Cold Blooded

We kept her out for now.

I ran the back of my hand over my mouth, anchoring myself.

“You will answer for that.” The Queen hissed. “I will happily skewer you to the wall and lap up your blood as it drains from your body.” White light shot out of her hands, hitting me fully in the chest, as it had once before.

The impact launched me backward, right into Rourke’s body. His hands steadied me and a fierce growl erupted from his chest. “I’ve had enough,” he snarled. “No one strikes us and lives. We came in here to offer you a deal, which could’ve been beneficial to you, but I see you’ve lost your touch when it comes to negotiations, Eudoxia.” Power radiated off of him, his muscles tightening under his skin. “But you’re not the one doing the killing here. I am. I will tear your head from your shoulders so fast your body won’t have time to react.”

Eudoxia’s hands were fisted, and she vibrated with anger, more livid than I’d ever seen her. She was beside herself that her magic had not worked against us. By all rights I should be a babbling puddle on the floor. And as much as I wouldn’t mind seeing Rourke tear her to pieces, I still needed her.

I wrapped my hand around his arm lightly, tugging him back. “Nobody is killing anyone,” I said. “At least for the moment. Because the bigger problem here is the man you’ve trusted for years has turned against you. Valdov’s a spy. You can’t ignore that.”

“How dare you make such accusations. You know nothing!” the Queen spat. “He has been my loyal servant for centuries and I will not listen to nonsense spouted by a lowly dog like yourself.” Her power continued its assault against me, my wolf working diligently to keep her out. At this pace, she was going to break down our barriers shortly.

Valdov had risen from the ground already healed. He moved forward, spitting his malice, but his Queen put her arm out to stop him.

She wanted me for herself.

Tyler and Danny both stepped toward Valdov and they all eyed each other critically. Nick slid to the right, ready to come up from behind if necessary. Valdov was outnumbered.

“Eamon couldn’t have been a traitor on his own. You and I both know that,” I pressed. “Even if you don’t want to admit it, it’s clear Valdov has been with you from the very beginning, and how very tired he must be of taking orders from his lowly pupil. He betrayed himself to me a moment ago, but if you need more proof, ask yourself this: Whose idea was it to bring in the goddess when you cornered me? Yours or his? You don’t seem like the type to hire an archrival to do your dirty work.” It was a hunch Selene and the Queen were rivals based on what Naomi had confided to me on the road. When the Queen’s eyes flicked quickly to Valdov, I knew I’d guessed correctly. “Once you ordered Eamon and Naomi to accompany me, it must have played perfectly into his hands. Get Selene to kill me, finally get the cross from Naomi for himself—something you had failed to do—and finish you off so he could finally rule. Over five hundred years of taking orders from a nineteen-year-old girl. I bet he didn’t even like you that much when you were human.”

“You speak filthy lies,” Valdov snarled as he came forward, ignoring his Queen’s objections. “And I will enjoy ripping your neck out for speaking them.” His face morphed further, and energy ricocheted around the room, bouncing off everything.

Before he could reach me, Rourke stepped deftly in front of us.

The vamps around the room went crazy, hissing and chomping their fangs. Rourke’s snarl was enough to stop Valdov in his tracks, but Valdov was so worked up it wouldn’t last long. There was going to be a serious throw-down in less than one minute unless I could end this and make some kind of deal to benefit me, as well as free Naomi and Ray. I wasn’t going to leave here without them, especially now that I knew they were in trouble.

The Queen’s eyes darted to Valdov.

I smiled inwardly. “You know what I’m saying is true.” I addressed only the Queen, dropping my voice. “I bet he leaves sometimes and you don’t know where he’s been. You don’t torture him like the others because of his loyalty and servitude. You have given him incredible freedom. The kind most vamps don’t get. You thought in exchange for your leniency there would be unconditional—”

“Stop!” she commanded. My mouth snapped shut and so did every vamp’s in the room. Mine shut because she surprised me, everyone else because she was the boss. She turned toward Valdov. “You will join me in my chambers now. The rest of you go back to sleep.” She gnashed her teeth once and all the vamps slid out of the area as quickly as they’d come, including a reluctant Valdov. She hissed, her fangs still down, “I will make you suffer for playing me the fool, starting with your cherished friends, who are being tortured as we speak. Leave this house now before I rip your heart from your chest. Your chaos will not be tolerated here any longer.”

