Page 27 of Bartered by the Shadow Prince (Bargain with the Shadow Prince #3)

Celebration

ELOISE

O nce we’re sure we haven’t been followed, Damien leads us deeper into the forest. No path guides our steps.

We pick our way randomly through knee-deep foliage, our rabble beasts weaving between trees.

It’s an irregular pattern that leaves me disoriented and confused.

We turn sharply, double back, advance again.

“Are we going to the festival?” I ask.

“Not yet. I’m taking you to the place we’ll stay tonight. We’ll store our things, and I’ll cover our tracks before we meet the others.”

“Good idea. We don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

The forest opens up at the base of a mountain. It’s notably colder here, and I realize that’s because we’re so close to Dimhollow.

“No one will be in danger,” he says. He dismounts, and it’s only when he leads his beast inside a slim cave opening that I realize he means for us to sleep here, inside the mountain itself.

“We’re spending the night in a cave?” I dismount my own beast and lead it in after Damien.

“It’s better shelter than a tent and safer for our animals.” He turns the corner, and I see what he means. The entrance to the cave is deceptively small, but inside, there’s a large gathering place with a firepit. The remains of logs and ash tell me we’re not the first ones to stay here.

“Cassius, Morpheus, and I used to come to Dimhollow during the war. I trusted the witch Aurora and would often seek her counsel. This cave provided a safe, private place for us to meet to make war plans. At the time, Aurora had enchanted the place to be undetectable by the enemy. Without knowing if she’s still alive, I have no idea if the wards are still in place.

Either way, it’s secluded and off the beaten path. We’ll be safe until morning.”

My eyes rove to the cavernous ceiling and a gentle drip along the far wall that feeds a shallow pool in the stone floor. Borus and Romulus sniff the liquid and begin to drink.

“Where does the water come from?”

“The mountain. The snow near the peak melts and siphons through the porous rock. Between that and the occasional vesper that finds its way in here, the rabble beasts will be happy to spend an evening within these walls.”

“And tomorrow?”

He meets my eyes. “Tomorrow, we have two choices. We can go to Aendor and stay with Tempest as we’d planned. Given the circumstances, we will have to remain hidden. It is the first place New Stygarde will search for us.”

“It was worth any consequence to watch you punch Brahm in the nose,” I say through a smile. “The king bleeding profusely as his eyes roll back in his head and he hits the dirt like a sack of potatoes will forever live rent free in my head.”

He snorts. “I admit it felt good and was a long time coming, but it means we can never again pretend to be anything other than traitors to the crown. Right now, I suspect we are enemy number one.”

“They’ll never drop us from their most-wanted list, will they?”

“Never. I’m a risk now. A prince returned. The risen dead who refused to bend the knee. After tonight, they will see us as a threat as long as we’re living.”

“Great.” I lean up against the cave wall. “What’s our other option?”

“We head north and hope Aurora is still alive. We see if the witches of Dimhollow will take us in. If they agree to protect us, they may be able to help you get your magic back.”

A spark of yearning travels through me. It’s been too long since I felt the connection to my ancestors that fuels my magic.

“I’d do anything to have it again. I love being here with you, Damien, but you can’t imagine what it has been like for me.

I feel as if I’ve lost a limb. I feel completely disconnected from…

” I try to find the words. “From my soul. My spirituality. My place in the universe. I have to get it back. I have to. I won’t feel normal until I do. ”

He pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, we seek out Aurora.”

“And tonight—” I break from his embrace and spread my arms wide toward the ceiling “—we celebrate our freedom and the goddess who blessed us with it.”

His answering smile warms my heart. He grabs my hand and drags me toward the exit. “Come. The quicker we make our sacrifice, the faster I can have you back here and celebrating in an entirely different way.”

Damien morphs into his shadow form and covers the tracks of our beasts before we run the few miles to the site of the Harvest Festival.

The stars shine bright overhead, overseeing the sounds of cheerful music that accompany a crowd of revelers.

Hundreds of shades dance and drink and eat, spinning around the most beautiful effigy of Thanesia.

And her altar is overflowing with sacrifices.

As soon as we arrive, Damien takes me straight there, and we both give an offering of our blood. It’s all we have to give. It mingles and sinks through the fruits and meats and tapestries, all the way to the stone.

Then he takes me in his arms and I dance.

It’s a half hour before Tempest sees us and approaches.

“Blessings from above! I wasn’t sure you’d make it out of that one, you two.

