Shadows Claim Read online

Page 17

 

  Bettina supposed that should irritate her, that she should rail at him for being a stalker and hate him even more.

  Instead, the realization that shed had a deadly guard watching over her the entire way was . . . reassuring. "That was your mist. You surrounded me. " Shed perceived the cool, comforting embrace of it, but hadnt known what it was. It had blunted her panic attack.

  Not all by myself, then. "So you truly can turn into vapor?"

  He inclined his head. "All Dacians can. A talent born from a time before we came upon our mountain realm, when the light was too great and the shadows too few. "

  Before she could ask him more about this, he said, "Were you that nervous about meeting me? Or was it more?"

  More, so much more! "I have no idea what youll demand. " And yet she wasnt frightened of what he might do. Again, she felt no trepidation where he was concerned.

  He gazed away, looking troubled. "I told you Id never hurt you. If given leave, Id do nothing but protect you. "

  Hed seen her reaction outside; she didnt want him to think he was responsible for that. Not out of concern for him. She simply didnt want the vampire to think hed intimidated her. "Look, I just dont like to walk alone at night. I might have . . . issues-ones that I dont want to speak of. "

  Naturally, Trehan wouldnt rest until he was fully versed in these issues. "Your kingdom is secure. Most beings cower before your guardians. Not to mention that youre a sorceress. What issues could you possibly have?"

  Her eyes narrowed with irritation. "Were not friends, Daciano. Were not confidantes. Why should I tell you anything about myself? You are a threat to me. You blackmailed me today. "

  "Unfortunate but necessary. " He leaned forward on the edge of the divan, resting his elbows on his knees. "Now back to the subject at hand. You whispered Not again when you thought I was about to hurt you last night. "

  She glanced away, clearly trying to remember what shed said.

  "Has another vampire touched you?"

  "No!"

  "A sorcerer then?" he quickly asked, setting away his goblet. "I read that Sorceri constantly battle for powers. Was yours stolen from you?"

  "Another subject I dont want to talk about!"

  Trehan sensed he was close to the truth, so he pressed on mercilessly. "I also read that your kind consider a root ability akin to ones soul?"

  She peered hard into her cup. It shook in her hand. Her expression was a mix of sadness, frustration, and . . . shame.

  This fragile creature had been violated like that? Someone had dared steal her power.

  He was awash with pure rage-an unfamiliar emotion for him. Give me names, the scantest direction! Yet he leveled his tone when he asked, "What was your root power?"

  In a voice just above a whisper, she said, "I was a . . . queen. The Queen of Hearts. "

  "What could you do?"

  "I could make a beings heart stop. For all time. I could make an enemys chest explode. "

  "Did you wield it to defend yourself?"

  Staring past Trehan, she murmured, "I didnt have time. They dropped from . . . I-I never saw them. "

  "Them?" More than one? Barely managing to rein in his fury, he bit out, "Direct me to these thieves, and I will slaughter them. "

  She glanced up at him, clearly startled by his tone.

  "No one steals from us, dragă mea. "

  Bettina felt raw. Trehan Daciano now knew a secret only a handful of others shared. How had he gotten under her skin like that? And why was he so adamant about avenging her? "There is no us, vampire. Again, Im here under duress. "

  "Tell me who hurt you. "

  "Youve known me for twenty-four hours. Yet youre willing to wade into danger, risking your life to avenge me?"

  "Yes. "

  "Im not a vampire. I cant wrap my mind around this spontaneous protectiveness. "

  "That part is not much different from a demons mate. "

  Apparently, I dont get that either.

  "Twenty-two years ago, my Bride was born. For two decades shes been without my protection. From what I can glean, that span of years has been treacherous for her. Simply put: someone hurt her-I need to make that being suffer in unspeakable ways. "

  Dacianos strength and will were nearly palpable, a heady combination. She finally understood why some women were hopelessly attracted to dangerous men. Not that she was. But she could see it.

  "Can your power be returned to you?" he asked.

  "Morgana has promised to do just that before I wed. "

  "A condition of this tournament? But isnt she worried about who the victor might be?"

