Twisted

those vampires, and he’d barely made it out of the throne room without falling to his face and licking the oh, so delicious-looking blood off the floor.

Only two things had stopped him. The desire for Victoria’s blood, and only Victoria’s blood, which fortified itself by the minute, and the knowledge that showing weakness of any kind would be used against him during the big battle. And the battle would happen, just as he’d promised Victoria.

Elijah might have seen several different outcomes, but circumventing the battle altogether hadn’t been one of them.

A few times, Aden had seen himself die, his head removed by a sword covered in je la nune. Victoria wouldn’t be able to save him from that. But then he’d thought, I won’t go low, I’ll dart to the side. And the visions had instantly changed. So, when the new outcome played through his mind, he’d seen Sorin swing, encountering air as Aden ducked and went in for his own attack.

He’d realized then that his future was uncertain. Completely changeable. And he could win—maybe—but at a price. His victory would mark the beginning of a downward spiral for Victoria. Maybe because she would see him standing over her brother’s body, vampires cheering his success while she cried.

He didn’t want that for her. Didn’t want her depressed or angry, or worse, hating him with every fiber of her being. Therefore, he had to figure out a solution.

“Did you know you have small black dots on your scalp?” she asked. “Freckles?”

“Most likely. They’re cute.”

Cute kicked the butt of hideous, but just barely. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” A soft hum drifted from her as she finished up. “There,” she finally announced. “Done.” She cupped his cheeks in her less than warm hands and looked him over. “You are—” She gasped.

“What?” Was it that bad?

I don’t like to say I told you so, Caleb announced. But I freaking TOLD YOU SO.

While Victoria’s mouth opened and closed, Aden unfolded to a stand. His reflection in the mirror above the sink slowly came into view. He’d expected a real ugh-o to stare back at him, but that wasn’t the case. He had two inches of hair left, the strands spiked. They were a dirty blond, his natural color, and they made his skin appear a deeper bronze. And his eyes, which had once been black and had recently converted to violet, were now a golden brown.

Oh, Caleb breathed. Well, okay then. Will wonders never cease?

“You don’t like it?” he asked Victoria.

“Like it?” With a trembling hand, she reached up to run her fingers along his newly shorn scalp. “I love it. And I finally see the appeal of the bad boy.”

He looked like a bad boy, he wondered, leaning into her touch, hoping it would deepen.

Kiss her, Caleb prompted. Now, now, now! Before the mood is tainted.

For once, I gotta agree with the pervert, Julian said. French that girl within an inch of her life.

Yes.

Before Aden realized he’d moved, his hands were on her waist, drawing her closer to him. Automatically his gaze dropped to her neck, to her hammering pulse. A high-pitched roar, similar to what he’d heard outside, only a bit louder now, suddenly echoed inside his head.

Victoria noticed the direction of his gaze. “You need to feed or you’ll be too weak to survive tomorrow.”

I’ll do more than survive. He hoped. “You offering?”

“N-no.” She gulped, sending a shiver down the rest of her body. “Aden, you have to stop this.”

“Stop what? Holding you?”

Nooo! Caleb cried, and Aden’s fingers clenched on Victoria, making her wince. I’ve missed her.

“That’s enough,” Aden snapped at him. “Loosen your hold, and give me a minute.”

“The souls?” she asked sympathetically.

His nod was clipped, scattering Caleb’s mutterings. Then the pressure eased and Aden was able to gentle his grip on his own. Caleb kept that up, and something would have to be done. What, though, Aden didn’t know. Other than finding the soul’s way out.

“And no,” Victoria said, picking their conversation up where it had ended, “I didn’t mean I wanted you to stop holding me. Or maybe I did. You want me one minute, you don’t the next, then you want me again, like now, and I can’t keep up. I just—sweet heavens above!”

The innocent curse didn’t surprise him, but the panicked shock bubbling from it did. “What’s wrong?” No one had stepped into the bathroom. No threat had jumped out at them.

She pulled from his hold and withdrew her phone, her hand trembling, her breathing ragged. “Riley just texted, and the vibration freaks me out every time.”

He wanted her back in his arms. “Easy fix. Turn it off vibrate.”

“Sure thing. As soon as I figure out how to do that.” She read the screen, her pale skin tinting with gray. “Will you, uh, excuse me?” She didn’t wait for his reply but raced from the bathroom, throwing over her shoulder, “I’ll send a blood-slave to see to your hunger, maybe the same one from before,” before slamming the door shut behind her.

“Don’t do that,” he called. If she heard him, he didn’t know. Even then, he wanted only Victoria. He strode into the bedroom, but she was already gone.

I can’t believe you let her get away without a goodbye kiss, Caleb whined.

Elijah made a noise that sounded like a cross between a wheeze and a cough. First the hair, and now the kiss. Will you stop already? You’re driving me crazy.

No! This is important.

I shut you down once, Caleb. Don’t make me do it again.

Shut me down? What do you mean? How and when did this alleged shutdown happen? Because Aden can tell you that, of the three of us, I’m the most powerful, and if any shutting down needs to occur, I’ll be the one doing it.

Elijah’s annoyance bled into unease. Never mind. Just—

Wait! Hold on a sec. I’m not gonna let this drop. You’re talking about the cave, right? Because the end of our stay is like the same black hole Mary Ann sends us to whenever Aden nears her. Did you do that to us, E? Huh, huh, did you?

A, uh, black hole, you say?

What did you do, E? Julian demanded.

For the love of God! “I need Elijah to help me during the battle with Sorin, but if you guys don’t shut up, I’ll find the meds Victoria gave us and send you to a black hole right here and now.”

Sorry, Ad, Julian said.

Fine, be that way, Caleb said.

Thank you, Elijah said.

“Good.” They understood each other.

From the corner of his eye, Aden spotted the dancing woman from this morning gliding toward Victoria’s bed, leaning over. A little girl with long black hair lay there, sleeping. He frowned in confusion. Neither female had been there a moment ago.

“You,” he said, approaching.

She ignored him, saying to the little girl, somehow equally as familiar to him, “Come on now, precious.” She threw a panicked glance over her shoulder. Not at Aden, but at somewhere far, far past him. “We have to leave now. Before he returns.”

The little girl stretched and yawned. “But I don’t want to go,” she said in the sweetest angel voice he’d ever heard.

“You must. Now.”