Solaris

How could I have been so stupid? How could I have trusted a nocturne even for a second? A tear rolled down my cheek, and I rubbed it against the carpeted floor of Xander’s trunk. Every inch of the car oozed luxury, even the part he deemed lowly enough to toss me into. Anger bubbled up, burning a hole in my chest. I strained against the ropes that held my wrists together as I bounced around in the dark.

Xander was even crazier behind the wheel than Kaige. I was sure I was going to be black and blue when we finally arrived at the castle. I gulped as fear replaced the anger. What would the king do to me when he discovered a human was in Draconis? At least Kaige hadn’t told his brother about the blood bags on the plane. I would’ve surely been tortured for information before I was killed.

Killed. I was going to die.

I swallowed down the impending hysterics and took a couple deep breaths. I couldn’t give up yet. Maybe I could talk my way out of this like I’d done so many times before with Turston in Imera. If you could manipulate one ruler, you could manipulate them all, right?

The car ground to a halt, and I smashed up against the back of the trunk. Son of a—! I ran my restrained hands down my lower back to massage away the pain, and my fingers landed on a lump in my jeans pocket. In all the commotion, I’d totally forgotten Kaige had slipped me his blood. Anger bubbled up in my gut. I didn’t want anything that belonged to him now, not after what he did to me.

Suck it up, Solaris. The voice in my head was right. I needed to keep it just in case.

I dug out the small vial and brought it up to my face. The damn trunk was so dark I couldn’t see a thing. I popped open the cork and sniffed at the dark liquid. Bleh. A sharp briny scent filled my nostrils. Why would he give this to me if he knew he was going to betray me?

The lid popped open and the dim light of the streetlamp nearly blinded me. I shoved the vial into my pocket. Xander’s wicked grin appeared over the opening, and my heart constricted. Why did they have to be twins? I couldn’t look at Xander without thinking of Kaige. Every so often the blood bond pulsed, and a slew of unwanted emotions came over me. Pain and guilt spilled over like a tidal wave, temporarily smothering the burning hate in my chest. At least Kaige was miserable too. I held on to every shred of anger and directed it to the bond, hoping it suffocated him.

“Are you going to get out, human?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, pouring hatred through my green irises. “Can you give me a hand?”

His lip turned up in a snarl, as if the idea of touching me was utterly repulsive.

“Never mind. I got it.” I threw my bound legs over the ledge of the trunk and hopped out. It was a good thing my broken leg had healed.

Xander stared at me with a perverse look in his eye, his fangs hanging out. Castle De La Divin loomed over us, towering against the pale moonlit sky. It sat perched atop a hill, a veritable fortress on a rolling plain. Directly in front of us was an iron gate hidden at the foot of the hill. Tangled vines and overgrown shrubbery concealed the secret entrance. A nocturne dressed in soldier attire stared straight ahead.

“Stay here,” Xander growled.

“It’s not like I have much of a choice.” I dipped my head toward the restraints around my wrists and ankles.

He marched toward the guard and whispered a few words I couldn’t make out no matter how hard I strained to hear. A few seconds later, he was back with the soldier. The nocturne wore a black jacket with matching slacks. A gold nameplate on his breast pocket read Nyx. I glanced up at the tall man, expecting to see fangs, but instead a dazed expression flashed across his sharp, angled face.

Without a word, Nyx bent down and picked me up, swinging me over his shoulder. I pounded on his back, but the big guy didn’t flinch.

“He’s compelled. Don’t waste your time.” Xander appeared next to me, only upside down.

We walked through the gate and down a narrow staircase lit by rusty lanterns. The air was dense with moisture and the smell of decay. “Where are you taking me?”

“To the royal family’s private dungeon. I can’t have anyone else knowing about you yet.”

“What are you going to do to me?” I tried to hold my head up to keep all the blood from rushing to it. The last thing I needed was to pass out right now.

“I’m going to turn you in, just as I said. I’ll finally impress my father, Kaige will lose the trials, and I’ll be crowned king of Draconis.” He frowned. “Don’t worry, you’ll be dead long before all of that.”

The guard came to a halt in front of a row of thick iron bars. Xander swung the door open, and I was tossed inside. I landed on my knees, a sharp pain piercing up my legs. Holy hell! I sucked in a breath as my vision darkened, and I fell forward.

“Go back to your post, Nyx. Do not come down here for any reason and do not allow anyone beside me to enter.”

The guard nodded, his eyes glazed over, then marched out. The cell door slammed shut with a depressing ring of finality. I ground my teeth and pushed myself back up, ignoring the tremor in my chest. There’s no way I’d let this guy think I was weak.

Xander eyed me as I scooted back against the wall. Cold jagged edges poked into my spine, but I convinced myself it was better than leaving my back exposed.

“Is it true—what my brother said? That he only found you this morning?”

“Yes,” I snarled.

His frighteningly familiar navy eyes trailed over me. “And how is it that you survived a plane crash without so much as a scratch?”

