Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

LOVE HURTS

I wake. Something heavy is pinning me down. I can't see anything.

‘Where—'

A hand comes over my mouth. I realise the weight is Kyle, lying on me.

‘Be quiet!' He whispers the words, close to my ear. ‘We're under the pits. If anyone finds you?—'

He doesn't need to say any more. I stiffen. The pits? Is he fucking insane? His hand leaves my mouth. I shift slightly and feel the hard vial of anti-feed spray in my pocket.

‘Spray. Pocket.' I breathe the words, knowing he'll hear them. There's a faint sigh. Then his hand is in my pocket. I still don't understand what's happening. Is he taking me away with him? I hear a faint hiss, feel cool mist on my skin. Then I hear a cracking sound and the scent of violets becomes eye-wateringly strong. I realise he's broken the vial.

Revelation rolls over me like a wave, cold as ice, bitter as heartbreak. His hand closes around my throat again. Blackness descends. Fuck. I'm going to die here.

* * *

When I wake a second time I'm lying on something soft, cushions around me, smooth fabric beneath my hand. My throat aches and I want to rub it, but my arms are so heavy. There are voices, echoing at first, then resolving into words.

‘So you'll keep your promise?'

Kyle.

The pain of his betrayal crashes over me, the horror of that moment in the darkness. I daren't move.

Another voice answers. ‘Yes. You've brought me the key to my own happiness. It only seems fair you have yours as well.' Fuck. I'd recognise that elegant drawl anywhere. Mistral.

‘Thank you.' Kyle sounds pleased. ‘The rebellion seems to be going well.'

What?

‘It certainly is, though it's almost out of my hands at this point. It's bigger than I ever imagined it could be.' Mistral laughs and I wish I could punch him in his stupid perfect face. ‘I'll shut it down once I'm Raven, I suppose, but it's serving its purpose for now.'

Serving its purpose? When he's Raven ?

Kyle snorts. ‘You sure? Raven can't shut it down at the moment. What makes you think you'll be able to?'

‘The fact that I don't care how many of them I have to kill to do it,' Mistral snarls. He laughs again, a short sound devoid of mirth. ‘Who knew that humans still had so much fight in them?'

‘I suppose any animal will fight, if cornered. And humans have been cornered for a long time.'

‘If it were up to you I'm sure we'd all be living together, vamps and humans, like one big happy family.' The scorn is evident in Mistral's voice.

‘Would that be so bad?'

‘They're food, Kyle. Blind, foolish cattle. How anyone can think otherwise?—'

‘Yet here we are, with a full-blown rebellion on our hands. Tell me, did you think the seeds you planted would grow so strong?'

There's a pause. Tension crackles through the room. I don't want them to know I'm awake, but it's tough when I want to scream. I cannot fucking believe what I'm hearing. Mistral is behind the North Wind?

Kyle speaks again. ‘What are you going to do with her?'

With me?

‘I need you to keep her with you for now, but don't hurt her. It's taken you long enough to get her to me, for darkness' sake. Third time lucky, I suppose.'

Third time? And it hits me. When Kyle took me to the waterfall, he must have been testing whether or not he could take me somewhere else without me protesting too much. I'd not only gone along with it, I'd begged him to do it again. First to the Moon Harvest, then running away with him. All the while thinking he loved me. My fingernails dig into the palms of my hands.

‘She's well-guarded. And your rebels got in my way, if you remember.' Kyle sounds irritated.

But he also offered me a night. Would have given it to me, as well, if Raven hadn't shown up when they did.

Mistral snarls. ‘Aren't you one of my rebels? Remember who you're working for.'

I'm reeling. Kyle is a rebel. I remember our conversation at the waterfall, how he'd tried to tell me what humans wanted.

‘I'm only working with you because you can give me what I want.'

‘Oh I know.' Mistral laughs again, a dry sound, no humour in it. ‘Just remember – I got you out of the pits. I can put you back there.'

‘But you won't.' Kyle's voice is hard.

‘No, I won't. You've delivered the girl and I'll honour my bargain.' He's silent for a moment. ‘Honestly, these damn human throwbacks! Abominations, each and every one of them! Once I have her mother, maybe I'll kill her myself. After all, Penelope and I will create the most wonderful children. She'll have no need of this one once I'm lord of Raven.'

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

Mistral must be out of his mind. Lord of Raven? He can fuck right off. What about my father? I remember the bomb in the ballroom, the way Mistral had stepped in so neatly, ripping apart the blood dancer to protect his lord… or protect himself, more likely, so that his plans wouldn't be revealed. Shit. I don't care what he thinks, he'll never have Mother, not in a million years. There's no way she'd let him kill me. I mean, I know I'm human and weak, but I also know she loves me. Unlike Kyle. At that thought there's pain, like a crack across my mind, as though I'm a shield holding all the pieces of me together.

‘This hasn't been easy, you know.'

Oh, I'm so sorry, Kyle , that betraying me has been so hard on you. If I wasn't trying to keep still, I'd roll my eyes.

‘I'm sure. If the bomber had done his job properly, we wouldn't have had to go to quite these extremes. You could have ended it much earlier.'

‘So, once you're in power, I can change her?'

Change me?

Kyle knows I can't be changed. Maybe he had to knock me out, to trick Mistral that he's on his side, but really he still loves me, and we'll be together. Maybe he's just pretending, to protect me, and he'll take me back to my parents. Maybe I'm clutching at straws.

‘Yes, yes.' Mistral sounds even more irritated. ‘You can change her now, for all I care. A fighter from the pits and his little dancing girl. A love story for the ages, I'm sure.' He snorts.

‘I'll take Emelia to the safe house, then.'

A safe house. My heart lifts. Oh, thank darkness. He's going to keep me safe, after all. I'm still puzzling about why he thinks he can change me, though. And why is Mistral calling me a dancing girl?

‘Keep her there until the trap is sprung. I can't keep her here, as much as I'd like to – too obvious, really.'

The trap? I strain to hear more, but one of the cushions by my legs falls away. There's a soft thud as it hits the floor.

I feel a rush of cool air. I daren't open my eyes, and stay as still as I can. But my heart is racing. I'm in a room with at least two predators, both of whom will be able to tell I'm faking unconsciousness. Fabric covers my mouth, an acrid scent in my nostrils. And I'm gone once more.