Page 7

Nelson’s taunts played over and over in my head.

My life.

Forever.

If Nelson had his way, I’d never make it to the Monastery.

I’d never see the sun again.

I can’t do this. I can’t.

Death on my terms would be better than a life like this. A life of dark hallways, of killing rats, of Nelson’s taunts.

I took my time with the dishes, my mind clouded and hot. Even when the kitchen emptied, I kept scrubbing dish after dish, my mind turning over what I’d learned. I’d thought about escaping before—it was impossible. Especially for someone like me.

But maybe not for everyone.

Once everyone else had gone to sleep, I tip-toed behind Nelson’s desk and slipped the skeleton key into my pocket. I hid in the shadows and kept my footsteps silent, counting the cells until I hit number 48.

The key slid into the oiled lock without a sound.

Red eyes flared open, meeting mine.

“I’m going to let you out.”

Chapter Four

The vampire’s white browsdrew together. “What changed?”

“I don’t confide in vampires.” I drew a breath. “But I’ll make you a deal. I’ll unlock your shackles. In exchange, you get me out of Greymere, unharmed.”

The truth was, even if the bloodsucker agreed, I had no guarantee he’d follow through. But what choice did I have? Even if he killed me, he’d only be accelerating my fate.

“You have my word.”

It should’ve been hard to make myself step into the room. To betray my country and every value I held dear. To willingly unleash this beast on Greymere.But like a cornered animal seeing a sliver of a chance at escape, I barreled forward.

This late at night, the cell was utterly dark. The faint torches from the hall barely reached the bars. The vampire’s red eyes seemed to glow, tracking my steps into the cell.

The chains wrapped all around his legs, with locks on both feet and hands. I started with the feet. I didn’t want to be kneeling before him when his hands were free, even if we theoretically had a temporary alliance.

I slid the skeleton key into the lock of one, then the other. The manacles snapped open, but the vampire didn’t make a move to kick them away, even though the skin under them was covered in blisters. I tugged them away as quietly as I could to avoid the telltale sound of metal against stone. Next came the hands. I rose to my feet, adjusting my body so I wasn’t directly facing the vampire. I’d been close to him last night, but being in front of someone was a different kind of closeness. Standing slightly to the side, I could see his back. If possible, it looked even worse than yesterday.

“I’m sorry to say they undid your efforts,” he said, as if reading my thoughts.

Heat rushed across the back of my neck. Caught. I shouldn’t care. He was just a vampire. But something like shame licked at me all the same.

“I’m not surprised.” They only ever healed to inflict more pain.

I slid the copper handcuffs off. I could’ve discarded them like the others. Instead, I slid them into my skirts, cushioning them as best I could.

The vampire slid his hands over his wrists. The only hint of discomfort.

“I suppose if you knew how to escape this prison, you’d have done it yourself,” the vampire mused.

I exhaled through my nose. “Of course I know the way out. The trouble is there’s onlyoneway out, and it’s manned with half a dozen guards at every hour of the day.” Not to mention the patrols that went through the halls. But nothing ever happened at Greymere, so they were light, and I knew their assigned routes. “Can you handle them?”

Stupid. I should’ve askedbeforereleasing the beast.