Page 129 of Castle of the Cursed
New worlds explode on my tongue.
I had been expecting to taste metal, but instead I savor more unfamiliar flavors that are mind-blowing to behold. The kiss was just a shadow of Sebastián’s taste, and when I look at him, I feel a shuddering in my body, a yearning to be closer.
Our mouths crash together.
I’m not sure when our shirts come off, but our chests are skin to skin, and I feel every part of him. His body thrums like a supercharged engine, purring with power yet taut with self-restraint.
“Can you take off your pants?” I ask.
He looks at me steadily as he warns, “Bleeders do not wear undergarments.”
Blood rushes to my face, and his gaze strays to my cheeks.
“Consider me warned,” I say, but when I take in the full breadth of him, I wonder if our bodies are even anatomically compatible.
His fingers stroke my inner thigh, inching higher with every caress, until he’s stimulating me where I’m most sensitive. As his mouth finds my jawline, an irrepressible smile overtakes my face, and I reach down with my hand and grab him.
Sebastián’s kiss stalls with surprise, and now my mouth overpowers his, enjoying the advantage. But before we get more carried away, I say, “I want you to promise me something.”
He must hear the emotion in my voice because he slows down and meets my gaze. “What is it?”
“This could be the last thing I will ever ask of you. Will you do it for me?”
“Anything.”
“If by some miracle I survive, and you see any signs of Antonela in me”—I swallow to clear my throat—“kill me.”
CHAPTER 30
“WHERE ARE WE GOING?” ASKS Teo when he leaves the bathroom.
Sebastián and I escorted him to wash up after freeing him of his ropes and feeding him a meal. “Come on” is all I say, leading him deeper into the castle.
Sebastián and I are in disagreement over what to do with my uncle. He’s worried about my sister jumping into Teo’s body before we can perform the trapping spell. I want to leave Teo in the tower, which is hopefully far enough away from the purple room to avoid that.
“I will do a sweep,” says Sebastián after binding my uncle’s wrists and ankles. He’s scanning the perimeter for Antonela.
“The vampire is going to kill me,” says Teo once we’re alone in the journal room. He’s bound on the floor, and I’m standing by the door. “You have to let me go.”
“He’s not going to kill you,” I say, but even I can hear the lack of conviction in my voice.
“You fear the same thing,” says Teo, seeing past my lie. “That’s why you’ve been keeping me in these rooms.”
“Which rooms?”
“The ones only you can enter. You’re afraid of what he would do with complete access to me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I say, and yet there’s a part of me that is afraid of what Sebastián might do to him. “Besides, he already has access,” I say, as a reminder to myself.
“What do you mean?” asks Teo.
“Sebastián and I are blood-bound. Sorry you weren’t invited to the ceremony.”
Teo looks at me blankly. He has no idea what that means.
“Ever hear of the Book?” I prod.
“Lala’s journal entry.” He’s as quick as a search browser, and I can’t help but admire his encyclopedic recall. “For years, I searched this town for any hint of it. I asked everyone in Oscuro about the Book she described. I’ve determined it’s not real.”
