Page 7 of Hitched to the Vampire King
Clearly, Elias thought this was possible. Unless I misinterpreted him. The man had betrayed us, after all. Who knew the thoughts going through his head? Maybe I was completely off base. But I couldn’t imagine his gestures meant anything else. Why else would he point at his fangs and then at Gabriel?
But why? And what did that mean? Why would he help me after everything he’d said?
I paused and stared at the door, as though I could see right through it and into Elias’s brain.
What if everything he’d said had just been a show for Adrian? What if he hadn’t meant any of it?
I replayed the entire conversation and recalled the moments he’d shown hurt and anger. He said he’d come to watch his brother die. Was that true? Or had he just used that as an excuse to delay Adrian until he could get here and help us?
I shook my head.
I couldn’t place my hopes on Elias. Who knew what game he was playing? Because he was definitely playing one. And I didn’t intend to wait around and find out. Regardless of Elias’s message, Iknewwithout a fraction of a doubt that blood would heal Gabriel. That was how vampires worked. Blood cured everything for them. And once Gabriel was cured, we’d figure a way out of this.
I hurried back to the bars and dropped to my stomach, ignoring the cool press of the steel cage floor beneath me. Feeding Gabriel was theonlysolution here. I just needed to figure out how to do it.
If I couldn’t reach him, then I had to make him come to me.
But how?
He was unconscious.
“Gabriel,” I hissed, hoping for even the slightest flicker of life.
Nothing.
I shot the door one more glance, then barked out, “Gabriel!”
I waited for the inevitable moment the door opened and the guards rushed in to check on us, but nothing happened. No one so much as twitched out there. I strained my ears but heard nothing. Not even the telltale sound of shuffling feet.
My pulse kicked into overdrive, and hope bloomed in my chest.
Elias had done that. He’d given me the space needed to help Gabriel.
Maybe hewason our side.
I shook my head, “Doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t,” I muttered to myself. I had to figure outthisproblem. And Elias’s allegiance didn’t factor into that.
“Okay, think,” I whispered. “If I can’t get to him, he has to come to me. But how…?”
I reached through the bars again and tried once more to tug him closer. His finger slipped out of mine without so much as him budging an inch.
“Clearly, that won’t work,” I said. “And clearly, you’re losing your mind, talking to yourself like this.”
I stared at my hands and considered my options. Ramming the bars had done nothing but break a rib or two. I couldn’t claw my way free—I’d tried that day one of imprisonment. And the bars were too narrow for me to slip through. Nor could I pick the damn lock.
So, whatcouldI do?
I lifted my hand and eyed my wrist. Gabriel hadn’t responded to the sound of my voice, but maybe, just maybe, his vampiric nature would respond to my blood?
Pulling back my filthy sleeve, I eyed my flesh.
“Here goes,” I muttered.
I lifted my wrist to my mouth, pressed my teeth against the skin, and bit. Pain tore up my arm, and I squeezed my eyes shut, but I didn’t pull back. I suspected I would need a fair bit of blood to wake Gabriel up.
Only when blood started dripping on the floor did I lower my arm and shove it back through the bars. I reached out and touched the tips of Gabriel’s fingers once more.
“Come on,” I whispered. “Wakey, wakey. There’s fresh blood here, just waiting for you. Come on, Gabriel.”
