Page 30 of Inked & Bloodbound
I nod, but my teeth are gritted. “I understand. Thank you for your graciousness. In that case, I will await Julian’s instructions. Will that be all?”
I need to get out of here. The thick stone walls feel like they’re creeping inward, ready to crush the remainder of my patience from my body. I stand up and tower over Lazaro, who visibly reacts, his handsome face knotted into a frown and his voice dripping in sarcastic concern.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for keeping you. Do you have somewhere you need to be?”
“Not particularly,” I lie. “I’m just a little hungry. The bloodwine was delicious, but I need something a little more substantial.”
“I hear you do not drink from live donors. Not at all. Is that true?” he asks, his voice mocking. “How very strange.” He turns to Julian. “It’s odd, don’t you think?”
Julian bobs his head in agreement. “Yes, Primus. Indeed, it is most unusual.”
Lazaro continues, a darkness resembling spilled ink creeping into the whites of his eyes until they are completely gone. “For me, it is the most natural thing to drink from the source. To feel the life drain out of them and pour into you. To taste the complexity of their uniqueflavor. To force yourself to stop, despite your instincts. To lick the wounds and heal them with your venom.”
His tongue darts across his lips as if tasting a memory. “It is a power unlike any other. You become god, holding the balance of their mortality in each of your hands. Tell me, Cassini, why do you deny yourself such exquisite pleasures?”
A memory gnaws at me, one of Catholic guilt deep in my marrow. A fear of what would happen if I let myself taste the warmth of a living person once more. I cannot lie, so I offer him a half-truth.
“I have simply not found a human that appeals to me in many years. No chattel worthy of my time. I prefer to wait until I find the right donor before committing to something as intimate as a live feed.”
The blackness that flooded his eyes fades as quickly as it arrived, and he examines me. “Are you sure about that? I hear the blonde you rescued from Cyrus’ clumsy paws is quite the specimen. A lovely little thing with a very unusual scent.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid, but I fight it. He cannot see the effect this has on me. Cannot suspect a thing.
“She’s quite lovely, but nothing special.” I shrug, but for some reason, the words feel like acid in my mouth.
“Shame,” he says, standing up and offering me his hand. “Because I’m always looking for something rare and unique to sample.”
My jaw twitches as I clasp and shake it. There’s a minor shift in his expression, like he’s pleased to have baited me and won, languishing in the self-satisfied joy of having me reveal too much.
He grips my hand and squeezes it, searching my eyes for a reaction as he speaks. “Perhaps you should bring her to Nocturne,” he says, flashing a toothy smirk.
A flash of heat creeps up my neck. The thought of Lily in this place, her light and innocence corrupted by a den of depravity, makes my blood boil. It cannot happen. But I know what finding Megan and releasing myself from this binding will cost. I’ll have to hurt people. Maybe even Lily.
“Ah, but I’d need an invite,” I reply, clenching his fingers tighter.
Lazaro’s smile widens, like a shark smelling blood in the water. “Then perhaps we will have to reward you with one.”
10
LILY
Ican’t see Cassini, but I can feel him. His presence is everywhere, seeping into every corner and goading me to look at him. But I don’t turn.
I’m too entranced by the full moon outside the kitchen window. Low in the sky, tinged with red and glowing so brightly that a dusty pink hue fills the room. Jet-black crows line the branches of the trees outside, their heads tilted towards it like guardians. Casting rows of tiny twitching shadows on the ground.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I breathe, pressing my palms against the counter and leaning in to get a better view. “It’s incredible. It’s so bright it looks unreal.”
He doesn’t move, but his gaze burns into the back of my head. “It’s called a blood moon. They’re rare, only happening every few years.”
“Why is it red?” I whisper. “Is it bad luck or something?”
He moves closer, his feet padding softly on the cool kitchen tiles, getting louder with each step. He’s barely inches away, his body pressed against mine. “The moon is traveling through the earth’s shadow, and it’s blocking most of the sun’s light from the surface.”
His breath tingles on my scalp, and I shiver as he drops his voice to a low hum. “It’s not bad luck. Many cultures believe a blood moonhas spiritual significance. That seeing one is an opportunity to explore your darker side. To embrace a transformation.”
His fingers trail across my skin as he brushes my hair aside, exposing my neck. He inhales deeply, then presses his cold lips against my skin, planting a row of tiny kisses along my collarbone. When he reaches my earlobe, he nips at it, and I gasp. Sighing and relaxing my body into his hardness.
“How about it, sunshine?” he says as he grazes my arms with the backs of his fingers. “Are you going to be a good girl and embrace your dark side?”