I noticed that she did not answer the question. “And if you don’t leave this place now, you’ll have dozens of vampire hunters on you.”
“What makes you think you’ll have the opportunity to inform them of me?” She examined her nails for a moment, before heaving a dramatic sigh. “Actually, I think I’ll let you live a little longer.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Oh, I learned from the best, Lucian. I’ve come to realize since our last spat that outright killing you would be far too easy. You always liked to play with your food first. It’s much more satisfying to watch your enemies suffer. In fact, letting your mortal life take its natural course would be quite satisfying, knowing what you’ve lost.”
“Play with his food?” Ambrose asked. “What are you going on about? How well do you know each other?”
“She knows nothing of me.” I gritted my teeth. My mind raced as I wondered how I could both gain control of the conversation and protect them from her. On Old Mill Road, it had been easy to see them to safety. A river had been nearby. Here, we were defenseless.
Before Raven had a chance to retort, a screaming split the air and I turned to find Violetta launching herself across the space that separated herself from Raven, a large wooden stake clutched in her right hand. That was where she had gone. Not to save herself, but to grab a stake from the coffins. Her eyes wild, she swung the weapon at Raven’s chest, but she was far too slow. Raven sidestepped her easily, and Violetta stumbled to the ground, stake rolling out of her hands. Before she had the opportunity to right herself, Raven lowered a boot across her neck.
Violetta thrashed, trying to pry the boot from her throat, but she might as well have been trying to move stone. “You killed her, you monster!” she screamed. “She was my everything!”
“Let her go,” I demanded.
Raven snorted. “Will you drop this silly act and have a real conversation with me?”
I swallowed hard, glancing back to find Ambrose and Maxwell frozen in place, unsure of what to do. If I didn’t comply with her request, she would just move on to one of them next. I didn’t see any way around it. I would have to … reveal myself to them. I closed my eyes and nodded. “Very well.”
“Wonderful,” Raven said, lifting her boot and kicking Violetta away. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” She flashed me a brilliant smile. “Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes. Making you suffer. A favorite topic of mine.”
I grimaced. “I suppose you plan to kill my friends and make me watch?”
“Oh, Lucian,” Raven sighed. “You’re such a bore. Where has that creative vision gone? I have a much more interesting idea in mind.” She took a step toward me and I backed up instinctively. She arched an eyebrow. “You see, Lucian, for you to lose your chance at immortality, I only need to ensure that the competition draws to a close without you.”
Every word that dropped from her lips, revealing who I was to my friends, sent a stutter through my chest. But I couldn’t contradict her or she would renew her attack. I wouldn’t be able to recover from this. Theyknew.I swallowed, trying to focus on what she was saying rather than the friends at my back, stiffening as her words sank in. “You are not touching Ambrose.”
“What do you care for Ambrose?” Raven demanded. “When have you ever cared for anyone, save yourself? You never allowed me to have a family. You forced me to remain your only peer for decades.”
I scowled. “Because groups of vampires would attract attention. Don’t you wish to survive?”
“Better to die with loved ones than merely surviving with the most selfish, obtuse vampire on the planet.” She sneered at me. “How I hate what you’ve put me through. But I will reclaim my life. And I will see you pay.”
I winced. “You hate me so much? Was I such a … monster?”
“And more.” She crossed her arms. “And anyway, your duke-in-waiting will not propose to you now that he knows the truth.” She glanced over my shoulder. “Isn’t that right, boy?”
I turned to find Ambrose glaring, jaw set. Violetta’s eyes were wide. Maxwell was grim-faced. I couldn’t look closer, not when I knew what I would find in their eyes. Hate. Disgust. Accusation.
I deflated as Raven’s lips at my ear sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t back away. Part of me wished she would sink her fangs into my neck right now and end this. But, of course, she didn’t. She had learned valuable lessons under my tutelage.
“As you live your mortal life, as disease steals the strength from your limbs,” she murmured, “remember it was your own actions that turned your friends away from you and left you a broken man. You are a curse to everyone who crosses your path, and you will die alone and unwanted. I hope you writhe with pain for years before Death finally takes your soul to your lord in Hell. And I will bear witness to every agonizing moment.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The streets of London were busier than usual as the new year approached. It was nothing to walk them after dusk, storefronts throwing weak light across excited faces. Careless faces.
Usually wherever I walked, my prey had a sudden instinct to stop and look around, as if they felt the shadow of death closing in on them. Here, amid this anonymous sea of humans, I seemed to cast a shadow as ordinary as anyone else.
My eyes slipped from face to face, ladies leaning in to each other to speak low, men strolling with their canes swinging, unaware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
A young woman bumped into me innocently and sent me an embarrassed smile. “Pardon, my lord,” she said before ducking her head.
A small grin crossed my lips, for I’d recognized the look in her eyes. A predator. A mocking insincerity. She thought me a fool among fools, as if I hadn’t noticed the light hand intruding into my pocket to withdraw my money clip. She was so confident she didn’t even look back as she detoured down an alley, never guessing she was being followed by one of her victims, that she would become a victim herself.
I watched her confident strides, her black curls bouncing in time. Her cream dress professed innocence, as did the ribbons threaded carefully through her hair to hide her motives. A fur wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the cold.
