“No,” I growled.
As if they’d grown into daggers, his nails dug into my flesh through my gown. I winced and tried to wiggle away but he only held me tighter. “What makes you think I won’t just take it?”
“Because if you could, you wouldn’t need to use Aric against me.”
“Aren’t you wondering how he got here? Why he would come back here knowing it might cost his life?”
“How did you know about that?”
A serpent smile. “We have eyes and ears everywhere. We know of your grandmother’s premonition.”
It didn’t surprise me. “Fine, why is he here?”
“Oh, I thought you’d never ask.”
If I could have slit his throat right then I would have.
“He’s under my control. For convenience, I made him forget about that pesky premonition. He’s here to see his girlfriend, and take her to the dance like he promised. But if things don’t go like I want, I can tell him to cut his own throat and he will.” He curled his fingers around my hand tighter. “Or perhaps I’ll have him stick that dagger where it would hurt you even worse.”
Legacy! “Don’t you dare.”
“When you sent him back to Collweya, you practically gifted him to us. This would have never worked without him. He was good leverage for some of the good vampires. They don’t want their poor prince hurt so they started to play nice.”
I had no clue how he was mind controlling Aric. If it was magic, it was dark magic and not something most would have access to or dare use. And I couldn’t fathom how they’d gotten Aric back here so fast. Without my mother to open a portal or dragon it would take at least six weeks to travel. How were these blood drinkers getting here?
“But you,” he ground his teeth. “After I tortured Kyan, he’s a traitor to our kind so it was a pleasure, but mostly I needed him to give me the spell to get through the protective wall around this place for some… friends,” he laughed darkly. “I threatened to control your mind, take you as my slave if he didn’t, he laughed and told me he put a protection spell on you and I couldn’t. But I found another way in anyway.”
Another way? Torturing him? “Is he… dead?” I thought back to the night Kyan kissed my hand, when I felt a pulse of something go up my arm and through me.
“Not yet. The craziest thing is Kyan didn’t even do it because he wants you for himself. He thinks humans are special.” Senica faked a gag. “I noticed a bunch of soldiers heading out earlier to look for us. They aren’t going to find my friends. There is no cave.”
“Why are you even telling me this?” I felt like he was trying to buy time. Trying to distract me. I searched for Zyacus, my grandparents, Mother—anyone who could help. We’d pretty much gotten lost in the sea of gowns and suits and I couldn’t see Aric or Legacy anymore. I wanted to tell everyone to get inside but then Aric or even Legacy could die.
“Because it’s fun. Because I want to smell your fear before I take a bite.”
This was his little game but I was only a small part of the picture. I was waiting for the screaming to start, the chaos.
Suddenly everything went black and I felt like I was being squeezed through something much too small and in a heartbeat, we appeared by the lake at the end of the property and we were alone. He’d used the appearus spell to bring us here.
When I tried to pull away, he gripped me harder, enough that I thought the bones of my hand might crush. Clenching my teeth I held in a cry of pain. Then he clamped a cold metal band onto my wrist and I felt my magic waning. Kirune—the metal that suppressed magic. I’d kept my composure until that moment but panic swelled in me. My magic was gone unless I could get this thing off.
Dragging his nose along my neck, he whispered, “There is that fear I’ve been waiting for.”
I slammed my knee into his groin, drove my forehead into his face and pushed off. Pulling my dagger, I backed up and readied myself. All the fabric of this dress would make it harder to fight. Bindy showed me how the bottom half could detach so I jerked on the ribbons and ripped it off, leaving me in the corset top and black leggings.
“Nice dagger,” he said, and the cut an inch below his left eye from my headbutt healed shut. No magic, no sword, his advanced abilities, this fight was looking grim for me.
An idea came to mind however, probably a stupid one but it would at least catch him off guard. I sliced my forearm and blood flowed.
He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath through the nose and then came at me so fast I barely saw him move. As if he couldn’t control himself, he dragged his tongue along my bleeding arm and I drove my blade into his back.
He arched in a cry of pain and his arms flung wildly as he reached for the dagger. I bolted, running as fast as I ever had.
“Get back here!” he roared.
Feet pounding, my blood buzzing in my ears, I got closer to the party. The sound of screaming, and the ringing of swords made me run even harder. Those bastards had gotten in. They were here! I cursed the stupid manacle on my wrist that kept me from using magic.
Without a sound of his approach, I was tackled from behind and was fighting off Senica who was trying to pin me down. “Get off!” I screamed so loud my throat felt like it might bleed.
A percussion wave sent Senica toppling off me and shook the very ground. Scrambling to my feet, I readied myself for another enemy but there stood
