Page 24

“I really wasn’t… meaning to imply that I wanted to use you…

if that was it,” Mads says. “I’m not going to lie.

I’m using pretty much everyone in my life.

While I know that’s wrong, I can’t fight worth a damn, so I’d probably be dead by now if I didn’t at least somewhat use people.

It was dumb luck I ended up taking down that guy I stole the clothes from.

I never wanted to be a vampire. I’ve never been good at it.

You want to hear something hilarious? I really fucking hate vampires.

I’ve just never met one who actually gives a shit about something worthwhile.

I think most of them have lived for so many years that they get this sense of superiority.

They’re convinced they’re better than everyone else.

They’re older than me, so they expect that they should be able to control what I do.

I was sent here by the UK council because they thought I was useless.

Why waste their numbers when they could send someone useless like me out?

They just needed people to go, ‘Yes, Callum SHOULD be the new council president. Callum is the best man I’ve ever met!

’ so they can worm their way over here.”

I glance over at him. “How the fuck does anyone not realize you’re an intelligent and conniving man?”

“Right? Thank you! I’m over here double-agenting it and they’re oblivious! It’s because vampires focus on brute strength. They focus on who is oldest and who is strongest, which means I’m insignificant.”

“So if you don’t only work for the council, who do you work for?”

“See, I knew you’d ask me that. Would you believe me if I said that I don’t work for anyone in particular but am working for something I believe in? That I care about?”

“I’m going to be real honest, if it doesn’t benefit me, I don’t care if you’re working for the British royalty.”

“I bet I’d look sexy in a crown and with a scepter. I mean… I have a scepter but a different one… if you get what I’m saying.”

I slowly look over at him and get the joy of seeing him trying to wink at me. It might have been considered sexy if he didn’t look like he’d gone through hell and back. “Are you calling your dick a scepter and have any belief that’s going to turn me on?”

“Well… a man willing to carry my naked body across a forest might be interested in my scepter jokes. The very man who stripped me. I’m just saying…”

“Go back to talking about being a double agent. Not that I care, but it’s leagues better than this shit,” I say as I keep walking, really wanting to get back to Rylee.

“Do you forgive me?” Mads asks.

“I was never mad at you.”

“Maybe not mad but disappointed,” he says.

I glower at him. “You honestly think I care enough about what you have to say to be disappointed?”

“I could hope. And I really think you do, even if you act all prickly on the outside. I generally leave a giant gap between me and others. But there’s something about you that I like. Now others, I just pretend to like so they will lower their defenses. You should try it sometime!”

“No. I’m not acting like anything or doing any of that shit.”

“It’s okay if you can’t act. I never was good at acting. I tried to join a theatre group once. They told me that I really had the heart but not the skills. I might have shed a tear of embarrassment.”

“Should have threatened to eat them. Literally anything I want, people give it to me,” I say, feeling like we’re not getting anywhere fast at the pace we’re walking. It’s like the small high from his blood is already wearing off.

Mads trots in front of me and kneels down. I’m not quite sure what this move is but it creeps me out and makes me want to boot him in the ass so I don’t end up staring at it. It’s the lack of blood causing my eyes to wander.

“What the hell are you doing?” I ask, well aware threats are the best way to hide any of these issues.

“You look tired, so hop on.”

“HA! There’s no way I would ever get on your back.”

When he looks back at me, his face is scrunched up. “What the hell? You carried me for miles, let me carry you for miles.”

“I would have to have lost at least four limbs to even consider it, and even then, I’m confident I’d still roll my way through these woods instead of relying on someone to carry me.” I hurry past that foolish idea.

He zips in front of me and kneels down again. “Have you really never had anyone to rely on, Ender? And don’t say Rylee. She’s as cute as a button but you cannot rely on a child. I’m here for you.”

“I wish you weren’t.”

“I will carry your load.”

My mind drifts back to him showing me his ass not even a minute ago. “I just feel uncomfortable about every second of this conversation,” I say as I walk around him.

“You’re the one with the dirty mind. My mind is full of innocence.”

“You were just talking about your scepter.”

“Nothing slips by you.”

I turn around and decide I’ll take my chances going north. Hopefully someone can capture me and take me away from this man.

“No, no, come on, I’m joking. I’m sorry. My humor isn’t for everyone. Neither are my titillating flirtation skills.”

“ Were you flirting?”

“It must work. I do find men and women are highly interested in me.”

“Your face is what works,” I say, which is a huge mistake because he beams at me and rubs his chin in a strange manner that I think he believes is seductive.

“Ho. Ho. Ho? You think my face is working for you?”

“I’m just going to take a nap right here,” I say, tired enough that nothing sounds better.

My arm throbs, I want to tear Abel’s head off…

but I guess I’m not filled with the uncontrollable rage that generally keeps me moving forward.

