At first I’d assumed the guards were there for me.

If it hadn’t been for Annika, I would have bolted. But I would never leave her alone with those monsters. And if I picked her up and carried her, I wouldn’t be able to outrun them. I was strong, but strong enough to fight off five vampire guards and make sure Annika was safe?

I couldn’t risk her life like that.

I also couldn’t let them take her.

Which left only one viable option.

“Stop.” Magic filled my tone, and I pulled my hood down, staring at each of the vampires. I recognized them all—I’d recognized them the moment they’d walked out of that door.

Their eyes widened when they saw me.

“Prince Jacen.” Daniel gasped, and he and the others pulled themselves together. “What are you…?” He looked back and forth from me to Annika, as if trying to figure out why I was there.

“Prince?” Annika repeated, looking up at me in question.

I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze. I couldn’t imagine how betrayed she must feel.

She deserved answers, but for her safety I first had to deal with the vampires who’d been sent to bring her to the palace.

“Why I’m here doesn’t concern you,” I told Daniel, throwing as much magic into my voice as possible. “Who sent you?”

“Camelia.” He swallowed, and added, “Sir.”

“Why?”

“To fetch the girl.” He glanced at Annika. “Unharmed.”

“Did she say why she needed you to ‘fetch’ Annika?” I asked.

“No, sir.” He shook his head. “She didn’t even know the girl’s name. She just said to find a girl who worked at the Tavern—she gave us her description and said she was friends with a boy named Mike. Once inside, we asked the girl at the bar who fit that description. She said Annika’s name and told us she went this way. She did, however, fail to mention a companion.”

“Tanya,” Annika muttered, her voice laced with hurt.

“She’s only a human,” I told her, meaning it as comfort. “She had to answer the vampires’ questions. It was that or have the answer beaten out of her. She had no choice.”

Annika glared at me and pulled her hand out of mine, her eyes shining with distrust.

I was going to have a lot of groveling to do after I finished saving her life. But for now, I turned back to Daniel, since I needed to get as much information from him as possible to help Annika.

“Do any of you know why Camelia asked for Annika?” I looked at all of the vampires—men who had guarded me and kept me company while I was trapped in the palace—forcing as much compulsion into my voice as possible. Their pupils were all dilated, their stances more relaxed—the magic was working. “Did she give any hint at all?”

“No,” they all repeated.

“Only that she wanted the girl unharmed,” Daniel said again. “Beyond that, we know nothing.”

“Fine,” I said, since this was getting us nowhere, and the more time we lost, the more danger Annika was in. “Avoid returning to Camelia for as long as you’re able. Avoid returning to anyone who knows you’re on this mission. Tell no one that you saw me—or Annika.”

“Understood.” Daniel nodded, and as quickly as a human could blink, he and the other vampires were gone from the alley.

Annika also attempted to run, but I reached for her arm, stopping her.

Did she truly believe she could outrun a vampire?

She glared at me, her eyes filled with challenge. “Let me go,” she commanded. “Prince Jacen.”

“No,” I told her. “I’ve compelled them to leave, but Camelia’s smart. It won’t be long until she realizes what I’ve done and sends more vampires to find us—this time with wormwood to make sure I can’t compel them. We need to get out of here while we still can.”

“Are you serious?” She tried to pull out of my grip, but given the differences in our strength, her attempt was futile. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I don’t want any part of it.”

“I’m not playing a game.” I took a deep breath, trying to be as patient as possible. “I’m on your side here.”

“You seriously expect me to believe you?” she asked. “You—a vampire prince who pretended to be a human so he could use me for his own amusement? I can’t believe I actually fell for it. I feel like such an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot,” I said quickly. “And it wasn’t like that—not at all.”

“Really?” She narrowed her eyes. “So tell me, Your Highness. What was it like?”

“It’s a long story,” I told her. “And I’ll tell you all of it—once we’re out of here.”

She held her gaze stubbornly with mine. “You better tell me some of it, or I’m not going anywhere with you.”

I chucked, because given the differences in our strength, did she really think she had a choice?

I hated thinking that, because she deserved a choice. But if I left her here it wouldn’t be long until Camelia found her again and took her to the palace.

Once she was in the palace, she was as good as dead.

“A little over a year ago, I was turned into a vampire against my will,” I said quickly. “I’ve lived in the palace since then—I know what happens to the humans who are brought there. And I will not let that happen to you. So come with me. Please. I’ll do everything I can to bring you to safety.”

For a moment, fear crossed over her face, and I was grateful that she realized how much was at stake here. But a second later, her expression switched back to hard resolve and firm determination.

She might be a human and I a vampire, but I swear her mind was just as strong as mine—if not stronger.

“Why did you lie to me?” she finally asked. “About who you are.”

“Like I said, I was turned into a vampire against my will,” I repeated. “Last night, all I wanted was to feel normal. To feel human. That was all it was supposed to be—one night. I never expected to meet you, or for us to spend hours together and have the connection we did. More than anything, I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Is that why you came to talk to me today?” she asked. “To tell me the truth?”

I wanted to lie to her—to say yes. But I couldn’t. Not after already having lied so much.

“No,” I said. “I came because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I may have lied about who I am—about what I am—but my feelings for you are real. So please, Annika—come with me. Let me save your life.”