I opened my mouth, ready to tell him exactly where he could shove his commentary about my eating habits when the scrape of wood against stone stopped me. The trapdoor swung open with a groan that echoed off every wall in this hellhole.
Leather shoes, stained dark with what could only be blood, descended the stairs one deliberate step at a time. Val’s face finally came into view, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. His eyes were nearly black, pupils dilated until only a thin ring of blue iris remained.
Amari stared at him, his mouth slightly ajar as if he had been about to greet him.
“You’re free.” Val’s voice was unnaturally calm and completely at odds with his blood-spattered appearance.
I instinctively moved in front of Kage, my body tensing for a fight. “Stay back.”
Val’s gaze shifted from Amari to me. “I’m not going to hurt any of you.”
“Like you didn’t hurt us already?” I snarled. “You betrayed us. You knew where Winston was this whole time!”
“I did what was necessary.” Val’s attention drifted toAmari’s missing arm, and a flicker of emotion crossed his features before disappearing.
The audacity of standing there in his blood-soaked clothes, acting like he’d done us some kind of favor. Like we should be grateful he’d finally let us out of our cages after leaving us to rot while he played whatever twisted game this was.
“Necessary? You son of a?—”
“Nico.” Kage’s hand touched my arm as he stepped forward, surprising me. The house mage who trembled at his own shadow was now stepping between me and the vampire. “He saved me. He c-could have let his father kill me.”
I fought hard to swallow my growl. Kage might believe Val had saved him, but that didn’t erase what had happened.
“We need to leave.” Val wiped at a smear of blood on his face, only spreading it further across his pale skin. “Guards will be coming.”
“Where exactly do you suggest we go?” I kept my body between Kage and Val, not trusting the wild look still lingering in the vampire’s eyes.
Val gestured toward the stairs. “My house. It’s where we were headed before the guards intercepted us in the forest.”
My heart leapt into my throat. “Sammy might have gone there.”
The thought of Sammy finding her way back to Inferna and heading straight to a place she thought was safe gave me a renewed sense of urgency. If she was there, alone and vulnerable...
“Let’s go.” I turned to Kage. “Stay close.”
Winston limped forward, his shoulders squared despite his obvious exhaustion. “I won’t forget this, Valentino.”
Val’s jaw tightened at the use of his full name. “I don’t expect you to.”
Amari moved to Val’s side, his remaining hand reaching out before stopping short of actually touching him. “Val?—”
I didn’t stick around to hear what he had to say. The staircase was narrow and steep, forcing us to climb single file. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I spotted the first body sprawled near a stall, throat torn open in a jagged wound that could only have been made by fangs.
Another guard lay face down by the door, his hand still clutched around the hilt of his sword. A third was slumped against the wall, eyes wide and staring, frozen in an expression of terror.
We hadn’t heard a single sound of struggle from below.
Val had done this with a savage precision that made my skin crawl.
I stepped over the nearest body and yanked the sword free. If we had to fight, it would do.
Winston and Amari followed suit, arming themselves from the fallen guards. Val already had a sword, and Kage hung back, his eyes darting nervously between the bodies.
“We’ll take the horses.” Val unlatched a stall door, leading out a massive black stallion. “Winston, can you ride?”
Winston nodded, already moving toward a stall.
I grabbed Kage’s arm and pulled him toward a horse that was oddly calm. “You ride with me. Stay invisible if you can.”
