Four

Four

“You gave her to that monster!” Commander Killian’s voice rose. He stood before my father, who was slumped in his chair. Usually, Killian’s words would incense me, and I’d form some kind of snide reply that illustrated how much I disagreed with him, but right now, I had no words. Tomorrow night, I would marry our conqueror.

I’d never imagined myself married, even with all Nadia’s talk about how it was expected of me. Queens do not rule alone. Queens do not rule at all, she’d say. They held no power beyond what they could do for their king.

I was supposed to change that. I’d felt as though that was my purpose, a feeling so strong, it had filled my whole heart with excitement and determination.

Suddenly, that was gone, and the absence of it was a greater weight than I’d ever imagined.

Now, I’d rule just like other queens.

Do you wish to be a breeding mare?Adrian had asked me. Was it too early to hope that perhaps he wanted something different from his queen too?

I lingered near the window, staring out over my home, my kingdom, the one that now belonged to the Blood King. It was still dark, but the moon was heavy and full and cast the land in silver. Absently, I wondered if Adrian would think it was as beautiful as I did. Would he appreciate what Lara had to offer, our colorful textiles, sweet wines, and lively culture? Or was it just another country to mark off his list of conquered kingdoms?

“You cannot mean to let her leave with him!”

“Commander Killian.” My father’s voice was low, roughened, tired, and I turned from the window to watch the exchange. “Leave us.”

Killian froze for a moment and then looked to me, as if I would beg my father for his presence.

“You were given an order,” I said instead, which caused him to frown. “You should obey.”

Another moment of hesitation, then he bowed and left.

At first, neither one of us spoke. The air was too heavy, the shock of what we’d both agreed to not quite registering.

“This is never what I intended for you,” my father said at last.

Something thick gathered in the back of my throat.

“I know,” I whispered, my mouth quivering. “I would have never left your side.”

My father swallowed and wiped at his eyes before he stood and approached, placing his hand upon my face, his thumb brushing my cheekbone. I hated the way he looked at me, like he was alone in the world without me.

“You are the hope of our kingdom, Isolde.”

Then he dropped his hand, turned, and left the room, shutting the door quietly, and I felt like he had taken my whole heart with him.

* * *

Returning to my room was a nightmare.

I hardly made it down the corridor without encountering a stricken gaze. I held my head higher, refusing to lower my eyes. I was not ashamed of my decision, and I knew that my people only looked at me this way because they were afraid—for me and their future.

“Princess Isolde!”

Lady Larisa shimmied forward; the folds of her gown seemed to restrict her movement. She had her younger sister, Gabriela, in tow. Their father, Lord Cristian, oversaw one of three vineyards in Lara. He had been the first to sweeten the bitter drink, which had heightened the demand across all Cordova. He had also loudly declared his concern for the loss of his title and land upon surrender to Adrian, which had lowered my opinion of him considerably. Though Larisa and Gabriela were well meaning and sweet.

“I just heard the news. How are you?”

“I am fine, Lady Larisa,” I said. “Thank you for your concern.”

I meant that genuinely. She had been the first to ask if I was all right.

“I cannot imagine how shocked you must be,” she continued. “I always thought you would rule as our queen.”

“Becoming queen of Revekka does not mean I will not also one day rule Lara,” I said.

“So you will support your new husband, then, in his conquest of Cordova?”

I whirled to find Lord Cristian hovering. He was a tall man with dark features, and he stared down at me, his hands behind his back. I hated the way he looked at me. It was clear he thought I was nothing more than a child, even at my twenty-six years of age.

“Certainly not, Lord Cristian,” I replied, trying to keep my frustration at bay. “Though I am still heir of Lara.”

“Of course,” he said and came to stand beside his daughters. “We are all watching with bated breath, Princess, to see your next move.”

“Excuse me?”

“You will be close to the Blood King,” he said. “Closer than anyone ever has been.”

