Page 105 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

“Your Highness?” Henri asked in concern, gripping his arm. “You look pale.”

“We’re almost done. Just a few more.” He shook his head to clear his vision. “I think the spell must drain a little out of you every time you repeat it. I can feel myself getting tired.”

And he’d been weakened before they’d even started from having to give Daniela so much of his blood. He should have taken Sera’s advice and stopped to eat something.

“Fae magic. Everything comes at a cost. Any bargain you make with them takes something from you in return.” Henri nodded to the dagger. “Do you want me to take a turn? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you say it enough times by now.”

“Let’s just keep going. The pronunciation is a beast and we’re nearly done. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to dematerialize people out at this point anyway. You or Dante will have to take me on the last trip.”

Henri looked on with concern. “Sire—”

“Please. Let’s just hurry.”

He managed to empty the next two cells, had just sent Henri away with a pair of shaking women when the corridor flooded with blinding light. There was a loud explosion. Smoke filled the air.

He whirled, trying to focus, to concentrate long enough to scatter himself back up to his apartment in the upper wings of the palace. Surely he could travel that far? But his limbs were shaking with weakness, and even as he thought it, he knew it was no use.

“Alex!” Dante’s terrified shout carried through the smoke. “Where are you?”

Someone slammed into him from behind, nearly knocking him to the ground. Somehow, he managed to deflect the blow, sidestepping them in the dark and confusion and smoke.

“We’ve got them, sire.”

Through the ringing in his ears, he recognized the head of his father’s security detail, watched as they wrestled Dante to the ground and locked a set of fae bracelets around his wrists.

A guard came up behind him. Whirling, Alex punched them in the jaw.

He had one chance, seconds to decide.

Lunging forward, he stabbed the dagger into the lock binding his brother’s wrists.

“Stop him!” Judas Visconti roared.

Hands reached for him, but by then, Alex had already muttered the Elvish incantation, his legs giving out as he did so.

As he collapsed to the dank stone floor of the prison, he saw the shackles fall free.

“Alex,” Dante choked out, horror filling his eyes.

“Go,” he shouted to his brother. “Get out of here.”

Alex watched as one of the guards jabbed a syringe into his brother’s arm, sure he wasn’t going to make it.

Somehow, he did, vanishing in a blur of smoke.

His father’s scream of rage filled the dungeons.

In the terrible silence that followed, he slumped to the ground. The shackles they’d managed to lock around his wrist burned colder than anything he’d ever felt, sapping away any last will he had left to fight.

He thought of Dani, alone back in Sera’s safe house. If his father’s men found her, if she died because she needed more of his blood and he couldn’t get back to her—

Footsteps loomed over him.

“Where did they go?” When he said nothing, Judas continued, “You have one chance to secure a reduced sentence for the sanguine whore, and for your brother, and that is by your full cooperation.”

“Like I’d ever trust you,” he spat.

“Have it your way.” His father motioned to the guards to take him. “This is far from over, Alexander. You may think you’ve won, but make no mistake, you will comply, one way or another.”