Page 68 of A Throne of Blood & Vengeance

Something very bad had happened while I’d been fetching Vail. I had no gods to pray to. Instead, I begged the moon that Kieran wasn’t the reason Samara was feeling such despair. If my love had suffered because Vail was too fucking stubborn to face what he’d done . . . the Marshal wouldn’t have to worry abouthis conflicting loyalties or emotions anymore. Despite how much I saw myself reflected in Vail’s struggles, I’d fucking kill him if anything had happened to Kieran.

The storm was getting worse, and the rain was coming down in sheets now as thunder roared overhead. The thick forest underbrush was getting soggy, and it made running tiring, but on the plus side, most of the beasts that prowled the night had clearly decided to hunker down at this point and wait it out.

Vail’s eyes were almost a solid silver—he’d allowed his bloodlust to rise to give him that extra boost of speed. I’d done the same. We were closing in on Samara and the group now, but they’d changed direction slightly. Still heading south but angling west towards House Salvatore.

It was risky to go there to seek shelter—if that’s what Samara and the others intended. Dominique was a bit of a wild card. If I were Carmilla, she would have been one of the first Houses I’d use the crown on and force their subservience. Samara was clever, and she knew her aunt better than I did; this must have occurred to her as well, which meant something bad enough had happened to make it worth the risk.

I ran faster.

Almost there. Just a little farther.

The tree line broke, and a flash of lighting revealed a small group of people on the main road to House Salvatore.

“Samara! Kieran!” I called out as I sprinted towards them, only to halt when a half-mad Furie with glowing golden eyes landed in front of me.

“Cali! No!” I heard Samara scream.

The fact that neither I nor Vail drew our weapons was probably the only reason Cali didn’t follow through on her attack. Her bright eyes dimmed as she took us in and realized we weren’t a threat. There was something still off about her though. I’d met Cali a few times, and she’d always had this swaggeringarrogance about her. There was none of that to be seen right now, and it made my panic increase until I saw Kieran shove his way past the Furie, as if that wasn’t courting death.

“You’re okay,” I breathed out as Kieran wrapped his arms around me.

“‘Okay’ probably isn’t the right word, but I’m not seriously injured.”

I didn’t like thenot seriouslypart of that statement, so I pulled back and quickly started scouring him for wounds, tugging at his clothing where it was ripped so I could see the bare skin beneath it.

“Drav,” he said softly, pulling my attention away from my manic inspection to his beautiful brown eyes threaded with gold. “I’m fine. I promise.”

I let out a shuddered breath and nodded. “I’m not leaving your or Samara’s sides until this is over. Not for any reason.”

Kieran kissed me and then breathed across my lips, “Good.”

“What happene?—”

My question was cut off by a rumbling growl and someone crashing into Vail. Two figures rolled across the rain-soaked ground, and I tugged Kieran out of their path as they traded blows.

“Nyx!” Vail grunted. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Nyx? The young ranger who was part of Vail’s ranger unit and was friends with Samara? Why were they attacking Vail?

Samara rushed forward but was cut off by Cali, who dove towards the two brawling Moroi and broke them apart. She grabbed Nyx by the throat and held them back when they tried to lunge for Vail again.

I started when I saw Nyx’s eyes—they were a solid midnight blue.

Even when I let my bloodlust rise, I still had faint traces of blue in my eyes. Vail’s silver eyes had small dark spots of grey,hinting at his tenuous hold on humanity. Samara was the only Moroi I’d ever encountered whose eyes turned the solid color of their bloodlust while remaining herself.

Nyx was clearly not themself; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been attacking Vail this way. Between that and their eye color . . . Nyx had turned Strigoi.

“Calm yourself!” Cali commanded and shook Nyx as if they weighed nothing.

I pushed Kieran behind me as I prepared to defend him, but he just threaded his fingers through mine and moved to stand by my side.

“It’s not what you think,” Samara said as she appeared at my other side, her expression forlorn.

Roth and their family appeared, quietly creating a half circle around Vail and Cali, who were still struggling to keep Nyx under control. They all wore matching expressions of sadness. Alaric stood on the edges of everyone gathered, frowning as if he didn’t know what to do. It took me a moment to realize there were two people missing.

“Where are Adrienne and Emil?” It was hard to see more than ten feet in front of me with the rain, but my magic didn’t sense any other Moroi in the immediate vicinity.

For a few seconds, it felt like even the storm paused at my question.

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