Page 17 of Ravenous

This was all planned.

A seasoned spy like Ink had been played, just as Arctos had been. This puny leech had gotten captured on purpose. The castle contact who’d fed Ink information must have circumvented those spell defenses to enable just this scenario.

Had this princess been behind such a plot? Grudging admiration for her plan warred with suspicion. Perhaps the plot was only beginning. Perhaps her family had put her up to this for intelligence or sabotage.

Recovering from the moment’s shock, the queen resumed her seat and slowly clapped. “Well played. And it seems we’ve discovered your secret gift. The sun spares you?”

The leech nodded, black hair bouncing over her shoulders in the light.

Arctos’s impulse to yank her away from the stone was nearly uncontrollable. Others snarled with tensed muscles.

“How did you know what words to use and what they would mean to us?”

The vampire jutted her trembling chin. “Reading.”

“Indeed.” Queen Yrsa said, “So your father and king was going to use you to forge a sunlight army?” When the captive hesitated, Yrsa said softly, “You’ve demanded to be a member of this clan. You spoke of therights, but with them comeresponsibilities. Sharing information about Bloodreach will only help us—your new people.”

The vampire swallowed again. “I was to be sealed in the crypt to birth one hundred babes in as many years.”

Wóden’s beard!The vampires were insane.

“How were you going to test if a babe could withstand the sun? There’s no light down there, or so we’ve heard.”

“The witches once had a potion they used in a hex pouch.” Emilia hesitated, then admitted, “It contained…powdered sunlight. We stored some in the royal armory in case of an insurrection.”

“Powdered sunlight? We must investigate such a measure.”

Arctos clenched his jaw. Witchly tricks won no valiant immortality.

Yrsa said, “Bearing so many offspring would be a huge toll on one like you. And you’re not even fully immortal yet, are you?”

Emilia shook her head.

“Show deference,” Arctos snapped. “You are Queen Yrsa’s subject now.”

Emilia glared at him, then told Yrsa, “No, my queen. I can’t regenerate yet. I’m just twenty-two.” She finally lowered her hand and stepped away from the stone, knowing the damage was already done.

“How did you learn the sun was not your enemy?” Yrsa asked.

The vampire glanced at Arctos and back to the queen before saying, “A storm damaged a shutter, and a beam of light struck me. Instead of agony, I felt as if I’d been…called home.”

“Fascinating. And your family kept this secret for years. Which makes me wonder if there are more like you.”

“Not that I know of. Nor have I read of any in the past.”

Yrsa canted her head to determine the truth of her words. Natural-born vampires couldn’t lie, but what if this one hid a second talent? “Why us? Why not another faction? Wolves, witches, and the demonarchies have less call than we do to hate vampires.”

“I read of no other faction that had a binding covenant that might protect me.”

“Risky,” Yrsa mused. “When you were skillfully manipulating my finest warrior and his most trusted spy, why did you assume we’d capture you? We might have simply assassinated you.”

“I analyzed the situation and found the risk worth it. I would rather die than meet the fate my father planned for me.”

“A logical vampire? It’s been ages since I’ve seen that attribute in your kind, though you used to be hailed for it.” Yrsa would know; she’d been born before the Exile. “Will the vampires come for you?”

“No. They feared your incursion, and this male beside me appears to have wiped out most of the kingdom’s swordsmen.”

Arctos said, “You can’t convince me you have so few.”