His eyes darkened, the levity gone. “I go where I am needed, Sephania Lock. Sometimes that’s in Nuhav, often it’s in Olhav. I am silent, so I seep through the shadows at will, going where my master bids me. Like every other half-blood, I am a thrall. And tonight, I was needed at Manor Marquin.”
His easygoing attitude returned before I could ask more questions. “Get some rest, lass. You look exhausted. I know I am, and I’m not even fully human.”
With that, Garroway gained the stairs to leave my presence. No coercion, no threats to keep me here. I could have left if I wanted. Walked right out the door.
No guards, no watchtowers.
An image of a wretched prisoner leaping to his demise over the mountainside—for blessed relief—filled my mind.
I swallowed hard and went to the cot in the corner of the room.Yeah, I think I’ll stay in tonight. No sense in wandering around this madhouse of a city alone.
My eyes closed and sleep took hold within seconds.
When I opened them some time later, it was to the sound of a voice.
“Ah. There’s my little temptress.”
I gasped awake, jolting upright and backing against the wall—hoping the familiar voice was simply a nightmare playing out.
It wasn’t.
He stood directly in front of me—tall, elegant, noble, bloodthirsty.
Lord Skartovius Ashfen smiled at me from the door.
Chapter 27
“Garroway!” I cried out in alarm, fumbling for my sword which rested within reach on the other side of my cot. “We have an intruder!”
My blade rasped from the scabbard and I scooted off the edge of the bed to stand, keeping the length of steel between me and the vampire in the doorway.
Skartovius Ashfen hadn’t moved. He studied me with amusement on his wretchedly handsome face. Blood from the evening festivities spattered his dark garb.
I breathed heavily, calling to Garroway again, hoping he hadn’t left me alone in this “safehouse” with the vampiric lord lurking.
A head popped down from the story above, near the stairs. Garroway’s bald head frowned at Skartovius. “Shit,” he hissed. “You’re early. I didn’t think you’d come until nightfall.”
A gasp wrenched free from my lips as my wide gaze swiveled from the nobleblood vampire to the half-vampire descending the stairs. “Traitor!”
I stepped away, back pressing against the wall to make sure my sword lingered on both my enemies.
Garroway sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You don’t understand.” He glanced at Skartovius. “How did you brave the sun?”
“I, too, own a cloak and hood, cub.” He unhooked something from behind him and showed a pile of black fabric in his hand before dropping it to the ground. “Also, it’s a blessedly cloudy morning.”
Garroway induced more shock within me when he shuffled up to Skartovius, got within feet of the vampire, and started to . . . inspect his body. He brushed dirt and grime off the tall nobleblood, frowning and tsking as he fretted over the man.
By all that’s True, what is he doing?
“You look battle-worn and disgusting, Master.”
My hands trembled. “N-No.” It landed on me then—Garroway’s explanation the evening before, him being a bloodthrall like all other grayskins. “You’rehisthrall,” I hissed.
It made no sense to me. None of this did. My heart pummeled against my ribs and I felt weak and foolish following this monster here, thinking he would lead me anywhere that wasn’t a trap.
“You said you were leading me away from danger,” I croaked, my voice dropping to a depressed tone, “only to lead me right to it.”
“It’s a different sort of danger, lass.” Garroway gave me a hint of a smile. It wouldn’t work this time. Not when he’d brazenly tricked me so his bastard master could finish me off and drain me dry. “Thosevampires were not your friends, whoever they were.Theseones can be, if you’ll let us.”
