Page 16 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
“Stop.”
The command rippled through me. I froze in place. My eyes snapped to his. The humor in his expression had fled, replaced by a curious look as he studied me. “You’re cold,” he said, softer now.
He reached into his pack and extracted a long cloak lined with ermine fur, and swung it around my shoulders. It was the same style as the one Okeri wore, but black. His fingers brushed over my bare collarbone as he fastened the clasp at my throat. The touch of his hand, the sudden weight of the cloak, the faint scent of pine and earth on his skin pulled me back into my body. But only barely. This cloak could keep out the cold. Not curses.
“Something is bothering you. Tell mewhat it is.” His deep voice managed to hold an edge of command despite being whisper-soft.
For a moment, I considered keeping quiet. If I said nothing, maybe we could eat, sleep, and leave without incident. Maybe the witch would never suspect what I was. But her flaming hair burned in my mind. My pulse throbbed so hard against Bastien’s fingers, I knew he could feel it. The longer I stayed silent, the more it felt like my fear was filling the space between us.
“Tell me,” he repeated.
He wasn’t just asking. He was giving me the smallest of choices—speak or let him drag me inside.
I swallowed hard, the words scraping my throat as they fought their way free. “Dark Witches run this place,” I said in a hush, lest they hear me. “We can’t stay.”
He considered me for a moment, head canted to one side. “Shreesa means us no harm. Her family has run this inn for generations. These witches practice their craft quietly and within the bounds of the law.”
Anger rose in my blood. This was the problem with vampires. They always sided with darkness. If he genuinely cared what they did—he’d be acting differently, which was why I had to know what he knew about the demonic relics. My coven would fix this. “That’s what they want you to believe,” I said through my teeth.
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re afraid.”
If I wasn’t so angry, I might’ve laughed. He would be afraid, too, if his family graveyard was filled with the bones of those killed by dark magick. While I couldn’t offerthatexplanation, I could play up my false identity as an orphan.
“Yes, of course, I’m afraid. I was raised at Nightfall. The convent has no love for Dark Witches and demons. I’d been told stories all my life of how they eat children.”
Bastien cracked a smile. The quirk of his lips softened the rest of his face. “The nuns only told you those stories to scare you into behaving.”
I straightened. Furious he was making light of this. “Sister Vera said she’d seen one eat a child whole.”
A half-truth. My aunt wasn’t a sister of the faith, but she swore she saw a Dark Witch’s jaw unhinge like a snake, showcasing a mouth full of pointed teeth.
Bastien chuckled at that. “Well, as noble as Sister Vera is, I can assure you Witches of Darkness don’t eat children.” He put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close against his side, and wheeled me around to face the inn. “But they do make excellent stew. I think a hot meal will do you good.” He paused, then added, “As your duke, I am mandated to provide for your well-being.”
I glared up at the vampire. He was wearing the same half grin he’d sported when he invited me to the balcony. Charming and debonair. Accustomed to getting his way with a wink. But his good looks wouldn’t work on me again. I knew his dark side. The one that was temperamental and mean. “I’m not going in.”
“Miss Donadieu,” he said, bending down to bring his face level with mine. His voice a low purr. “Do you think anyone here is as frightening as me?”
I lifted my chin. Trying to be brave. “You’re not frightening.”
On one hand, it was a bald-faced lie. A part of me was very afraid of his fangs, his strength, and his coldness. But on the other, there was something reassuring in his eyes that let me know I was safe. No one here could hurt me, so long as I was with him.
He cupped my chin, holding me in place when I tried to look away. “I swear on my life, no one will eat you.”
I contemplated the vampire staring into my eyes and the vow he’d made to keep me safe. It opened the well of guilt that lived in the pit of my stomach. All my life, I’d been told I was a liability. Without magick, I couldn’t hope to survive outside our family property, especially not around Witches of the Darkness. I’d been told it was too dangerous to take me on hunts because that meant one of my family members would be tasked with defending me, and it would make the party weaker.
When I offered to learn other skills, like explosives or archery, I was laughed at and told to stay out of sight. Now, I was far outside of the safety of Prideaux Hill, sent on a vow to spy for my family. Which meant doing things that I was afraid of.
I studied the Duke, searching his face as I’d watched Lady Okeri do with Tyson. He was trying to hide behind his smile, but I could see that he was weakened. His eyes were shadowed and cheeks more sunken after days without eating.
Good. If he was weak, all the better.
I swallowed hard. For a heartbeat, I considered digging my heels into the dirt and refusing him. Would he drag me inside anyway? Leave me out here in the gathering darkness as punishment? Behind us, the forest loomed like a wall of black teeth, and the lake glimmered like an open maw, daring me to run.
Mama would tell me to stop being so emotional and act logically. It would be foolish to pass up this opportunity to learn more. If the witches were practicing dark magick, they must have a demonic relic hidden on the property. It was my job to find it and get word back to my family so they could strike. I knew what I had to do, but I didn’t like it one bit. I pressed my lips together and nodded. “Okay. Fine. I’ll stay.”
Bastien’s thumb stroked across my cheek. His gazethoughtful. “There’s some measure of bravery in you.” He released his hold on my chin, frowning. “Or maybe it’s stubbornness.”
An awkward beat passed between us. Neither of us moved. A chilly breeze blew the fine hairs around my face. “Maybe it’s both,” I replied.
