A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,94
didn’t immediately go after you. He and I… we have a telepathic connection. I told him not to touch you, since I wanted to see how far you were willing to take this. And you were so stupidly curious that you left your own pack behind and came in here. I knew I’d be meeting you again as soon as Zoltan escaped, Nethissis. He sent me messages. I know what you’ve been up to, though I admit you were more brazen than I expected. Unfortunately, the Reaper friends you have outside won’t be able to save you this time.”
Atlas’s mouth opened, and I heard my own scream burst from my throat. His fangs went deep into my shoulder. The pain was so hot I almost passed out. I dared not move as he… didn’t eat me. No, he just bit me and held on like I was some kind of chew toy.
“You’re hurting me!” I cried out.
“Relax, he’s not going to eat you. Yet,” Petra replied. “Unlike Esme and Veliko, you’re actually useful. Come outside.”
She limped over to the door and opened it, smiling as she inhaled the evening breeze that flowed inside. Atlas lifted me off the floor, and pain seared through my entire upper body. I whimpered but refused to succumb. Whatever she had planned, I had to be conscious. I had to see it for myself. Dread threatened to suffocate me as I dangled in the air, the ghoul’s fangs piercing my spirit form.
We stopped on the front porch. The street was empty.
Well, not completely empty.
Seeley revealed himself, and I cursed under my breath. He looked devastated, and it was all my fault.
“Ah, there you are,” Petra said to him. “I admit I did want to meet the Reaper that Zoltan was unsure of how to use. Nice of you to join us.”
“Whatever you do, don’t hurt her,” Seeley said, looking at me. The pain in his galaxy eyes tore me apart on the inside, rivaling the ghoul’s bite. I knew Lumi, Sidyan, Rudolph, Maya, and the other ghouls were nearby, but I also knew they couldn’t attack. Petra was well prepared, and we didn’t have enough power to take her on. She was way better at this death magic than we’d originally thought.
“Tell you what. You and your friends keep your distance,” Petra said. “You keep your distance, you let me do my job, and Nethissis here won’t end up in Atlas’s tummy. I have been given a mission. The Master of Darkness wants me to fulfill my role, and you fellas are pretty much messing up my act. So… what do you say? Stand back, and she lives. So to speak.” She glanced at me, a faux apologetic expression on her face. “By the way, I am sorry you got dragged into this. Zoltan was a fool.” She then moved her focus back to Seeley. “Disturb me in any way, and Atlas will have no problem gobbling her up. Deal?”
Seeley was shaking with anger, but he didn’t let it take over. Gripping his scythe tightly enough for his knuckles to turn white, he took a step back. He didn’t say anything, and I knew it was the best he could do, given the circumstances.
It broke me to see him like this, and it hurt me even more deeply to know I’d put him and our crew in such a difficult position. In my defense, had it not been for that stupid Bounty Reaper scythe—whose owner was probably a ghoul by now—I would’ve gotten away with this. I would’ve made it back to Seeley, to Lumi and Sidyan, to our own band of ghouls…
Alas, I could not. I was Petra’s prisoner.
“Attaboy!” Petra exclaimed, grinning as she watched Seeley disappear.
I knew her satisfaction would be short-lived. Seeley would be planning something already. He hadn’t accepted her deal at all. He hadn’t answered, not wanting to get himself bound by his own word. Petra had mistaken his silence for acceptance.
And while my shoulder burned, I had a sliver of hope to hold on to.
Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t meet my final end in this place.
Esme
My body felt so light…
Slowly opening my eyes, I realized I was in a bed. It was soft and comfy, and a blanket covered me up to my neck. No, not a blanket. A furry animal hide. I felt my hands tingle as I moved and brought them out. My palms rested on the fur, reveling in the smoothness of each hair.