Instead, I’m filled with the desire to just drop down onto the ground right here.

My leaden limbs definitely don’t help. Every step feels like it takes an impossible amount of effort.

“Then take a nap on my perfectly broad back, room for just one. I heard it’s a five-star ride.”

“I would rather die.”

“You are so stubborn,” Mads says with a growl before disappearing.

He isn’t gone long before he returns smelling like blood.

“I met the sweetest moose. I was like, ‘Let me drink from you,’ and it was like, ‘If I could stomp your ass into the ground first,’ and I was like, ‘Nah, I’m good,’ but then I found a deer which was much more edible.

I didn’t kill it, of course.” He holds his arm out to me.

“What is this?”

“I’ve decided that I’m going to be your travel snack until we get you someplace that I can better dissect… I mean, get you to a hospital.”

“You really want to dissect me, don’t you?”

“Just a little bit,” he says. “Like… a tiny bit. Just for science.”

“I’m not going to keep draining you.”

“Either drain me or get on my back?—”

Mads doesn’t even get to finish that sentence before he cuts his neck and the smell of the blood is enough to make me lose any stubbornness.

I rush him, unable to control myself. As I do, he turns, which somewhere in my mind I think is weird, but I’m too fixated on the blood to care.

It tastes so fucking good. I wish I could just fill myself with it.

Maybe I’ll weaken him enough he’ll be quiet. Like does the man ever stop talking?

I moan as I close my eyes and soak in the sensation washing everything away until I feel like I should probably stop before I really do murder him. It’s very grudgingly that I do, and for a moment I’m caught up in the bliss of it. I feel so satisfied that I could just take a nap?—

Why the fuck am I moving?

I snap back to awareness as I realize that somehow, while I was making a fool of myself off in fucking blisstown, he dragged me onto his back and is carrying me off.

“What are you doing?” I snarl.

“Carrying my bride-to-be,” he says, and I try to drop off him.

“I tease, I tease! Come on, is this hurting you in any way? You actually moaned, you were enjoying it so much.”

“I didn’t moan ,” I snap. His bound hand clings to my left leg so hard that when I try to get off, all my weak ass manages to do is flip myself backward. “Let go !”

“Your foot is stuck in the chains! Why’d you just dive off to oblivion? Do I revolt you that much?”

“Let me free .”

“You’re like a child! How does being helped hurt you?”

“It’s hurting my foot!”

“That’s because you stuffed it through the shackles before diving off like you’re an Olympic swimmer!”

Mads must finally free my leg before turning around to look at me where I lie splayed out on the ground. Now that I’m down here, I’m not quite sure how to get back up there.

“Are you embarrassed about how you acted while being helped?”

“Not in the slightest.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I can run. You cannot. I thought you wanted to get home to Rylee. I mean, look at you, you can barely get up off the ground even with my blood. As long as I keep stopping to drink, I can keep resupplying you with blood and get us out of here.”

Using all of the energy in my body, I push myself up to my feet. “I don’t need help.”

“Why?”

“Because Abel makes me kill every fucking person I’ve ever grown an attachment to. So if you don’t want to die, leave me alone,” I snap as I head off.

At least that shut him up. Maybe he’ll leave me the fuck alone now.

“Ah well,” he blurts out. Really, that didn’t quiet him down long enough.

“I went into this pretty sure I was going to die,” Mads continues.

“I’m ignoring you.”

“So if you kill me along the way, it’s fine. My chances of living through what I was going to do are pretty slim and getting slimmer by the day.”

I keep ignoring him as I walk and he finally falls silent.

But now that he’s not talking and talking, I have absolutely nothing to focus on but the misery my body is in.

My arm is screaming in pain, my body feels weak, and I just want to get home to Rylee.

And instead, I’m going to fucking die out here.

Will Finn be able to protect her? Will Orin?

She really likes them. But Finn is just a human, and does Orin understand the lengths he’d have to go to keep her safe?

At least I won’t die alone. I always assumed I would.

I stop walking. “I just need a minute.”

“I’ll get you more blood.”

“You’re risking your own life every time you give me blood. What if I lose control again?”

Mads says nothing as he leaves and when he returns, I’m kneeling on the ground. I don’t even remember how I got there.

“Can I just cut off my arm?” I ask plaintively.

“It’s in your shoulder and already in your bloodstream. I can try searching for more shards but given the state you’re in, I’m beginning to think it’s already fully expelled its poison into you.” He stills and I realize if he’s hearing something I can’t, then I really am fucked. “We have to move.”

I push myself up and decide that as long as I don’t ever care if he dies, then I can use him. That’s all I’m doing, using him, and he can use me. It’ll be fine if that’s all we end up doing.

He seems to understand as he grabs my arm, pulling me in and dragging me onto his back where I’m pulled back into the darkness.