Page 21 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

“Fuck off, Tristan, these are mine.”

Tristan holds up his hands and laughs.

“I was just kidding, lighten up. Blood-drunk you is one angry motherfucker.” Tristan side-steps us before walking away laughing, and I’m thankful he didn’t try to make any trouble. I grab a hold of Tori’s hand to ensure she’s still there, and she squeezes back as I do.

We finally stop in front of a large red blanket hanging from the ceiling and acting as a door. Dre pushes it to one side, revealing a dark hallway on the other side.

“After you…ladies.”

I pull Tori along with me and notice that the dark hallway is lined with curved doorways on either side—some left open so we can witness everything inside, others covered with thin sheets. Not ideal, but I’ll have to work with it. The sound of grunts and moans assaults us from every direction as we make our way to an empty room.

“Here we go. Privacy,” Dre says as we step through the doorway of an empty room. Inside holds nothing but a blood-stained bed that clearly hasn’t been washed ever. My stomach bubbles as I imagine all the disgusting things that have taken place here. The sound of the curtain being closed draws my attention, and I turn to find the doorway covered and Dre grinning.

“So, who’s up first then?”

“Me,” I say before Tori can answer. I see her give me a pointed look from the corner of my eye, but I ignore it. “I want her to watch.”

The vampire’s eyes widen in delight as he takes in my words. Vampires respond to three things: sex, blood, and violence. It’s what makes them so easy to kill. The vampire moves quickly to the bed, positioning himself in the center, legs sprawled out, and his red eyes darkening with pleasure. I gesture for Tori to stay put, and frustrated, she does.

There’s no way to do this without her seeing, but if I don’t, Willow will die—and that’s not an option. Explaining myself afterward will be difficult, but I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

I move toward the bed, not taking my eyes from the lustful vampire as he bites his lower lip, keeping his eyes on my every move. My gaze falls momentarily to the veins in his arms, taking shape as he tightens his fists in excitement. I try to ignore the stench of the room and the stained bed that has probably seen more horrors and death than I care to think about. I’m used toluring my victims down a dark alley or street and enticing them with blood before making the kill. This is a little different, but I’ll work with it.

The bed creaks beneath my weight as I shuffle toward him, biting my lower lip as our eyes meet. I trail a hand over his chest as I straddle him, pushing him back until he is lying completely flat.

“Only I get to touch,” I warn.

He smiles at this, and I dream of wiping it off his face in a matter of minutes. I glance over my shoulder, half hoping Tori has grown bored and left—but she’s still there, watching with curiosity.

You don’t have a choice,Athriel reminds me.

I know, but I never intended to reveal this to her.

It’s either that or you let your sister die.

The choice is easy. I turn my attention back to the creature and disguise my disgust with a smile when I feel him harden beneath me. I offer my wrist.

“Taste me,” I whisper in a sultry voice. He grabs my arm in a flash as though the wait was driving him crazy. He doesn’t stop to make the bite painless, and I feel the sharp sting as his fangs sink deep into my flesh. I wince as the burning consumes the area, and I have to force myself not to cry out.

Breathe,I remind myself.

His grip tightens on me while he gulps down my warm blood, humming in pleasure as it trickles down his throat.

Now,I tell Athriel.

How my magic works is still a mystery. All I know is that I can command my blood to become a deadly poison, capable of killing a vampire with a single drop. And my magic has a voice, and the name he chose was Athriel. Sometimes he knows things—like how to fight—and when he knows, so do I.

I feel the moment he obeys my command, the blood in my veins turning to fire beneath my skin, the heat so sudden I cry out. Magic flows through my body like water, touching every inch of it with ease. I let my head fall back in bliss as the feel of it consumes me, the power radiating through me like a soft caress. I inhale deeply, forcing myself to take back the control I so easily lose in these moments, when it takes over.

My attention falls on the vampire as his sounds of pleasure turn into a soft gurgling from deep within his throat. He pushes me away so violently that I nearly fall from the bed. I scramble backward as he grabs at his throat, choking on my blood. His eyes widen in an accusatory manner, as he gasps for air he won’t get. I look down at my wrist, watching the once-red blood darken into black. I try to hide the satisfied grin filling my face, but all I see are the dozens of humans I have watched slaughtered at their hands over the years, passed off as simple accidents.

It only takes a few seconds before his body goes still, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, just like the human girl we saw when we first walked into this gods-forsaken place. The room is deadly silent, and I can feel Tori’s eyes on me. I was so caught up in the entire situation that I forgot she was watching. Suddenly, my chest tightens, and the blood in my veins heats again as I turn to look at her.

A moment of silence passes between us before she finally speaks.

“Please tell me you can teach me how to do that.”

It takes a moment before I register Tori’s words. The fear I expected to see looks a lot more like awe.