Blood Prince

He took three deep pulls before releasing me. He studied my face, no doubt hoping to find fear there. I was more than happy to disappoint him. Undeterred, he went for my mouth, but I turned away from him.

He dragged my chin back to the center before crushing my lips with his, drawing blood as I struggled against him.

“That’s better,” he purred and licked the droplets from my lips. “You are delicious, little spy.”

Focus. “You knew about the Darkwood vampires?”

“I’ve known about them for centuries.” He laughed and drew his nails down the front of my shirt, shredding the fabric with no effort. “I’ve waited for them to make a move on the queen, to destroy her so I could take the throne. But they are weak.”

“If I were a spy, why would the queen let me leave her presence alive?”

“Because I haven’t told that moronic cunt about your little friends.” He shoved his other leg between my thighs, pushing me open. “I thought you would be what the Darkwood vampires needed, that they would finally kill the queen, but alas, they have failed yet again. Pathetic. Their hero is trapped, soon to be killed by the pretender. Paris was their last hope. Now, I’ll have to wipe them all out. Prove my loyalty to Desmerada by dusting the lot of them, and come up with another way to end her.” He sighed, though his eyes smiled at the prospect of destruction.

He left my neck and pushed up onto his elbows. He darted his tongue to his lips as he saw my breasts peeking from the ruined shirt. “But at least I’m going to get something out of this little misadventure.”

I remained silent, thankful Sanguine didn’t seem to know I had intentionally gotten captured. If he’d known of Faren’s attack, he would have no doubt already sounded the alarm. My plan was still in motion, the king in play, and I hoped my moves were the only ones not going according to plan.

In my mind, I saw the battlements emptying—the soldiers amassing in the great hall. Each watchtower would be guarded by a solitary vampire. The rest of the horde would be in the great hall, packed in to witness Desmerada’s greatest triumph. The queen would want everyone there, even down to the lowliest soldier, as she ended the line of Priam and ensured her place atop the Bloodkeep. Faren’s troops would make their way through the towers, taking out the lone guards as they went. No alarms, no survivors.

The grandest diversion—Paris on the chopping block—was the only thing that could get Desmerada to let her guard down. It was a huge risk. But this was the only chance they’d ever have to finish her and retake the vampire homeland. I had convinced Shildreth and Faren, barely, to agree to my plan.

Risking Paris was not something they were inclined to do. But my strategy was the best they’d had in the long years since Desmerada’s reign of blood began. I regretted being unable to tell Paris, but he was too set on protecting me to ever let me stray into the queen’s clutches.

This was the only way. And I knew it was the perfect strategy. Surprise attack. But in order for it to work, I needed to be in the great hall, where I could do the most damage. As it was, my hands were at my back and the clock was ticking.

He smirked and hooked a claw in my pants, splitting the leather down to my hip bone. “Don’t worry, maiden, I’ll be gentle.”

“I won’t.” The air wavered as I took the risk and summoned my fire. Sanguine’s eyes widened with fear as the bed went up in an inferno.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Paris

I shifted in my darkened cage, wondering what Elena had up her sleeve. The sounds in the great hall grew louder, more and more voices joining until the room was bursting with noise and movement. I had no doubt Elena could easily disentangle herself from the spymaster. But that still left me in the dark about the rest of the plan. I sat and bided my time until a hush fell over the great hall.

Desmerada’s voice wafted through the wooden panels. “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve summoned you here on this fine evening. I have quite a special treat for all of us.”

The doors swung open and the cage began to move. I sensed a room packed with my kind, a multitude of vampires come to witness my execution. The only sound was the muffled steps and grunts of the guards as they labored through the room, lifted the cage higher, and finally perched it atop a platform.

Whispers fluttered around me as intrigue grew in the air.

“As your queen, I have always endeavored to annihilate any threats to our homeland.”