Page 7 of The Broken Prince

“Yes.”

Necrosis was immortal, and the Teeth had prolonged life. But I’d never heard of another species having those abilities. “That means you don’t have a soul…”

He took a drink. “No.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Not in the slightest. And I don’t have a heart either—but that has nothing to do with my being a vampire.”

The man I’d shared those passionate nights with was truly a stranger. A man who’d had so many lovers in his lifetime and that gave him the experience to be incredible in bed. That was why he was so smart, so agile, so resourceful—because he’d had many lifetimes to practice.

This was a being I’d never heard of, as strong as Necrosis, but better hidden. If he hadn’t told me what he was, it would have taken a long time to figure it out, and only if we’d had an intimate relationship. If he’d decided he wanted to kill me on that journey, my will and determination wouldn’t have been enough to spare me. It would be like a helpless worm fighting the beak of a bird.

“You don’t need to be scared of me.”

“I’m not.” I took a drink of the ale.

“Because I would never hurt you.” His eyes were serious now, the knowing smile and amused gaze gone. “I just want to make that clear…in case I haven’t already.”

He could anticipate moves in battle, and sometimes it felt as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. It seemed too ridiculous to entertain, but now I started to believe the impossible was possible. “Do vampires have other abilities?”

He shifted forward, both elbows on the table. “We adopt the abilities of the snake that sires us. The Kingsnake Vampires can see in the dark, the Cobra Vampires can feel heartbeats, The Diamondbacks have unparalleled reflexes.”

“And the Originals?”

He stared, his hand covering the top of his glass, as if he was considering telling me. “I like you, Harlow. But that’s not enough to make me share all my secrets.”

I felt him sidestep me, keeping his cards close to his chest like this was a poker match. “It sounds like you don’t trust me.”

“Can I ever trust the woman I abducted from her family?”

“You’re free, aren’t you?”

“Free? If I were free, I would be on the first ship departing this forsaken land.”

“Even though we’re on the brink of war?”

“It’s not my war. And I have my own war to worry about.”

“What’s it like…where you’re from?”

“Looking to move?” he asked playfully. “You’re either hot or cold in this place. Nothing in between.”

“I appreciate both. In HeartHolme, it’s nice to have a fire burning in the stone fireplace while sleeping under a pile of blankets, the frost kissing the glass, your fingers cold because you can’t stop reading your book uninterrupted. But the heat of Delacroix is lovely too, the flowers in full bloom, the harvest ripe, the sky the most beautiful blue. One isn’t better than the other. They’re just different.”

“I prefer the cold.”

“Why?”

“It’s what I’m used to. My castle is in the snow. And it snows all year round.”

“The lack of sunlight all the time must get old.”

“Not at all.” He took a drink and licked his lips.

The discussion went quiet even though I had so many more questions. Instead of a conversation, it had felt like an interrogation, but my curiosity was so potent. When he was just a handsome man, it was easier to be less intrigued, but knowing what he really was changed the game.

“It’s getting late.” He finished off the rest of his drink before leaving the glass on the table. “Goodnight, Princess.” He slid out of the booth and stood upright.