He did not need to be explicit for me to understand his implication—they were waiting for me to kill Adrian. To speak such words, however, would be considered treason to the Blood King. Though that did not matter to me so much as this man’s perceived power over me.

“The only thing you should be watching, Lord Cristian, is your crop,” I said.

The man stiffened. If he wanted to play a game of subtlety, I could too, especially given his concern for himself and not those over whom he ruled.

“Have a good night, my lord,” I said, and then my gaze shifted to his daughters. “Lady Larisa, Lady Gabriela.”

By the time I made it to my room, my adrenaline had crashed, and I was left feeling exhausted. As I opened my door, I found Nadia waiting. She looked up at me from her spot before the fireplace, shoulders hunched, hands grasping her apron. I did not need to ask if she had heard the news; I could tell by her expression she knew. Her eyes were wide, glassy, and she was pale.

“Nadia.” Her name fell from my mouth, quiet and distant. I had not expected her to be waiting for me. I’d really hoped to be alone, especially because she looked at me—in the same way everyone was looking at me—as if I were already a ghost.

“Oh, Issi,” she said as she advanced. Her arms encircled me, hands digging into my back. “I cannot believe what I have just heard. Tell me that vile king did not ask for your hand.”

“He did,” I said, and she pushed me to arm’s length to study my face. I looked back at her but did not really see her. I couldn’t focus.

“You did not have to say yes. Your father would have gladly fought for you.”

My father rarely made rash decisions, but something else had overtaken him when Adrian had asked for me. I had never seen that kind of fire in his eyes, but I could relate, because it was how my insides felt—a kind of angry fear, a desperation to hold on to the person you love most.

“But I did say yes,” I said.

Nadia knew that, and my father did too.

I took a breath and released her, crossing the room to my bed. I slipped out of my shoes. It was my way of telling her I was ready for bed.

“If only you had wed Commander Killian,” she said as she loosened the ties at my back.

I cringed. “Even if I had known what today would bring, I could not face marrying Alec Killian.”

“It would be better than marriage to a monster,” Nadia said as she finished unlacing my gown. It puddled to the floor, and I was left wearing only a cream-colored shift.

I turned to face her.

Killian had all the potential of becoming a monster, though I did not say that, because at the end of the day, that wasn’t what I cared about.

“What would be better is if I could remain alone,” I said. I had gotten too comfortable, assuming I did not have to fill the traditional roles of a princess. I had thought I would blaze my own trail, that I would become the first queen to serve in the Nine Houses, but I was wrong, and that hurt me more than anything. “At least this marriage will save a kingdom.”

If I could not blaze the trail alone, then perhaps I could save our kingdom. My spirits rose a little at that thought.

“I cannot imagine what that creature could possibly want with a wife.”

“You assume I want a wife,” he’d said. “But I came for a queen.”

Except that Adrian had conquered and ruled over Revekka for more than one hundred and fifty years—and he’d been alive far longer—without a queen. At one point, it seemed, he too had desired to be alone, so what had changed?

Your blood is truly a homecoming.

I shivered as I recalled his words and the way his fingers felt as they clasped mine. It must have been noticeable, because Nadia reached for a blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders. I hated how I reacted when he touched me—my head felt light, my face grew flushed, my whole body felt alive and yet on edge, unprepared for the next sensation he might urge to the surface.

I hated it because my body acted as if he were not the enemy.

Nadia was right. You’re a child, I scolded myself and reasoned. Any man can make you feel this way.

“I shudder to think what he has planned for you.”

Nadia was still talking, but my mind had gone into a full spiral. While I wondered what he wanted with me, I thought of the immediate future. What duties did the Blood King expect me to perform? He’d been open about his wish to drink my blood, and he’d offered the promise of pleasure—did vampires consummate marriages differently? If it was done by drinking blood rather than sex, could I abstain for as long as possible to prevent a true marriage?

“Issi?”

My eyes lifted and connected with Nadia’s concerned stare.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Are you okay?”