I’ve never seen the queen so angry. I slipped out while she was having quite the tirade.

Of course, it isn’t every day that both the king and his master of the guard are knocked on their asses. ”

Damien grunts. “I would have preferred to do it the safe and silent way, but if I had to burn my bridges, at least I fed a few of my enemies to the fire.”

A smiling shade comes by with a pitcher of wine and a stack of goblets and pours us each one. As soon as she leaves, Tempest squeezes Damien’s arm. “At least now you can come to Aendor. We can plan next steps.”

“Next steps?” I ask.

Damien just shakes his head. “Thank you, Tempest, but given the circumstances, we’ve decided to throw ourselves on the mercy of the witches of Dimhollow. I have friends there.”

Tempest draws back. “A visit to the witches is a good idea, Damien, but first you should come to Aendor and meet the other rebels. You are the rightful king. You are the leader the resistance needs. We can’t take back the kingdom without you!”

There’s a second of awkward silence, and then Damien drains his glass and sets it atop a nearby stone that’s serving as a table.

“Loosen up, Tempest,” he says. “It’s Harvest Festival. This is a conversation for another time.” He pulls me into his arms, and we dance away from her, blending into the whirling crowd.

“Damien, maybe we should talk to her. Maybe we should at least meet with the resistance before we go?—”

He kisses away my final words, his mouth tasting like wine. “Not. Tonight.”

I don’t mention it again.

Since the night I turned vampire, I haven’t seen or felt a sunrise.

I also haven’t dreamed like I did when I was human.

My brain doesn’t play in the space of nighttime imaginings as my human mind once did.

When I sleep now, it is the sleep of the dead, empty and black.

Restful. I can’t bring myself to mourn the loss of my dreams or the feel of the sun on my face through my window as I wake.

That life feels light-years away. A distant memory like my toddlerhood or my time in my mother’s womb.

The rising of the moon wakes me now. No light finds its way into the cave, but I know its bright face is shining on the horizon because the blood in my veins is singing for it.

Beside me, Damien is still asleep. I slip from beneath his arm and pad for the mouth of the cave, hearing the gentle chuff of the bramble beasts from where they wait in the adjoining section we’ve used as a stable.

Gently, I move the branches aside and step out into the early dawn.

The moonlight on my face feels as warm as the sun now and as bright as it can be without burning me.

I close my eyes and draw a deep breath through my nose, enjoying the peaceful moment, the sounds of birds and small animals in search of their morning sustenance coming from the woods.

But then, the sounds stop. The nightbirds quit singing, and the scurry of animals I still don’t know the names of ends, replaced by an eerie silence.

My hand instinctively reaches for my dagger, but my palm pats the smooth side of the leggings I slept in.

I changed into a matching set of pajamas that Ariadne had made for me in a beautiful shade of sapphire after Damien and I made love last night.

I left my daggers on top of my shed dress.

My mind quickly considers ducking inside the cave to retrieve the blades, but my vampire instincts override this logic.

I must keep absolutely still. If there’s a predatory animal nearby, which would explain the silence, my movement could trigger an attack.

I stop breathing and just listen. Moving only my eyes, I search the shadows between the trees.

These woods might contain any number of creatures, but a flash of golden eyes in the branches makes me think puma . Perhaps I’m being stalked by a mountain cat. I smile, just a little. The beast will not be pleased if he tries anything. My teeth are sharp and my skin is tough.

But as I sniff the air, I’m baffled by the lack of animal scent. Surely I should be able to smell the beast, even if I can’t hear it. But all that fills my nose is the Tenebris version of pine and oak. I smile. Trees. That’s it. No animals. No animal sounds. What the fuck?

Pfft.

It happens so fast that even my vampire reflexes aren’t quick enough to avoid it.

I open my mouth to scream, but there’s something around my throat, burning, draining me of energy.

Two elves appear beside me. How? They approached without my hearing a single footstep, their bows and arrows fastened to their back.

Now I understand why my throat burns. The weapon wrapped around it is poisoned with sunlight. I’m lucky it hasn’t killed me.

I punch and kick but am easily overpowered as the light around my neck bleeds all my strength from my being, and my legs and wrists are bound.

A bag is pulled over my head, blocking out the moonlight.

Everything goes topsy-turvy as I’m lifted, one elf holding my feet, the other my shoulders.

I swing helplessly between them as I’m carried away.

I can’t move. I can’t scream. I can’t see anything but the inside of the bag. All I can do is shiver at the utter, unforgettable silence.