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“What? You’re crazy.”

“Nobody is faster than I am. Especially not some unidentified shifter, and yet he grabbed the assassin’s knife before me. He expected the strike.”

“Then why the hell did you agree to work with him?”

He squeezed me tighter. “Keep your enemies close.”

I grunted, my lungs straining. “Ha. Ha,” I wheezed, pinching his chest until his grip eased. “Point made. Now, let me go.”

“You’re sleeping with me tonight.”

Goosebumps pebbled my chilly flesh, and I settled deeper in his embrace, absorbing his warmth. “Give me one good reason why.” Besides the fact that my frigid bed no longer appealed to me.

“I promised your brothers I’d protect you.”

Yeah, right. I doubted he held a sliver of respect for my family, nor did he strike me as someone who kept his promises.

Fatigue had my head dropping to his chest. “Seems to me it’s you who needs protecting.”

“Sleep, little thief,” he commanded.

I was too tired to resist, drifting off in the arms of a vampire.

Chapter Twenty

VICTOR

The blindingrays produced by Carcerem’s sun threatened to blister my eyeballs. My ramshackle team stood beneath her judgmental gaze. The acrid breeze did little to cool our sizzling flesh, sweat trickling down our faces. Had I been in the mortal realm, I’d likely be a pile of ash right now. While I was no youngling, even my resistance to the sun’s effects would have been tested by the intense rays. Thank the gods, my sensitivity to the sun didn’t seem to be a problem since I’d arrived.

Restless energy hummed under my skin, and I fought the urge to tug at my restrictive torque. Fatigue pulled at my limbs. I’d slept little last night, though Runa had no such qualms, the curvy sorceress resting peacefully in my arms.

I hadn’t slept beside a female in…well, ever.

With Runa at my side, every noise seemed amplified. Every fluttering shadow was a demon to be slayed. I was the only thing standing between her and the monsters. The key to my future was a fragile creature, despite her incredible gifts. It was unsettling, knowing my fate resided in her slim hands. Hands that hadheld tight to me late into the night. As if she feared I’d vanish while she slept. Her unconscious behavior made me wonder who she’d lost. Who had slipped through her fingers?

Could it have been a mate or lover?

At the thought, my fangs burned beneath my gums. A furious snarl formed in the back of my throat. I swallowed against the sensation, gliding my tongue over my teeth.

I’d need to control these urges lest they make me sloppy in the battle today. Once I was free of this uncivilized realm, I’d no doubt they’d disappear. Whatever was happening between me and the sorceress was temporary, at best. I had a life to reclaim and vengeance to enact. Females were a distraction I didn’t need nor desire.

I gripped the sword I held. None of my informants had a clue what this day might bring. All I knew was every prisoner was armed.

Despite the well-balanced blade I’d claimed, I felt unprepared for what awaited. It was a disturbing sensation, to say the least. Back in the mortal world, I’d been two steps ahead of everyone I encountered. Well, except for one.

Horns blared as King Idris strode to the front of his royal pavilion. His queen trailed behind him. Costly metals adorned his garments. Carcerem’s crown of golden branches circled his spiky silver hair. The queen wore a daintier version with her lavender mane set into braided coils around her head. Tiny jewels decorated her gown, reflecting the sunlight. Together, they presented an envious display of wealth.

“Good citizens of Carcerem,” Idris boomed, using magic to project his voice, “welcome to span two of the Fallen Trials.”

Applause and cheering erupted.

“Yesterday, our repentant criminals faced the judgment of our great kingdom’s lands. Today, they will encounter her people in their various forms. After all, it is the inhabitants of Carcerem who are her heart and soul. That heart is multi-faceted, both withdarkness and light. This challenge will consist of three parts. First, our competitors will face the realm’s darker side.”

Idris lifted his hands as his queen placed a steadying palm on his shoulder. A blinding surge of golden light burst from his form, flooding the space. Energy lashed against my skin like a thousand fiery tongues—painful, yet not unbearable. I planted my feet, standing firm against the onslaught while others collapsed to their knees.

Runa’s soft groan of discomfort rang in my ears. Though she clutched her hand to her chest, wavering, she managed to stay on her feet.

From deep inside of me, some dark voice purred in approval.Fierce female.