House of Secrets and Vows (Crown of Deceit #1)

28. The Blood Den

28

THE BLOOD DEN

I didn’t think my heart could beat any faster, but it practically leaps out of my chest at the accusation.

“There, there.” He reaches out and touches my knee. “It can be our little secret.”

I resist pulling away from his touch, despite the bile rising in my throat. As much as I hate his hand on me, I don’t want to draw any attention to us. Or to show my fear any more than I already have. “What do you want?”

“I need to chat with the pretty prince away from his friends. When you don’t go back to the table, he’ll come find you.”

The barmaid returns with the drink and gasps when she sees Mavet next to me. She quickly sets the wine on the edge of the bar and turns away.

“You’re quite the ladies’ man,” I say.

“I like you.” He taps my knee before retracting his hand. “You smell delightful.”

“You look horrible.”

He laughs. “You might pretend you aren’t terrified, but I can hear your pretty little heart racing.”

He brings his hand to the center of my chest, resting it against the top of my ribcage between my breasts.

This time, I try to pull his arm off of me, but it doesn’t budge no matter how hard I tug. The hair on my neck rises, terror drying out my mouth completely.

“I think she wants you to move your hand,” Nevan says as he approaches us. His tone is calm, but a promise of death shines in the stare he gives Mavet.

Rage rolls from the prince like a storm, practically seething from his ears and flared nostrils.

I release my grip on the Blood King’s arm.

Mavet glances at Nevan and then at me before bringing his hand down and adjusting his collar. “Possessive, I see.”

I slip off the bar bench and move to the prince.

“Quite.” He wraps his arm around my waist, his hand touching my hip.

The intimate touch brings heat to my cheeks. I lean into him to hide my flushed face.

Not missing a beat, Nevan gently cups my jaw, his glare not wavering from the Blood King. “I assume you wanted my attention. You’ve got it.”

“Good.” Mavet stands and straightens out his jacket. “I’ve been waiting for you to come visit me.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Getting ready to be crowned heir and all. Yes, the whole kingdom is abuzz with the news.” He steps closer, and I can see the streaks of black in his crimson irises, despite the darkness of the room. “What would the people think of your condition? Does your lady friend know how insatiable your thirst is?”

“She knows enough.”

Mavet’s mouth curves into a wicked smirk.

I suck in a breath as I wait for him to tell Nevan the secret he knows about me.

Instead, the Blood King asks, “And your inhuman qualities haven’t scared her away?”

“I’m not easily frightened.” My words are clipped.

Mavet only shrugs and focuses on Nevan again. “I’d hoped you’d reconsider my offer.”

“Like I said, I’ve been busy.” Nevan’s fingers dig into my skin.

I wrap my hand around his. Seeing the Blood King’s palm on my chest clearly triggered something in Nevan, and he hasn’t calmed down. If our plan is going to work, he needs to remember the game.

I brush my finger on his to remind him, then ask, “What offer?”

“I invited the prince to my home to learn what kind of alliance I could bring to the table once he’s crowned. I’ve heard the poor old king isn’t doing well these days.” He gives an exaggerated frown and taps his cheek three times in a line of pretend tears. “We’re about to have our own Solstice celebration at the Blood Den. Three days of true fun.”

Nevan’s muscles loosen as I keep grazing his fingers. “Fine. I’ll hear what you have to offer. But don’t count on me changing my mind.”

“Perfect.” Mavet’s mouth widens in a predatory grin. “Bring your friend. She’ll make it all the more interesting.”

“When?” Nevan asks.

“Come to the Wishing Fountain tomorrow just after sundown.” Mavet leans in and kisses my cheek. “See you both tomorrow.”

Nevan stiffens but miraculously doesn’t lash out.

When the Blood King is long gone, the prince finally relaxes and says, “Let’s get back before my friends come looking for us.”

“Do they know who Mavet is?”

“Lachlan does. I think he’s the only one.”

“And does he know about…”

Nevan shakes his head discreetly. “And I hope to keep it that way.”

