Freed (Vampire King Book 3) by Kenya Wright Page B

that?”
    “I
put a little bit of nature into your body.” Her green eyes twinkled. Just in
case you’re considering sinking your fangs into me.”
    “I’m
not interested.”
    “Are
you sure?” She slid her hands down her breasts.
    “You
disgust me.”
    Ian
cleared his throat. “What he means is that his queen is the only woman he’s
interested in now. Any other woman is nothing to him.”
    She
flicked her index finger. My arm rose without me commanding it. Tiny pebbles
traveled through my vein. They looked like little bumps sliding under my skin.
    Laughing,
I thrust out my claws and ripped into my arm. Pain saturated the area. I forced
myself to continue laughing as if I had no care in the world. I tore through my
arm, searching for those veins. Brie drew in a long breath and looked away. Yen
cringed. Ian shook his head and cursed under his breath. I rummaged within my
arm some more. Wrenching burns rose. Full of stubbornness, I bit through the
ache and didn’t cease until the little pebbles lay under my fingers.
    “Take
your rocks.” I slung the bloody things at her.
    “It
seems someone has a temper.” She looked at them. They dropped as if she had
mentally ordered them.
    “I
don’t appreciate being filled with anything but food and wine.” I glared. “You
want your rocks inside of me then you'd better ask and hope I comply.”
    A
loud laugh bubbled out of her mouth.
    “I’ll
be sure to remember that in the future.” She walked forward, towing us with
her.
    I
glanced over my shoulder to make sure the fat man Yen was behaving himself with
my queen. Yen held her hand and pointed to the stars in the sky as he talked.
Brie noticed me watching and winked. The urge to read her mind hit me. I shoved
it back down in the dark corner of my heart. I had to be happy with the fact
that she would never want the mental bond reformed. I missed her thoughts. They
surged through her brain on a vibrant current of joy and pure bliss. Even her
sad thoughts seemed soothing to me.
    Saykoy
nudged me. “Have you ever been in mage territory, Horned King?”
    “Although
I’ve assisted many mage in fleeing the Quiet King’s dungeons and guided them
here, I’ve never stepped on mage soil.”
    “You
were what vampires called a pathfinder?” she asked.
    I
nodded. She dragged her gaze over my body from head to toe. “What is the name
that you were born with?”
    “Samuel.”
    Gasping,
she ceased with walking. “I’ve heard of this Samuel.”
    “You
have?”
    “You
freed my father.” She held her hand to her chest. “The Ground Mover. The Quiet
King trapped my father during his travels to elfkin territory. The king caught
him by surprise with hundreds of men, killed my mother who’d come with him,
chained my father in sage chains—ones that stung his skin—and imprisoned him in
the dungeon.”
    “Why
did the king want your father?” Ian released her arm and got in front of her.
“Did your father tell you why or what happened to him while he was imprisoned?”
    “No.”
She shook her head. “He does not talk about those years. Perhaps, he’ll talk to
you tonight. He’s in his hut resting. I’ll take you there.”
    “What
does your father look like?” I still couldn’t picture the man that Saykoy had
said I’d freed.
    “He’s
short with skin as dark as mine and green eyes.” She smiled as she described
him. Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “He talks of you constantly and honors
you every sun festival. He says that he wished he’d had his riches to give you
at the time, but instead he formed rock into two enchanted keys that would
allow you to open any door that’s not locked by magic.”
    “The
Sorcerer.” I’d never learned his name and simply labeled him that. “Well, he
owes me nothing now. Those keys have served me well in freeing others and
getting into places I needed access to.”
    After
leaving the Sorcerer, I’d given one key to Leeta. At the time she was the one
woman I trusted in