Lothaire

she recalled those things chasing her the night before.

“Leaving me?” He traced in front of her with a mocking laugh. “Even if you could get through the boundary, where would you go?”

She strode around him.

“Where could you go that I wouldn’t find you?” He followed, taunting her, even though her feelings were raw, her nerves frayed.

They were now in the living room where he’d brought her that first morning—straight from the injection bench.

He’d thrown her around, shoving her to the floor. “Where would I go?” she asked. “How about the same place my family went—where you couldn’t find them! Eventually, I will get free.”

She thought she saw a flare of alarm in his eyes, but his own aggression quickly overran it. “Resign yourself to the fact that you will never see them again! They are dead to you, just as you are to them.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“They believe you died in that prison escape, shot to death by a guard. They will never know the truth, pet.”

And with that, her mental rubber band . . . broke.

Instead of checking out, I’m gonna lash out.

She snatched up a vase, hurling it at him. “I hate you! Only a fool could ever love you!” Then a lamp. “Ugly on the inside!” She swooped up the decorative sword she’d threatened him with that first day. “Why don’t you try throwin’ me across the room now!”

In a snide tone, he said, “Hag called you feral before. Hag had seen nothing.”

“I’ll kill you!”

“You’d never hurt me. Deny it all you like, but you do love me. Use your little sword to convince me otherwise, or accept that you’re mine forever.” Again he laughed.

His laughter flayed her, cut like a knife. Wild with confusion, she raised the sword, wishing she could cut him back.

When he advanced on her, she cried, “Get away from me! I can’t . . . I can’t be here now! Just leave me be!”

“You can’t be here? And yet, I’m not letting you go.”

“I told you to stay away! I’ll swing!” Red covered her vision. Literally.

Bloody tears. Dear God, I have blood for tears now. Can’t see.

“You could never wield that blade against me. Now, stop acting like a child, and put it away before someone gets hurt.”

She screamed with fury, but she could still hear his laughter.

Can’t stop screaming . . . sword hilt crushed in my grip . . . blindly swinging the blade—

The laughter stopped. Was that a thud on the floor? She swallowed, dizziness engulfing her.

That had not just been his body? The bastard’s messing with me, tricking me.

She rubbed her eyes, again and again, and saw . . .

Horror.

Lothaire lay on his back, head lolling at an angle to his body. His neck was cleaved through, his spine severed. . . .

Her fingers went limp. The sword clattered to the floor.

Knees buckling, she collapsed beside his body. I . . . killed him?

More tears came as she threw herself over his motionless chest. No, no, no! He was invincible—nothing could take him down. Least of all her. What have I done?

She hadn’t even been close enough to reach him. How, how, how?

Anguish replaced her rage. Even after everything, she’d never meant to hurt him like this—to . . . kill him. Just because she didn’t think they could live together didn’t mean she hadn’t felt love for him. I wasn’t anywhere near him!

“He’s not g-gone,” she sobbed. “He’s not. C-can’t be.” Ellie rose up, mindlessly tearing at her hair. Her blood- filled eyes darted—

She froze. The ring. “I w-won’t let him be.” She shot to her feet, sprinting for the safe. “I’ll bring him b-back.”

“You won’t be doing anything,” a voice said from behind her.

Ellie whirled around. A woman with long black hair, pointed ears, and small fangs stood beside Lothaire’s body. Off to the side was a hulking demon, watching the scene intently.

“Who are you?” Ellie demanded. “How did you crack the boundary?”

“The Valkyrie about to abduct you. Inside information from a soothsayer.”

“Try to keep me from what I aim.” Ellie snapped her fangs. “I dare you to.”

With a speed matching Lothaire’s, the raven-haired female charged Ellie, her fist taking her unaware.

Ellie spun on one foot, blood spraying from her mouth before she fell to her knees. The woman was upon her at once, binding her wrists, then shoving a blade against her throat.

“No! Let me go!”

“You are a former human, then? I bet that took the smug bastard down a peg.” She signaled the demon. “Deshazior, now.”

At once the demon traced forward, gripping Ellie’s arm. He could teleport her out of here in an instant.

Away from Lothaire.

“No, don’t touch me!” Ellie hissed, struggling with all her new strength, but she couldn’t break the demon’s hold. Now pleading to the Valkyrie, she cried, “I have to get to the ring! I’m beggin’ you! I’ll bargain with it, just listen to me!” The female was immovable. To the demon, Ellie screamed, “No! Don’t do this—”

He began tracing with both the Valkyrie and her. Just before they disappeared, Ellie twisted around for one last glimpse of Lothaire.

The vampire she had fallen in love with. I killed the man I loved.

But I’m gonna bring him back. . . .

An instant later, the three of them appeared in front of a sprawling mansion with red-robed ghosts flying around. Lightning streaked the misty nighttime sky, shrieks sounding constantly.

Have they taken me to a Valkyrie coven? She needed to figure out where she was, and then come up with an escape plan. Got to get back to the ring before Dorada arrives.

As the Valkyrie hauled her toward the front entrance, Ellie’s mind whirred with ideas. She could force the demon at sword point to trace her back! Then she could heal Lothaire, could take them back in time if she had to.

Get free. Find a sword. It isn’t over. Her new claws bit into her palms until blood dripped. Have to escape! Lothaire’s lying there . . . dead.

When the female began shoving her up the porch steps, the demon gave a teasing bow. “Until we meet again, Carafina.”

“No!” That was her ride back! Ellie flailed against the woman’s unyielding hold, but he’d already disappeared.

After matter-of-factly offering a lock of her hair to the flying ghosts, this Carafina stiff-armed Ellie, sending her sailing through the front doors.

Ellie whirled around. “Let me go, you bitch!”

The Valkyrie’s eyes were violet, glimmering eerily. “I’m the only thing protecting you from my sisters now.”

Inside, pointed-eared females were all over the place—gazing down from the second-floor landing, lining the walls. Though each of them was startlingly beautiful in her own way, they all had claws and fangs and moved with