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“Yes,” the redhead answered for him. “It’s a special device that delivers elixirs directly into the bloodstream, and Eliza used it to pump you full ofvitraya, a serum that has the power to bring most humans back from the brink of death.”
“Or in your case, restore you from decades of atrophy,” Maximillian added.
“Sunlight is a key component to its creation,” the redhead went on, “As you can imagine, it’s a valuable resource.”
Her tone was razor sharp, but I barely paid any mind to her disapproval as I thought back to the clock tower. “You say that as if sunlight is scarce,” I said, looking between them.
The two vampires exchanged a loaded glance. “I think this conversation is best continued over dinner,” Maximillian said smoothly. “Nyra, please show our guest back to her room so she can get cleaned her up, then bring her to me when she’s ready.”
I opened my mouth to object, but he stepped past me, and in the next second, he was embroiled in conversation with another vampire in the entrance hall.
“Come along,” Nyra said as I glowered at the back of the vampire lord’s head. “We’ll get you a hot bath and a change of clothes.”
“I don’t need you to mother me,” I protested.
The vampire wrinkled her nose. “There’s nothing motherly about it. You reek of vampire blood and human piss. I’m tempted to dunk you into the river after the trouble you’ve caused, and I doubt you could fight me in your condition. So come along.”
Nyra turned on her heel and strode off, her heeled shoes clicking purposefully against the marble floor. I bristled at her high-handed tone, but swallowed my pride and followed her, trying not to hobble even though my legs were begging to collapse beneath me.
I would suffer through this vampire’s hospitality for another evening. Just long enough to find out what he wanted, and what had happened to my world while I’d been rotting away in that sarcophagus.
And then I would seek the vengeance I’d been dreaming of for the last fifty years.
4
The moment I shut the bedroom door, the hair raising prickle that had been crawling across my skin for the past hour vanished. I let out an honest-to-gods sigh of relief at finally being alone, and the knot in my stomach loosened in response.
“Pathetic,” I muttered, shaking my head.
I was Kitana Nightshade. Daughter of witches. Wielder of shadows. Slayer of vampires.
And I was afraid of the fucking sky.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I lifted my head and glanced around the room. It had felt too big when I’d first awakened, but after nearly melting into a puddle of terror from being exposed to the outside, it felt like a refuge. A place where I could hide from the watchful eyes of the world.
I hated that I felt this way. I hated that I preferred this room, given to me by a vampire, over the freedom awaiting me beyond these walls.
But is there truly freedom out there?a voice in the back of my mind whispered.You saw the city. Vampires crawling everywhere, humans little more than slaves. And you have no magic. What would you become if you go out there, other than a slave yourself?
I clenched my jaw. I would never be a vampire slave. I’d rather fling myself from the balcony than subject myself to that kind of degradation.
Grinding my teeth, I tromped into the bathroom, then stripped off my clothes. As promised, a hot bath waited for me, steaming with fragrant oils. I paused at the sight of leaves floating atop the water, then carefully plucked one out of the tub and sniffed.
Esaleaf. An herb used to ease muscle stiffness.
I briefly wondered how Nyra had arranged this between the time Maximillian had handed me off to her and the time we’d arrived here. The vampire female was waiting for me in the sitting room—she had told me not to dally, or bother trying to escape using the balcony doors again. Her keen vampire hearing would detect any attempt to escape via the balcony again, and there were guards posted around the base of the tower now to catch me should I make it down to the bottom.
So much for not being a prisoner.
Still, even if I wanted to escape, I didn’t have the strength for it. My limbs were so heavy with fatigue that I had to drag myself into the bath, but it was worth it. I moaned as the hot water enveloped my body, easing the tension from my muscles and filling me with a floaty sensation. It was so sublime that despite my better judgment, I let my guard down and leaned my headagainst the back of the tub. My eyelids slid closed, and I drifted into the darkness, allowing sleep to drag me under.
"You can’t go back to him! I won’t allow it!"
Holding tight to the doorframe, I watched Mama argue with the lady who visited our little cabin lots. Her name was Elna, and she was important in the Wolven Tribe. She often brought yummy treats and her granddaughter, Vaya, who was really fun to play with.
“You don’t understand, Elna,” Mama said. Her voice was full of worry as she walked around by the big fireplace, her black hair all tangled. I really wanted to go give her a big hug, like she does when I'm sad. But I was meant to be in the shed, making herb poultices, so I just peeked, not making a sound.
“The dream I had… it was a vision, I know it. I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Mama said, sounding really sure but also kind of scared.
