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“Gabby, stop.”
She pretended she hadn’t heard him and jumped onto the rotating stump. A wooden beam swung at her head, and she dodged. She crossed the short distance, avoiding two more beams while leaping from one stump to the next, and reached the next area. The zing of arrows had her whirling behind the wooden beam next to her, which turned when she stepped on the trapped board.
The beam swung, its arms twisting fast. Gabby bent, then dove between the two rotating arms.
Yes, I did it!She grinned.
Zing.
Gabby ducked, but she was a second too late. An arrow grazed her shoulder. Grimacing, she tuned out the pain. Her control over her senses had improved by leaps and bounds since Nasir had brought her to the obstacle course.
Once past the wooden beams, she took a second to catch her breath before walking on the tight rope. She dodged one swinging beam, but when the second and third swung at her consecutively, she lost her balance and fell.
Since this wasn’t the first time she’d fallen from the tight rope (it was why she was on the ground when Felix arrived), she braced for impact. The trick of turning in midair was still quite beyond her abilities, but one day, she’d master it.
Instead of letting her hit the stone ground, Felix caught her and set her on her feet.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. He looked angrier than before.
“What are you doing?”
Why was he mad? “Nasir said you train all the new vampires through this course.”
“You do not require training.”
“Why not? You refuse to let me explore outside the castle grounds. You will not take me to the beach or allow me to hunt. Now I cannot even practice. What do you wish me to do with my time?”
“I’ve purchased books for you. The pianoforte. Embroidery. The best painting master in this country. That should be enough to keep you occupied.”
“But I am a vampire.”
If she’d been human, those things would have entertained her. After all, she’d done all those and enjoyed them while human. But now, sitting down and focusing on those mundane things was an impossibility with the restless energy coursing through her. She needed to move, to work off the buzzing in her skin, in her blood. Otherwise, she might go crazy.
Felix shook his head. “Come. We are returning inside.”
“No. I do not wish to.”
Everyone froze when she twisted her arm out of his grip. They’d never fought before, not even in private. She’d tried to be understanding, to be the mate he envisioned her to be, but she simply could not sit and read and pretend she was still human.
Shock, before his expression became unreadable. She could not bear it, nor had she meant to hurt him. He was all she had.
Her chin trembled, and her shoulders drooped. “You are always gone. Nasir said—”
Felix’s eyes flashed crimson. Too late. She’d said the wrong thing. Anger vibrated off his frame. A tendril of fear, something she had not experienced since the first day she’d saved him, twisted through her.
She shrank back when he growled, “What did Nasir say?”
Her instincts shouted at her to run. To cower and apologize. Licking her dry lips, her palms sweating, Gabby said, “He said other vampires are invading your territory. That is why you are gone so often. I only wished to help.”
Sighing, Felix pulled her into his arms. “Tesoro mio,the most helpful thing you can do for me is to stay safe in the castle. Please?”
The vulnerability she sensed through their mating bond was more than she could bear, so she nodded.
Thick white mist surrounded her again, shifting and twisting. When it dissipated, she was surrounded by familiar mossy and damp stone walls that had dread churning in waves inside her.
607 years ago
Icy fury wafted off in waves from Felix, who had been ready to ride out with his men. His armor clinked as he stalked down the stairs and dragged her behind him, his gloved hand digging into her biceps to the point of pain. She tried to pull back, but his iron grip on her was unbreakable.
