Perhaps she should’ve asked what he planned on doing, but it surprised her to discover that she trusted the prince. She did as he asked, her movements steady as she turned to face the stone wall.
“I’m so sorry they left this on,” he murmured, his fingers brushing the back of her neck and lifting her braid.
“Me too.” She never wanted to touch prohiberis again. It was awful.
“I’m going to remove it. Hold still?”
She lowered her head, and he held her neck in place while the otherjiggled a key against the collar. Aclickechoed through the space, and the cold metal was lifted.
Vivienne’s lungs expanded, and the darkness within her sang. It was like she could breathe for the first time in ages. She could feel her wings waiting for her once more.
Thank Isvana.
She exhaled a sigh of relief, her shoulders loosening. It meant something that Marius had remembered she was wearing the collar, just as it meant something that he’d brought her blood.
She turned back around, her lips sliding into a smile as she thanked him.
The prince’s eyes were wide and regretful, and he shook his head. “There’s no need to thank me. You never should’ve had it on.”
“On that, we’re agreed.” She squeezed his hand. “But it’s off now.”
Because of him.
“It is, and if I have anything to say about it, you’ll never wear anything like that again.” His thumb brushed hers. The contact was small, but for the first time in days, she felt something other than cold. “Are you ready to get out of here?”
Considering that, an hour ago, she thought she would die down here, she was more than ready. “Absolutely.”
The prince offered her his arm as though she were a lady and not his bodyguard, and she took it. They walked down the hallway, the macabre symphony of the dungeon rendered silent as the other prisoners watched in shock.
It wasn’t until they were climbing the stairs to return to Castle Sanguis that Vivienne asked, “So Marius, what’s the plan?”
This was Her Purpose
Thick snowflakes fell from the heavens, covering the forest around Therese in a silver-white blanket. Perhaps once, she might’ve thought it was beautiful, but she no longer cared about trivial matters like beauty.
The vampire raced through the forests, shadows rippling around her like a cape as she followed a scent that had caught her attention not long ago. Her belly still ached, her wounds still oozed black, and her fangs still burned for blood, but all was not lost.
Her memories were slowly returning.
She knew who she was, and perhaps more importantly, she knew that this place—Eleyta—had changed drastically since the last time she’d hunted in these woods.
She had learned the name a few days ago. A human woman had been out for a walk in the woods, which had been the end of her pathetic, mortal life.
Therese had pounced on her, but she’d been in a playful mood. After all, half the enjoyment of hunting was having a little fun with her food.And this woman had provided exactly what she’d been looking for. The mortal had begged and pleaded for her life, crying out for the king and queen to save her from this monster. She’d spoken of laws and rules, as if she hadrights.
A human.
The idea was laughable.
Therese obviously hadn’t let the woman live. She’d finished playing with her and drained her of blood before leaving her body in the woods.
Her hunt had continued. With every silent stride Therese took, her mind whirled.
King Sebastian and Queen Luna.
Vampires.
The blubbering woman told her about them before she died. They were powerful, at least according to the weak human, and they ruled this land.