“If I leave now, I leave with everyone,” I said. There was no way I could go without them now. “In my world, exposing a traitor wins the recipient a favor. You have honor, Eudoxia. I can smell it on you.”

She lashed at me, her curved nails coming within a hairsbreadth of my chest. I didn’t flinch as she screeched, “I owe you nothing!”

“I just aided you,” I said calmly. “If you choose to ignore me, you bring the riot down on your own head. How long before Valdov escapes from here, worried you will change your mind and believe me after all? Who does he take with him? Does your Coterie become fractured? If there’s truth to my words, my reward should be a favor and we both know it. All I want is to take Naomi and Ray with me and I will leave peacefully.”

She took a step backward. A slow smile crept across her features. Her demeanor changed in an instant, the grin making her fangs appear more exposed and her face skeletal. Her power continued to press against me, seeking to injure. She was still frustrated it was having little affect and it showed. “You chose that word correctly—if. If I uncover an untruth. And if I do not? If I find my dearest Valdov innocent? What then? Are you willing to wager on that, Little Wolf Girl? How much are your poor friends worth to you? Enough to pay the price—your life for theirs? Swear to me and you have a deal.”

“The hell she will,” Rourke snarled. “She already owes you one oath, vampire. She will not give a second.”

The Queen gave her hand an errant wave. “I am willing to amend the guidelines of our prior agreement to allow for her stupidity.” Her eyes flickered. “And standing in our way will not help your lover’s quest, cat. You should know such things by now.” Her eyes went to mine. “So what will it be? Your life or theirs?”

This was an abrupt change. I had to think fast. She obviously thought she’d found a way to gain the upper hand in this situation, but if it meant I could stick around without a fight, I had to play along. “It depends on your conditions,” I answered as Rourke’s displeasure jumped between us. He kept quiet, but I knew it took everything he had. The Queen smiled, almost giddy in the hopes of snaring me. “What do you want in exchange for setting them free?”

“You, and you alone, will stay inside these walls.” Her face dared me to object. “You will be held in a cell until I decide whether my trusted second is a traitor. You will have no contact with the outside while you are here as my prisoner. In the end you must abide by my decision whatever it may be. If he is found guilty, you and your friends go free. If he is innocent, I release the vampires, but you will remain until I choose your fate.”

A bevy of snarls erupted behind me. I put my hand up. “If I agree to this, there has to be a timeline. I don’t stay your prisoner forever. That would be—”

“There is no timeline,” she snapped. “Do not forget, by harboring you I am giving you my protection and you will pay for it dearly. I will negotiate nothing more with you.” Her hand made a decisive gesture downward to punctuate her point.

I met her stare, power zinging between us. “Eudoxia, if you keep me prisoner, the wolves will tear this place down and you know it. My father will not allow you to hold me indefinitely. I agree to give myself over to you to protect my friends, but I will not agree to an open-ended deal. Three days. I’ll give you three days.”

“You will give her no days,” Rourke boomed, his voice stony. He turned to the Queen. “She will not be your prisoner. Amassing wolves to free you isn’t necessary, because I will take this place apart before that happens, Eudoxia.” He paced closer to her, snarling deeply. “There is no way you are taking my mate hostage.”

Eudoxia put her hands on her waist, a smug look settling into her face. “Is that so?” Her eyes bled slowly to black. “Then you can kiss your precious allies goodbye. They are as good as dead once she sets foot outside this house. I will see to it myself.”

I placed my hand on Rourke’s shoulder as he made a move forward, restraining him as best I could. One hand was not enough. I encircled my other hand on his arm and tugged him back with effort.

My touch seemed to wake him up.

He was so angry he’d almost given himself over to his beast. Fur sprouted along his forearms as he turned and gazed at me, his face incredulous. “You can’t be serious, Jessica! I can’t stand here and let you agree to this. I’ve spent a lot of time in the company of vamps, and this is … madness. They drink their prisoners dry. Eudoxia has a plan and I can’t let you—”

“Rourke,” I said quietly, trying to reassure him by channeling my power into him through my touch as fast as I could. After a second it seemed to work. His eyes dimmed as his gaze locked on mine. I needed to convey the urgency in my words because we couldn’t talk internally, so I picked them with care. “Eudoxia is a businesswoman. I am certain she will see reason in the end. Valdov is a traitor. There’s no doubt. We have no reason not to negotiate and I can’t let Naomi and Ray die at her hands, so we have no other option at the moment.”