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I braced my hands on the wall and pushed, breaking free from his hold. “You think your kind is so innocent, that you’re the victim? Vampires slaughtered angels too.”
Why were we going around in circles on this topic? They couldn’t understand what I’d been through. And they would believe what they thought to be true, their version of the truth.
“Enough!” Victus spoke for the first time on the trip. His voice boomed in the small carriage space. “We’re here.”
The horses clip-clopped over a small stone bridge and into the heart of the city. Houses and shops built from bricks lined the path. The smell of baked bread from the bakery and a butcher chopping fresh beef floated into the carriage.
Abacus inhaled a deep breath and licked his lips, but Markane shifted uncomfortably. The veins over his cheekbones throbbed as a family passed by. At least he had some control.
A woman by a wagon placed eggs inside a basket and handed it to the buyer. Men on horses went about their destinations, and mothers held tight to their children’s hands. Demons lived peacefully with the humans, but who knew what happened behind closed doors.
Markane dangled hematite cuffs between the bars, a smug grin tugging at his cheeks. “You love to be tied up, don’t you?”
I ignored his playful tone, insinuating something sexual.
I reached for them, but he jerked to the side and let out a belly laugh. I couldn’t see Victus’s expression, but Abacus rolled his eyes.
“Not fast enough, slow bird.” Markane dangled the cuffs again.
He took them away before I could grab them. Damn it! Markane chuckled so hard, he fell over on Abacus.
“Get off me.” Abacus shoved him.
I’d had enough. I slipped my hand between the bars, then I grabbed his tunic and slammed his face against the bars with a crunch. The hematite cuffs clanked by my foot and Markane roared, black blood dripping from his broken nose. No big deal. Vamps healed in no time.
“Now that’s funny.” Abacus chuckled.
As I snickered, I forgot Abacus was a vampire for a moment.
“Enough!” Victus released an annoyed sigh. “Stop acting like idiots. I need you to pay attention. We’re here.”
Silence filled the small space as the horses clopped in a hypnotic rhythm.
The cobblestone road provided a smoother ride, winding uphill to the castle. We stopped at a metal gate with a trinity knot within a circle insignia and two swords crisscrossed through the center. A group of soldiers approached us.
The trinity symbol represented different ideas, connected in some way. Earth, air, and water. Or life, death, and rebirth. What did the sign mean to the demons? Nothing good for sure. Perhaps rebirth, vengeance, and conquest. What they did when they broke through the veil.
“State your reason for your presence.” the lead soldier said.
“I’m King Victus, the head of the vampire clan of the north. I have a gift for King Asmodeus.”
Victus’s deep, velvety voice demanded attention. He certainly got mine. Warmth spread over me, the way it had when his teeth had grazed my neck. He had looked at me like he either wanted to kill me or kiss me.
Aside from that look, everything pointed to “kill” and not “kiss.” The strange tingling sensation had to be a lingering side effect from being bitten by Nadira.
The lead soldier dipped into a low bow, then glanced at Markane and Abacus. He couldn’t see me since I hid behind the curtain.
“My apologies, King Victus. I didn’t recognize you at first. Please, be on your way.”
That was the easy part, and then the rest was up to fate.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Asmodeus
Evangeline
Victus pulled the horse-drawn carriage up to the castle and parked it alongside the other wagons. The four of us entered on foot. Markane and Abacus to my left and right, with Victus in the lead clad in all black with gold trim.
