Page 176 of Kiss of Seduction

“You’ll have to stay here for a millennium.”

“I only wish I could make him suffer that long.”

Natalya shouldn’t let it happen. It wasn’t wise to let Vex do this. Her vengeance may be understandable, but it would have consequences. It would rip her into a world where she could do little else but destroy. For a thousand years, she would wander the world, her only purpose to covet, crave, and ruin.

But she had her freedom. And her freedom was hers to do with as she wanted. If anyone had tried to stand between Natalya and Roland, Natalya would have killed them in a heartbeat. That Vex was using words rather than violence spoke to either her restraint or her respect for Natalya. Or maybe for Evie, whom Natalya was still holding in her arms.

“You won’t have the same control as when you were bound,” Natalya said. “When you’re ready, come find me at the Court of Chains. I’ll teach you what I know.”

“I’m not enslaving myself again,” Vex snapped. “Not even to your Court.”

“You won’t be. You just won’t be alone.” At the words, Natalya looked down at the unconscious Evie in her arms. She was twitching slightly. Her blood had stained Natalya’s dress.

“Take your human and go.” Vex walked past Natalya, moving to Dominic and slapping him so he woke up. He blinked, then stared at the green-eyed fiend he’d turned into a killer and kidnapper.

“I need to say goodbye to someone,” Vex said. “And I enjoy long,longgoodbyes.”

As Natalya left the east wing, the last thing she heard was Dominic’s frightened screams.

Chapter 49

Nothing destroys morale quite like killing a King. News of Varro’s death spread through the ranks of his soldiers like wildfire. With the only contingency for heirs being Stefano, the ruling house of the Heartlands was ruined. Without a strong King, the night was dominated by East Coast vampires, as well as other monsters.

The fiends, led by Drago, had torn apart the estate. Dozens of vampires and men killed. A Regent toppled and his home ruined. They’d won the Heartlands.

Natalya didn’t care at all.

She’d acted recklessly when she left the estate. Outright idiotic, actually. She’d rushed to the nearest hospital, not caring if anyone saw her. It was luck that meant she wasn’t spotted, the same luck that let East Coast vampires intercept her and then enthrall half the hospital into forgetting they’d seen a furious Lust fiend holding a dying woman in her arms.

That had been weeks ago. Weeks of waiting. Of holding Evie’s hand as she lay unconscious in a Court of Chains infirmary room with tubes going into her mouth and a drip in her arm. Weeks where no one could convince Natalya to leave her side, not even Aleksander.

He’d been the same with Lily when she was hurt. Hovering over her, all but starving himself as he suffered the pain of their broken contract alongside the guilt of having put Lily in the bed in the first place. But at least he’d known she would wake eventually. Natalya didn’t even know that.

When people requested to see Natalya, she refused them. When she was told she needed to feed, she snarled at whoever made the suggestion. Drago had to literally drag her to the Second Circle, keeping her there for an hour every day before letting her return to Evie’s side.

She only allowed people near when they wanted to see Evie rather than her. Lily was there often, as was Blake. Lily was a mess, but Blake was just as affected. Only she had the good sense to leave the room before she started crying.

Natalya didn’t cry. She refused to grieve, even though every day Evie remained unconscious it got harder not to give in to her sorrows. In her hundreds of hours spent alone in the infirmary, she got trained in not letting her tears fall.

“Lady?” Drago said from the door. It was late afternoon and the Wrath fiend had evidently decided to check on her.

“I’ve already been to the Second Circle today.” Natalya didn’t look at Drago. She kept her eyes on Evie, a small part of her fearing she’d stop breathing if she looked away.

“It’s not about that,” Drago said. “Your Evie has a guest.”

That wasn’t uncommon. People came to see her every day. What was unusual was that Drago hovered in the door after saying it. Drago being nervous was always cause for concern.

“Who is this guest?” Natalya asked.

Stepping aside, Drago cleared the door enough that a human could enter. A woman with icy blue eyes, hunched shoulders, and wearing a worried expression.

Seeing Sam, Natalya stood up with enough apparent fury that Sam took a frightened step back. She knocked into Drago, her fear of Natalya making her forget she was leaning against him. In just a few steps, Natalya was right in Sam’s face.

“What isshedoing here?”

Drago pushed on Natalya’s shoulder, making her step back. “She wanted to visit.”

“She will do no such thing,” Natalya snarled. “Evie wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t forher.”