Page 19 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

This time, she laughs.

“Not a chance. We’re either both going, or we’re not—but either way, we do it together.”

This one is not as bad as I initially thought.

You literally said she was a spoiled brat that required exterminating when we were just eleven years old.

She’s growing on me.

Of course she is.

“Fine, lead the way.”

“Let me do the talking,” Tori warns as we arrive outside of an old tavern. The broken sign hangs precariously over the arched entrance, and I pray we make it in before it falls.

“Exactly how many times have you done this?”

She gives me a look that says'not now,' but we will revisitthis later. I may have my secrets, but I know how to keep myself safe.Mostly.

Hidden in the shadows of an alcove leading to the entrance stands a tall, cloaked figure. From his size and build, I can tell it’s a male. As I draw closer, his red eyes glow in the darkness.

“What’s your business here tonight?” The vampire’s gruff voice breaks my onslaught of thoughts, and it’s only then that I notice his chipped fang. No doubt, he gained it in one of the fighting rings the sired love to spend their spare time in. It’s nothing more than a pissing contest if you ask me.

“Amabel sent us,” Tori answers, keeping her voice sweet. I almost roll my eyes. Acting demure in the bloodhouse makes sense, but outside of it, I’m not accustomed to playing by those same rules. The vampire’s gaze trails the length of us both as if assessing whether the truth hides somewhere beneath the slits of our dresses. I thank the Gods for the mask covering my face—the last thing I need is for him to commit it to memory after what I plan to do tonight.

He turns his attention back to Tori as if the entire thing bores him.

“And the code?”

“Essence.”

What an odd code name. I guess it’s better to have something nobody would ever suspect.

He steps aside to let us through the door. I move closer to Tori as she sashays her hips with every step. She’s so dramatic.

As soon as the door swings open, a flood of moans crashes over me, the sharp, coppery scent of blood filling the air. My stomach churns.

Oh, to be a sentient being right now.

For the love of the gods, please keep your thoughts to yourself,I beg.

A dark chuckle fills my mind.

I try not to grimace as we make our way inside, tentatively playing the part of an excited pureblood ready to experience the night of her life. I will rip their fangs out before they even get the opportunity to sink them into me.

At least a dozen naked bodies writhe against the floor in pleasure as sounds of ecstasy fall from the mouths of both vampires and humans. My nostrils flare at the scent of sweat and copper, and bile rises to my throat. I push it aside, reminding myself why I’m here. I step over several stain-filled sheetsstrewn across the floor, the evidence of the night’s activities laid bare.

A male vampire sinks his fangs into the neck of a pureblood woman while plunging his fingers deep between her thighs, eliciting a strangled moan to rip from her throat. I look away.

“And this is where you were planning on coming alone?” I whisper to Tori.

“It’s not so bad once you give in to it.”

“Yeah, until one of them loses control to bloodlust and drains you dry.”

I watch as fear colors her expression, and I’m happy to know a little common sense has returned. The pleasure isn’t the problem—it’s the risk that comes from a vampire so blood-high it forgets its own laws.

I’m momentarily distracted when a beautiful vampire with hair as red as the blood coating her lips gives me a sultry look as she flicks a tongue across her fangs.