Page 32 of The Vampire's Mercy

Great idea.

I hurried across the road, scaling the iron fence, seeing as the gates were locked, and dashed into the green space. There were lampposts casting a weak glow over the pathways cutting through the park. I avoided them, aiming for the darkness of the interior.

Still no signs of a chase.

I climbed into the branches of a tree, going as high as I could. My presence thickened its leaves, its branches bending inward to help hide me.

Rather than speak, I thanked it with a gentle pat on its bark.

Catching my breath, I attuned my senses to the park. Waiting, braced to fight, anxiety dragging claws across my soul.

What a disaster.

I should’ve known better. Things were never so easy. Life never laid down a clean path to skip along. At least for the likes of me. It was all about the trials, the uphill battles, the damn tribulations.

I’d allowed hope to lead me to complacency. If I died tonight, then?—

Nope. None ofthatshit. I’d recalibrate, get out of the city, not give up. So, it wouldn’t be me who took out the king. But someone would. I could feel it deep within the core of my faith. Aidan wanted him gone from this world, and he’d entrusted his loyal creatures to get it done.

Yeah, maybe I’d train the next executioner to do it. Connect with a group somewhere else. This didn’t have to be the end, only a setback. If anything, I’d received more intel on Silvanus to use against him.

He could sense executioners; his seductive energy was off the scale; the Heart of All was heavily protected by…something; and his body was warm.

Oh, and he could fly.

If a stakeblade wouldn’t do the job, what about sunlight? Which meant kidnapping him and booting him out a door.

Man, I’d love to be the booter.

I’m sorry, Pearl.

Damn. I’d really wanted to change things tonight. For her. I’d been so sure, so determined to make my sister proud.

Yeah, she’d be so proud of me for getting hard over the vampire king. For even thinking for one second that he was handsome.

Fuck me. And fuck Silvanus. Now that I’d seen him in the flesh, I wanted to destroy every perfect piece of him. Tear him apart limb from limb, make him beg for mercy. Draw his death out, let him feel all the pain, give him the comeuppance he deserved.

And even that wouldn’t be enough.

The minutes ticked by uneventfully. I waited and waited, needing to be sure the coast was clear. Once I knew I was good to move, I’d head for home, chuck some things into a suitcase, and get the hell out of Oreflame.

A scanhawk arrived, circling the park. I froze as its scanner passed over the trees, its cawing making my stomach twist.

What if Silvanus sent it? Did he have the authority to use them?

I applied an extra layer of camouflage, holding my breath, not even blinking.

The robot bird cawed again, performing one more scan, then took off.

Thank Aidan.

I released a breath, rubbing at the knots in my chest.

What I wouldn’t give for a mistrock cig and huge slab of caramel shortbread. Unfortunately, my pack of cigs was missing, and this tree didn’t have a bakery.

After another stretch of time passed, I made the decision to tentatively climb out of the tree. Staying alert, poised to kill the moment anything lurking in the darkness sprang at me, I hurried across the park.

No vamps.