The moment the latch clicked shut, Sanguine was on me. He dragged my wrists behind me, crushing them in his cold grip.

“Did Shildreth and her peasants give you as warm a welcome as I’m about to?”

My heart sank. He knew about Shildreth and the rest. My fear for the villagers increased with each of my troubled breaths. If he knew about the Darkwood vampires, they were in grave danger. My thoughts flitted to little Keilana—the girl’s doll still sat on my bed in Shildreth’s home. The cold creature before me wouldn’t hesitate. He would kill them all if it served his ends. But how much did he know?

“That’s right, maiden, I know all about you. I wouldn’t be much of a spymaster if I didn’t, now would I? I know how you entered the Darkwood with Paris. I lost you for a few days after that but picked you back up when you crossed into the traitors’ enclave.”

He squeezed my hands harder. The tendons stretched painfully, but I didn’t make a sound.

“Aren’t you going to cry out, maiden?” He sneered in my ear as he walked me to the bed and pushed me facedown into the blankets. He pulled some rope from a bench at the foot of the bed and bound me before flipping me over. The rope dug into my injured wrists, but still I didn’t make a sound. Keeping my powers in check took every ounce of my willpower.

He settled on top of me, wedging his bony knee between mine. “Why so quiet? I like it better when you struggle. And if you cry?” He licked his lips. “That’s my favorite part.”

He yanked my head to the side before sinking his fangs into my neck. The ripping pain unleashed the finest edge of my power, and it danced in the air around us as my revulsion grew. Sanguine was too preoccupied with my throat to notice. I forced my magic to dissipate. I needed to play along until I got the information I needed.

He took three deep pulls before releasing me. He studied my face, no doubt hoping to find fear there. I was more than happy to disappoint him. Undeterred, he went for my mouth, but I turned away from him.

He dragged my chin back to the center before crushing my lips with his, drawing blood as I struggled against him.

“That’s better,” he purred and licked the droplets from my lips. “You are delicious, little spy.”

Focus. “You knew about the Darkwood vampires?”

“I’ve known about them for centuries.” He laughed and drew his nails down the front of my shirt, shredding the fabric with no effort. “I’ve waited for them to make a move on the queen, to destroy her so I could take the throne. But they are weak.”

“If I were a spy, why would the queen let me leave her presence alive?”

“Because I haven’t told that moronic cunt about your little friends.” He shoved his other leg between my thighs, pushing me open. “I thought you would be what the Darkwood vampires needed, that they would finally kill the queen, but alas, they have failed yet again. Pathetic. Their hero is trapped, soon to be killed by the pretender. Paris was their last hope. Now, I’ll have to wipe them all out. Prove my loyalty to Desmerada by dusting the lot of them, and come up with another way to end her.” He sighed, though his eyes smiled at the prospect of destruction.

He left my neck and pushed up onto his elbows. He darted his tongue to his lips as he saw my breasts peeking from the ruined shirt. “But at least I’m going to get something out of this little misadventure.”

I remained silent, thankful Sanguine didn’t seem to know I had intentionally gotten captured. If he’d known of Faren’s attack, he would have no doubt already sounded the alarm. My plan was still in motion, the king in play, and I hoped my moves were the only ones not going according to plan.

In my mind, I saw the battlements emptying—the soldiers amassing in the great hall. Each watchtower would be guarded by a solitary vampire. The rest of the horde would be in the great hall, packed in to witness Desmerada’s greatest triumph. The queen would want everyone there, even down to the lowliest soldier, as she ended the line of Priam and ensured her place atop the Bloodkeep. Faren’s troops would make their way through the towers, taking out the lone guards as they went. No alarms, no survivors.

The grandest diversion—Paris on the chopping block—was the only thing that could get Desmerada to let her guard down. It was a huge risk. But this was the only chance they’d ever have to finish her and retake the vampire homeland. I had convinced Shildreth and Faren, barely, to agree to my plan.

Risking Paris was not something they were inclined to do. But my strategy was the best they’d had in the long years since Desmerada’s reign of blood began. I regretted being unable to tell Paris, but he was too set on protecting me to ever let me stray into the queen’s clutches.

This was the only way. And I knew it was the perfect strategy. Surprise attack. But in order for it to work, I needed to be in the great hall, where I could do the most damage. As it was, my hands were at my back and the clock was ticking.

He smirked and hooked a claw in my pants, splitting the leather down to my hip bone. “Don’t worry, maiden, I’ll be gentle.”

“I won’t.” The air wavered as I took the risk and summoned my fire. Sanguine’s eyes widened with fear as the bed went up in an inferno.