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“He says heiscoming with you.”
Great.
“As will I,” Alwar adds. “I have entered, and I will not fail you, Lake.” Alwar straightens his back.
So my choices are Alwar or Tiago the Treacherous Traitor.
“I’ll go alone with Master,” I say.
Alwar and Tiago stare, the red moonlight beaming across their stern, masculine features and high cheekbones. They’re not budging.
“Lake, you do not know the scholars or their ways,” Alwar protests. “They are not like the college professors from your world or—”
“It’s fine. I can handle myself. No more debate. We’re wasting time.” I have to remember that showing weakness here is not acceptable. I need to be firm and authoritative, especially because the soldiers and War People are all listening. “I want you two to make sure there are no issues. Keep the peace. That’s an order.”
Alwar is about to say something and push back. Neither he nor Tiago is the sort of man to take orders from me. My onlyleverage is that they want me to remain the ruler for the time being until I’ve served my purpose. It’s not in their best interest to undermine my authority in front of everyone.
“Don’t even think about arguing,” I warn. “I’ll be back in a while.”
Tiago chuckles. “Or not.” He’s enjoying the thought of me going down that dark hole and being torn to pieces by something.
“Shut up, stupid idiot.”
I sit down at the edge of the hole, letting my legs dangle over.You’re a vampire now, Lake. Not human. Nothing to be afraid of.I’m faster and stronger than I used to be. Hell, maybe I’ll even find a snack down there.
I wince.I can’t believe I just thought that.I look over my shoulder at Alwar, who actually looks proud. He probably thinks I’m being brave when I’m really being reckless.
“All right, here goes.” I push myself off the ledge and fall into the darkness.
I must’ve hit my head on something during the horrific blind fall to the bottom, because my head instantly hurts, and I feel dizzy.
“Lake, are you all right?” Alwar’s booming voice echoes from above. From here, I can make out his silhouette—or silhouettes? My vision is blurry.
I lie on my back in the moist dirt, trying to blink myself right.
“Lake, you must move quickly. Follow Master,” Alwar yells.
Suddenly, I feel a prick on the back of my leg.
“Fuck!” I jump up, and something stabs the bottom of my foot through my leather boot. The scent of my own blood fillsthe air. Then some other creature pierces my leather pants and latches on to my lower back.
“Ow!” I twist and reach. “What the fuck is that?” It’s biting that tender part of flesh above my ass cheek.
“You must pull out the thorns! And do not allow the leeches to latch on,” Alwar yells again.
My blood trickles down inside my pants. That thing is trying to dig under my skin.Oh God. Oh God.
I reach behind me, my fingertips settling on something slimy and cold. Colder than me. I wrap my hand around what feels like a wriggling earthworm the width of a melon. “Get off me!” I dig my razor-sharp nails into the rubbery, slimy skin and yank hard. I hear apop!and more blood flows down my ass from a gaping wound.
Instead of letting the fucker go and stomping on it, I shove the thing in my face and start sucking.
Take that, you little bastard. The taste is coppery and sweet with notes of dirt. Like eating beet juice.Ohmygod. What am I doing?
I fling the thing, and it squeals. Something starts climbing up my leg. I slap it away and step back, but when I do, the pain is unbearable. Whatever stabbed my legs and feet left something in my skin.
I reach for the tender spot where a hard object is sticking out of a hole in my pant leg, lodged in my skin. With my sharp fingernails, I pull it out. The barb is hard and fibrous, like a bamboo kabob skewer. “Sonofabitch, that hurt!”
I do the same for my foot, digging out the barbs from the soles of my shoes.
