From Slave To Queen (Athena and Michael) novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Cassian Draven has collapsed at my feet. I’m not even surprised–after killing several dozen men by himself. There are so many dismembered, unrecognizable bodies here that one could form a small platoon. I look at him, waiting for him to open his eyes and say it was a joke. He doesn’t. I nudge his body with the tip of my boot. No reaction.

Something in my head tells me what I need to do, but my reason begs me not to. This is my moment to run–I could disappear into the forest and try to escape.

Don’t be an idiot, Elara. He’ll find you. You’re bleeding, and he’s a vampire.

Besides, where would I go?

I’m far from home, and on foot the journey would be much harder. I have no resources, and my family would probably be killed if I returned to them. So I sigh in defeat and look for a dagger. I find one that’s fallen from one of the enemies‘ hands. It’s clean–its owner didn’t have time to stain it with blood. I grip the hilt, bring the blade to my palm, and hesitate. I hesitate for several minutes before slicing my palm and holding it above his mouth. The first drop falls without any reaction. Two, three, four drops fall until they slip between his lips–and his eyes open. They’ve turned an almost unreal shade of blue.

He grabs my wrist, brings my hand to his mouth, and I feel his lips against my palm. He kisses the skin as he sucks my blood. A low growl escapes him, triggering an unexpected reaction in me. A little tug in my stomach.

“Stop,” I say, pulling my hand. “That’s enough.”

He doesn’t listen. Instead of stopping, he grips my hand tighter and brings his body closer. I lose my balance and, before I realize how it happens, he’s on top of me, my palm pressed to his mouth. He sucks hard–I feel my blood rushing out, his tongue licking my skin.

I give up hope that he’ll stop. The sensation flooding my body is like floating on a cloud, a tug in my belly and tingles throughout my limbs. I suppose it’s not that bad after all.

With that thought, I let him continue drinking–and grow frustrated when he stops. He pulls away from me as if I carried the plague.

“This can’t be.”

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I blink.

“You’re supposed to say thank you,” I snap.

“You taste… different.”

“Well, I’m sorry.” I stagger to my feet. “You’re a damn ingrate.”

He snorts in response.

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“Take her out, maybe a change of air will do her good.” I hear Cassian mutter behind me.

When I reach the mare, I see her breathing has stopped. I feel a deep sadness–she was a majestic animal. Things shouldn’t have ended this way.

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“What did you say?”

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Chapter 36

I turn to face him. He’s already mounted on his horse, showing no signs of exhaustion or weakness.

“I said get on. That’s what I said.”

He offers his hand, again covered in a cold leather glove. Begrudgingly, I let him help me up and end up nestled between the reins and his chest. That mysterious scent–like night–completely surrounds me. I glance up at his face once, and see his lips pressed into a tight line, stained with the crimson of my blood. He urges the horse forward, and we gallop back toward the castle.

I never thought I’d say this, but I want to go back.

Out here, I don’t feel safe.

We ride fast, leaving behind a slaughter–and a withered corpse I can’t explain.

We enter the castle, stirring up a commotion in our wake. Drystan descends the grand staircase and notices the wound on his friend’s chest, which has stopped bleeding. He allows himself just a few seconds to assess my condition with a quick scan. Aside from my disheveled hair and the tears in my shirt, I’m unharmed. Well, if we don’t count the cut on my palm and the wound on my neck.

I feel the area tingling as I think about his lips against my skin, sucking, the edge of his teeth brushing my palm. A knot forms in my stomach, tightening when Cassian drops his cloak to the floor and Drystan begins helping him remove the blood–soaked shirt clinging to his body. My breath catches when I see the thick, raised marks where there must have once been ugly welts. The scars crisscross over one another, leaving no trace of healthy skin. Somehow, he seems to feel my eyes traveling over every inch of his skin. He looks over his shoulder and instead of covering up or turning away, he stands taller, as if showing that the scars don’t bother or shame him–though by their appearance, they probably still hurt.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Drystan follows Cassian up the stairs like a loyal pup. Cassian doesn’t seem intent on stopping; he plans to leave me alone in the foyer. I refuse to stay behind like some idiot. I follow, several steps behind, but not far enough that I can’t still hear them.

“We were attacked on the

way back.”

“Diluted ones?”

“Yes, but I smelled something else too.”

My presence hasn’t gone unnoticed by either of them, and Cassian makes that clear when he turns to look directly at me. A smug smile forms on his lips as he waves a dismissive hand.

“This is my side of the castle. You can’t follow us.” His eyes gleam with arrogance. “Stay there, little wildcat. Unless you’re following me because you want a personal tour of my chambers.”

I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms and worsening the pain from the cut. I think carefully about what I want to say, and though I try to sound calm, when I see him walking away again, I yell:

“I saved your life today! You could show a little gratitude. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be lying there on the ground!”

“You think too highly of yourself.”

He doesn’t even need to raise his voice. His is strong and echoes against the hallway walls, reaching my ears clearly. His arrogance makes my blood boil. I stomp my foot, furious.

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