I hardly knew. I had begun the day hating vampires with every fiber of my being and ended the day engaged to one. I had been through a whole range of emotions—a passionate high and a devastating low. I felt exhausted and yet lustful. The need to be full and stretched and utterly shattered had never really gone away. It had ebbed and flowed.

“Can I be alone, Nadia?” I asked.

She hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Please, Nadia.”

I rarely said please.

“All right.”

Nadia moved toward the door and cast me a forlorn glace. “Call if you need me.”

When she was gone, I fell onto my bed, sinking into the velvet covers, my eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“What have I done?” I said aloud before closing my eyes. As I exhaled, I relaxed, then drew my legs up and apart, the hem of my shift gathering around my thighs as I trailed my fingers along my skin. I thought about how much I would have preferred another’s touch, because I did not think my own would ease this ache.

Perhaps that was the hold of Adrian’s magic. Was he the only one who could release me?

Suddenly, Adrian hovered over me, his mouth close to mine, his hair, like the sun, curtaining my view, curling softly against my skin.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“Because,” he said, “you were made for me.”

“You could say that to any woman, just as I could say that to any man.”

“But would it be true?”

“There is no truth where magic survives.”

“There is only truth if magic survives,” he said, and he bent toward me, lips touching my throat as my head pressed into my pillow, and my fingers teased my aching flesh. “Come for me, my sweet, so that I may taste you.”

My body was primed and heated, my entrance slick with need, and just as I was about to dip my fingers into my swollen flesh, the door to my bedroom flew open. I jerked into a sitting position, meeting Killian’s gaze.

“What?” I snapped, angry that I had been interrupted again, that I could not untie this knot deep in my stomach.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked, eyes darkening as he took in my position on the bed.

“Yes,” I hissed, angrier because he knew what he interrupted, furious because of what he dared to say next.

“It isn’t anything I can help with?”

“If I’d wanted help, I would have called for you,” I snapped as I slid off the bed. I crossed the room, putting distance between myself and the commander. “I wish to be alone.”

Instead of listening, he closed the door, and I sighed loudly.

“What did the creature say to you?” Killian demanded.

“Nothing that means much,” I said. “I can barely recall his words.”

Which was a lie. I remembered every word. They still slid across my skin, much as his tongue had done this evening, promising pleasure. I hated myself for wanting what he offered, but I was standing opposite a man who could never give it. How could I possibly be blamed?

“You can’t really mean to marry him,” Killian said.

“What do you mean?” I gazed at him, even though I didn’t want to look at him. I’d rather he left.

“I mean exactly what I’m asking. You aren’t really going to go through with this wedding, are you?”

“I don’t have a choice, Killian. I—”

“You have a choice!” he cut me off. “Kill him, Isolde. Drive a knife through his heart, and then you and I can wed.”

I stood opposite Killian, stunned. “I would never marry you.”

“You would marry the Blood King with no argument but not me?”

“It’s not as if I have a choice. This will save so many lives, Killian. What can you offer?”

He clenched his fists and lifted them, as if he wished to strike something—maybe me—but he did not move from his place. After a moment, he spoke. “Before your father decided on a truce with the vampires, he promised you to me,” Killian said. “I only had to kill the Blood King.”

“Promised?” I repeated the word, because his admission shocked me. My father had never spoken to me of marriage, least of all to Killian.

“Think about it, Isolde. Would you not rather live a long life with me than one with him?”

“If it were my choice, I’d have neither of you.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I mean every damn word.”

I started to pass Killian, intent on opening the door and demanding that he leave, but he grabbed my arm and jerked me toward him. I lifted my hand and slapped his face, but he didn’t release me.

“Let. Go,” I said between my teeth.

“You do not think I could kill him. I could. I would for you.”

“And I am telling you no. Do nothing for me, Killian. I don’t want it.”

I jerked on my arm, and he loosened his grip.

“Are you telling me you want him?” he asked, a note of disgust in his tone.

“I will not dignify your questions with a response. Not that you would hear me if I gave one.”

