“I know you’re afraid. That’s alright.” Natalya offered a calming smile, and Evie gave her a tentative one back. Natalya almost took her hand again, only just stopping herself. Instead, she nodded at a small pouch on the nearby dining table. “Take that with you. It’s salt infused with sage, garlic, and clove. If you hold onto it, it’ll hurt me to touch you. If you line it along the door, I won’t be able to enter.”
“Really?” Evie sounded baffled. “Just from salt?”
“It’s not just salt. It’s the rites used to make it that are important. The effect wears off after a few weeks, but you’ll always have fresh salt available.”
Evie picked up the pouch, confused. Natalya smiled at her.
“Vampires can die to the sun and to a sliver of wood. They and other supernaturals are bound by the borders of residence rather than ones drawn in salt. We all have weaknesses. Someare better known than others. Now go rest, or at least try. You look like you’re already half asleep.”
Evie clutched the key and the pouch. She made it a few steps toward the bedroom before she stopped.
“Can you stay with me?”
Natalya tensed, remembering how Evie had wanted to show her gratitude before.
“I don’t want to be alone,” Evie said, seeing Natalya’s hesitation. Her voice was almost inaudible. “It’ll just be until I fall asleep.”
Natalya should refuse. It was one thing to protect Evie from the very real dangers of the night, but this would go beyond that. She should let her be alone or call someone else to be with her. It should be the easiest thing. Why couldn’t she say the words?
Evie’s lip quivered slightly. “Please.”
The word removed any thought of not going with her.
In the bedroom, Evie climbed under the covers, hugging the pouch of salt like it was the only thing that could protect her. In this instance, it was. As long as she held it, Natalya couldn’t touch her without feeling pain.
Seeing Evie clutch the pouch so desperately hurt more than Natalya was willing to admit.
“Just until I fall asleep,” Evie repeated as Natalya sat next to her on the bed. She kept her distance, though right then she wanted nothing more than to hold Evie and run her fingers through her long hair. Doing so would make Evie feel calm. It would make Natalya feel calm.
Instead, Natalya only smiled at her.
“Yes, darling. Just until you fall asleep.”
Chapter 10
Dominic leaned back in his chair, feeling something between irritation and amusement at the scene playing out in front of him. It was frustrating that the plan hadn’t gone as intended, but it was highly entertaining to see the vampire King of the Heartlands act like a disappointed father. Even if he was doing so in the middle of Dominic’s arcane lair.
“What were you thinking!?” Varro yelled. “You were to get her and get out. Instead you lingered in Chains territory to have a bit offun. Now they’ve tightened their grip on the slut, and Austin is dead. It’s a miracle you weren’t staked too.”
Stefano looked at his feet. He was covered in dirt and blood, and he looked exhausted. He’d been running all night to get back to Varro’s estate. If Dominic was to guess, it was only stubbornness that kept him standing.
“We scouted the place. There were no guards,” Stefano said. “I don’t know how that demon bitch knew we were there, but it wasn’t my fault that—”
Varro grabbed his—now only—progeny by the throat and slammed him into the floor so hard the concrete cracked.
“Not yourfault!?” Varro shouted. “I can never trust you to do anything properly. Not even getting an unguarded slave. They know we’re coming for her now. It’ll be much harder to recapture her, if not impossible. Because ofyourinsolence.”
Varro pushed off his spawn, growling with barely contained fury.
“Maker, I’m sorry—” Stefano began. Varro cut him off.
“Spare me the excuses. Go fix yourself. You look wretched.”
It looked like Stefano wanted to protest, but then he nodded and left the room. That left only Varro, Dominic, and his personal slaves.
“Sorry for your loss,” Dominic said snidely. “You’re running out of offspring by the looks of it. A King’s reign is bound to end in tragedy if he has no suitable heirs.”
Varro scowled at Dominic but didn’t react to the insult beyond that. His restraint was impressive. The bond between a vampire maker and their spawn was a powerful one. Varro had lost two progenies in as many years, both killed by the Court of Chains.
