His fingers curl under my chin, turning my words into a sharp inhalation that has me burning inside when he looks down at me with a small smile. Even behind those furious gold-flecked crimson eyes, he has enough in him to give me a smile. “None of this is your fault, Sephania. We all pine for your blood. We gladly took it when offered. We are gluttonous vampires. Do not for a single moment place the blame of this on your shoulders.”
My eyes sting.
Garro adds, “Master is right. This isn’t your doing, lass. Something nefarious is going on. I’m sure of it.”
I swallow hard, nodding. It takes a moment for me to speak around the buzzing in my head. “Then we’d best get moving before we find out what that might be.”
Skar nods. His smile slowly disappears, and the tender moment breaks. Over my shoulder, he says, “Cub, you and Vallan take Sephania with you to Nuhav. Rescue Jinneth and whatever concoction they’ve come up with.”
My brow furrows. “What about—”
“We need someone to remain in Olhav. I have a bad feeling about leaving our life here unattended while you gallivant to the Grimsons. I will go to the Chained Sisters and make sure the Iron Sister and the others are safe.”
I shake my head, unwilling to let his arm go when he begins to pull away. “Please,” I say in a hushed voice. “Come with us, Skartovius.”
His hand comes up and tilts my chin. He leans down and smashes his lips over mine, and the sudden need to have him is so great I think I’ll die if his lips leave mine. The taste of him, the dominance of him—I want it all.
“I will be there shortly,” he murmurs in the shell of my ear, “once I tend to affairs up here, little temptress. Perhaps my shadowwalking will work in a short while, when I’m away from the manor.”
And me. Away fromme. The thought slams into my gut.He thinks I might have something to do with his ability not working, but he refuses to say it.
I bite back tears and a vicious retort.
His perfect lips curl in a smirk as he reads my face. “I’ll know where to find you, love. I always know.”
“Come for me.”
“Go. Get to the carriage. I’m not far behind.”
Skartovius gives me a gentle shove. Garroway takes my hand and pulls me out of the conference room, and I’m forced to rip my gaze away from Lord Ashfen once we reach the door.
Outside, I hear the whinnying and clopping of impatient horses, goaded on by Vallan’s whistle and growl. “Are we going, or not?” Vall’s voice booms through the windows of the manor.
With one last glance at Garroway, seeing as much trepidation and worry in his eyes as I feel in mine, we nod to each other and rush out of Manor Marquin, into the dark night.
We make it to Nuhav in record time, Vallan spurring the horses on with the whip until I worry they’ll keel over.
This stock is bred for endurance, and each crack only makes the steeds dig harder, hooves crashing against rough ground and gravel as we descend the mountain pass.
The iron-wrought gate separating the two cities looms ahead, the wary dhampir guard waiting and turning when he hears our carriage careening down the road, pushing past the mist and foliage.
The nostrils of the horses steam as they barrel toward the door at a full gallop, creaking the cart behind us on wobbly wheels.
“Vallan . . .” I trail off from the bench, eyeing the rapidly closing distance of our carriage to the gate.
The guard starts to backpedal into one of the tower doors when he realizes we’re not slowing down.
“No time to talk,” Vallan grumbles, and I believe he has more than me in mind when he says it. He’s staring right at the dhampir tower guard.
“Vall!” I yell, and clench my hands on the edge of the bench.
“Brace yourselves!” Vallan bellows.
I screw my eyes shut at the last second, the horses letting out a shrill cry. Metal squeals, jarring like a spear into my brain, as the horses lower their heads and smash into the gate. It rips open, sending the dhampir guard yelping as he rolls aside before he can get stampeded.
It’s a momentary slowdown, and I worry if it’ll have repercussions.Those consequences can wait. Our mission cannot.
It’s still early in the night, which means the streets of Nuhav are quite busy. With the recent riots and goings-on, the roads aredoublypacked with bodies.