I turned from him and swung the door open.

“Leave. Now.”

Killian’s stare was lethal, but he still managed a courteous bow before storming from the room. I stood for a moment, rubbing my sore arm. There were a lot of reasons I’d never consider marrying the commander. Aside from bland sex, he was quick to anger, a trait I never wanted in a husband. I saw it too often among nobility, especially among the kings of the Nine Houses.

Once he was gone, I walked to the window and stared out into the night. It was well past sundown, and every gate that led into High City and the castle grounds would be locked and under guard, though that meant nothing for Killian, and I wondered if his anger was acute enough to send him beyond those gates to attempt his assassination of the Blood King.

I had no faith that Killian would succeed in his effort to kill Adrian, but I wondered what his betrayal would mean for our truce? For the protection Adrian had offered my people? I wanted to ensure they would be safe despite one man’s rogue choice.

I lingered at the window a moment longer before slipping on my cloak, arming myself, and leaving my room.

The cold seeped through my slippers as I made my way out of the servants’ quarters and into the night. I hadn’t exactly decided how I was going to make it past the guards at the gate, and I was no closer to figuring that out when I arrived. Nicolae and Lascar had retired; in their place were two older guards who were not as easily swayed by my charm—one named Avram, the other Ivan.

“Princess,” Avram said. “You best get back to the castle.”

I ignored him. “Has Commander Killian come through these gates?”

“Minutes ago,” said Ivan. “Can we pass along a message?”

I hesitated and tried to look coy, clearing my throat. “I’d rather surprise him.”

The two exchanged a look. Avram looked amused, but Ivan frowned.

“You cannot blame her,” Avram said. “She’s got to marry the Blood King tomorrow.”

By the fucking goddess, I hated asking permission from anyone. Perhaps becoming Adrian’s wife would afford me some level of freedom again.

“At least let one of us escort you to the commander,” said Ivan.

“You said he was minutes ahead of me,” I responded. “I can catch up.”

“There are monsters in the woods, Princess,” Avram warned, as if I did not know.

“I’m armed.”

“If you want the commander, you must have an escort,” said Avram.

“Fine,” I said, haughty, and stepped between the guards. “Come along, Ivan.”

I did not wait to see if he began to follow, but I had chosen him over Avram, who I knew was far more athletic. Ivan would have a harder time catching me when I made a run for the border.

We entered the tree line. There were three paths where the vegetation had been worn down. Each led to a different stronghold on the border of Lara. I did not usually stick to paths when I entered the woods—mostly because I never wanted to be caught by the soldiers who used them.

“He went this way, Princess,” he said, pointing straight ahead.

My stomach dropped a little further. It was the direction of the vampire’s camp.

He isn’t this stupid, I told myself. Though I could not be sure, given how determined Killian seemed to handle me. That being said, Killian was loyal to my father’s orders. I wondered if my father retracted his offer to make me Killian’s bride once he’d decided to make peace with the vampires. Or was it still on the table?

That thought had me walking faster.

Ivan chuckled, already falling behind. “Slow down, Princess. You’ll get there with enough time to say your goodbyes.”

While it was my fault Ivan believed I was headed into the woods to have a tryst with Commander Killian, I still hated the implication in his tone and voice.

I paused abruptly.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

Ivan went rigid and peered into the night. Slices of moonlight pooled throughout the forest, cutting between the canopy of branches overhead. A part of me felt guilty. Ivan was kind, he meant well, and I could tell he had transitioned, going from playful to soldier, his hand on the hilt of his blade.

“What exactly did you hear, Princess?” he asked, a serious edge to his voice.

“It was a rattling sound,” I said, which was usually a sign that a virika was near. Virika were creatures that moved with the shadows. They were impossible to see until they bared their bloodred teeth. They could be stealthy, unless they were hungry. Hunger made them stupid.

“Follow closely, Princess,” said Ivan.

I let him walk ahead, trailing behind him as I bent to pick up a rock. We continued for a little while longer before I tossed the stone into the wood nearby.

