Noticeably missing were the teachers who stood guard at the doors. Apparently, Landon had been right to warn me, though even he couldn’t have anticipated my worsening problems.
I leapt across two more tables until Silas cut off my retreat.
“She dies!” He threw out his hand to stop the horde of lust-filled vamps, claiming me as his own. Few were crazy enough to defy the psychopath, so the vamps stopped dead in their tracks.
I stared at the blood trickling from his wound. A simple bite wouldn’t be enough to stop Silas for long. If I wanted to incapacitate him, I needed a weapon.
Crouching down, I wracked my brain for some way out of this.
Silas’ hand came at my throat, but I never felt him touch me. Behind Silas, I heard a deep snarl and watched as Silas sailed through the air and landed at the far end of the room.
Looking to where Silas had stood, I found Landon with his hand extended to me. “He won’t stay down for long, Ceyla. Hurry.”
The fear on Landon’s face matched the fear I felt in my chest. We’d both be in danger once Silas recovered.
Knowing what I was ultimately agreeing to, I took Landon’s hand and ran to the hallway with him. I followed him through the school and down the stairs to the punishment room. I rushed into the room and heard the door slam behind me. Landon quickly slid one of the metal tables in front of the door and barricaded us inside.
It was a temporary solution to hide until everyone calmed down, but it wouldn’t deter Adriel for long, once he decided to step in. At least I wouldn’t have to go too far for my punishment.
Panting, I looked up at Landon and waited for him to turn around to face me. I swallowed harshly and stared numbly at the ground. My shaking hands went to the remnants of my shirt and blazer. Slipping out of them, I dropped them to the ground. I bit my lip and tried to keep the tears from forming in my eyes.
“What are you doing?” He took a step closer and waved to the pile of clothes.
“I accepted your help, which means I owe you payment. I understand the rules. I know what you want.” My pulse sped up, which he would easily hear. I prayed that it didn’t send him into a frenzy of hunger and lust.
“Ceyla, look at me.” He lifted my chin with one finger until I met his dark eyes.
“How do you want me?” I couldn’t keep the fear and anger out of my voice. I was pissed that I had accepted his help, but I didn’t have any other choice.
“Stop this.” He took a step back and crossed his arms. “I didn’t help you in exchange for sex, despite what I may have said in the past. I’m not going to hurt you and I don’t want anything from you.”
I thought about all the times he had clearly stated his intentions. “You didn’t help me because it was the right thing to do. So, why risk your life for me?”
He let out a breath. “I helped you because Silas would have killed you. I do want to be with you, Ceyla, more than you know, but not for the reasons you think.” He slowly unbuttoned his white shirt and shrugged off his blazer. He exposed his muscled chest to me and turned to show me his shoulder.
My mouth fell open when I found the mark of the Sabourin Coven burned into his arm. It had been slashed through, just like mine, but unlike my arm, his bore the crest of the Mielcarek below it. The bastard had disavowed the Sabourin Coven to join the Mielcareks. Though I knew he belonged to their coven, I had no idea that he had once been a Sabourin.
“Traitor.” I hissed and turned my back on him.
He spun me around to face him. “You need to listen. I have always been loyal to the Sabourin Coven. My father served your family for generations.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe him. This was just another attempt to manipulate me. “You’re just like every other man who promised to help me. I commend your creativity, but your lies won’t work on me.” I stepped around him to pull the table away. At least I knew what kind of people were waiting for me on the other side of the door. I couldn’t stand to listen to any more liars.
Landon lightly touched the back of my hand and pulled me around. “I was young when the Mielcareks destroyed my family. Their soldiers captured my father and wounded my mother and me, leaving us to die. I swore to my mother that I would find my father and release him from the Mielcareks, but by the time I found him he was dead.” He placed my hand over the gruesome scar on his chest. Someone had tried to stake him with a large piece of wood, but had missed his heart.
I frowned. “If you wanted revenge against the Mielcareks, why join them?”
“After my father’s death, I was directionless and alone in the world. When word came that you had survived, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. You became my reason for living. I join the Mielcareks to protect you, Ceyla.” The pain in his voice and the hopeful look in his eyes made my stomach clench. Though I couldn’t detect a lie in his statement, I couldn’t let myself believe that I had
