Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
“Because you need me,” she said, repeating his earlier declaration.
He gave a stiff nod and wouldn’t meet her gaze, clearly still uncomfortable with having shared that particular sentiment.
“And what about the others?” She waved her hand toward the door.
“They will cause you no harm.” He radiated such confidence, it clearly wasn’t a question in his mind.
But it was in hers. “How do I know that? How do you?”
He pressed his lips into a thin line, then lifted his chin and nailed her with an intense gaze. “Because I am their king.”
The space of the room sucked to a narrow pinpoint. “King? As in…”
“As in one of the seven remaining vampire kings in the world we both share.”
Her brain scrambled to keep up with the idea that he wasn’t just a vampire, but vampire royalty. Because being an immortal with supernatural powers wasn’t incredible enough. “There were more?”
“There have been seven for a long time. But, yes, once, there were more.” Solemnity flowed through the words.
Competing questions pulled her in multiple directions. She was Alice through the looking glass, finding herself in a new world that was full of wonders and dangers in equal measure, a world in which she didn’t know all the rules nor the ways things worked. “What happened to them?” she finally asked.
“The creatures who attacked you last night are the ancient enemy that vampires and humans have in common. We call them Soul Eaters, because they drain the victims of their blood and steal their soul by drinking through the last beat of the heart. Many have been lost in the war with them. Now, your turn to share.”
Kaira’s heart thudded a hard, escalating rhythm against her breastbone. She could’ve lost her freaking soul? If Henrik hadn’t shown up when he did, if he hadn’t thrown those others off…
Now she understood the differences she’d registered during the attack last night but hadn’t yet had time to think about. The first vampires—the Soul Eaters—had been icy cold and black-eyed and smelled sickly-sweet, like decay. Henrik had protected her. He’d been appealing in every way—warm, delicious, appealing. Arousing.
Out of nowhere, she recalled the look on his face the previous night when she’d accused him of attacking her, accused him of being no different than those others. Even then, she’d known the words weren’t true.
Everything about his bite, his drinking, had felt different, pleasurable even, as strange as that made her feel to admit.
She hugged herself and rubbed her arms.
Did it really matter if she told him what was wrong with her? If they wanted her dead, they could’ve done it any moment before now.
“Okay. I, uh, I have chronic myelogenous leukemia. CML. It’s why I have the fever, and at least some of the aches. It’s in the chronic stage right now, but if I don’t have the meds, the cancer will eventually accelerate.” She crossed her arms and met his gaze.
The pale blue of his eyes was absolutely blazing. He slowly sank into the chair at her bedside. For a moment, she would’ve sworn he was devastated by the news, but that made absolutely no sense.
And then his expression went neutral, a careful, practiced blank. He nodded. “I see. And…your prognosis?”
She arched an eyebrow. “I won’t die today. You know, unless…” She pointed to him, and then to her own normal canine tooth.
Henrik barked out a laugh he covered with a big fist. He glanced up at her with the first amusement she’d seen light his eyes. The sound and the sight stirred a bit of affection in her chest.
“You’re something else. And you don’t know how right you are.” He pushed out of the seat and crossed the room again. Hands on his hips, he stared at the door for a long moment.
There was something so regal about his bearing and his presence.
Finally, he turned back to her.
“Did you know some believe the aurora to be a bridge to heaven? A portal between this world and the next?”
Surprised at the turn of the conversation, Kaira nodded. The mythology surrounding the northern lights had long fascinated her. It was ancient man’s way of explaining something that, for them, had no tangible explanation. “The Norse believed the lights to be the reflections of the Valkyries’ shields as they escorted dead warriors to their final resting place at Valhalla.”
His expression was serious. Somber, even. And sad. “Strange that I keep finding things in common with you, Kaira.”
She smoothed her hands over her lap and debated whether to give voice to her suspicions, the ones she’d developed when they’d first met in the gallery. And that were even stronger now.
Kaira took a deep breath and figured she didn’t have much to lose. If he wanted truthfulness, she’d give it to him. “You mean, like, the fact that you’re sick, too?”
He blanched. “Why do you say that?”