“They say you never overhear something good about yourself,” a cool voice says with a sigh, though I hear the amusement in his tone.
I whip my head around to try to see the vampire standing there, but it’s too dark.
Mathias stands and sets me behind him. “In your case, it’s warranted.”
“And here I was ready to let you out of this hellhole,” Frederick says in a droll tone. “The charges are serious, Mathias. I hope you have a good explanation for all of this.”
“I have the truth,” he tells him, grabbing my hand. “Who will be there?”
“The entire court,” Frederick replies in an amused tone. “Bennett’s a master manipulator and a powerful mage, but you’re the King’s Commander. At least in the eyes of those like me who remember you from the old days. My advice? Do what you do best.”
It’s too dark for me to see Mathias’ expression, but his voice is hard and determined when he replies. “When is the trial?”
“Now,” Frederick springs on him, and I nervously bite my lip. “With the matches starting in two days, we need this resolved quickly. We’ll make a determination after we hear both sides. Follow me.”
Mathias holds up a hand. “She needs water.”
Once in the hallway, Frederick snaps his fingers, and a guard jumps into action. While he’s gone, I study the vampire in front of me. It’s always startling to look at a supernatural and know he’s old yet looks to be in his thirties.
Dressed in an immaculate navy pinstripe suit, with a perfectly color-coordinated blue shirt and designer tie, Frederick’s the epitome of wealth. Tall, broad-shouldered, with brown hair cut in the latest style, he looks like he brokers multimillion-dollar financial deals for a living. That is until youlook into his eyes. Shrewd intelligence with an edge of coldness. He looks like he could easily eviscerate you with his tongue or kill you with his hands.
“Do you happen to know what happened to my bag?”
He gives a lazy shrug. “Locked in the guard’s vault, maybe. Why?”
“If you don’t want any more dead vampires, I’d destroy it,” I caution him, and he heaves a sigh and shoots off a text to someone.
Minutes later, a glass of water is handed to me. I gulp it down, not knowing when I’ll get more, then hand the empty glass back to the same guard.
Mathias takes my hand in his. The second the three of us step from the building into the blinding light of the sun, we’re surrounded by guards, their faces expressionless.
“This is where I leave you,” Frederick informs us, his eyes silently conveying a message to Mathias, who subtly nods.
The sun beats down on us, and sweat trickles from my brow. Vampires, perfectly preserved by their daily diet of blood, stare at us as we walk by. Whispers follow. “King’s Commander.” “Who is she?” “Attack.” As we’re paraded down the street, crowds press against the barrier, stretching hands toward us. Whether their intent is to grab or merely touch, I’m not sure. The guards order them back, but it becomes more difficult the closer we get to the high-rise in front of us. The crowd becomes larger, pushing and shoving to get to us.
A little uneasy, I glance at Mathias, but not once does he turn toward me. I’ve never been the focus of a crowd this big. My heart speeds up, and the adrenaline starts flowing. I wish I had my gun. Or my bag of trinkets. Maybe someone is wearing something cursed.Steady. I look left and right, cataloguing things in the crowd that I could grab. A dagger, a pen, a…
Mathias stops right before we enter, and my eyes flick from one vampire to another along the barricade line. The crowd yells, jeers and taunts flying at us, their faces filled with indignation and anger. I look up at him. He’s staring at me. Only me. His lips descend, and I blink in disbelief.Is he going to kiss me right now?!
There’s no lead up or soft introduction. Instead, firm lips crash down on mine in the kind of kiss that starts wars. Sensual, with an edge of darkness, he conquers with every move of his lips. Over and over. He’s relentless, holding my head in place. This is his statement to the vampire world, and only my complete and utter surrender will be accepted. It’s a demand and a challenge, and I rise to meet them both. The world disappears along with all my protests. His other arm wraps around me, twisting my body to align with his. My arms loop around his neck as I melt, lost to the world except for him. All I hear and see is him. All I feel is us, drowning in a tumultuous sea of passion and desire. I gasp, and it’s loud. Too loud in the sudden silence around us.
He lifts his head and stares down at me, eyes red with lust and possessiveness. I lick my swollen lips, wanting nothing more than to find a room and finish this. No words pass between us, and yet everything unsaid is said in that moment. The conflict between us. A mating bond, raw and exposed and full of uncertainty. A future shrouded in darkness. A fire burning out of control. Maybe this is how we should communicate.
He turns to face the crowd. Their eyes are locked on us, but their voices are silent. With an arrogant dip of his chin, he acknowledges them, then turns to guide me into the building.
Impressed but confused, I concentrate on trying to gain my equilibrium as the guards motion to two more doors. This time, I stop Mathias. “I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I trust you to do whatever you have to in order to protect us.”
He slips a hand behind my back. “One day, you’ll understand this bond between us. Until then, I’ll accept your words with the intent they were given.”
I raise an eyebrow, but now isn’t the time to call him on his bullshit. Maybe one day he’ll deign to explain this “bond.”
He must see the glint in my eye because his own light up in response. “Don’t be fooled by the audience. This is a trial. Each side will have a chance to tell their story to the judges. Stick to the answers, don’t elaborate. Follow my lead. And whatever you do, remain calm. Excited vampires are fucking hard to control.”
He pushes open the door and we stride into a…ballroom. Dressed in formal attire, the sea of vampires turns toward us. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was a gala, not a trial. The atmosphere is jovial. Glasses of red liquid clink together as they toast each other.
Mathias stops and stares at the nearest vampires. Conversations halt. Eyes assess and speculate. Noses sniff the air. One has the balls to move closer and sniff my neck, only for Mathias to grab him by the throat and lift him off the floor. He flails for a second, then falls still, his eyes fearfully glued to Mathias. A choking sound emerges, and Mathias reluctantly tosses him to the floor.
I step over him, wrinkling my nose in disgust.
