started to climb.
Quinn turned to Micah, who would remain behind. “Wish me luck,” she whispered.
He gave her a bear hug. “You’ll be fine, Quinn. I have complete faith in you.”
She wished she could say the same.
When he released her, she turned to the ladder and followed the others up into the tiny, Spartan room. Bram replaced the hidden hatch, then motioned them back, but Kassius stopped him.
“The screams,” Kassius said. “They’re not coming from the throne room.”
“No. He bit a dozen Slavas and left them in the foyer.”
Bit? Quinn’s eyes widened. “Dragon fire?”
Bram nodded, his expression filling with pity. “You’ve experienced that particular torture, haven’t you, Quinn?”
A hard shiver ran through her at the memory of an agony so overwhelming, she’d been unable to move.
Kassius cupped her shoulder. “You’ll have to walk through the foyer. Keep your head down and just keep moving. Trust me, Grant Blackstone would give the victims no thought.” As he and Quinn moved behind the door, Bram opened it, took hold of Deb’s arm and ushered her into the hallway.
The sound of the screams rushed in five times louder than before, flaying Quinn with horrific memories of the pain she’d already suffered in this place. And that was nothing… nothing… compared to what Cristoff would do to her if he caught her again.
She began to tremble deep inside, her heart pounding, a thin panic rising on her skin.
Take slow, even breaths, cara . Arturo’s voice stroked her mind like a soft, warm hand. You are powerful. You are in complete control of your magic. You have nothing to fear.
She wasn’t sure about any of that, but he was right. If she didn’t start believing she’d succeed, she would absolutely fail.
“I can do this,” she whispered.
Kassius glanced at her, perplexed.
“I’ll get it under control,” Quinn promised. She had to.
The vampire’s frown deepened. “I sense no fear in you.”
With dawning understanding, Quinn smiled. “Grant shared his secret…and a bit of magic.”
Kassius’s confusion cleared. “Amazing. Now all you have to do is act as fearless and unconcerned as Grant does.”
Her mouth twisted ruefully. The vampires might not taste her fear, but they’d see it quickly enough if she wasn’t very, very careful.
Kassius eyed her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Which was an out and out lie and they both knew it. As she stepped into the hallway, the screams had her drawing in a harsh breath.
“Keep your wits about you, Quinn,” Kassius said quietly, then he left her in a vampire flash. He would remain close enough to hear her if she needed him, but it wouldn’t do for Grant to be seen looking chummy with a vampire. Cristoff and the other vampires left Grant alone to wander the castle as he pleased.
Heart pounding in her chest, Quinn started down the long hallway that would lead to the foyer and the suffering Slavas, and finally the stairs. As everything inside her yelled for caution, she forced herself to walk at a brisk pace, struggling to mimic Grant’s nonchalant stride, channeling a man who hated his life and everyone in it.
Upstairs was located both Grant’s bedroom—where she was to meet up with Kassius again—and Cristoff’s private study—their ultimate destination. Unfortunately, upstairs was also Cristoff’s throne room where he often entertained himself by torturing people.
But first she had to walk through the foyer.
Her breath grew more and more shallow the closer to the screaming she came, but she set her jaw and forced herself to keep going. Her legs turned heavy, her survival instinct fighting her forward movement. Her heart thudded, sweat beading at the back of her neck. As she neared the foyer, her vision began to turn white at the edges.
Tesoro, Arturo said quietly in her head, a reminder that she wasn’t alone. His voice helped quiet the rising panic, if only a little.
Head down, she reached the foyer, the pain of a
Quinn turned to Micah, who would remain behind. “Wish me luck,” she whispered.
He gave her a bear hug. “You’ll be fine, Quinn. I have complete faith in you.”
She wished she could say the same.
When he released her, she turned to the ladder and followed the others up into the tiny, Spartan room. Bram replaced the hidden hatch, then motioned them back, but Kassius stopped him.
“The screams,” Kassius said. “They’re not coming from the throne room.”
“No. He bit a dozen Slavas and left them in the foyer.”
Bit? Quinn’s eyes widened. “Dragon fire?”
Bram nodded, his expression filling with pity. “You’ve experienced that particular torture, haven’t you, Quinn?”
A hard shiver ran through her at the memory of an agony so overwhelming, she’d been unable to move.
Kassius cupped her shoulder. “You’ll have to walk through the foyer. Keep your head down and just keep moving. Trust me, Grant Blackstone would give the victims no thought.” As he and Quinn moved behind the door, Bram opened it, took hold of Deb’s arm and ushered her into the hallway.
The sound of the screams rushed in five times louder than before, flaying Quinn with horrific memories of the pain she’d already suffered in this place. And that was nothing… nothing… compared to what Cristoff would do to her if he caught her again.
She began to tremble deep inside, her heart pounding, a thin panic rising on her skin.
Take slow, even breaths, cara . Arturo’s voice stroked her mind like a soft, warm hand. You are powerful. You are in complete control of your magic. You have nothing to fear.
She wasn’t sure about any of that, but he was right. If she didn’t start believing she’d succeed, she would absolutely fail.
“I can do this,” she whispered.
Kassius glanced at her, perplexed.
“I’ll get it under control,” Quinn promised. She had to.
The vampire’s frown deepened. “I sense no fear in you.”
With dawning understanding, Quinn smiled. “Grant shared his secret…and a bit of magic.”
Kassius’s confusion cleared. “Amazing. Now all you have to do is act as fearless and unconcerned as Grant does.”
Her mouth twisted ruefully. The vampires might not taste her fear, but they’d see it quickly enough if she wasn’t very, very careful.
Kassius eyed her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Which was an out and out lie and they both knew it. As she stepped into the hallway, the screams had her drawing in a harsh breath.
“Keep your wits about you, Quinn,” Kassius said quietly, then he left her in a vampire flash. He would remain close enough to hear her if she needed him, but it wouldn’t do for Grant to be seen looking chummy with a vampire. Cristoff and the other vampires left Grant alone to wander the castle as he pleased.
Heart pounding in her chest, Quinn started down the long hallway that would lead to the foyer and the suffering Slavas, and finally the stairs. As everything inside her yelled for caution, she forced herself to walk at a brisk pace, struggling to mimic Grant’s nonchalant stride, channeling a man who hated his life and everyone in it.
Upstairs was located both Grant’s bedroom—where she was to meet up with Kassius again—and Cristoff’s private study—their ultimate destination. Unfortunately, upstairs was also Cristoff’s throne room where he often entertained himself by torturing people.
But first she had to walk through the foyer.
Her breath grew more and more shallow the closer to the screaming she came, but she set her jaw and forced herself to keep going. Her legs turned heavy, her survival instinct fighting her forward movement. Her heart thudded, sweat beading at the back of her neck. As she neared the foyer, her vision began to turn white at the edges.
Tesoro, Arturo said quietly in her head, a reminder that she wasn’t alone. His voice helped quiet the rising panic, if only a little.
Head down, she reached the foyer, the pain of a
Similar Books
