A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,95

a room.

Looking down, I noticed stripes on the fur. White and greenish streaks across black. This had to be a sabre tiger’s coat. Looking up, I saw a black stone ceiling. To my left, a candle burned in a wall-mounted sconce.

To my right, Kalon sat in a chair, watching me intently.

For a moment, I allowed myself relief. Warmth filled me to the brim, and I found a sense of peace in the blue of his eyes. But then I remembered the many things he’d withheld, including the fact that his mother was the Whip of the Darklings.

Fury took over, and I sat up stiffly.

My Telluris connection had been cut off. My earpiece was missing. I hadn’t even thought of using it earlier. Dammit!

“You’re safe,” Kalon said, his voice low and raspy.

“Screw you!” I shot back, eager to get out of bed. But my legs were like spaghetti. I could barely move them. “What did you do to me?”

“A little bit of mazir to keep you calm and stop you from running for the hills,” Kalon replied. “Esme, we need to talk.”

“You’re damn right we need to talk! You keep messing with me!”

“It’s for your own good,” he said. “Look, I know… I know I’ve let you down in many ways, but please believe me when I say that it’s all for your own good.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle mockingly. “Right.”

“I will tell you everything. Everything I haven’t told you. Everything I should have told you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me in the first place? Why the acting? The secrets.”

It hurt me to know he’d lied. Every omission cut through me like a red-hot knife, and it was a difficult feeling to live with, especially since I knew he meant everything he’d just said. Especially since I knew he’d fallen for me, probably as hard as I’d fallen for him.

“Because I hoped I might find a way to reconcile my extremely complicated family with my feelings toward you,” Kalon said. “Obviously, tonight has proven that I cannot, and that I must make a choice. Therefore, here I am. With you.”

I could’ve ripped him a new one, but I was too tired. It probably had something to do with the mazir he’d used to keep me subdued—which, by the way, was yet another jerk move. I found some comfort in knowing I could smack him around the next time I was fully in control of my body. Until then, all I could do was listen to what he had to say.

“You’ll tell me everything?” I asked, wanting to hear him again. “No more lies? No more secrets?”

“No more,” he said, offering a faint smile. “I promise.”

I let out a deep sigh, glancing around at the black stone walls. “First things first. Where the hell are we?”

“In the one place I know no one will come looking for us because they don’t know it exists,” Kalon said, leaning forward. His scent was mesmerizing, powerful enough to send my senses buzzing. He was a dangerous creature, and I seemed to thrive on that danger.

“Orvis,” I murmured. “We’re in Orvis.”

Hidden deep in the Nightmare Forest. Surrounded by dangerous predators that were cunning enough to rip an Aeternae’s head off. Welcomed by people who’d learned to live together in harmony without feeding off each other.

A tiny island of peace in an ocean of troubles. A good place for Kalon to start telling me everything. Absolutely everything.

Tristan

Valaine’s roar shook the courtroom, bringing everything to a sudden halt. No one dared so much as whimper. I was terrified for her, especially since Danika was now staring her way, eyes wide and face wrought with grief.

“Daddy?” Thayen’s voice echoed softly.

The boy was still in his chair, unable to move, held tightly by one of the soldiers who’d taken pity on him. His father had just been killed—by his nanny, no less—then Valaine had torn the Nalorean woman’s head off. A Nalorean woman who had brandished a scythe. There was a lot to unpack here and no time to do it in, as someone needed to rein in Valaine’s dark side before she got into trouble.

After all, Zoltan had declared her the true source of the Black Fever in a room full of fearful Aeternae. There was no way this would end well for her unless she regained control of herself.

I left the audience box and calmly walked over to her. Derek and Sofia stayed back, likely watching and assessing the entire scene. Frankly, that was where I needed them in