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“Hang on to me,” Victor barked, clamping an arm around my waist.

I clung to his shoulders. No way did I want to fall into some dank hole in the groundalone. Even if Custodis was my only option, he was better than nothing.

Smooth stone slipped beneath our bodies, and my stomach slammed into my heart. We could end up anywhere—a lava pit, in a nest of golden-tailed scorpions, or the layer of a gallspawn.

Suddenly, the tunnel ejected us, sending us tumbling into a tangled heap of arms and legs.

Our ragged breaths broke the silence as the glowing orbs overhead illuminated the space. Solid stone enclosed us on all sides. We had landed in some kind of cavern.

Victor pushed himself to his feet. “Are you hurt?”

I rubbed my throbbing shoulder, rising as well. “Just a few bruises. Where are we?” I turned a circle, calling out, “Kronk? Drazen?”

Water dripped in the silence.

“I believe they fell into a separate tunnel.” The vampire dusted his hands.

I surveyed our new surroundings, relieved to find no animal scat, bones, or man-eating plants. Behind us was an elevated shaft we had no hope of climbing out of. In front of us was a single opening.

“Time’s wasting. I will lead,” Custodis said with zero discussion, heading deeper into the passage.

I followed, snorting, “By all means. Lead away.” If the vampire wanted to be the first to face the unknown, who was I to disagree? A wise leader didn’t let ego get in the way, knowing when to let others rise to a challenge. Me? I was allowing the vampire to rise. Hell, maybe he’d even learn something from the experience.

I inhaled, and my nose twitched. Instead of muck and mold, the air was sweet.

“Do you smell that?”

“This isn’t some crude joke about flatulence you share with your brothers, is it?”

“Are you serious?” I snapped, tone biting with disdain. Although, it was totally something my brothers would do. Onlyoncehad I fallen for the pull-my-finger gag.Once.

The walls of the cavern closed in on me, and my chest squeezed. I wasn’t afraid of small spaces, but following someoneI didn’t trust deeper into a dank hole had each breath I took feeling tighter than the next.

What I needed was a distraction.

I frowned at the back of the vampire’s silver head. “What about you? Do you have any family?”

Custodis walked in silence. Just when I’d given up on his answer, he said, “I did. Once. Long ago.”

“Siblings?” Sweat trickled between my breasts, and I fanned my heated cheeks. It was strangely warm for being underground.

“Perhaps. I can’t be sure. My mother wasn’t mated. I never knew my father.”

“Is she still in the mortal realm?” Maybe that was part of his reason for wanting to return.

He snorted a self-deprecating sound. “It may surprise you, but I was actually born here.”

I grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Hold on. You mean to tell me you’re a native of Carcerem?” Yaga didn’t mention that.

He pulled his arm free and continued along the path. “I was sent to the mortal world as a youngling.”

“So, after all your bluster and disgust for this realm, you’re actually a native.”

“I am not one of you,” he grated.

“If you say so.” Arguing with a delusional aristocrat set on denying his own roots was pointless. Besides, what did it matter if he was born here? It changed nothing. Certainly not my feelings for the arrogant lord.

I drew a deep breath, sweet perfume filling my lungs.