“What was that?” I whispered frantically.

Ivan turned in the direction I’d thrown the stone, eyes searching cautiously as I slipped away into the darkness. I did not take off at a run until I heard Ivan yell.

“Princess!”

I wasn’t made for running, and I certainly wasn’t dressed for it, but I pushed forward, running until I could see the vampire’s camp through the trees, then I paused within the shadows. Unlike this afternoon, the camp was alive with activity, and I was taken aback by how human everyone appeared. They were dressed in Adrian’s colors, the colors I imagined decorated the halls of Revekka—red and black. Flashes of gold armor that looked almost featherlike ignited like flame as they milled about, some gathered around the fire, while another group looked to be playing cards. They seemed carefree—as if they were not an army encamped in enemy territory.

Then again, they had little to fear. They were unbeatable.

I did not notice Commander Killian. I expected that if he’d attempted to enter the camp, he would have been captured by now.

Just as I was about to dart from the tree line and head straight for Adrian’s tent, a voice sounded from behind me.

“That was very unkind, what you did to your guard.”

I whirled to find a vampire I did not recognize behind me, and I hated that I had not been able to sense his approach. I stumbled back and, consequently, out of the tree line, and the vampire advanced. The moonlight cast beams of light over his body, illuminating slivers of dark skin and a pretty face—wide cheekbones, full lips, and a set of dimples on either side of his mouth.

“How long have you been following me?” I asked.

“I wasn’t,” he said.

My back met something hard, and hands clamped down on my shoulders. I reached back, grabbed them, and released my daggers into the person’s forearms. A scream that sounded more like a wounded growl erupted into the night, and I twisted to find another vampire. This one was slimmer, his hair hanging straight and lanky around a thin face. His fists were clenched, and blood dripped from his forearms.

“Fuck, she stabbed me!” he cried.

Behind me, the other vampire laughed. “Serves you right for assuming she was unarmed.”

“Sorin, what is going on?” another voice joined the mix. This one was female.

“I caught a mortal sneaking into camp,” said the dark vampire. “She stabbed Isac.”

The woman who approached was blond, her hair pulled into an intricate braid that ran from the top of her head to the middle of her back. She was beautiful and fierce, and she sounded as if she were laughing.

“Stabbed you, Isac?”

“Shut up, Miha,” he snapped.

There were now three vampires standing in an arc before me, and I was shocked I was still alive. Even the one I’d stabbed seemed relatively calm, and I’d expected him to retaliate quickly. Instead, his arms quit shaking, and blood stopped dripping from his wounds. Soon, he let them fall to his sides, healed.

An explosion of cheers sounded behind us suddenly, and I turned to see the group of vampires who had previously been playing cards on their feet. Two men were on the ground, fighting.

Miha rolled her eyes while Sorin and Isac chuckled. “I knew that game would end in a quarrel.”

“Four kings always does,” said Sorin.

I did not ask what four kings was. Instead, I started to shift away from the trio of vampires, until their attention returned to me and I froze.

“So what are you doing here, little one?” Miha continued. “Have you come to seduce and kill our king?”

I was too surprised by her question to complain that she’d called me little one. My brows rose. “Excuse me?”

“It wouldn’t be the first attempt,” Sorin said.

“I—no,” I said and paused. “Did you just say it wouldn’t be the first attempt?”

“That’s right,” Sorin quipped.

“What happened to the woman who tried that?”

I couldn’t help myself. I was curious. Was Adrian capable of being seduced, or had he murdered every woman who tried?

The three of them exchanged a look, and before Sorin could speak, another voice joined the fray.

“Princess Isolde. What a surprise.”

I whirled to face Adrian while the three vampires behind me acknowledged him.

“My king,” they said.

“I caught her sneaking into camp, Your Majesty,” said Sorin.

“She stabbed me,” said Isac.

“We stopped her before she could reach your tent,” Miha added.