When we return to the group, I smile and shake my head. “I thought the barmaid might have gone all the way to Elderburn to find another bottle of wine.”

Everyone stares at Nevan, who looks ready to punch a wall.

I tap my hip against his.

“I thought she got lost on her way back.” He peers down at me and grins so convincingly I almost believe it.

It seems I’m not the only skilled actor.

“Some chatty man tried to convince me to go home with him.” I let the lie slip from my lips and then give a smile. “Nevan saved me just in time.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Nalanie’s quirked brow. Having a member of the House of Lies around all the time is a dangerous game, especially for someone with secrets like Nevan and me.

I understand why he’s avoided his friends since getting cursed.

If Nalanie senses any falsehoods in our statement, she doesn’t mention them as the group returns to the discussion they were in before we sat down.

Eilley updates everyone on the man she’d gone on a date with a few days ago. “He wrote me another poem, but he also kissed me at the end of the night.”

She licks her tongue across her lower lip.

Phelps groans. “Add that to the list of things I didn’t need to know.”

“Jealous?” Eilley wiggles her eyebrows. “It was a very seductive kiss.”

He pretends to stick a finger down his throat and gives a mocking gag. “Please.”

The conversation continues, but all I can think about is Mavet’s hand on my chest. I have no doubt he could have torn out my heart if he’d wanted to.

But that isn’t what he threatened. No, instead, he now holds the secret I’ve kept since coming to Valazica. A secret I’ve clung so close I never even told Aella.

There were times I came close. A part of me wanted my friend to know my deepest truths as if sharing my dark parts would free me from the fear that I’m tainted.

But anytime I considered sharing my secret with Aella, something held me back.

And now I might never get the chance.

“Zariah?” Eilley asks, pulling me back to the present.

“Sorry,” I say.

“We’re surprised you haven’t thrown Nevan to the streets already.” She smiles at him.

I match her grin. “I still have use for him.”

“I propose a trade,” Phelps cuts in. “You can join the group, and Eilley can spend all her time with her new lover.”

“He’s not my lover.”

“I’m sure we can make room for Zariah without kicking Eilley out.” Nalanie folds her hands on the table next to her glass of wine.

As Phelps goes back to pestering Eilley, I catch Nevan staring at me.

I hold his gaze and sip my wine.

A day later, I am sitting next to Nevan in a carriage, blindfolds covering our eyes as we’re taken to the Blood Den.

The heat of his body presses into me as we share the small seat on one side of the carriage. Without my sight, I’m overwhelmed with his scent. In the small quarters, I can sense the coppery undertone underneath his stronger vanilla and oak fragrance.

My hands are tied behind me, and my fingers press uncomfortably into my back.

When we arrived at the fountain, a horse-drawn carriage and a driver were waiting for us. The driver told us if we wanted to go to the Blood Den, our eyes had to be covered and our hands bound behind us.

I considered bringing the blade I’d been given to kill Nevan. Having a weapon that could kill a vampire in an entire den of them would be priceless, but I can’t risk them finding it on me, so I stashed it behind my usual hedge.

Leaving it in my room would have been too risky. I snuck out of the Temple without warning any of the high priestesses. If they figure out I’ve disappeared, they might search my room.

When the Blood King’s driver patted Nevan and me down for weapons, I knew I’d made the right choice.

As the carriage jolts over every bump in the road, nerves fester inside me. Soon, I might see Aella again.

Or I might find out my friend is truly dead, but I won’t consider that outcome until I am faced with it.

What will Aella be like if I find her? I swallow the thought that she might not be the same friend I once knew, so kind and elegant.

I can’t dwell on those thoughts, so instead, I ask Nevan, “And where exactly does your family think you are now?”

My tone is ruder than I intend.

He shifts his leg. “I told my brother I wanted to get out of the castle for a few days before the Heir Ceremony. Our family has a cottage outside the city, so I paid the driver who was supposed to take me, and he’ll stay there for three days.”

“And Maddox believed you?”

