them?”

  “I don’t know.” Malcolm ground his teeth together. I could practically feel him trying to rein in his temper. “Our first meeting with the guards Carrick assigned to track them was somewhat useful. At least we were able to pool our knowledge on the shades’ movement and activity.”

  “Yeah, sure. But since then, all we’ve been doing is rehashing the same information over and over!”

  “I suspect my father is trying to wait it out,” Malcolm said. “There’ve been no shades spotted since we took down the ones at the church. Perhaps he’s hoping they and their masters will just disappear.”

  Jerrett scoffed. “Not fucking likely.”

  “Again, I agree.” Malcolm blew out a harsh breath. “Sol, where are you on your examination of the dead shade? Have you transcribed the markings on its skin?”

  “Nearly. There are parts where the skin is damaged too badly to make them out clearly. Transcribing those parts has slowed me down.”

  “Understood. Keep working at it. Once we have a complete picture of the runes, we can begin the task of deciphering them.”

  The irony of a sightless man being asked to examine a dead body for evidence wasn’t lost on me. But I was the best man for the job, and I was grateful Malcolm acknowledged that.

  Other vampires often looked down on me or considered me feeble because of my blindness, despite the fact that it was no handicap at all. Fate had granted me a sixth sense that more than made up for my lack of sight. That, combined with my enhanced senses of smell
and hearing, let me walk, run, and hunt with as much agility as my brothers.

  But some at the Penumbra considered vampirism to be the perfection of God’s creation, and such people looked down on those of us with any perceivable flaws.

  That was one of the many reasons I’d been only too happy to leave the vampire court and set out alone with Malcolm and Jerrett. We’d spent the past several decades living on our own and hunting dangerous supernaturals who threatened those less powerful than us.

  “It’s strange being back, isn’t it?”

  I said it almost to myself, but Malcolm’s grunt of assent and Jerrett’s muttered curse told me I wasn’t alone in my feelings.

  We’d all had slightly different motivations for leaving, but none of us had expected to be back so soon, and not one of us was happy about it—even less so because it put Willow at such tremendous risk. I had hoped to keep our little Willow tree hidden from the vampire king forever.

  And now that we knew for certain she was part fae, I couldn’t help but pick up the earthy, warm notes in her scent that gave her heritage away. The aroma was subtle, barely there. I hadn’t been able to identify it for weeks, and my senses were sharper than the average vampire’s.

  Still, I couldn’t stop the clench of fear in my chest every time we were forced to bring Willow out of her room.

  My thoughts strayed to her sweet, soft voice, her silky hair, and her blazing, indomitable spirit. Though we hadn’t known her long, every atom in my body screamed that she was ours. Or perhaps a better way to put it was that we were hers.

  I would walk through fire for that woman and never think twice. The only other people I could say that about were my brothers.

  I’d been in love with a girl named Anna when I was human, before I left to fight in the Civil War—or at least, I’d thought I was. What I felt for Anna seemed like a shadow of what I understood love to be now. True love could move mountains and open up the heavens. It was a joining of separate souls into a greater whole—giving up part of yourself only to have it returned with interest.

  The family my brothers and I had created meant everything to me, and although none of us had intended it, I could feel our small family shifting and expanding to include Willow.

  We’d been kept so busy by Carrick these past few days that we’d hardly had time to visit her, but she was never far from my thoughts.

  Even now, as we approached our chambers in the east wing of the castle, I was acutely aware of her. I perked my ears, picking up the quick thud of her heartbeat in her room.

  My footsteps slowed.

  Too quick. Why is it beating so fast?

  “Something is wrong,” I murmured, lifting my head to taste the air. A new scent invaded my nostrils, and my blood ran cold with a mix of fear and anger. “Carrick.”

  The words were barely out of my mouth before Malcolm rushed for the door to Willow’s room. Jerrett and I followed right behind him.

  He didn’t bother to knock like usual, just turned the knob and pushed the door open. He grunted as if he’d encountered a heavy weight, and from the other side, Willow gave a surprised yelp.

  We stepped into the room, and I realized what had impeded Malcolm earlier. Willow and Carrick stood near the door. They must’ve been braced against it. I could hear her thundering heartbeat and his measured, heavy one even more loudly now. Willow’s aura sparked with unease.

  “What are you doing here, father? Is this why you weren’t at that useless meeting?”

  Malcolm’s breath came fast and hard as he spoke, and I rested a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. Anger thrummed in my veins too, but if we pushed the king too hard, the repercussions would be dangerous—for our Willow most of all.

  “I’d hardly say it was useless, my son. Although I admit I didn’t think it was so pressing that it required my presence. I’ve tasked my guards with finding out more about the shade activity, and since you’ve taken it upon yourself to go after those creatures, I assumed you would want to be included. Apologies if I guessed wrong.”

  “What are you doing here?” Malcolm repeated, his voice hard.

  “Getting better acquainted with your lovely friend. It seemed such a shame that she’s been here for days and has hardly been able to enjoy the Penumbra. Tell me, you’re not trying to keep her from me, are you?”