Adrian looked at me for a long moment and then spoke. “Princess Isolde is my betrothed. She may come to my tent whenever she wishes.”

It wasn’t a wish. This was business, but I said nothing.

“You could have said that,” said Isac, “instead of stabbing me.”

I turned to look at him. “You were the one who touched me.”

“On the shoulders,” he added, as if to clarify for Adrian’s sake.

“Your point?”

The other two vampires were smiling, and behind me, Adrian chuckled, which drew my gaze. When he wasn’t laughing at my expense, the sound was actually…warm.

“You laugh,” I said and tilted my head back to better meet his eyes, “but he is not the only one who will feel the sting of my blade.”

Adrian touched my chin, and this time, I managed not to flinch. “My sweet, I look forward to that.”

Someone cleared their throat, and I looked at the three vampires, who had all averted their eyes, lingering awkwardly.

“We’re just going to…go,” Sorin said, and I watched the three fall back into the shadows of the wood.

I returned my attention to Adrian, who was still watching me.

“You were heading to my tent?” he asked.

“I need to speak with you,” I said.

He stared and, after a moment, indicated for me to follow. “Come.”

We walked side by side, and as we came around to the front of his tent, I got a better look at their camp. The first thing that took me by surprise was the sight of several fires, over which a mortal man cooked. The smell of sizzling meats and seasonings wafted toward me, and my stomach turned.

“What is he cooking?” I asked, my stomach turning. I didn’t think it was human meat, but I wanted to be sure nevertheless. Vampires did not eat as far as I knew.

Adrian raised a brow. “Lamb. For the mortals who travel with us.”

“You let mortals travel with you?”

“How do you think we eat?” he asked.

His question was so casual, and yet it made my blood run cold. I was not aware that mortals traveled with his army, though there were stories of people who fled to Revekka to gain immortality by offering their blood in the hope that they would eventually be turned into a vampire. The practice was called bloodletting and seen as treasonous to all kingdoms of the Nine Houses. It was also an automatic death sentence.

Adrian directed me into his tent, letting me enter ahead of him. Inside, it was warm, the heat wafting from a brazier at its center. The sight of it caused me to hesitate at the entrance, and Adrian bumped into me. Instead of staggering away, his hand touched my waist.

“You are safe here,” he said, mistaking my fear of the fire for a fear of him.

I moved forward quickly. At my feet plush rugs covered most of the ground, and a round table and several wooden folding chairs were arranged to one side. There was also a desk, upon which a map of Cordova was spread, and I fought every urge to approach and read his plans for my world. A bed took up the other side of the tent and it was that I focused on, because it was occupied by a very naked woman. She was stretched out, completely exposed, creamy skin burnished by firelight. She jerked into a sitting position when she saw us enter, not bothering to drag the blankets up to cover herself. She only stared, wide-eyed, as if she had not expected Adrian to bring a visitor.

“Out,” Adrian snapped, and she fled. I watched her go, feeling irritated that he hadn’t been alone.

“Will your mistress join us on our wedding night?” I asked, glaring at him.

“Already dreaming of our time together?” he countered and then offered a smile. “She is not my mistress.”

“So you wouldn’t have slept with her?”

He stared. “I suppose it depends on how I’m feeling.”

I narrowed my eyes upon him. “You’re supposed to say no, at least to my face. Unless you wish to conduct our marriage openly. In which case, shall I start scouting for potential lovers?”

Adrian’s mouth hardened. “Are you demanding fidelity?”

“I will follow as you lead,” I said. It was a taunt.

“It is early to make demands. We have not even wed yet.”

“If my request is such a burden, then call off the engagement,” I challenged. I walked farther into the tent, keeping my distance from the fire at the center. The flames seemed too high and too angry.

“Oh, my sweet, things have become far too interesting for that,” he said and then tilted his head to the side. “Why are you here?”

I hesitated for a moment. Maybe this was a mistake. As the words came out of my mouth, they seemed ridiculous. “I need a promise from you.”