I shrugged, lowering my gaze. “Just lucky, I guess.”

He huffed and skulked closer. “You know, there are rumors that in the old days, vampire blood could heal humans. Do you believe there is any truth to that?” His dark eyes sparkled under the dim light of the lanterns, and I hated how much they reminded me of Kaige. My chest tightened, and I couldn’t tell if the twinge of loss was his or mine.

“How would I know if it’s true or not? All I know about nocturnes is what I learned from a textbook.”

“Hmm. Yes, perhaps,” Xander tugged at his chin, an annoying habit he apparently had, “because if my brother had fed you his blood and the rumors are true, he could have healed any wound you may have sustained—including one caused by him feeding from you.”

“I already told you, he never fed from me!” I shouted louder than I had intended to. Just being in his presence made me sick. I couldn’t look at him and not think of Kaige. My stomach twisted. How could Kaige have betrayed me like that?

I blinked and Xander’s face was inches from mine. His breath was coming out hard and fast, and his fangs had lengthened. “Because if it is true, I could just have a little taste and no one would ever have to know,” he hissed, his warm breath at my ear making my hair stand on end.

I couldn’t let him bite me and give me his blood, then I’d have a bond with him too. Acid churned in my stomach at the thought. I so did not want to have Xander’s vile feelings rolling around inside me. I had enough to manage with Kaige’s alone. “It can’t be true,” I finally spat out. I narrowed my eyes, fixing them on his swirling silver ones. “If it were, don’t you think Kaige would have fed from me? You said it yourself, it would’ve given him an edge in the trials.”

“So I’m simply supposed to take your word for it?”

Oh crap. He was going to compel me, and he’d find out everything. He’d know about the crates on the plane and that Kaige gave me his blood. Kaige’s blood. The vial hidden in my pocket; I had to drink it.

I started to cough and Xander lurched back. He was probably scared I was going to infect him with some human disease. I coughed again, this time more violently and spun around to face the wall. My shoulders heaved as I drew out the coughing fit long enough to get the vial out of my pocket. I uncorked it and chugged its contents. The warm thick substance slid down my throat, and I had to suppress the urge to gag. Oh man, that was so disgusting.

I took a breath, and my chest constricted. I tried to take another breath and pain shot through my ribcage. Invisible hands squeezed my lungs. What the hell? A flurry of emotions surged through the blood bond, nearly knocking me over. The blood. Kaige’s feelings re-intensified. I reached for the wall to keep from collapsing from the onslaught.

“Are you quite finished?” Xander’s cold voice snapped me right out of it.

I turned back around to find him hovering a few feet away. “Yes. Sorry, it must be this cold, damp cell.” I crossed my hands over my chest, praying that he hadn’t noticed.

He closed the space between us with two of his long strides and grabbed my jaw. He forced my gaze to meet his, and words began to flow from his mouth, smooth and powerful. Bright silver orbs consumed my vision.

“Did Kaige feed from you?”

“No.”

He let out a low growl. “Is it true that he just found you today?”

“Yes.”

“Your plane crashed in the Shadow Lands?”

“Yes.”

He curled his fingers into a fist and smashed the wall just to the side of my head. I ground my teeth together so not to flinch as the rock crumbled to the ground.

“How is it possible?” he shouted and leapt to his feet. “How could my brother have so much restraint?”

His fangs descended as he paced back and forth like a caged lion. “All I want to do is rip into your flesh.” He took a few steps toward me then staggered back. “But that damn prophecy!”

I wasn’t sure whether or not I was still supposed to be compelled so I kept quiet.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I will turn you in. I will do what the law requires. I must.”

My body went slack, all the pressure in my chest suddenly releasing. My brows knitted together as I tried to figure out the strange feeling coming over me. Or lack of feeling. All the pain, anguish, and remorse that had weighed me down since I left Kaige disappeared. Our bond. It was gone.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Huh?” I tried to pull it together, schooling my expression. “Nothing.”

“Your body did this strange thing.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. It reminded me of a puppet being cut off of its strings.”

That’s exactly what it felt like. But I’d just taken more of Kaige’s blood—how was it possible? I glared up at his nauseatingly familiar face. “I’m tired, Xander. It’s been a really long day. If you’re going to turn me in, can you just get it over with?”

“Are all humans as impertinent as you?”

I shrugged. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve been called.” I leaned back against the wall, and a sharp edge dug into my back. I cried out as the rock ripped my blouse.

Xander’s nostrils flared.

Oh crap. Drops of blood trickled down my back.

He was on top of me before I could move. He jerked me onto my feet as he stared at my back, the blood oozing through the silky fabric. His eyes blazed, his sharp fangs gleaming.

I tried to squirm out of his grasp. “Don’t do this, Xander. Remember the prophecy.”

“Screw the prophecy.”

He yanked on my arm, pulling me into him and sharp fangs pierced my flesh. I lost all control as a shriek tore out of my lips.