Page 94 of Unbound By Shadows
“Start talking.”
Clenching and unclenching his fists, he began. “Queen Thema has been desperate to find her sister Queen Lilith ever since she went missing. She’s hired trackers and enchantresses, but none were ever successful in locating her. When Thema heard that a vampire—Zaybris—had a traveler’s stone, it clouded her judgment. The stone has many properties. One is finding lost people.”
“What are the other properties?”
“Inter-dimensional travel,” he said. “Queen Thema asked me to find Zaybris and take the stone from him to reveal her sister’s whereabouts. He has many guards, and we knew getting close would be difficult. We had to offer him something he wanted.”
Selene hugged her arms around her middle. “What did he want?”
Sweat had begun to bead on Sam’s forehead. “Human blood, living blood was what he wanted most and… you had just arrived. We needed a way in. Queen Thema didn’t think his guards would allow me to see him alone, so Queen Thema told Zaybris she wanted to give him a gift.”
“And that was me,” Selene said, her voice wavering.
“Your presence would allow me to face him directly and take the stone. But you were never in danger! We never intended for him to actually take you! It was only a ruse to gain entry. Quite innocent, really.”
“So innocent you couldn’t tell me about it beforehand?”
“I’m sorry,” Sam said.
“Oh, God, that’s why the vampires came to Snowmelt. And Margery too. They wanted me. My blood!”
“No. Well… yes. They wanted to deliver you to Zaybris themselves.” Sam jerked his fingers through his hair. This conversation was going terribly. “I know our plan seems cruel, but I would never let anyone cause you harm.”
“How generous,” she said caustically.
“It’s the truth.”
She stared into the fire then said, “And if this plan worked? If you got through to Zaybris to take the stone, then what?”
“Then I would kill him to take the stone, and my vengeance.”
“Your vengeance,” she repeated.
“I have waited many years to face Zaybris.”
“Wait, you know him?”
Sam swallowed. “Yes. Zaybris is the vampire that kidnapped me.”
Even in the cavern’s dim light, he saw her go pale. “Well, well. This just keeps getting better and better.”
“The traveler’s stone would transfer ownership to me upon the vampire’s death. I vowed to Queen Thema that I would use it to locate her lost sister. I would have my vengeance and she would have answers.”
“But the note says you’ll be in the Underworld,” Selene said. The way her expression changed from shock to scorn made bile rise in his throat. “Oh, now I see.”
“No, it’s not how it seems—”
“I think it’s exactly how it seems,” Selene cut in. “You were going to kill Zaybris and use this magic stone to takeyourselfback to the Underworld. Leaving me to fend for myself in Aurelia. That was the real plan all along, wasn’t it? How could I have been so stupid?”
Her refusal to see anything but the worst of the situation made his anger rise, but if there were ever a time for him to stay level-headed, it was now. Straightening his shoulders, he approached her slowly, careful to appear unthreatening. He took her hands in his. Softly, he said, “It was a dangerous and foolish strategy. I see that now, and I’m sorry for deceiving you. But when things between us changed, I made a new plan.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What plan?”
“Once I killed Zaybris and the time came for me to return to the Underworld… ” he paused. Lifting her hands, he pressed his lips against her knuckles. “My love, I planned to take you with me.”
Selene snatched her hands back, recoiling. “You were going to kill me?”
“No! No, of course not!”
