Behind him, seven other humans I don’t recognise are also dragged in. All male, all beaten, bruised, and stripped down to their underthings.
Frost looks worse than all of them; he’s been beaten within an inch of his life. Most of his sun-tanned skin is kissed with purple and one of his eyes is swollen so badly he can barely open it.
“Eve!” he yells at the sight of me. “Evie, whatever he says, don’t believe him. I swear, it wasn’t like that. Let me—” The wind is knocked out of him as a fist collides with his guts. “Eve, run!”
Cain is in full, dramatic form as he hands my wrists to another, unseen, guard before striding to where the humans are being restrained in a line, in front of the cage of ghouls. He sweeps an arm out, as if displaying them to his court.
“Allow me to introduce you all to Frost. One of the leaders of the pathetic human resistance.”
My eyes meet my thrall’s and I can see the truth and resignation there.
Those two words, ‘human resistance,’ ricochet in my skull. An unseen hand finds its way into my gut and twists until I have to bite back the bile in my throat.
I told Frost everything.
Everything.
No wonder Cain is pissed. How did I not see this coming?
“This is the man who spent months seducing my favoured daughter to get to me. The man who would have tried to have me imprisoned below the ground in a silver coffin.” Cain pauses before the line of men, grabs Frost’s chin, and forces my thrall to look into his eyes. “It wouldn’t have worked. Your kind has tried it before and failed.”
He drives a fist into Frost’s abdomen and my hands clench automatically.
I should hate Frost. He used me.
His eyes—those beautiful, pain-filled eyes—beg me for mercy as I stand, stricken and silent.
Was it all a lie?
How could it all be a lie?
Every touch. Every kiss. Every promise.
Was it really all just to get to my sire?
Cain turns back to me, his brows drawn in disappointment.
“And you, who spilled family secrets to the enemy and convinced your worthless sister to drug my guards. You are the smartest of my children—a strategist without equal. One among the greatest warriors I have ever trained and you allowed love—” he spits the word— “to blind you to the obvious. You know better. I taught you tobebetter.”
“Yes, Sire,” I whisper, my head falling forward in shame.
“If you’d come to me, I would have told you about his motivations. I might even have changed him for you once he was suitably punished.” Cain shakes his head in disappointment. “You could have kept him as yours for eternity or until you became bored. A pet, like Callie likes to have. He’s wild, rough, and uncultured, but I would have understood. Sometimes, the heart wants the wrong thing.
“Now, for drawing you away from me, he must die. But first, he should know the pain he’s caused me. He’s broken our bond; the bond of father and daughter. For that, he will lose his own.”
“No,” I whisper. “Sire, please.”
I’m not stupid. I know what will happen. I know nothing I can say will stop it. It doesn’t mean I don’t beg my sire with my eyes.
Cain’s claws extend and dig into my throat. Not too deep, just enough to send blood pouring down the front of my dress.
Several of the spectators’ fangs drop at the scent. I’m first generation—turned by Cain himself—and my blood is stronger than anything they’ve ever dreamed of tasting.
A servant holds out a wineglass and Cain accepts it, pressing the cool rim to my bleeding vein until it's full. When he passes it back, my eyes start to burn.
“Speak the words, or I’ll make things even worse for you and your sister,” Cain promises.
“Sire, please. Immy was just going along with my idea. It was all me. My stupid—”
