“Oh, my love,” he murmurs, stepping back. “Don’t cry. Please.”
He reaches for me again, but I flinch back, afraid of what he might do. This time, he strokes my unmarked cheek, almost tenderly. Like a lover might do.
I hold my breath.
“Linna, please understand…” he whispers.
Linna? There’s that name again.
Why does he keep calling me that?
“Who are you talking about?” I cry, my voice shaking. “I’m not Linna. I’m Haven. Haven!”
Ignoring me, he continues to ramble as if in a daze. “You have to love me. You have to.”
Lost in his delusion, he buries his face in the hollow of my neck, and my entire body stiffens. I don’t move, don’t speak, too afraid of what might happen if I do.
“Love me,” he pleads. “You have to love me, Linna.”
As he continues to mutter nonsense against my skin, the grip he has on my shoulders becomes tighter, his nails biting in. More waves of pain spike through me, making me gasp. “Youmustlove me.”
Avrum
Agentle rap on the door stirs me from a deep sleep. The moment I open my eyes, the swirling, rushing power of nightfall fills me. It’s like we’re fueled by the moon; it’s a drug, and I’m suddenly buzzing with energy.
The knock comes again, this time with a little more vigor. I throw off the thick quilt and rise to my feet. The smells of sweat and blood invade my nose, making my stomach clench. What’s happened?
“Just a moment,” I call to the stranger waiting for me, and quickly dress in slacks and an ivory shirt. Still fumbling with the buttons of my gray vest, I hurry to the door. When I open it, I find the little maid I’d spoken tobefore about Haven. Emma is her name, if my memory serves me.
She stands there with her small fist raised to knock again, looking grave. “I’m sorry for disturbing you,” she mutters. “I was sent by the lord to retrieve you.”
The scent of blood is stronger out here. It fills my nostrils and makes my head whirl with hunger. “Is something wrong?” I ask.
Emma’s bottom lip quivers. She wants to tell me, but she’s afraid.
Haven.
I know this is about her. I can feel it in my gut, and my insides spin with worry. “What’s happened? Haven… is she alright?”
“I… don’t know,” she replies, voice catching.
She’s gone. She ran off again to the city.
It feels like more than that. Like sheneedsme.
It must be the reason Lord Henri has summoned me. Something must be wrong.
I run a hand through my hair, still mused and untied from sleep. “Thank you for bringing me the message, Emma,” I say and slide past her. I head straight for Henri’s bedroom door.
As I turn the corner, I’m shocked to see both Keagan and Cornelius standing there, arms crossed and swords resting against their hips. They sneer my way as I approach.
“Look at this,” Keagan says, nudging his friend. “The hound has wandered back home.”
Cornelius chuckles.
Why Henri has chosen these two buffoons to watchhis room, and not the normal human guards, strikes me as odd. Especially after I’d told him about their degressions at the lake.
Annoyance prickles. “The lord sent for me.”
