Page 105 of Poison Sun

“What do you want?” I remain on guard, not putting away my dagger, and not moving down the stairs.

His smile widens “All I want is another taste of your blood,” he says. “You tasted so delicious, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since that night. Don’t you feel the same? At least a little bit?”

Panic flares inside me at his words.

If he drinks from me a second time, it could initiate a blood bond between us.

The thought of being bonded to this monster makes me feel sick.

“You’ve forgotten what you’re dealing with,” I tell him. “Thanks to that potion, I’m a beacon to shadow souls. It won’t be long until they track me here and attack.”

“Then I suppose you’ll have to be a good girl and let me drink from you before they have a chance,” he says. “Don’t worry—we’ll get out of here immediately afterward. And I’ll stick to my word and let your friends go free.”

I seriously doubt that.

“No,” I say, my grip tightening around the hilt of my dagger. “What else do you want?”

He narrows his eyes at me, studying me, saying nothing.

A sinking feeling forms in the pit of my stomach.

“No?” he finally says. “That’s a shame. I thought you’d be more... cooperative, given the circumstances.”

The memories of his drinking from me flash through my mind again. The disgust, the fear, how defenseless I felt as he pulled out more and more of my blood—and I freeze up, haunted by the thought of his lips near my neck again.

I glance at Cassandra, but she’s completely still, her gaze stuck on Yannick.

She loves him. And she’s scared.

Out of all the emotions I’ve ever expected out of Cassandra, fear never crossed my mind as a possibility.

I suppose everyone has their weaknesses. Even fierce, seemingly heartless vampire warriors.

“There has to be something else you want.” I stand strong against Lucas, unwilling to back down.

He sighs in frustration, then turns to the guard hovering over Yannick.

“Kill him,” he commands, and the guard raises his dagger and pierces it straight through Yannick’s heart.

Damien

Right after I lower my wind shield, Viktor lunges forward, dagger aimed for my heart.

But I’m prepared. Because when I lowered my shield, I held on to the exact amount of magic I need for my next move. It’s an advanced move—one I’ll need precise control to execute—but it’s one I’ve spent centuries honing.

Viktor’s midair when I release my magic in his direction.

Not to attack, but to bind.

The air wraps around his wrists and ankles like chains, forcing him off balance, knocking his weapon out of his hand and bringing him to his knees before me.

He tries to fight it, but it’s futile.

“Damien,” he growls like a feral animal, giving another unsuccessful tug at the invisible cuffs holding him in place. “Release me.”

“Hand over the compass,” I say, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart. “Do it, and I’ll let you live.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “Let me live?” he says. “You still don’t understand, Damien. Handing over the compass means death for us all. Even without the potion added to it, the compass can lead us to the shadow souls. Sure, we can’t call the shadow souls to us like we would have been able to if it was merged with the potion, but we can find them. To win this war against them, the compass needs to be in the right hands. In our hands.”

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