Page 33 of Accidental Blood Lust
“I did not. I said I could help you, but I didn’t say how.”
Cassius’s warning replays in my mind a little too late. I should’ve held out for a witch. I have to get out of this somehow.
“So, I’m just trapped here?”
“You’re my guest. Permanently.” He moves suddenly, as fast as I can, and then he’s right beside me, his strong fingers with their sharp nails gripping my face. “And you will not try to leave or I will kill you.”
“You can’t kill me. I’m a vampire.”
He laughs again, just as demonically as before. “You think you can survive without your head? Besides, you are at my mercy. You can only eat and drink when I say you can. They will neither serve you nor defend you. You see, I am the prince of these woods. I head the Nocturne Consortium.”
“And what is that?”
“My organization. I always need more soldiers or…” His thumb brushes across my cheek. “Pretty little things to amuse me.”
I’m in trouble. A lot of fucking trouble. The way I see it, there’s only one way out and it’s not gonna be pretty.
“I don’t need blood while I’m here?”
Iswyn shakes his head. “No.”
“That’s disappointing.” I’m making this up as I go, but I have to try. “I heard fae blood is a delicacy. Sweeter and better than anything else.”
Iswyn preens, just like I was hoping he would. “Why yes, we do have the sweetest blood. Would you like a taste, vampire?”
I nod, but he lifts his hand.
“I’ll warn you this time, drinking my blood will bind us forever until death.”
Perfect. “I’m already trapped here, aren’t I? I might as well enjoy the bounty.”
He smiles, tilting his head to offer his neck. I have to concentrate on my helplessness, my anger at being deceived, my foolishness for trusting him, but mostly the awareness that if I don’t do this I’ll never see Jareth again, and that’s not acceptable. Even if he hates me, I can’t let him worry. I can’t let him suffer not knowing what happened to me.
This has to happen, and maybe it’s Iswyn’s fault for underestimating a desperate vampire.
As those emotions rush through me, my gums throb and my fangs descend. My eyes burn and rage swirls in my gut. When I open my eyes, Iswyn is calmly waiting for me to take a bite, so I lunge, letting the bloodthirsty beast within me surge to the surface.
I tear at the fae prince’s flesh, finding it as easy to rip away as tissue paper. He goes to scream, but I clamp my hand over his mouth, feasting on his blood. It’s not as sweet as he made it seem, but it’s not disgusting, or maybe knowing it’s my ticket to freedom makes it taste better.
Within minutes, Iswyn slumps in my arms, his lifeless eyes fixed on the ceiling. I continue to indulge, draining every drop, which should keep me satiated until I find another solution to my problem. And then, just to be safe, I wrench his limp head off his neck. Like he said, it’s hard to live without a head.
I drop his body to the floor and let his head thunk down right after it. It bounces and rolls a few feet while I gaze down at his body with indifference. It’s the first time I haven’t felt bad about feeding... not just feeding,killing. But this was different. It was self-defense. I guess if I’m mad or panicked enough, I can get through it.
Rising from the couch, I look around for the exit, but before I can make it through the door, the room fills with glowing beings.They don’t have mouths, but their panic is obvious as they flit around Iswyn’s body and emit piercing noises.
Fuck. I bolt for the door, diving through it as the beings descend on me, then I’m running through a dark forest, branches tearing at my skin as I run. Birds swoop down from the trees, pecking me and screeching as the sound of angry voices reaches me.
“He killed Prince Iswyn,” a male voice shouts. “Find him and bring me his head.”
I dart through the forest using my super speed, unsure whether fae can catch up to me or not, then I spot a clearing. The air here is thick and glimmers like a heat mirage. I might be doing the absolute wrong thing here, but I’m out of options. I dive into the center of the clearing, landing on my knees with a thud, but when I open my eyes, it’s silent.
The trees are green again and the moon is shining down, giving me just enough light to get my bearings. Except I have no idea where I’m at, no clue which direction to go in, and no idea if the fae can find me here.
I get to my feet and brush dirt off my jeans, but I quickly learn there’s no time to rest. Voices spill through the trees, getting closer with each passing moment. The fae.
They’re coming for me.
JARETH
