Page 33 of A Throne of Blood & Vengeance

He chuckled and laid his hands over mine around the bars. “I promise to thoroughly tire you out after this.”

“I don’t need to hear this,” Roth growled as they came to a stop beside me. “Iron bars,” they mused.

“Can you feel it?” Draven asked, shooting Roth a curious look.

I wasn’t sure what he meant byfeel it, but when I glanced down at his hands over mine, I noticed he was being careful not to touch the bars.

“No.” Roth’s hazel eyes studied the cell, their brows coming together the longer they looked. “But I’ve seen this design before. Though the color is different from the metal composition the humans used.” They frowned. “And anything the humans built had doors.”

“Do we have you to thank for opening that wall?” Celestina jutted a thumb over her shoulder at the wreckage in the tunnel.

“Yes. I did my best to quiet the sound. Given that there aren’t any guards flooding this room, I don’t believe they heard anything.” Draven eyed Celestina before looking around at all those gathered in the room, his gaze finally falling back on Roth, no doubt seeing the familial connection. He grinned when he noticed the new blood ropes around Roth’s forearms. “Upgraded your ribbons, eh?”

He winked at them, and to my utter shock, Roth winked back. “The better to strangle you with.”

“How’d you know we were there?” Celestina asked, her expression unreadable.

Some of the amusement drained from Draven’s face, then he squeezed my fingers, being careful to avoid the bars. “I felt Kier’s blood.” His eyes didn’t leave our fingers, and a tension rolled through him.

“No way you would be able to smell the blood through that wall.” Desmond prodded some of the wreckage strewn about on the floor. “Too thick. Not even a Velesian would have been able to smell through it.”

“Felt,” Severen corrected his son. “He saidfelt, not smelled.”

“I knew it!” Roth whispered loudly.

“Care to share with the rest of us?” Alaric said dryly. “Or was this just a gloating moment?”

Roth narrowed their eyes. “Don’t be pissy because you’ve contributed nothing on this rescue. I’m sure Samara will still think you’re pretty.”

“What is going on?” I cut in, turning enough so I could glare at everyone in the room before looking at Draven again, who was avoiding my eyes. “How did you do that, Drav?”

Finally, he met my gaze, a half-hearted smile on his lips. “You know only you and Sam call me that, right?”

“Yeah,” I told him softly. “I know.”

Draven’s eyes didn’t leave mine as he gripped the bars with both hands for several seconds before pulling them away. His lightly tanned skin turned an angry red. It faded quickly, but I saw it.

I stared at his palms for a long moment. “Seelie Fae?” The question came out a little disconnected as my mind whirled. I didn’t even know if that was possible because Draven was definitely Moroi . . . at least part Moroi anyway.

“Yes.” Draven rubbed his hands against the sides of his pants like he wanted to wipe off the taint of the iron. “Half, courtesy of my asshole father.” He opened his mouth to say more but then clamped it shut.

My sword suddenly felt very heavy in my hand. We’d told the Devereux clan the truth about the wraiths before coming here. That they were really the Seelie Fae. Roth hadn’t wanted to hidethat knowledge from their family, and we’d all agreed that they’d deserved to know the truth.

How would they react to knowing that some of the blood running through Draven’s veins was the same as the shadow monsters’ who had killed so many of their House? I wouldn’t just let them hurt him, but I also knew I wouldn’t win against them. And Alaric was foolish enough to stand by my side.

Had we come all this way to die?

“Well, your earth magic has already come in handy tonight,” Severen said. “I’m sure it will again before this night is over.”

Shock washed over me. “That’s it?” I gaped at Roth’s father and then at the rest of their family, who seemed to be rolling with this.

Celestina shrugged. “He’s with Samara. Roth is with Samara. We’re basically in-laws at this point.”

“I’m kind of curious about how his earth magic can be used in a fight.” Taivan gave Draven an appraising look. “If the wraiths manage to turn themselves back to their former Seelie Fae forms, then they’ll have the same magic. Having someone to spar against will be really useful.”

“Always thinking with your bloody sword,” Roth grumbled.

“In more ways than one,” Taivan agreed.

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