Page 100 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

I could force her to stay. Force her to stick to the terms of our deal. But the deal had never been real in the first place, just an excuse. An excuse to have what we really wanted—each other. “I’ll give you a horse and provisions in the morning.”

“I want to leave now—”

“You’re lucky I’m letting you leave at all.”

She stiffened at my tone, her breath now uneven.

“Let’s go back to bed. We can deal with this tomorrow.”

19

CLARA

I couldn’t sleep.

I just lay there, suspecting he couldn’t sleep either.

The instant dawn pierced the curtains, I got out of bed and prepared for my departure.

He was up the moment I moved, so my assumption was right, he hadn’t slept either.

“I want my armor and my weapons.” I said it without looking at him, my eyes focused on the light coming through the cracks. It wasn’t golden like the daylight I was used to, but gray from the blanket of clouds that constantly covered the sky.

Wordlessly, he walked out.

Once I was alone, the weight of my grief struck me. I feared everything Cobra had said was the truth, as much as I didn’t want to believe it. I was anxious to question my father, but I dreaded it at the same time.

What if everything I believed was a lie?

What if my own father, my own flesh and blood, lied to us all?

Moments later, Cobra returned and set everything on the armchair. He was quick to distance himself as well, like his thoughts were just as assaulted as mine. He stepped into the closet and dressed.

I secured every piece to my body, returned my daggers to their hiding places, strapped on my boots. I wanted out of there as quickly as possible, but it hurt to leave something good behind.

When Cobra emerged, he was in his full armor, as if he expected to accompany me. His eyes were vacant and cold, as if we were strangers despite our long nights and passionate mornings. There was no intensity, just emptiness.

I dropped my gaze because I couldn’t bear that stare.

“Are you ready?” He spoke so coldly, every word a shard of ice.

“Yes.”

He opened the door and waited for me to walk out first.

After a long stare, I moved into the hallway, his footsteps loud behind me. The palace was quiet because the vampires were either waking up or getting ready for bed. I led the way to the doors to the stairs, but once I arrived, I let him guide me farther.

He took the stairs, and I followed.

We moved through Grayson then reached the stables near the main gate. He grabbed a beautiful mare with hair pulled into a beautiful braid. “This is Nicola. She’ll get you there safely.”

“She’s beautiful…”

One of the stable hands handed him a bag, and he secured that to the saddle. “Food and water to last your journey.” He took the horse by the reins and guided us out of the city. The gate opened for him immediately, but the scrutinizing stares were potent. The judgment was heavy in the air like mist.

He guided me farther outside the gate, into the wildlands with pines and redwoods. “You know the way?”

“Yes.”