Page 30 of Dark Flame

It’s science, that’s all. He already said the feed is pleasurable for these assholes. Surely I, “the prey,” get affected by whatever powers they’re working with? Gram’s books didn’t cover that part, so it’s only a theory.

“Twenty thousand!”

“Thirty!”

“Fifty!”

Dormer brings my wrist back to his nose, inhaling. It’s erotic in a way it shouldn’t be. “Miss Sinclair has never turned a vampire mortal. Her blood, for what it’s worth, is virginal.”

“Eighty!”

Hate to admit it, but he’s good…

“One hundred!” a voice yells, louder than the rest. A vampire pushes from the back of the crowd to the front, hands in fists and eyes tinged red and a bit manic, almost terrifying as they pin me to the spot. “One hundred thousand dollars to end this fucking lifenow.”

My kidnapper straightens in his seat and releases my wrist. He leans forward, scanning the rest of the crowd. “Would anyone like to beat that?”

The vampire who made the insane bid glares at the room, as though daring anyone to shout a higher number. No one does, and after a moment, my captor nods towards the buyer.

The buyer. The bids. My goodness, is this Stockholm syndrome? Even my thoughts are lining up with the vampire’s.

“After the party, you will be human. Between now and then, get the money transferred to me. Payment first.”

The vampire who won bows before retreating into the crowd, presumably to go follow those orders.

“Is he about to lug in a whole chest of gold coins?”

Dormer glances my way, amusement dancing in his expression. “We’ve adjusted to modern times and keep bank accounts.”

“Did he really just pay one hundred thousand dollars for my blood?”

He reaches for my wrist again, too quick for me to react, and flicks where my skin meets the cuff. There’s no reason for him to be touching me since the bidding is over, yet he does. “Some of us have been vampires for a long time. After so long, most of us have grown our wealth. Unlike humans, we have the benefit of time and a lack of need. Wealth is agreeable, of course, but we don’t use it to buy food, houses, or vehicles like humans do. We don’t engage in normal society, so jobs and education aren't open to us. When you don’tneedsomething, it’s easy to allow time to work in your favour.”

That actually makes sense.

“You underestimate exactly how desired your blood is,” he adds.

Except I know that all too well. I’ve survived the attacks on my house, and the ones who were successful in getting through.

And how my parents’ lives ended as a result.

Pushing the past aside to get through the present, I point out, “Except by you.”

He’s about to respond when a loud shrill comes from the crowd. The entire room falls silent, turning towards the interruption. A vampire storms his way to the front, a finger jabbed in our direction, his braided hair tossed over one shoulder.

“You.”His snarl focuses on Dormer. “You call yourself our king, but then take control of the one thing in existence that can save us from this cursed life by putting a goddamn price tag on it. You are no fucking ruler of ours.”

Dormer smiles at the one who’s interrupted, but it’s a smile full of maliciousness. A smile promising death if the vampire continues. A slow tilt of his lips before he murmurs, “The witch has been available for any of us to kidnap. I’m simply the one with the means to do it.”

I step back a few paces, feeling the sudden urge to get away. A quick peek at the crowd tells me my motions haven’t gone unnoticed.

“Fuck the money!” the vampire shouts. “And fuck you! Hand her over and let usalldrain the witch dry.”

I don’t notice if there’s a signal or anything, but suddenly, the vampire is a blur towards me. Instinct has me quickly skittering back, cursing the cuffs that keep me stuck to a short vicinity. Before I’ve fully taken a step, my captor is out of his seat, a shadow coming between me and the attacking vampire. For once, a shadow I welcome.

Everything happens quickly then. Anarchy breaks out and I, the magickless witch who’s chained to a chair, am absolutelyfucked. There’srunning from the vampire who appeared in my bedroombrave, and then there’s stupidity. This would be stupidity.

Two more break away from the crowd, streaking towards me. My captor throws the first attacker clear across the room, his body thudding against a painting of an ocean. He lands on the ground, the crowd around him dispersing in a loud hush. I doubt that killed him, but my attention is on the next one coming my way.