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Violet seems off today.
More thoughtful and less violent, which is weird for her. Usually if something is bothering her she doesn’t hesitate to take it out on me. Instead of trying to get a rise out of her, I watch carefully.
The High Lady is wearing her black lace dress today. The sleeves come down to her wrists and the hem falls all the way to the floor. The dress hugs every curve of her perfect body tightly and leaves nothing for the imagination. She’s heartbreak on legs. Her crimson eyes watch me with her hateful glare as she paces in front of me. Her gorgeous, galaxy-black hair tinted in blues and purples sways with each turn she takes.
I study the room.Come on, Elodie. What’s different?I sharpen my mind and look at every wall and corner with new eyes. The guards are standing in their usual places. Willow entertains her comrades and they swoon over her like they always do, except the dark-haired Dreadius who’s looking at me. I glance to the windows and wait—
Why is that Dreadius watching me?
I narrow my eyes on him. Come to think of it, I don't recognize him. He must be new. I’m surprised he isn’t drooling all over Willow like everyone else.
After searching the remainder of the room, I determine that the Dreadius, Arulius’s absence, and Violet’s strange behavior are the only differences. So it must have something to do with him. But what? Are my guards being rotated? I bite the inner wall of my cheek with anxiety as the High Lady’s heel stops on the tile in front of me.
I keep my head bowed. Maybe today I’ll try to not get on her bad side.
“Elodie, lift your head.”
I shudder at her untamed tone. She sounds wild, which isveryunlike her. I dip my head before sitting back on my haunches, sweat dripping on the floor, and set my hands respectfully on my lap. I hesitate but manage to bring my eyes to meet hers.
She’s just staring at me. Not with her normal wrath or anger, but with something strange, a feeling I haven’t seen in her gaze before. I focus on keeping my face flat and expressionless. I don’t miss the shuffle of the guards on my left either.
“It’s your lucky day today, Elodie.” She reaches down and grips my chin gently with her long, sharp nails. I shiver under her touch but keep my face lax. She seems impressed with my handle on fear, by the glint in her eye. “Rune, dear, please come say hello.”
I shift my gaze to the Dreadius as he walks over in a slow, steady stride. As he comes closer, sweat starts to bead down my forehead. He looks similar to Kol. Too similar. They have to be brothers or half-brothers. His horns are a deep maroon and his eyes… his eyes are red like Violet’s. My stomach curls at his appearance. He’s fucking beautiful, tatted up to his jawline, but he looks like evil incarnate. His black sweater is rolled up to his elbows, revealing more tattoos on his arms, and the V-collar shows the tip of his chest.
He stops shy of an inch from me and I’ve never felt so small. I nearly have to kick my head all the way back to see up to his height—granted, I’m sitting, but still. He makes even Violet in her three-inch heels look short.
Rune bows to her and returns his dead, bloody gaze to me. Goosebumps raise on my skin and I carefully look back at Violet. She has a tight smile sewn across her lips, promising well-thought-out bullshit.
“Today you receive the curse of blood repulsion.”
My eyes widen but I hold my gasp. Blood repulsion, what the fuck is that? My lips are already feeling dry just from the tainted words.
“I know you and Arulius have been enjoying one another. But I’m impatient and tired with our progress. You’ll be separated, and if I start to see results, we can chat about lifting the curse.” I look for Arulius only to remember that I didn’t see him when I scanned the room earlier.
I have to fight my better judgment before I speak; there are so many nasty things I want to say to her. “Whatresultswould please you, my lady?” I bow my head. If I can get on her good side today, maybe she will reconsider. Because I really don’t want this blood repulsion thing she’s talking about.
“Lucius.”
Fucking gods be damned. How many times have I told her I don’t know? Is she really that desperate? To hold onto a hope so delusional is crazy. I recall how poorly last time ended though and decide to eat my words.
I nod. I’ll have to do what I can to find him, but gods know there’s no hope. I’m trapped in Nesbrim and she thinks I already have the answer.
“From this day on, you will only be able to drink Rune’s blood.” I lift my head and hesitantly look at him. He’s hardly moved a muscle and hasn't spoken a word either. “His won’t be able to heal you as well as Arulius’s blood can, so I recommend you behave, dear.”
I don’t miss her smug smile. She’s certainly pleased with herself, that’s for sure.
“Yes, my lady.”
She nods to Rune and he crouches in front of me. The male is enormous and towers over me even while sitting on his haunches. Gods, I’m scared to even look at him. His blood-colored gaze spears into me a mere few inches from my face and it takes everything I have to stay sitting. He smells metallic… I can’t put a finger on the scent.
I want to run. There’s no way I can drink blood from him.
Violet presses one hand on top of my head and her other on his center crimson horn. Purple aura shifts like a mist around her hands and enters each of us. I watch as Rune shuts his eyes with a small wince, and seconds later I feel the same sharp pain enter through my scalp.
The pain travels through my neck and down to my chest, where it whirls and settles. Then there’s nothing—I feel no different.
“There, right as rain,” she says proudly, stepping back and releasing our heads. “Willow, come here. Let’s test this out, shall we?”