  "She doesnt see the horrific ones as . . . horrific. I just know that this tournament is very important to her. " Bettina had begun to suspect that there was more to this entire event than she could fathom. Was this a Lore power play, a twist in the great Accession?

  Were they all cogs in a wheel? And if so, who was turning the crank?

  "Does your godmother possess your power now?"

  Im losing faith that shell find it. Bettina shrugged.

  "So she doesnt. What if I returned it to you?" he asked, his eyes flickering green to onyx once more. Apparently, he was keen on this idea. "And then I could punish those foolish enough to harm you. Give me direction, and they will die bloody. "

  Die bloody. How tempting. She imagined each of those four Vrekeners squirming on the ground in his own blood, voice hoarse from screams. Would they beg for mercy as she had?

  But she had no names, no direction to give Daciano. Besides, shed never tell the vampire what had happened to her. It wasnt his business-and it was humiliating. "I cant talk . . . I wont talk about it. "

  "Just tell me-was it a sorcerer who struck against you?"

  "Im under Morganas protection; no Sorceri would dare. And if a sorcerer had stolen my power, then Id be an Inferi, a slave. " Because of Bettinas halfling lineage, it was possible for her to be both a demon royal-and a Sorceri slave.

  "Vrekeners hunt your kind. "

  "They do. Have forever . . . " she murmured, her thoughts shuttling back to that night.

  Early in the attack, the leader had used that scythe of black flames to siphon away her power. She recalled thinking, At least they arent planning to kill me, wouldnt go to this trouble.

  Then shed remembered: they would steal her sorcery just to prevent it from being reincarnated into a newborn Sorceri upon Bettinas death.

  Once the leader had finished stripping her of her power, hed roared, "Your kind killed my father, crippled my brother forever!" as hed launched his boot into her face.

  She shuddered now, and Daciano noticed.

  "You might as well tell me, Bettina. Eventually I will find out. "

  Refusing to have more of her past laid bare, she inhaled for calm, then attempted to steer the conversation back to the tournament. "You assume youll be alive that long? You could meet up with Gourlav tomorrow. I heard his blood spawns monsters. "

  The vampire gave her an indulgent look. "Ill deal with Gourlav when the time comes. "

  "How can you be so confident? Youre not invincible," she said, hoping she sounded natural. If she had to tolerate Dacianos interrogation, she might as well help Cas. "Youre not without weaknesses. "

  "No, Im not. Nor am I inclined to discuss any with you so you can relay them directly to Caspion. "

  She flushed guiltily.

  "Bettina, you dont have to reveal details, just tell me where to hunt. "

  A place hidden in the heavens that no demon-or vampire-has ever reached! A place protected from all sorcery! Bettina stood. Enough of this. She set her glass on his desk, then headed toward the door.

  "Wait, woman. " He traced in front of her, blocking the exit.

  "Already I dont want to be here. I dont want to be with you. And you just keep digging. "

  "At least tell me if youre still in danger. "

  "Thats more digging!"

  He inhaled d
eeply. "I find myself in a position Ive never been in before. Im besieged by . . . instinct. And you are the focus of it. "

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means I need to kill. For unending years, I was naught but death, with no judgment, only duty. But now . . . "

  "But now were done talking about my past, or Im leaving. "

  He parted his lips to say something, thought better of it, then said, "Very well. " He ushered her back to the divan, handing her drink to her and reclaiming his own. "What would you like to speak of? Ill accommodate you. "

  "You know more about me than Id supposed. I know very little about you and your kind. "

  Another slight frown. "Im not used to explaining what I am. Unless its to someone Im about to kill. And what I have been for over nine hundred years has changed drastically in the last twenty-four hours. "

  Cas had said that Daciano was at least eight centuries old. But to hear it from the vampires own lips . . . "Youre over forty times my age?"

  Had a flush colored his chiseled cheekbones? "Give or take. "

  "You were-give or take-eight hundred and eighty years old when I was born!"

