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I followed, treading lightly as I tracked her. The Grove was a maze I could navigate simply because of my vision, which was leagues above a mortal’s. How in the world the Maiden found this path at night was beyond me, but her steps were sure. More than once, she skirted jutting rocks and fallen branches I knew she couldn’t see, but she obviously knew they were there.
My hearing picked up the low murmur of speech and softer, sultrier sounds from the park. Noises I would’ve preferred to hear coming from the Maiden if I had my way.
However, it was probably a good thing I hadn’t. For I liked to believe I was capable of such restraint that I wouldn’t have taken things too far. That I wasn’t that kind of monster. But truthfully? Would I have stopped if she wanted to experience more? Would I have been the kind of good man my mother had raised me to be? Or would I have been selfish and greedy? A low rumble came from my throat as I followed her. Even now, there was a baser part of me, a primal one, that rode me hard, urging me to cross the distance between us. To reveal myself. What would she do? Be angry that I followed? Pleasantly surprised? Would she talk to me about sad things that clearly weighed on her mind? Would she welcome me, my body against hers once more? Or would common sense prevail, as it must have done for her to leave? Would she run? If so, she wouldn’t have a chance. I would catch her. I would—
A twig snapped to my left, jerking my head in that direction. It was too quiet for her to have heard. I scanned the crowded trees, picking up on the sound of quick, almost silent footsteps. The noise came from ahead, between the Maiden and me.
I wasn’t the only one following her.
Hunting her.
My eyes narrowed as I dipped under several branches, inching closer. A shadow moved to her left, crossing briefly out of the darkness. The thin stream of moonlight glanced over light hair; round, almost boyish features, and bare shoulders. The glimpse was enough for me to know that what crept up behind her was no mortal who had recently turned Craven—something I’d discovered was an unfortunate occurrence within a week of being here. People like Jole, who thought they had time to turn themselves in but didn’t in the end. The same thing happened in Carsodonia and every city within Solis. But the thick, glossy hair and smooth, pale skin meant that what followed her while she blissfully forged ahead was a different sort of death.
An Ascended.
One who likely had no idea who he stalked. And by the time he realized who he was sinking his teeth into, it would be too late. Only the oldest among the Ascended could show restraint and stop before they took the last drop of their victim’s blood. That was why so many Craven surrounded the city. It was what happened when a vampry drained a mortal.
Like with most lies, that bit of history had started out as some truth. But the Ascended had the so-called poisonous kiss, not the Atlantians.
Only a few Ascended here were old enough to have that kind of restraint. The Duke and Duchess. A few of the Lords I’d seen creeping around the grounds. This wasn’t one of them. This one wouldn’t stop. He would kill.
Knowing that we were nearing the section of the garden wall I exploited, the one Jericho would soon make use of and the Maiden was obviously familiar with, my muscles tensed.
Then, I made my move.
I bolted through the narrow spaces between the trees like a streak of lightning, leaping over a toppled pine. As the Maiden slipped from the edge of the Grove, where the stone of the castle wall gleamed dully in the moonlight, I landed behind the Ascended.
The vampry spun, his pitch-black eyes even more bottomless in the darkness. His features twisted into a snarl, lips peeling back to reveal two canines sharpened into fine points.
I bared my fangs. “Mine are bigger.”
The vampry’s mouth opened wider, and I knew he was gearing up for a big-boy roar—one that would not only alert any of his nearby friends but also possibly the Maiden.
“Nope.” I grasped him by the throat, cutting off his growl. It crossed my mind that I should question him as we did with those we’d snagged in the past, but I quickly dismissed it.
I had been in the mood for pleasure.
Now, I was in the mood for violence.
He swung, but I caught his arm as I lifted him off his feet and twisted, slamming him to the ground. The vampry immediately jerked upright at the waist as I came down on him, digging my knee into his stomach. I didn’t reach for the dagger strapped to my chest—the bloodstone blade. Much like the one the Maiden carried, except for the wolven-bone hilt. It was the cleanest way to kill an Ascended, leaving nothing but dust behind.
