“I've been looking for him,” the general said and walked forward to wipe his bloody hand on my dress. “Thanks for leading the way. It's not often that I leave them alive afterwards, but, you know, I was busy.”
For the first time, there was a newfound fear in my heart.
He reminded me so much of Adrian when he went up against the witches, but there was something different about him. And the black lines told me magic was somehow involved.
“You're lucky your bloodline is important, or I would've torn out your guts and decorated the castle with them.”
He said it with an actual smile. A real one that looked like he was excited about the idea.
“You and my brother have a flair for the violence and gore. Even killing innocent feeders and guards. I wonder why.”
He looked at me for a moment, and then his hand was around my neck.
“I need you alive,” he spat. “But that doesn't mean I can't make your life miserable. Think twice about speaking to me like this again. And don't try to manipulate your way into getting dirt on me. It won't work.”
“I came pretty close. The scar I heard about?—”
His nails dug into the side of my throat and stole my breath. I was rendered useless, something forbidding about the way hisface was changing, turning him into something else, giving me pause.
“If you know what's good for you, you'll forget all about that. Trust me, whatever answers you think you'll get won't do you any good.”
I gave him a sweet smile, but both of us knew there was no way I was letting this go.
“Sure thing, General. Now, unhand me.”
For a moment, I didn't think he would, but then he slowly backed away from me. I tried not to look at the vampire on the ground, his death weighing on me.
He was nice.
“I came to find you because Atlas’s men are here. She just can't seem to get enough of you, can she? Was she who you were visiting? Maybe the little toys she has in her possession?”
Too close for comfort.
I wanted to tear his throat out for referring to them astoys. But I needed to play my part. I couldn’t let my excitement show.
“She said she has a wedding gift and that she was going to send someone to pick me up today. I totally forgot,” I lied quickly, and I was ready to turn when his chuckle stopped me.
“Funny, they said something similar.”
I turned back to look at him. The veins were slowly fading away.
“Do you need anything else from me?”
“Not yet, Princess. Soon. You'll see.”
Coming back to Atlas’s castle was like a shock to my system. It towered over me, the darkness cloaking it menacingly.
The last time I was here, Vesper was taken from me by force.
A lifetime had passed since then, and it felt different now. I had Cedar deep inside my chest, the bond between us tugging me closer to her. Vesper was there as well, albeit her bond was not as strong. The two of them twirled together inside me in a way I’d never experienced before.
Caspian’s bond had been fully pushed to the side, my body and heart somehow having enough power to render it useless. It was like they knew it was an intruder and were forcing it out.
Part of me should probably be annoyed with the possessiveness coming through our weird three-way bond, but I found myself oddly satisfied by it. And, for the first time, I found myself utterly alone.
I hadn’t brought any of the guards with me, nor had I let the driver drop me off within twenty feet of the place. I walked the winding path through the forest alone with the eyes of Atlas’s guards on me. I couldn't see or hear them, but I could feel them.
It didn’t bother me.
