Page 46 of Bound By Blood

He was still pinning her to the ground by her throat, but he wasn’t going to hurt her anymore unless she became a threat to Carly again. At least, he got her to calm down enough to talk instead of just attacking.

Kata laughed hysterically, another indication of just how far gone she was. “I don’t know of this bond you speak of.”

Landon tightened his grip on her throat, feeling her windpipe strain beneath the strength of his grasp. “Then you are of no use to me. And you hurt Carly. I’ve killed for less.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to do because she was the only one that could give them the answers they wanted. But if she wasn’t willing to cooperate with them, then she was nothing more than a threat.

“Please, Kata,” Carly suddenly stated, stepping up behind Landon. His whole body tensed, and his grip tightened even more on Kata. He wouldn’t put it passed the vampire to try and attack her again and he wasn’t about to let that happen. “We have nowhere else to turn.”

Kata growled at her but made no move to attack. Clearly, she was beginning to realize how far he would go to protect her. “I am forbidden to talk about it.”

“I am granting you permission to talk about it,” Landon ground out through clenched teeth. “My father doesn’t know I’m here. And he doesn’t have to know. Now, you can give us the answers we need, or I can kill you right here. Your choice.”

The area fell quiet for several moments as Kata thought over her options. Eventually, she focused on Landon again. “Release me, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Despite her words, Landon hesitated. It was still unclear whether Kata was playing them or not. “How do I know you won’t try to attack Carly again?”

Kata chuckled darkly. “You don’t.”

Landon’s eyes narrowed just as Carly placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and she nodded once. “Let her go.”

Her telling him what to do, telling him to release Kata, even though the rabid vampire had just attacked her, really irritated him. She had promised to do this his way, and already she was going back on that. It was clear that she still didn’t understand how dangerous Kata was, another indication of how dangerous his world was to her. She was constantly underestimating his kind, and it was going to get her killed.

Landon wanted to tell Carly to keep quiet and to let him handle this, but he also didn’t want to start another argument. Not when he had other, more pressing matters to be worried about. Instead, he decided to heed her demand, and he hesitantly released Kata. He did, however, quickly push himself to his feet and positioned himself in front of Carly, fully prepared to defend her again if need be.

Kata sighed and climbed to her own feet, straightening her ratty cloak. “There must truly be a bond if you listened to a mortal,” she muttered.

Landon just ground his teeth together, not wanting to dignify that with a response. Kata had no idea how deep the bond went or how far he would go for the woman behind him. That was precisely why he was here.

Without another word, Kata turned and started heading back toward the cabin.

“Where are you going?” Landon asked her, taking a step forward.

“She’ll freeze out here if you remain. Come.” She waved them over without a backward glance. “I’ll make some tea.”

Carly instantly moved to follow, but Landon grabbed her hand. “You promised to stay by me,” he reminded her quietly. “And don’t drink anything that woman gives you. I do not trust her not to try and poison us.”

Carly sighed. “At the very least, I can warm my hands on the mug.”

Growling in frustration, Landon pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “You really are going to be the death of me,” he grumbled.

He maintained his grip on Carly’s hand as the two of them follow Kata into the tiny cabin. To his dismay, the inside looked just as bad, if not worse than the outside.

The inside of the cabin was a single room. An old, broken bed was shoved into the far corner with mismatched animal pelts used as a blanket. The lopsided shelves were littered with various pieces of junk, and what little furniture Kata had acquired was all broken or damaged in various ways.

Dried herbs hung on different hooks on the walls. There was more tattered clothing hung on a makeshift laundry line in the corner opposite the bed. The couch that sat by the front door was dusty and moldy. It was also sitting lopsided as one of the legs had been snapped off, and there were several dark stains on the wooden floor that looked an awful lot like dried blood. The sick scent of decay hung heavily in the air, and even Carly crinkled her nose. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he watched Kata move about the tiny space.

“Sit,” the vampire ordered as she headed to the fireplace and started a kettle over the fire.

Landon motioned for Carly to sit on the couch, but he chose to remain standing next to her. He didn’t want to let his guard down for even a second.

Once the kettle was going, Kata turned to them and looked down at the floor. Her entire demeanor had changed, and it took Landon by surprise. “I once shared a bond, too,” she began softly. “It wasn’t filled with mistrust, like yours, but it was a bond. A well-established one, until…”

When she didn’t continue, Landon cleared his throat. “Until what?” he pressed gently.

The fact that she had started talking immediately was a good sign, but he didn’t want to push her too far too fast. They needed the answers she had. He didn’t want to give her a reason to cut them off.

Once again, Kata’s mood switched at the drop of a hat. She snapped her head up and glared at Landon, hissing. “Until your father had him killed and banished me to this gods’ forsaken land to live out his memory in pain and suffering.”