Page 42 of Plug and Drain

“Perhaps not,” Nathaniel conceded, offering him a hand up.

Arken’s body felt heavy as he leant on the other vampire for support. “For the record, I wasn’t drinking.”

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. “No?”

“Put that eyebrow away. I wasn’t.”

“I believe you. But you’re clearly not yourself.” Nathaniel’s dry voice betrayed a note of concern. “What happened?”

“It’s those damn witches of yours,” Arken muttered, trying but failing to regain his balance. “They attacked me. I should have sucked them dry when I had the chance.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“It’s the pragmatic thing to do. It would have been far easier to kill them all.”

“On that we can both agree.”

Arken sighed as Nathaniel studied him. “Well?”

“You look terrible,” Nathaniel pronounced. “But you’ll live.”

“Splendid. Your father will be pleased.” Arken licked a trace of blood from his lips, frowning at the tangy taste. “He seems to have a penchant for keeping me alive.”

“It’s in everyone’s best interest.”

“Except mine.”

Nathaniel squeezed his shoulder in a rare gesture of affection. “Don’t die on me, Arken.”

Arken laughed sarcastically. “Wouldn’t have the time. Wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Hmm.” Nathaniel gave him one more patronising look before guiding him downstairs, letting Arken lean on his arm for support. “I’ll find something for you to eat in the dorm. Unless you’d rather feed on a shifter?”

Arken scoffed as he licked his lips again. “Are you truly offering to procure a wolf for me? I must be in worse shape than I thought—”

He froze, touching his lips as he recognised the inviting taste of Susie’s blood. Memories surged back, and air filled his lungs as he licked his lips again. He could still taste her, fresh and sweet, an intoxicating symphony of flavours that danced across his tongue. He looked at Nathaniel. “How long was I out for?”

Nathaniel halted and cocked his head at him. “That’s inconclusive. You were coming round when I found you.”

“I…” Arken frowned. “Was there anyone else with us?”

“Did you see anyone else?” Nathaniel asked dryly.

“No.”

“Well, then. What does that tell you?”

“That you’re a complete ass for not answering my question properly.”

Nathaniel laughed, but it was not the nice laugh Arken was privileged enough to hear on occasion. Instead, it was the harsh one Nathaniel used to emulate his father, King Henrikk. “Keep moving. Focus on the stairs.”

Easier said than done.

The steps felt solid beneath his feet, each one crisply defined with his night vision, but his legs kept wanting to wobble like jelly. It was easier to go down than up, and with Nathaniel’s help, they were soon deep underground beneath the academy.

The student common room was on the lowest underground level—the seventh. The grand space was occupied solely by the vampire students who resided on the sixth and seventh floor.

Compared to the wolf shifters’ accommodation, the vampire dorm rooms were luxury at its finest, and the open-plan common room reflected this, with fine upholstered furniture positioned throughout the living and dining area. There was even a magical kitchen favoured by the students, with marble benchtops, a sleek oven, and a fussy garbage disposal that had an aversion to seafood and spat back anything that began with the letter ‘c’.