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“Same way I did,” Nadia said, her voice strong despite everything. “By killing your guards.”
Chapter 13
Kassemyr’s stare was pure fury from the moment he set his eyes on Nadia. Then, he thought better of it, leaving her be for a moment.
“All of you!” he shouted at the hybrids around him. “Mealtime is over. Go to the north wing and take care of those pests. The challenge will do you good.”
The hybrids cleared out of the throne room, all except four who remained to watch over the terrified and worn-out blood donors. Nadia risked a glance up toward the upper gallery when everyone was busy giving or following orders, but she couldn’t see anything. That was the point, of course. Being spotted through the glass window up there would be a poor execution of their plan. And right now, she saw dozens of hybrids file out of the throne room to hunt down twenty Ghosts which was part of that plan. The rest depended on Harmiston and the Wraiths doing their parts. She trusted Harmiston would do everything in his power. The Wraiths though … she couldn’t get them to trust her anymore, nor did they look upon the Ghosts with fondness, especially after they had learned of the numerous tunnels under the Cube. In a sense, she felt a kinship with the Ghosts in that regard. Lies didn’t beget trust, and she and the Ghosts were struggling with the repercussions now.
“You!” Kassemyr shouted at one of the remaining hybrids. “I need you to call back the rest of your brothers and sisters. Something is going on here.”
Nadia’s attention was drawn by Darrow on the floor. Kassemyr had dropped the silver chain when the situation changed.
Strange …
Nadia stepped forward and met Darrow’s pained gaze. He lay on his side, gasping for air. Such an odd thing, the undead needing air, but there it was. The chain was still coiled so tight around his throat he couldn’t untangle it himself. She could see the pain in his eyes when he tried touching it. She could also see him imploring her to help him.
Nadia hesitated.
This was Trecandís. Formidable and lethal.
But he was also being treated cruelly by his maker.
Nadia had no doubt Kassemyr was aware of her movements while talking to the hybrid, but he didn’t stop her.
She knelt by Darrow’s side and lay her sword on the floor, before untangling the chain, causing Darrow more pain while doing so.
His breaths came easier, albeit raspy, the moment she got it off. She coiled it up and fastened it on her belt, next to her gasmask. By the time she picked up her sword, his breathing was much better, the bruises and sores on his throat still visible but not hindering him. It wasn’t a surprise. She’d seen him able to run after being hit with eight silver-tipped arrows.
Darrow gave her a funny look. “You seem as loyal a Ghost as you were a Wraith.”
Nadia smiled then and bent down toward him. “The thing about the Wraiths is, they always come through. There are none more loyal.”
Darrow blinked and stared at her. Then his eyes swiveled toward Kassemyr, who came back to them.
“How sweet. A reunion,” he said.
Nadia noticed the hybrids he’d ordered away had left the throne room. It was only a matter of minutes now. Her being in there was the only part of the plan that had gone wrong so far. Kassemyr knew something was up because of it.
“Now, Sentinel Nadia. Where were we?”
“You were trying to kill me,” she said. All she could do was keep him occupied. Keep him guessing. Never allow him to guess correctly.
“I was.”
“But you don’t have the guts to do it yourself.”
Kassemyr scoffed. “Why would I want your sub-par half-breed blood?”
“Yes. You never liked werewolves much, did you? You’re no different from the rest of the vamps. Your precious hybrids are no more than tools to you. Your goal was always to rule the vamps, wasn’t it? They’re the only ones that matter.” She saw the three remaining hybrids look at each other in confusion, but again, none of them said anything. Were they truly so under his spell that they couldn’t see how he saw them? They were nothing but underlings to him, something lesser, something to use.
She felt a hand close around her own and squeeze. Gently.
Nadia looked down at Darrow, a slight frown on her face. A calm had fallen over Darrow, the mania in his eyes gone. She’d only seen that a couple of times before. It was like there was clarity there. Something not … fractured.
“What a sweet, sweet sentiment,” Kassemyr mocked. “You do disappoint me, Darrow.” He sighed and shook his head. “So I only see one way to punish you before you die.”
Darrow’s hand tightened around Nadia’s and he began getting up, pulling her with him. Kassemyr smiled. “Killing your last connection to your unremarkable past before you lose this precious life seems fitting to me.”