  “No, father. Why would I?”

  The lie slipped off Malcolm’s tongue easily. Of course, that was exactly what we’d been doing.

  The sound of Willow’s heartbeat still pulsed in my ears, and I stepped forward, taking her delicate hand in mine. She stood frozen within arm’s reach of the king, but with a small tug, she stepped quickly to my side, pressing her warm body against me as I wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder. Her skin was damp, and I could feel the lines of her scars beneath my fingertips.

  Carrick released a low laugh. “Perhaps you were feeling selfish. She’s quite an enchanting creature. Beautiful. Fragile yet determined, like gossamer wrapped around steel.”

  “What do you want?”

  Malcolm wasn’t playing any of Carrick’s games today, but I could hear the strain in his voice. His father was getting to him, like he always did. Decades away from the Penumbra hadn’t been enough to change that.

  Carrick stepped forward. “I was just wondering how such a lovely vampire came to exist. She didn’t seem inclined to tell me, so perhaps you will.”

  Willow’s breath stuttered. Her arm around my waist tightened reflexively. The air in the room thickened, and I felt Malcolm’s aura pulse with frustration.

  In truth, it was a miracle Carrick hadn’t forced this information from us the moment he met Willow. But that would’ve ruined the games he loved to play so much—would have robbed him of a chance to toy with Malcolm. He’d given us six nights at the Penumbra, six nights of waiting for the shoe to drop.

  And now he was going to crush us with it.

  “I turned her,” Malcolm admitted reluctantly. “She was dying. A shade had attacked her and left her for dead. There was no other way to save her but to give her my blood.”

  Jerrett took a breath beside me, probably about to add that we’d fed her too, but his jaw snapped shut quickly. That was information we didn’t need to share. It shouldn’t have taken three vampires to save her life, and we didn’t need to give Carrick any more reasons to think Willow was special or unusual.

  The king hummed in satisfaction, triumph clear in his voice. “That’s very noble of you, son. I can see why you thought this flower was worth saving.”

  “If there had been any other option, I would’ve taken it. I didn’t plan to do this.”

  Carrick’s soft footsteps grew nearer, and I felt his powerful presence like a wave rolling toward us. “Of course, my son. I do believe that. However, it’s what you did after you turned her that surprises me. I would’ve expected you to know the rules of our race better than anyone.”

  My stomach sank. There was the shoe we’d been waiting for.

  I cursed every turn of events that had led Carrick to that church the same night we were there. It wasn’t like me to question Fate’s decisions, but I desperately hoped she knew what she was doing.

  Malcolm cleared his throat. “I do, father. But I—”

  “There is no ‘but,’ my son. All newly made vampires must be declared and are subject to the king’s approval,” Carrick said softly. “And I didn’t approve this.”

  4

  Willow

  The temperature in the room dropped several degrees—or maybe it just felt so cold because my blood had to turned to ice.

  My muscles tensed, and I felt Sol’s grip tighten around me.

  I darted a glance up at him then looked to Jerrett, Malcolm, and finally, to Carrick.

  No one was smiling.

  I wasn’t sure anyone was breathing.

  Shit. Carrick was deadly serious about this. Was that why the brothers had been so adamant about keeping my existence a secret? Because the king
hadn’t approved their decision to turn me? What did that mean?

  Malcolm’s throat worked as he swallowed. His deep brown eyes looked almost black as he stared unblinkingly at his father.

  “As I told you already, her life was in immediate danger. It was a decision made in haste to save her from bleeding out at our feet. There wasn’t time to ask for your permission. I…” He breathed deeply. “I apologize.”

  A vein in his temple throbbed, and I could see what it cost him to maintain his calm deference to the king.

  “It’s true, Carrick.” Jerrett shoved his hair out of his face, jerking his chin toward Sol. “We were both there when Malcolm turned her. She had a few minutes, maybe less, to live.”

  Sol murmured his assent, adding, “It was never our intent to keep her from you. We would’ve brought her directly to you after she completed the change, but we were sidetracked by our hunt for the shades. It seemed too important to ignore.”

  That was a lie.

  Not the part about me only having minutes to live before they turned me—that, I could believe all too easily. But Malcolm hadn’t been the only one to let me drink from him. And they hadn’t intended to bring me to Carrick right away. In fact, I was pretty sure they’d had no intention of ever bringing me here.

  Sol’s strong fingers dug into my shoulder, a silent warning.

  I didn’t need it. I had no idea why they were lying to the king, but I knew enough not to open my big mouth and blab the truth. Danger hung in the air like the prickling charge of lightning before a late summer storm. There was more going on here than I understood, and until I knew what it was, I planned to follow my three guardians’ lead.

  Carrick sucked on his lip, regarding me thoughtfully as he addressed the men. “I see. Clearly you were very distracted by the shades, considering you reached their hideout and defeated them before my men and I arrived. Still, whatever your reasons, the fact remains that she is an undeclared vampire. Since I never approved of her creation, perhaps I should just kill her. It seems simplest.”