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“I wouldn’t dare,” Yves whispered back.

Then he leaped from the sill. We were weightless as we fell toward the ground, landing with a heavy thud. It was a fall that would’ve killed an ordinary man. But Yves was not an ordinary man.

He was a vampire.

Readjusting his grip on me so he was holding me closer to his chest, he raced ahead. The sights and sounds of Old Town blurred around us. My stomach lurched, and I felt like I might be sick all over his jacket, so I closed my eyes and allowed myself to rest my head against his chest. I pulled Della closer, and used all of my remaining strength to keep her tight against me.

Just when I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer, we slowed. I opened my eyes and found myself inside the most beautiful water garden I’d ever seen. Plants and flowers that I had no name for surrounded me. Frogs sang, and insects buzzed. A pond choked with lily pads and blood-red blossoms sat at the center. Tall trellises stretched overhead, enclosing the pond and path around it. There was a thick row of tall, manicured hedges that enclosed the garden, making it feel like its own room in the castle.

Yves carried me down a garden path that led to a large stone cottage covered in climbing roses. Beside it sat a small wrought-iron bench. I glanced up at him, and found him staring at me in a way that made my stomach lurch. And not because I thought I was going to be sick.

“I can walk, Your Grace,” I said.

“Allow me to take you inside,” he replied, gesturing toward the house with his chin.

“I said I can walk.”

Instead of putting me on my feet, he placed me on the bench. I set Della beside me, pulled a few dried berries from my pocket, and she ate greedily from my hand. I watched her for a moment, happy to see her taking food.

I drew in a breath of the sweet, fragrant air. It felt like the first full breath I’d taken in weeks.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“This place is called La Roseraie.”

“The Rose Garden,” I said, translating the old Sang.

“Yes,” he said. “It’s a peaceful place. Isn’t it?” He clasped his hands behind his back and glanced away from me, off toward a marble statue of a woman with angel wings. “Though I admit I haven’t been out here in some time.”

I stared at the statue, and a strange feeling of being watched came over me.

“It is private,” he continued. “And well guarded and well appointed. Spare clothes are in the wardrobe. Change. Take a bath if you wish.”

I raised a brow. “Are you saying I smell?”

“No. Quite the opposite. You—” He bit his lower lip to stop himself from saying the rest. Our eyes held. Something warm skittered up my spine. “I’m inviting you to make yourself at home. You can stay as long as you like.”

Heat flushed in my cheeks. He was doing that thing he did again. Being nicer than he needed to be. Men who wanted something from me were easy to manage. But this man, who seemed to want nothing except my company, was harder to read.

“Thank you, Your Grace. But I won’t outstay my welcome.”

“There is nothing to outstay. Not while—while they are still out there.” Yves glowered at the gate. “There are matters I need to attend to. Urgent matters.”

“You’re going after The Devouring,” I said, remembering that dank basement.

His hand closed into a fist and darkness bled into his eyes. “When I’m done with them,” he rasped, incisors elongating, “there won’t be anyone left to harm you.” A beat of silence. “I swear it.”

I studied his face, at the transformation from man to vampire. It happened so fast. But unfortunately it didn’t make him any less handsome.

I touched his forearm, and his attention drifted from my face to where my hand now sat. “Be careful. They are a proper coven. And they must have multiple relics.”

“Do you think a few trinkets scare me?” I swore his blackened eyes sparkled with anticipation. “My dear, I was made to put down rebels.”

Both of us knew relics weren’t trinkets. He would be facing witches cloaked by ancient protection medallions. And this time, he wouldn’t have my help. Seeing the Duke like this, so enraged, on my behalf, stirred something dangerous inside me. I recalled what he’d said to the witches who’d come through my door.

“Did you think you were going to take her? That I’d let you?”

I moved my hand from his arm. This wasn’t personal. For either of us. It was about doing the right thing. He was a vampire, and I was… me. I couldn’t let the lines blur in my mind.