The fae isn’t here. Whoever she is. No one here is powerful enough for that. But I recognise the vampires’ energy, even with the brief feel I got. The bartender and the bodyguard. Jakob isn’t here, either.
That makes less sense. Where are they taking me? The sun is creeping up; I can feel that, too. Are they—
Someone grabs the collar of my shirt and yanks me upright. “I know you’re awake.”
I open my eyes, staring directly into the fae’s face. The bodyguard is sitting just behind where they’re crouching, and he scowls. He didn’t know I was awake, and that’s pissed him off. Good. Fuck him. Fuck the lot of them.
I force any tremor out of my voice. Now isn’t the time to show fear, even if I’m worried about where Vlad might be. He’s looking for me, right? He’ll be concerned.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask.
“To the beach,” the fae says. They sneer. “You’re dressed for it.”
I bare my fangs and they move faster than I expect, punch landing right on my jaw. Fuck, they’re strong. A troll. Jesus. I catch myself on my hands, then jolt as we take the next corner fast. And this human is a shitty driver, and that’s coming from me, of all people.
“They didn’t kill themselves, did they? You threw them out into the sun.”
The troll shrugs, but the bartender shifts behind me, so I turn my attention to him. His hair is as dark as Vlad’s but longer, falling down to his mid-back like a high fae’s might. His lip curls when he looks at me.
I don’t care why he doesn’t like me. He’s been a vampire longer than I have, but not as long as the bodyguard, and neither is as old as Jakob. Does he want Jakob’s attention? He can have it.
“The others all failed. Every test. Our queen is hopeful about you,” the troll says, and I look at him again.
The bodyguard shakes his head. “You talk too much.”
“Queen?” I ask. That fae I saw at the club isn’t the fae queen. She can’t be. She’s less powerful than the Huntsman and besides, the fae queen is dying. We all know that.
“Soon enough,” the troll replies with a shrug. “Once she has things settled here.”
Settled? Why is she bothering with vampires to begin with? Fae and vampires don’t mix, I’m pretty sure. Isn’t that why Rook and Saide joined the Huntsman? I rack my brain, trying to remember, but they were never the chattiest of people even when they were around.
“Won’t be him,” the bartender says. He glances up front, then leans forward, talking to the driver. “Pull up here.”
The windscreen must be warded because the sky is fairly light now and neither the bodyguard nor the bartender is shrinking back from it. It’s clear what the fae can offer the vampires here. What does she want? A vampire? But why?
The troll grabs me, and I might be a vampire, but with my power retreated, I’m no match for him. I struggle all the same.
I don’t want to die. Not like this; not at all. I want to see Vlad again. Paxton, Maurice, Asher, Quinn… All the rest of them, fuck. They’re my family.
And Rachel. Rachel is here. She’s seen me once and now—She’ll never know what happened to me all over again.
Will Vlad know? Will he feel it? I can’t feel the bond between us, not right now, so does that mean I’ll spare him this?
If I die, will he go with me?
I kick the bartender back against the side of the van when he comes after me and he groans before he hisses. The bodyguard is bigger and stronger, and a couple of quick hits leave my head spinning.
“Open the fucking door,” the bodyguard snaps.
The bartender reaches past us all, jerking his hand back when the door swings open.
Oh God. This is it. I try to dig my heels into the floor, grip at whatever I can reach, but the troll drags me inevitably back and toward my fate. They’ve parked right on the sand. I hear the waves and the call of seagulls in the distance.
“Fuckinggo,” the bodyguard snarls and then kicks us—me and the troll both—out onto the sand.
The troll lets go immediately, rolling away with a low snarl. I swallow a whimper. It’s sowarm. Heat claws at my skin, sweat pricking my hairline and—
“What’s happening?” the bartender whispers, voice faintly horrified. “What’shappening?”
