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Master comes tearing through the trees, barking like mad. Everyone around Alwar’s immediate camp jumps to their feet, including Alwar. The ground beneath us thunders and shakes with their weight. Master runs right up to me without stopping his verbal assault. There’s a bit of blood on the side of his face.
I try to make out what he’s saying, but it’s not like that with him. I don’t understand him in terms of his “language,” but I’m very good at discerning his thoughts. Right now, it’s a mess of noises.
“Did something take a bite out of you?” I ask.
He barks repeatedly, his black-and-white polka-dotted ears pushed back.
“He’s upset,” Alwar explains. “You left the palace and did not inform him. Also seems he ran into a tree trying to follow your scent.”
Ah, yes. Alwar speaks dog, or whateverthehell Master is. Someday, I’ll be brave enough to find out. For now, he’s my grandma’s dog. The end.
Even if I don’t find his scent appetizing, I resist licking the red blood from Master’s face and whoosh out a breath, turning my focus back to Alwar. “Fine, you can come, but if you or any of your men—”
“They are your men, too, Lake.”
Not even close. “If any War People make a move against the Blood People, there will be hell to pay.”
“My men will not be the problem. They know if they disobey me, I will chain them to the wall for ten years or throw themdown the never-ending well. Are you prepared to punish your Blood soldiers if they step out of line?”
I shrug. “Sure. Why not?”
Master barks again. “Yes, you can come, too.” I sigh. “Anyone else want to join me in a two-hour walk?” I twist my body in a circle. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
I get weird looks from the War People, who are on edge, staring down the vampires.
“No takers? Good. Now, can I get a volunteer to feed me?” I ask.
Alwar’s intense blue eyes flicker toward his tent. I know he wants to go in there with me, but as king, he needs to save face.
Right on cue, Alwar’s brother Tiago emerges from his tent and marches toward us. Tiago has cropped black hair that matches his stubble, and stunning golden eyes that leave nothing to mystery. In a way, I appreciate how transparent he is, even if he’s a stupid bastard who hates me almost as much as I hate him. Tiago the Terrible, I call him.
“Tiago will do it,” Alwar says.
I try not to laugh. Tiago’s going to hate being my snack.I love it.
I smile. “Hello, Tiago. Alwar has volunteered you to be my juice box. Where do you want to do this?”
“If she gets near me with those fangs, I will remove her head,” he snarls.
I laugh. “Now, now, Tiago. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I amnotafraid,” he growls. “I simply do not want my body to be defiled by a lowly vampire.”
Hisses erupt from the trees.
I shake my head. “Sounds to me like you’re just too scared to be bitten, yet several of your men gladly volunteered to feed me this week. So are you saying they’re braver than you?”
“No.”
“Then stop with the temper tantrums,” Alwar grumbles.
“Yes, Tiago,” I smirk, “tantrums aren’t very becoming for a ruthless Wall Man of your stature. You’re bringing shame to my husband.”
Tiago’s nostrils flare.
I love that he knows he has to do this. And if you think I’m being petty, I’ll point out that Tiago tried to kill me just last week. His people stopped him. The kicker is that he’d taken a vow to protect me, and when he broke his word, the No Ones came for him. I stopped them; specifically, I stopped Bard. He’d been more than ready to settle some old scores with his cruel younger brother. Like I said, there’s animosity between siblings in their family.
Tiago jerks his head toward his tent. Normally, War People sleep under the stars, but Alwar said they were planning to stay indefinitely, so tents were in order.
