Page 72 of Fang Fiction

Nantale nodded. “That’s true. Felix and his clan made clear rules in this place: Join or die. If we didn’t like them or what they stood for, they killed us off one by one.”

Tess frowned—that didn’t track with the Felix she knew from Blood Feud, nor with the man she’d met.

“Callum is the one who came to me to suggest we form a clan, who convinced the rest of the group to follow me—and as you may have noticed, this is not a group who likes to do what they’re told.”

“Why didn’t you want to join Felix?” Tess asked.

“Those robots?” Nantale wrinkled her nose. “I never took orders from men as a mortal—I’m certainly not going to start in my sixth century of life. Felix claims to want to protect vampires, but isn’t that what autocrats always say? ‘Only I can keep you safe.’ ”

That’s exactly what he told me, Tess thought.

“But…” Tess suddenly felt nauseous. “If Felix isn’t trying to keep his clan safe, why does he need a clan at all? What’s the point?”

“Power is the point.” Nantale gave Tess a sharp look. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen this, girl, even in your short life. A man who thinks his desires are the only desires, who’ll justify taking what he wants by any means necessary?”

Tess nodded numbly. “I’ve seen it.”

“Felix is drunk with it. If Callum hadn’t been brave enough to try to stop him…” Nantale’s expression was dark. “I owe Callum a debt of gratitude to protect his life with mine. I appreciate you doing what you can to care for him—and I won’t forget it.”

Nantale took her leave, and Tess quietly went back into Callum’s room—he was still sleeping fitfully. Tess didn’t know how she was going to keep him alive until Sylvie came back; cool compresses and hot baths and warm rabbit’s blood were all well and good, but none of them could stop the poison inside him. And when Tess thought about him dying…she was pretty sure it was more than just fear for her own future that made the idea so upsetting.

“Tess?” Callum’s voice was hoarse.

“What is it?” She rushed to his bedside. He looked wan and exhausted, and she had to suppress an urge to brush his hair back from his forehead. “Do you need another compress? More blood?”

“Maybe some water?”

She grabbed a glass from his cupboard and filled it from the tap, then brought it over to him. He struggled to sit up, then drank deeply—he exhaled hard, coughing.

“Take your time,” she said gently.

He nodded, then took a smaller sip.

“I need to tell you something.” Tess shifted uncomfortably in the chair next to his bed.

“Christ, Tess. Another secret?” he grumbled. “It’s like Pandora’s bloody box every time you open your mouth.” Tess felt a surge of affection for him—even at death’s doorstep, he was adorably ornery.

“Not a secret.” She bit her lip. “An apology.”

Callum’s face turned more serious. “Go on.”

“I should have told you about Felix. It’s just—I’ve been confused. With what Blood Feud says about you, what he said about you…I didn’t know if I could trust you, if I was stupid not to trust him instead. But I believe you’ve been honest with me. And I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“I understand why you lied.” Callum looked up at her. “The way I’m portrayed in your books…A lot of it’s wrong, but a lot of it isn’t. I can see how you wouldn’t trust a man like me.”

There was a heaviness in his voice, a sadness Tess wanted desperately to ease.

“It’s not just you,” Tess said softly. “I, um. I’m not really a trusting person.”

“Yeah, but at least you tried to give me a chance, which is more than I did for you.” Callum looked down in disgust. “Leaving you alone in that forest? That was shameful. Especially when I think of what Felix could have done to you.”

“You don’t really think he’d hurt me, do you?” Tess frowned. Even if Nantale was right that Felix was drunk with power, Tess still had a hard time believing he’d harm an innocent.

“He would if it served him. If he knew you were valuable to me, to our clan? He’d torture you to death just to cause me pain.”

Tess’s breath caught in her throat—Callum would be in pain if she was harmed?

“What is it with you and Felix?” Tess asked. “Why do you hate each other so much?”