He huffs out a laugh. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘Well, because it’s safe? And I know we take care of… um.’ My discomfort increases, something about the night stripping the layers away, the gauze from my eyes.
He snorts. ‘Would you like it?’
The woods feel darker, endless. Branches stab at the sky. Anger sparks inside me.Whatis his problem? Why bother bringing me out here, if he’s just going to act like he can’t stand me the whole time? ‘I don’t understand.’ My voice is higher than usual. ‘It’s a safe place for humans, where they can live their lives.’
Where I can livemylife.
‘You think being farmed for blood is living your life?’
It’s like a slap.
‘Farmed? But isn’t it only if h-humans want?—’
Before I can finish he moves, faster than I can see. I’m pressed against him, bending back, his arm around my waist holding me up. His other hand moves my hair away so my neck is exposed. Fuck.
‘You’rehuman. Doesn’t that mean I can eatyou, whenever I want?’
‘You know you can’t!’ I push at him, but it’s like pushing against a statue. Fear sits sour in my throat. Because he can. Of course he can. I have no way to stop him.
‘Tell me.’ His voice is a whisper, deep in the night. ‘Why is that?’ He traces his finger down my throat, cool on my skin.
I close my eyes, rage pulsing red behind my eyelids. But with it comes a deeper twisting, also red, from his closeness, his breath on my neck, the hardness of his body against mine. I try to swallow, my mouth dry. ‘B-because I’m the heir to Raven.’
‘You’re still human, though. No different to any of them.’
I can’t breathe.
His mouth is on my throat.
I stare up at the night sky, at the distant stars. So this is it. Relief, strangely welcome, overcomes me, and I relax in his iron embrace. Fine. Put an end to it, then. Drain me dry.
A strange whooping noise, like a bird call, echoes from the woods. Kyle’s mouth stops moving on my skin, and he becomes very still. ‘Don’t. Move.’ Cold prickles at the base of my neck, the dark woods seeming full of black shadows, moving things.
Then, without warning, Kyle scoops me into his arms and starts to run. He’s going so fast it’s dangerous. I curl myself into him as much as I can, wondering what the hell is going on. More of the strange whooping noises surround us, an eerie rise and fall of sound. Kyle, if it’s even possible, speeds up. I can’t see anything at all, the air rushing past my face.
‘Hold on,’ he says. I tighten my grip. There’s a feeling of weightlessness, then another, and I realise he’s jumping. He jumps one more time, grunting with exertion. We land and he comes to a stop, skidding on the damp undergrowth, just missing a couple of large trees. He lets go but momentum still has me and I stumble, then fall. I lie there, my senses swirling as I try to catch my breath. Kyle drops down next to me and I hear him laugh. Of all things, he’s laughing. What the hell? The strange whooping calls move further away, voices shouting a warning. I turn my head and realise we’re just inside the high black fence topped with silver that borders our lands. Thank darkness, we’re home.
‘Emelia, I’m sorry.’ Kyle rolls towards me, briefly resting his hand on my waist. ‘Gods.’ He rolls on his back again, his arms over his head.
He’ssorry? I sit up, running a hand through my hair, which feels stretched and windblown. ‘What the hell was that?’
Kyle tilts his head towards me, moonlight catching silver in his eyes. ‘That, my lady, was a Reaper gang.’
‘What?’ It wasn’t what I was asking. But still… ‘Are you serious?’
He nods. ‘I couldn’t warn you, I just had to get you out of there.’
I feel faint. Reaper gangs are wild vampires, who don’t consider themselves subjects of any of the realms. If they’d caught us we’d have both been dead, me drained dry and Kyle ripped apart, trying to defend me. I understand his laughter, now. Relief. I feel it myself.
Along with rage.
‘What iswrongwith you?’ I hiss. He is genuinely the worst guard I’ve ever met, like he has no idea how to act. ‘Howdareyou take me into the woods like that, and-and…’ I can’t say it. Can’t say the worst thing of all, the worst thing about this stupid evening.
‘Nothing is wrong with me.’ He gets to his feet and offers me his hand. I bat it away.
‘I can stand up by myself, thank you.’ I scramble to my feet, tugging my skirt down.