  Voice gone low, he said, "So now you know how very long Ive waited for you to come into this world. "

  Now she felt her cheeks flush. "You said you were a prince. Is your father king of the Dacians?"

  "My fathers long dead. Im one of several contenders for the throne. " He glanced down at his goblet. "Or I was. "

  "You really cant return?"

  "No. "

  She almost felt guilt about his loss. Then she remembered shed never asked him to give up his realm. "But now you intend to be the king of the Abaddonae?"

  "I have absolutely no aspirations toward that. Though I understand that co-ruling this plane is expected of me, if I intend to live my life with you. "

  The vampire made it sound like the crown-which every suitor coveted-was a necessary evil hed put up with to be with her. Even Cas must desire the throne, if just a little.

  Flustered, she fiddled with her mask-her nervous tell. His gaze fixed on her hand. "What weapons have you tonight?" he asked, pointing to the four rings on her right hand. "There must be more to those than meets the eye. "

  Was it any wonder that her jewelry designs had become so . . . dark? Sometimes she thought she might have gone mad without that creative outlet.

  And for some reason, this vampire was intrigued by it.

  Her guardians considered her craft demeaning. Caspion scratched his head, unable to understand her compulsion to create.

  She remembered the day shed called a meeting with Raum and Morgana to discuss her education. "I want to learn more about design. And mortals are surprisingly good at it. They use computers and tools I can only dream of here. "

  "What would you do with this knowledge?" Raum had asked. "Continue with your hobby?"

  Chapter 19

  "Its no hobby. Ive been commissioning my pieces here and there to acquaintances. But Im thinking bigger. I want to sell them . . . I want to sell them on the open market!"

  Theyd looked at her as if shed grown two heads.

  "Become a tradesman?" Morgana had hissed.

  Bettina had corrected her: "A tradesperson. . . . "

  Now, in a coaxing tone, the vampire said, "Come, Bett, show me what weapon Ill encounter tonight if I displease you. " Was there a hint of a smile on those grim lips of his?

  "Fine. " She demonstrated how the rings interlocked to form brass knuckles.

  He gently grasped her fingertips, holding her hand to examine the rings thoroughly. At the contact, some kind of electric charge passed through her, like a bolt of . . . anticipation.

  He must have felt something too. His voice was huskier when he asked, "You devised this yourself?"

  "Yes. " She stiffened, drawing her hand away. "All by my little self. " Why were others always so surprised by this?

  "Its clever. "

  Chin raised, she said, "I can see a problem and visualize a solution. "

  "What design are you working on now?"

  "A commissioned piece. "

  "You sell your work?"

  She bristled. "What of it?"

  "I have a niece who is obsessed with weapons. She would love to have something like this. "

  "You want to commission a piece?"

  "Absolutely. And then Id insist on watching you work. "

  Bettina blinked at him. "You really are interested?"

  "Im a weapons master. You create weapons. I think its fascinating. "

  "You dont have a problem with your Bride being in trade? Its not exactly decorous. I thought an old-fashioned vampire like you would want me to quit. "

  "Though Ill be loath to let you out of our bed for any reason, Id never try to restrict something you enjoy. "

  Another fitful adjustment of her mask. Let me out of bed?

  "And as for the trade stigma, Ive lived my life obeying the rules, enforcing the rules. I cast off that rigid existence to be with you. Perhaps the beauty of being a queen is that you get to do whatever you like. "

  "Im not naive. " I might be naive. "I know thats not how the world works. "

  "Then change the world. "

  The world? She could barely change the subject.

  "For now, lets discuss this commission," he said.

  "How would you even get the gift to your niece?"

  "Not easily. She never leaves the kingdom, so Id have to send it through another one of my family. Im not shunned by them all. Well, not exactly. Lets just say that I suspect I havent seen the last of the Dacianos. " There seemed to be a wealth of emotion in that statement, but she couldnt decipher it. Relief? Grief? "When will you finish the piece youre working on now?"

  She mumbled, "Probably sometime after I actually start it. Which should occur after I figure out what to create. "

  That hint of a grin teased his lips once more.