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I stared bleakly as he left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft hush. Regina waited for a moment, then turned to me.
“My brother will take you to Crawl.” Her look was almost one of pity, but she, too, turned to follow Geoffrey. With one last look over her shoulder, she added, “Lannan—do not lose her. She means too much to us. And do not let Crawl touch her. You know, as well as I do, that he lives to feed on flesh again, but we dare not let him touch a mortal . . . be they magic-born, human, or Fae. I mean it—you are under strict orders from the Crown. She comes back in one piece, with her mind intact.”
Lannan laughed. “I hear you, sweet sister. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have our fun, now does it?”
“Then do as you please.” Regina shut the door behind her and I was left alone with Lannan.
Chapter 11
Crawl. Lannan was taking me to see Crawl.
Who knew if I’d come back whole? Who knew if I’d ever come back at all? I wrapped my arms around me, shivering. Lannan circled me and I knew he was waiting for me to speak, but I couldn’t say a word.
“What are you thinking, Cicely?” Lannan slowly reached out and lifted my chin so that I was forced to stare at him.
I swallowed, the feel of his fingers on my skin making me breathless and angry. Finally, after a moment, I told him the truth. “I’m afraid. Crawl terrifies me. You terrify me.”
Lannan smiled, slow and seductive. “Good. So very good. You should be afraid of us. But never fret, my luscious. I will protect you from the Blood Oracle. He is my sire, you know—as he is also Regina’s. He was a vampire for far longer than he’s been the Blood Oracle, but two thousand years ago, he underwent the ritual that changed him into what he is now.”
“He really is a seer, isn’t he?” And as I asked, it hit me like a ton of bricks: It wasn’t just Crawl I was afraid of; it was what he might see.
“Yes, he is.” Lannan’s voice was suddenly hoarse and he brushed a flyaway strand of hair out of my eyes. “Crawl is the eyes of the Vampire Nation, as our Crimson Queen is the heart and fist. You fear his words. You fear his visions—but everyone dies, Cicely. If that’s what you fear he might say, remember: There are those of us who’ve come through death and returned.”
“I don’t know if it’s death I fear,” I said softly, pulling away and turning toward the heavily draped window. “I faced it every day on the streets with my mother.”
“Then what do you fear?” His hand crept along my shoulder.
I wanted to shake it off but forced myself to just stand there. “Losing Grieve again. Losing my cousin. Seeing them hurt.”
“Are you truly so selfless? It’s my observation, through thousands of years, that few of the humans, few of the magic-born, are so generous. There’s always an agenda, Cicely. You think I have one and you’re right. But so do you. You don’t help us out of the goodness of your heart. You signed the contract—”
“I signed the contract because you threatened me. Yes, it was self-preservation. I personally don’t give a fuck if you and the Indigo Court kill each other off, but I also know that they hold the advantage, and dealing with you is a lot more palatable than dealing with the Vampiric Fae. Myst is a hurricane bearing down on our shores. You . . . you are the shark in the water.”
“Ha! You still have your sense of humor.” He laughed, then pulled me to him and planted a long kiss on me, his tongue prying my mouth open as he ran his hands over my butt. “I want you. You make me burn.”
“You want me because I don’t want you.” But my words were a gasp on the wind.
“I can make you want me. I can make you beg.” But then he slowly let go. “But first, I must take you to see the Blood Oracle. Do you remember Regina’s admonishments from before?”
I wanted to say, How could I forget? but then decided that it might be better to ask for a refresher. So much had happened—and it couldn’t hurt to be cautious. “I think so, but please, refresh my memory.”
“No sudden moves. Never address him directly—ask all questions through me. Never let him stare you down.” He stopped, then abruptly sniffed me and asked, “You aren’t on your period, are you?”
Blushing, I shook my head. It was useless to resist.
“Good, because the smell of menstrual blood drives him into a frenzy.” Lannan grabbed my hand then and pulled me over to the bookshelf. This time I watched closely and took note of the name of the book he used to open the secret entrance. A copy of The Secret Garden. Never knew if I’d need the info someday, but I didn’t say anything. Vampires liked their secrets.
The door opened and we slipped inside. The room was as dark as I remembered it, and the table still sat in the center, the single lightbulb illuminating it from overhead. Magic lived here. Magic deep and old, like tentacles creeping in the dark.
Like Crawl, I thought.
I kept within the field of light. The shadowed corners promised to hold danger. Scuttling things, things that might eat me alive and spit out my bones. On the center of the table rested a crystal, floating above a crimson slab of glowing glass. The first time they’d taken me to see Crawl—before I pledged myself to working with the vampires—I’d seen it, and I’d been too petrified to say a word.
This time, I turned to Lannan. “What is that?”
He gazed at me softly, then, with a pout, shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Nobody’s ever seen fit to tell me.” A slight edge to his voice told me that he wasn’t all too happy with the situation. “My sister, as much as I love her, doesn’t think I can keep my mouth shut. And Geoffrey . . .” He stopped, his face clouding over. “You might think Geoffrey is your savior, waiting to rescue you from me, but there’s far more to the Regent than you think. Once a warlord, always a warlord. Remember that, Cicely, when it comes to picking your sire. Or your sides.”
I coughed. “I’m not planning on picking a sire. I have no intention of becoming a vampire.”
