Page 80 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

A sigh fills the room, and silence follows before that familiar touch is on me again, soothing the aches that wrack my body. Somehow, I find myself being lulled into a sleep, though it’s not long before the agony begins all over again.

My eyes open, and I find the prince’s hard stare on me.

“Good, you’re awake.” His voice is cold and devoid of the softness I swear I heard earlier.

My eyes scan my surroundings, and I find myself tucked under the thick covers of the bed. My muscles ache, and a deep tiredness weighs me down. Conversations that I caught parts of come back to me from when I was half delusional, and I push myself into a seated position. I’ve experienced pain before, but nothing as bad as this, and I want answers.

“What the hell is a mating bond?”

He tilts his head back in frustration and blows out a breath.

“Let me make this abundantly clear: I am only answering this question because the safety of my court depends on it, but do not think that you can demand anything of me. I am still your prince, and if you do not deign to follow the rules I put in place for you, I will see to it that you return to your previous status of prisoner.”

I narrow my eyes at him but don’t say a word.

“Good,” he says as though my silence is an agreement. “A mating bond is usually the pairing of two powerful vampires who combine their powers to strengthen themselves and their court. It seems that before they went missing, the gods decided to change the rules.”

His words are filled with disdain, and I can tell that he is not happy that he is linked to me in any way.

“Then why are we…bound as you say?”

“That’s a question for the gods—or the fates, even. Believe me, if I knew the answer, I’d be working to sever the connection this very moment.”

“For once, we agree.”

He runs a hand through the dark strands of his hair as he sits up.

“You came here to kill me, so let me tell you this. The bond binds our lives together, so any attempt on my life is an attempt on yours.”

My eyes widen in confusion, and he smiles at this.

“You’re saying that if you die then—”

“Yes, it really isn’t that difficult to follow. If one of us dies, then so does the other, so keep that in mind the next time you think up another assassination attempt.”

I throw off the covers, my skin suddenly hot. The movement draws the prince’s eyes to my very bare legs, causing them to flare for just a second before he stands to his feet.

“Yes, little witch, whatever you did with your feeble attempt at killing me has damned us both in more ways than you can imagine.”

That catches my attention, and I think back to the dead bodies that surrounded me the day I left the dungeon and the moment that the prince fed from me, how alive he looked. I gasp.

“You can’t feed from anyone else, can you?” I scramble out of the bed, moving backwards as if I can escape him in this confined space.

“Ajax was right, you are smarter than you look. And correct, you are my only source, and the gods also saw fit to allow you to siphon my power too, so we are well and truly bonded, my dear.”

My heart is pounding inside my chest as I try to absorb all the information that he is giving me.

“This can’t be real. I can’t be bonded to you…I need to leav—”

“I expect you to be ready and dressed in the outfit I have laid out within the hour. You will begin training sessions today,” he interrupts me.

“Training?”

He rolls his eyes and then slows his words as if speaking to a fool.

“If you wish to avoid what happened last night, then yes.”

“I’m not training with vampires,” I spit.