Page 150 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

“Stay behind me,” I tell Kaia, and a cocky grin fills her face.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I’m not cowering at the back.”

“I’m trying to keep you alive.”

“And what happens when you're the one who dies?” she says. “We all die, and I’m not going down without a fight. It’s not in my nature.”

“Ok.”

We head out the door, moving toward where the bulk of the noise was coming from, though it now seems to be silent. I keep my footsteps light as we weave our way down the tight hallways. They’re not making a single sound. An uneasy feeling ripples through me.

We seem to be moving in the quiet for what feels like forever before we finally resurface at the entrance of the alleyway that we came from. As we emerge, my entire body freezes. Kaia moves to walk around me, but I put out a hand to stop her.

Standing in three silent rows are at least fifteen impures. Their eyes are fully black, and dark lines leak down their cheeks in a web of veins, extending like tree branches in every direction. They stand immobile. I train my eyes on their chest, but I don’teven notice a single one rise or fall. It’s as if they are just husks of nothing.

“What the hell are they doing?” Kaia whispers from beside me, and a tremor racks my body as realization dawns. My mind pulls me back to the night at the bloodring as they all stood silently for their next instruction.

“Waiting.”

“For what?” she asks.

As if in answer, a dark figure emerges from the shadows, cloaked just like all the others, but I recognize him, and my back stiffens at his presence.Julian.He drags a smaller figure along with him, their body hidden by the thick black cloak, but it seems to take him minimal effort to do so as he keeps his attention firmly on me. His smile extends as his face lands on me, and a strange excitement seems to brighten his eyes. He doesn’t stop moving until he is standing in the middle of the group. He looks straight at me as he pushes the unknown person to their knees in front of him. He slowly peels back their hood, revealing a face that is all too familiar.

A breath leaves me, and I nearly collapse to my knees, but Kaia steadies my arm, keeping me upright. Dark brown eyes brim with tears as they find mine through the darkness, a cry ripping from her mouth and echoing with my own. Fire sears through every inch of me as my gaze locks on her taut skin and hollowed cheeks.

I gasp. “Willow.”

Itake a step forward, but Julian holds up a hand to stop me. A wicked smile fills his face as he takes in my tortured expression.

“Let’s think wisely about your next step. I wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt now.” Willow cries out as he tightens his grip around her throat, her eyes falling desperately to me.

“Stop!” I scream.

He looks at me with glee on his face as though he knows that he has me exactly where he wants me. My stomach lurches as I take in her too-thin frame and disheveled state. I’ve been spending time living my life in the palace while she has been suffering at the hands of these monsters.

“Just let her go, and we can talk.”

He shakes his head at this.

“The prince is still alive.” He doesn’t seem as angry about this as I expected.

“There were complications.”

He tilts his head, and a smile spreads across his lips.

“You mean your bond?”

“You were right,” Kaia whispers from behind me.

“And before you think to lie, remember that your sister’s life is in my hands.” His eyes flicker down to her, and she flinches when he runs his other hand down the side of her face.

“Don’t touch her,” I warn.

He looks up at me, amusement curving the corners of his mouth. “Then give me what I want.”

“What do you want?”

His eyes stay on me for a moment too long, and it feels like a thousand fingers are touching me, and I hate it.