Adrian’s pale brows rose over his strange eyes.

“Go on.”

“It won’t surprise you to know that Commander Killian hates you, even more after today. I think he believes he could kill you and free me from our engagement. I need you to promise that if he tries to attack, you will not seek retribution against my people.”

Adrian stared at me for a long moment.

“What will you give me in exchange for this promise?”

“I warned you of Killian. Is that not enough?”

“You have told me nothing I did not already know. Your commander has been planning ways to kill me since I landed on your doorstep.”

I stared at him. “What do you want from me?”

“Everything,” he said. “But for now, I will settle for the answer to why you do not walk near the fire.”

I stared at him, surprised he had noticed, and then looked toward the flames. Acknowledging my fear of fire seemed so minimal compared to anything else he could have asked, so I answered truthfully.

“I am afraid of fire,” I said. “I have been since I was a child.”

“Were you burned as a child?” Adrian moved closer.

“No,” I said and then inhaled an involuntary, shaky breath. There was more to this than I wanted to admit, an unexplainable panic that came at night when I closed my eyes. It was a horror Adrian had no right to access, so I said nothing more.

Still, he was staring, and his gaze burned worse than any fire.

“Why do you ask?”

“You are to be my wife,” he said.

Now he was behind me, and though he did not touch me, I felt him through the tension between us. His body called to mine, a magnetic pull that grasped my hips and shoulders. It took everything in my power not to bow into him.

I was so focused on keeping my body in check that when he spoke against my ear, I gasped. “Tell me, does Commander Killian visit your bed often?”

Jealousy was a strange trait between strangers, and yet it had reared its head twice between us now. At least I was not alone in my irrationality.

I turned my head, eyes falling to his lips, which were only an inch from mine.

“What makes you think he visits my bed?”

“I know jealous lovers,” he said. “Does your commander think that if I am dead, he can have you?”

“No one owns me, King Adrian.”

“I do not seek to own you,” he said but did not elaborate.

Again, I found myself wondering why he had chosen me. I turned to face him, my shoulder brushing his chest as I moved, glaring up at him.

“Do I have your word you will not retaliate?” I asked.

“I will not seek revenge against your people, but I will not promise to spare your commander.”

I felt the color drain from my face. “And if I ask you to spare him?”

I could not explain the look on Adrian’s face, but I thought that maybe he felt triumph at my question, as if he’d snared me into another bargain. He took a step away and sat in one of the folding chairs. He was relaxed, one large hand resting on the arm, his long legs spread wide, as if in invitation.

“Would you spare a man who tried to kill you?” he asked.

I hesitated but answered truthfully. “No.”

“Then why should I spare your commander?”

Because he’s an idiot, I wanted to say. “Because I asked you to.”

He stared, and my eyes wandered down his strong frame.

“You ask for much.”

“Think of it as a wedding gift,” I said slowly.

“A wedding gift,” he repeated.

“Do you not wish to please me?” I asked.

Adrian’s head tilted again, and his lips quirked. “Of course I wish to please you.”

I approached, driven by a need to extract my promise but also a curiosity—how close would he let me get? And if I could get close…could I kill him myself? I recalled Lord Cristian’s words, wondering if everyone in the kingdom had the same expectation of me.

Adrian watched me, eyes aflame as I settled my knee between his thighs.

“Then please me,” I whispered and gingerly placed my hands on his chest. He was surprisingly warm, and the muscles beneath my palms were hard. He still had not moved, had not placed his hands upon me, and the only indication that he was aroused was the hard length pressed against my knee.

I slipped my hands up his chest. If he would let me, I could shove my blade into his neck and jerk it through. My knives were sharp enough to cut bone if I got the angle right.

“Is that what you really want?” he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Yes.”

