Chapter 12

12

I can’t believe she moved on. With that guy, no less. I took the stairs two at a time, one eye on the massive shadow giant lumbering through the foyer. He seemed more agitated than usual, his clawed hands wringing as high-pitched whimpers filled the marble hall. Vulnerable even. I added a burst of speed before he noticed me, making use of the restless energy that’d been simmering beneath my skin from the moment I saw the three of them standing in the foyer.

Saw her .

An outraged shriek filled my ears as my luck ran out, and the giant finally caught a glimpse of me, but I’d already reached the ballroom door. Diving inside, I kicked it shut while earthshaking footsteps thundered toward me.

Vulnerable, right. More like homicidally violent.

I stormed down the gilded steps leading to the marble dance floor. Swirling gold designs decorated its surface, which gleamed with the reflection of the chandeliers’ soft lights. It was a room of elegance and opulent beauty, but it might have been a filthy pit for all I cared—the only thing I could see was red. Planting myself in the center, I raised my head to the jewel-encrusted ceiling and yelled.

“Fuuuuuuuuck!”

The pluck of a chord—C sharp—echoed back at me, followed by a glissando that filled the room with a flowing lift. The familiar music eased some of the tension from my shoulders, providing the relief I’d sought in coming to this particular room—the only room I’d discovered to be inhabited by something not bent on killing me.

“Harp.” I crossed the dance floor and braced my arms against the raised stage she sat upon, her youthful, golden visage a welcome balm after the madness of the last half hour. “Thank goodness you’re awake.”

“Surely you didn’t expect me to remain asleep with all that shouting,” she replied, a gentle reprimand in her lilting voice. She stretched out a golden arm, beckoning me closer, and I leaped, grabbing onto the edge of the high stage and pulling myself up. Her hand rested on my head as I sat down, leaning my back against her column in the way I’d become accustomed to. Her fingers combed through my hair in time to the soft harp music emanating from her strings.

“Now then,” she said. “Tell me what’s got you all worked up this time. Has that cheeky monkey been mooching off your stockpile again?”

The mention of my mischievous little friend brought a smile to my face. “Shockingly enough, no. I haven’t seen Hickory since he scampered back to the jungle.”

“And you didn’t go with him?” Harp massaged the back of my neck.

The smile faded. “Didn’t feel like it.”

“Hmm.” She pressed her finger against my skin. “Not even the faintest hint of pink when I do that,” she scolded. “You’ll make yourself ill if you don’t drink soon, and tiger blood is the only thing here strong enough to sustain a pureblood vampire such as yourself. A diet of fish and greens isn’t going to cut it.”

I was well aware of my body’s needs. I was equally aware of its limits. Not that I was going to admit to Harp that I’d waited too long between hunting trips and now the distance up to the jungle room felt impossibly far.

And I was just so fucking tired.

“Actually, it’s not the only thing strong enough anymore.” Mariana’s brown skin, sprinkled with freckles, floated through my head, making my fangs extend. Running my tongue over them, I allowed myself one, indulgent moment to recall the taste of her. Gods, she’d been as sweet and rich as the finest port wine. And the way it’d amplify the closer she got to reaching her peak…

Shit. Now it wasn’t just my fangs that were extending. Envisioning a swarm of shadow bats crawling over my body, I willed the ache between my legs away.

“Explain,” Harp prompted, working her way into my shoulders.

“We have… visitors.”

Her hands stilled. “Visitors? In the castle? But that’s…”

“Impossible, I know. And yet, they’re here. Two werewolves and a human, waiting for me back in the glen.” Well, technically Mariana was a werewolf-vampire-witch hybrid, but the werewolf side had always been the most dominant.

“But… how’d they get inside?”

“Came in through the front door.”

She tsked. “It closed behind them, I suppose?”

“Sure did. It was the sound of it closing that alerted me to their arrival in the first place.”

“Shoot.”

“My thoughts exactly, only with stronger wording.”

“But how’d they even get up here?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. Another magic bean, maybe? Granddad never said if there were more or not.”

“You didn’t ask them?”

Honestly, it should have been one of my first questions, if I hadn’t been quite so fixated on envisioning Noah’s head being ripped off. That, and obsessing over a particular werewolf and her scrawny, smart-mouthed lover. Gods, I’d wanted to beat the ever-loving shit out of him, touching her like that?—

“Jack?” Harp’s voice cut through my increasingly violent thoughts. “What is it? You’re all tensed up again.”

Damn. I needed to get myself under control. “Sorry. It’s just… I know them. Or, one of them anyway.” I hesitated. “Mariana was with them.”

Harp’s music flew into an allegro, the increased tempo perfectly matching the excitement in her voice. “Mariana’s here? In the castle?” Her hands fluttered about her face. “Oh my gosh, Jack! That’s wonderful!”

I slumped forward, resting my forearms on my knees while I stared at the floor. “Yeah. She even brought her boyfriend along. Huzzah.”

“Oh!” Gone was the victorious melody from before, silence taking its place as Harp’s strings stilled. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”

I sighed. “It shouldn’t be so surprising, really. It’s been ten years. And apparently everyone thinks I left her at the altar on purpose.” As if I would do something so mind-blowingly imbecilic. I may not be the cleverest vampire in the forest, but I’m not that dumb.

“What? But, why? How? Why ?

“Apparently my ‘friend’ Noah wrote a fake note implying as much,” I growled. “The bastard.”

“Again—why?” Harp repeated.

“An excellent question that I plan to thoroughly investigate should I ever get my hands on the little shit again,” I grumbled darkly.

Harp harrumphed. “I should hope so.” Her frown, however, quickly evaporated into a hopeful grin. “Anyway, she’s here now, and so are you. Give it some time, and I have no doubt you can charm Mr. New Guy right out of the picture. Mariana is your mate, not his.”

“I don’t know. It’s been so long, and Mariana…” I shook my head. “We’ve both changed so much. We hardly know each other anymore.”

“So get to know each other again,” Harp stated. “And while you’re at it, maybe you can find a way out of this place. Or, better yet, break the curse entirely. From what you’ve told me, Mariana was on track to becoming an extremely capable witch. And who knows what manner of skills her friends might have.”

“Mariana has always been talented,” I agreed. “As for the others…” I refused to believe that lover boy had anything to contribute besides snarky remarks, but the werewolf was another story. “The burly werewolf could probably offer some added protection, if nothing else.” Which would come in handy, actually, especially in his wolf form. There was no lack of beasties to fight come nightfall. Speaking of which…

“I should probably head back before they’re tempted to leave the glen. I need to prepare them for tonight.”

“Eh eh eh, not yet you don’t,” Harp admonished.

I twisted around to look at her. “Why? What’s up?”

“This”—she twirled a finger around my face—“is what’s up. You can’t go back looking like that. You look like a deranged wilderness man.”

I ran a hand over my beard. “I suppose I have kind of let myself go a bit.”

She let out a delicate snort. “Understatement of the year. But fear not my sweet adventurer. I’ll have you sorted out in no time.” She clapped her hands together, and after a moment a box floated between the heavy red stage curtains behind us. “We’ll start with the hair. My shears, if you please.”

I opened the box and pulled out the long, silver scissors. Hesitating, I gave her a look. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

She huffed. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Just hand them over, sit your butt down, and keep your mouth shut. There’s a master at work.”

I rolled my eyes, but stayed duly quiet. Really, anything she came up with would be an improvement compared to the state my hair was in now. If I came out of this with both ears intact and slightly less hair, I’d call it a success. And if it got Mariana to look my way for even a moment, I’d do a gods-damned victory dance.