“Who knows, but he didn’t ask any questions, and he isn’t going to find us wherever we’re being taken, so I can worry about him later.”

No one knows where we’re going. If I return to the Temple, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do, but Nevan is right. Those problems are to worry about later.

Right now, I need to focus on finding Aella and getting her out of the Blood Den.

I want to ask Nevan if he thinks Mavet will let us go even if he doesn’t agree to ally with him, but even a human driver would be able to overhear us, and the man who is escorting us to the Blood Den is anything but human.

After almost an hour's ride, the temperature drops. We stop, and the driver pulls open the curtain and leans inside the carriage.

He slides my blindfold off first and then reaches around me to untie my hands. His body is cold against me as his ear touches mine, so different to Nevan’s warmth.

I wonder if most vampires are like the man or like the prince, or perhaps there’s a wide range of temperatures for the cursed.

“You can help him,” the driver says as he returns to the front of the carriage.

I remove Nevan’s blindfold. “Lean forward.”

He does, and I unbind his hands.

We both stretch out our arms as the carriage starts moving again.

The driver leaves the curtain pulled open, and when I peek out, we’re surrounded by stone.

“We’re underground,” I muse.

Nevan rests his clenched fists in his lap and gives me a look that tells me he’s thinking the same thing: there will be no easy way out of this place if we try to escape.

After another few minutes, the carriage stops again.

“Let’s go,” the driver barks.

We step out into a long tunnel. A glance back in the direction we came shows only darkness.

We pass the horse that pulled us here—wherever here even is— and follow the driver around the corner to a large opening in the tunnel. On the far side are tall, double doors adorned with curvy bronze handles.

An earthy metallic scent floats in the air as we follow the driver through the doors.

Nevan takes my hand into his own and leans so close I can feel the warmth of his breath on my ear.

“From now until we get out of this hell hole, we pretend to be lovers so everyone will know better than to harm you. Let me handle Mavet.” His voice is barely audible, and I can only hope no one else hears his instructions.

I don’t dare argue, despite never agreeing to any such ruse. As much as I hate the idea of being so close to him the entire time we are here, it’s the safest plan.

I reach around my chest to gently hold his bicep in a loving fashion. Pretending is second nature to me now, and I’ll be damned if I’m not convincing.

Our feet click against the stone floor as I gaze up at the curved ceiling above. This place is just as elegant as the palace I spent the Solstice in, and even more impressive considering it’s built entirely underground.

I can’t imagine the labor it took just to dig out such an enormous area, and the detail work in the stone is exquisite.

Mavet lounges on a throne of onyx on the far side of the room. One arm rests casually on his thigh. The other brings a goblet to his lips. Dark red liquid drips down his mouth and onto his dark suit.

"Show off," I tell Nevan, not bothering to keep my voice quiet.

Mavet chuckles.

"Welcome to my home, friends ." He holds out the goblet and a woman standing to his side takes it. He licks beneath his lips as far as his tongue will reach. "I'm honored to have you here for our Solstice celebration. Perhaps not as refined as the one at the palace, but regal in its own way."

Nevan's grip on my hand tightens, but his face remains calm. "I'll give you my attention for three days, and then do I have your word that you won't interfere with my Heir Ceremony?"

The Blood King locks his gaze with mine as he runs a finger over the lingering blood around his mouth then licks it off his finger. "Of course. If you refuse all I have to offer, I won't interfere with your ceremony, Princeling." He lifts a hand. “Vesina, dear, will you show Prince Nevan's guest to their room so I can have a word alone with the Princeling."

Nevan's hand remains firm.

"Zariah can hear whatever you have to say."

Mavet flicks his finger. "This is my home, and I make the rules here. I encourage you to remember that."

I squeeze my fingers around Nevan's hand. "I'll be fine."

We’ve only just arrived. Stirring up trouble so soon could prove deadly.

The prince gives me a wary look but lets me pull my hand away.

"Come," the woman next to Mavet orders me.

I follow her across the room through a large iron door, unable to resist a glance back at Nevan as the door slams shut.