Page 100 of Radiant Shadows

When the cacophony finally subsided, I found myself on the floor of the hallway with the two guards looking down at me with wild concern on their faces. I blinked up at them, registering the earth-shattering and irrevocable change in my body.

The ache I’d grown so accustomed to, had come to thrive upon, was gone. The tug I cherished no longer pulled.

“Are you alright?” the bearded guard asked me.

“No. No, please, no,” I prayed desperately to any deity who would hear me.

“General, there’s been an incident,” I heard one of the guards say.

But I didn’t care. The worst thing that could have happened to me did. Arya had done it. My imprint was gone.

Chapter 36

Julian

I was exhausted, which I was particularly unused to. I sat on a wooden chair with royal purple upholstery, free from the confines of Marguerite’s bed at last and clothed in black cotton pajamas, which I much preferred to being naked. I supposed she was rewarding me for good behavior, but the truth was I just didn’t have it in me to verbally fight her anymore.

Fortunately, it was daytime, and since Marguerite was the most skilled at combat among the vampires, she was off training newly turned fledglings how to best use their new abilities. Or, at least, that’s what I thought she’d said before leaving. I was very happy to have a moment free of her company.

The taste of fresh blood still sat in my mouth. A few hours ago, Marguerite brought a couple of Initiates to drink from. I wasn’t proud of it, but I’d greedily drank from a willing male. My weakened state seemed to magnify my thirst, and blood at least brought some sort of pleasure to my tortured existence.

All things considered, Marguerite was a far more merciful torturer than Hadrian would have been. Being trapped in a penthouse suite and having my personal space violated with unwanted affection was certainly better than being slowly skinned alive repeatedly or drowning over and over again or any other manner of sadism Hadrian was capable of.

I should count myself lucky. Marguerite’s undying obsession with me had saved me from a horrifically hellish fate. At least for now. Would she eventually tire of me if I kept refusing to play along, to give in?

I wished Shea would contact me. She and Caesar needed to know. At least so they wouldn’t think I’d abandoned them. The thought stabbed me with grief and regret. I had been a fool to come back here. I should have stayed with them. And now I might never see either of them again.

A soft scratching noise came from the closed window and pulled me from my sorrow. I lifted my head, and the effort to do so almost broke me.

Though the room was dark, my vampire eyes easily cut through it. Marguerite’s long, purple couch sat right against the large, covered window. Although it was sealed off for the daylight hours, Marguerite had strung long, flowing silver curtains around it, framing it in elegance.

More scratching sounded from behind the metal covering the window, and I gritted my teeth as I attempted to get to my feet. My legs shook at the effort, then gave out. I found myself sprawled upon a fine purple-and-silver woven rug. Having fallen face-first, my nose had cracked upon impact—the rug had done very little to protect it from the hard stone floor beneath.

With difficulty, I pushed myself onto my knees. I waited for my nose to heal itself, and it took a painfully long time. I felt the sluggish cracking and popping as my nose set back into its proper place.

The scratching came again, this time more rapid, as if whatever was on the other side was growing eager to enter. Could it be Shea? Or Caesar? Had they somehow discovered my capture and come to save me? More likely, it was just some random critter. Either way, at least I wouldn’t be alone.

Will trumped exhaustion, and I forced myself forward like a wiggling worm on dry soil.

I kept my head down as I dragged my legs behind me, and before long, I bumped my head on the couch.

Inhaling heavily, I placed my elbows on the soft, deep purple cushions and levered myself up. I lifted my knees up one at a time, and the effort nearly made me fall backward. I balanced myself with my hands on the top of the back part of the couch.

The scratching was loudest just in front of me. I reached up for an ancient locking mechanism that kept the window closed. My shackles clanked as my arms shook while grabbing the horizontal lock.

“Damn things,” I cursed under my breath.

Taking a few more breaths, I used what little strength I could muster to try to pry the lock up. It didn’t budge, not even a little.

I let myself fall back onto the couch in disappointment. For so long, I’d taken my superhuman strength for granted. Now, I was weaker than most humans.

Laying back, I looked up at the stuck window again and noticed the scratching had stopped. I’d failed whatever was on the other side. Not that it mattered. Nobody knew about my imprisonment. Nobody was coming for me.

A deep, crashing reverberation sounded like bells chiming in my ears.

The ringing continued, slowly tapering off like a glass being clanked by a knife.

“What the hell?” I muttered.

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