He smirked and lifted his head just an inch so that I could feel his breath on my lips as he spoke. “Because I think you want to kill me.” In the next second, he moved. One of his hands gripped beneath my knee, and the other moved around my waist as he stood, sealing our bodies together, trapping my hands between us. I gripped his shirt in my fists, and my leg hitched around his hip, his erection pressed against the softness of my body, a hard edge I wanted to ride, but I kept still, glaring at him as he spoke. “And if that is the case, I should warn you now that any attempt will be met with my wrath.”

“As if your wrath could be any worse,” I spat.

“Oh, my sweet,” he said and moved to grip my face. He was so quick, so fluid, I could not react, and as he spoke, his words whispered across my lips. “I could turn you in an instant.”

Then he tilted my head back, lips trailing along my neck. My fingers squeezed his shirt tighter. “And then what would you be?”

He waited until he drew back to look me in the eyes before he answered. “Nothing more than the undead you hate.”

I shoved against him, and he released me. We stared at each other for a moment, and I wondered what Adrian was thinking. Was he torn between fighting and fucking?

I was.

Instead, I came to my senses and returned to why I had come here to begin with.

“Do I have your word that you will not retaliate against my people?”

Adrian glared, as if now the question annoyed him. “We made an agreement,” he said. “I swore to protect your people so long as you agreed to be my wife. I will uphold my promise, even when others do not.”

I knew his final words were directed at me, but I had promised to marry him, nothing more, nothing less, and as much as I wanted to fight him—to kill him—I managed to contain my hatred and instead expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you.”

Adrian’s expression softened a little. He did not speak but bowed his head in acknowledgment.

“I…I should go,” I said and took a step away.

“I will escort you,” he said.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“It is,” he said, “if I am correct in assuming your commander gave you that bruise.”

I looked at my arm. In our earlier…struggle…my cloak had fallen over my shoulder. My gaze cut back to Adrian.

“I will take care of it,” I said.

“Of that I have no doubt, but what if I wish for a turn?”

“Are you offering to defend my honor? How chivalrous.”

“It has nothing to do with chivalry,” he answered. “I insist.”

I did not argue, if only because, in Adrian’s presence, I might escape a lecture from the guards. We exited his tent and headed toward the woods once more, but at the border, we came to a halt, face-to-face with Killian and Ivan—Killian whose face was twisted with anger, and Ivan who looked pale and embarrassed. I hoped Killian wasn’t too hard on him.

“Isolde,” Killian said, and his eyes shifted to the vampire beside me. “King Adrian, I will take her from here.”

He started to reach for me, and Adrian’s hand shot out, clamping down upon Killian’s with a hard smack.

“You have already touched her once without invitation,” he said. “You will not do so again.”

I saw Ivan glance warily at Killian as the commander jerked away.

“You will forgive me if I do not trust you to see to my fiancée’s safe return.”

“As if she is safe with you,” Killian sneered.

“We will let the bruises speak for themselves,” Adrian said.

The commander paled, and it was the first time I think he realized just how hard he had handled me. Still, his hand flexed over his blade, but before he could pull it, I stepped between them. It was the second time I’d given Adrian my back, the second time I’d put myself between him and Killian.

“I have accepted King Adrian’s escort, Commander. You may return to your position.”

His lips pressed thin, and his eyes shone with anger. It was the same anger that had led him to reach for me earlier.

“Fine,” he said at last, and my ears bled with the words he didn’t say: Your father will hear of this. But what could either of them really do? I was Adrian’s betrothed, and this time tomorrow, I would be his wife. I watched him go, disappearing with Ivan in the dark.

After, I walked a step ahead of Adrian all the way to the castle. As I had predicted, Avram said nothing as we passed, alone since Ivan had yet to return form the border, probably still in the middle of a severe tongue-lashing from Killian. I would have to apologize tomorrow. I passed through the gates without stopping, and I intended to continue to the castle without looking back at Adrian, except as I swept past the sentry box, he called to me.

“All the stars in the sky,” Adrian said.

The words made my heart race, and I halted as an answer that was not my own formed in my mind—are not as bright as my love for you.

But when I turned to look at him, he was gone.