Page 61 of A Hunt Bound in Blood

“Good to know. I’ll be sure to watch for your weak points so I know where to aim if you cross any lines.”

“My left hip,” he said. “I was hit with silver a few years back. We got the shard out, but it never really healed. One good jab, and my whole leg goes out.”

I gave him a second look. “Interesting approach for a guard.”

He shrugged. “If you get it in your head you need to fight me, I’d rather you know how to incapacitate me so you don’t jump straight to killing me. Pure self-preservation.”

Kalla laughed and gave him a shove. “Don’t confuse the non-prisoners, you tree debris. Thorn will want their minds clear when they chat.”

“Non-prisoners?” Glory asked.

She winked. “Guests normally have an invitation before they cross into our territory. Let’s just say your status remains… flexible. But I wouldn’t worry too much. If Thorn weren’t considering letting you walk out of here, you’d both be dead already. First the formalities, then the festivities.” Her grin widened. “We’re in for a fun night.”

We weren’t walking for long before I realized we weren’t aiming to go over the mountain but under it. A narrow crevice appeared up ahead, and my shoulders tensed as Thorn and the first members of her fury passed into it. Glory paused at the threshold, no doubt also remembering our last experience with a cave system. Then she gave in to Kalla’s encouragement and stepped inside. I tucked my wings against my back and stayed close behind her, wishing I could be in front to protect her from whatever menace might await within.

“No harm will come to you unless you give us cause,” Cliff said, shifting behind me to squeeze through the narrow space. “If you come in peace as you claim, you have nothing to fear.” He snorted. “This would have been a different conversation a few months back. By the blood, there wouldn’t have been a conversation. But you’re in luck and there’s a precedent for letting trespassers continue breathing.”

“Luck indeed,” I muttered. It remained to be seen just how far that luck extended.

“So are you going to answer my question?” Kalla asked.

Glory frowned. “Which one?”

“About why you’re here. I know Thorn will ask you later, but I’m too curious to be patient. We never see new faces around here. Well, we rarely do. Like Cliff says, it’s been busy around the territory lately. Used to be anyone who crossed our borders had their faces torn off and their blood drained on sight.”

“Then I thank you for leaving me my face,” Glory said, shooting her an uncertain look that made the other vampire laugh. She was an odd one, this Kalla. So counter to every impression I’d formed about vampires in general.

Thorn was closer to my expectations. Beautiful and unreadable, she held her position of authority like a mantle, the weight of which she’d grown comfortable bearing. And by the way her community gravitated around her, they were equally satisfied with the way things were going.

As we passed out of the entry tunnel into a large, spacious cavern under the heart of the mountain, I understood why. These vampires were living in comfortable luxury compared to most of their kind.

They’d created a sort of tent city under the safety of the rock, their existence protected to a certain extent by the dragons that owned the peaks and the secrecy of their entryway. The setup would make it difficult for us to fight our way free if we needed to. I hunched my shoulders and clenched my hands at my sides, making myself ready.

Canopies in colourful cloth were spread across the centre of the open space, with market stalls built beneath them offering wares of all kinds—mostly handmade goods made with materials that would be easy to collect on any hunting trip. While I wasn’t sure what they did for food, no one appeared malnourished.

Which was saying something, because this was not a small fury.

The nine that had accosted us outside were only a fraction of the whole. I estimated there to be about seventy-five vampires living within what I could only compare to a hive. And Thorn was their queen.

If they turned on us, we were fucked. It was impossible for me to keep them all in view, but I opened my senses to their presence and, for now, their emotions remained stable. I tasted awe and curiosity. A touch of fear. And lust. Enough of it that it seeped into my bones and left me lightheaded. If I tried to consume their emotions to weaken them, I would be too drunk to fight before I was halfway through.

Thorn passed through the crowd without stopping, but my and Glory’s presence soon silenced those who’d only given their leader a nod of acknowledgement. Their interest bore down on us like a tangible weight, and I raised my chin and accepted it. I might have spent a decade away from Karhasan, but the habits of the princely crown didn’t wane quickly.

Glory, on the other hand, shrivelled under their collective stare. All her years hiding in her work hadn’t prepared her for this level of attention. It didn’t matter that these vampires shared the very nature she was trying so hard to dissociate herself from, she still cowered in an attempt to disappear.

A surge of protectiveness spilled through me, and I closed in on her side as soon as space opened, fanning my wings out to show that she was under my guardianship, that any move against her would be a move against me. It didn’t matter that I wouldn’t be able to stand against seventy-five vampires; I would fight to my last breath to ensure no harm came to this woman.

Thorn raised an eyebrow at me, and I stared her down in challenge. She didn’t rise to it. If anything, the twitch at the corner of her mouth gave away more of her amusement at my expense. Then she dismissed me without a word and continued her stride across the cavern floor to what served as a seat of office on the far side of the space. It wasn’t a seat my father would have chosen or approved of. He preferred a looming, firm throne, as uncomfortable to sit on as it was to look at—a reminder that the burden of his crown was heavy but respect was still owed. This was a purple armchair covered in soft cushions and draped with a crocheted blanket. A few smaller but similar chairs were placed around it, as well as a few cushions on the ground, and by the way members of the fury gathered and dropped onto them, there wasn’t much of a hierarchy at work here.

Thorn threw herself into the chair and rested one leg over the armrest, but she didn’t invite us to sit.

“We made it this far without a fight. A good start.” She eyed me, barely veiled laughter sparkling in her gaze. I wasn’t fooled. She might find our presence entertaining—she might even be willing to let us leave—but she was a predator, and one wrong move from either of us would bring the entire fury down on our heads. “Now the real trial begins. Explain your purpose and leave nothing out. You face judgement, and if we don’t like what we hear, or if we believe you’re lying, these will be your final moments. Proceed with care.”

I clenched my teeth, but aside from Glory’s obvious unease at being pinned under all these stares, she didn’t appear put off by the interrogation. I supposed, after everything we’d faced so far, this was a simple obstacle. “The purpose of our journey is no secret. We come on a mission for King Evaniel, as I said, following the steps of Mage Tersey to reclaim his amulet of healing, which he buried somewhere near Blue Harbour. His Majesty’s betrothed is ill, and this is his last option to save her.”

The silence that fell around us was punctuated by a few short gasps, and when I looked behind us, I discovered more vampires had crept closer. Whispers danced around us along with the taste of shock and a touch of concern over the ill-fated fae woman.

Their reaction to the news about the princess confused me, but Thorn narrowed her eyes, and the murmurs fell silent.