A vow of blood and tears

And then a thousand years of ingrained terror overtook me. Ice trickled down my spine, every hair on my body rising straight up. Goosebumps descended my arms, my mind gone dark and screaming, and I shoved myself away.

I spilled onto the floor in a whirl of skirts, signing frantically: I can’t do this. I can’t do this. Let me out. Please.

Bane was frozen, shocked at my abrupt departure from his lap, but as he reached for me I backed away, still signing, shaking all over.

Please let me out. 

He closed his eyes and hid the yellow nightshine, taking slow breaths and turning his head aside again. When he spoke, his voice had deepened into the guttural snarl that had frightened me so badly that first night. “Go, Cirrien. I will not touch you against your will. You’re free. Go.”

And despite my terror, I believed him. I scrabbled at the door with my nails, just managing to unlatch it, before flinging myself into the hallway, panting for breath and trying to keep the tears in my eyes where they belonged, because I couldn’t risk Wyn knowing I had cried in front of him, made him feel like a monster, again—

The vampire with blue eyes, Koryek, was outside Bane’s door. He looked startled at my appearance for only a moment. I signed to him, finally resorting to the crude pantomimes for myself and sleeping, before he got it.

He spoke as he walked me back to the Tower of Spring, but I heard none of it.

I could think only of the fear that had gripped me as Bane moved to feed, the emotion he had carefully hidden behind a mask when I pushed him away.

I had overestimated myself. Now Bane would only feel disappointment in me, that I was like all the rest—fearing him and what he was.

I closed the door on Koryek, stumbling stiffly to the mirror where I’d been prepared for this wedding.

My face had gone deathly pale. Rose petals had tangled into my hair; I was a mess, my hands scratched and filthy.

And there, on my throat, a pinprick or two. Three drops of blood had stained the white silk below my neck.

I shouldn’t even have tried.

OceanofPDF.com