Wicked Vampire Prince by Bella Klaus

Chapter Nine

Istood facing the television set, which had now gone blank. The vampire’s eyes bore into my back with an intensity that made my skin crackle. He was waiting. Waiting for my next move. Waiting to see if I would reach for the phone, rush for the door, and report his whereabouts to the Supernatural Council.

Kidnapping, terrorism, conspiracy to commit murder. The creature behind me was probably capable of them all.

“Yana.” His voice sliced through the tension.

“Yes?” I said without turning around.

“Those men are my enemies.”

“Right,” I replied, still not daring to look at him.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Of course, I do.” I turned to him and forced my features into a smile.

Prince Draconius sat up in the bed with his back resting against the mauve headboard. His features were even more stern than usual, and the harsh sunlight streaming through the window accentuated his sharp cheekbones.

“You don’t sound very convinced,” he said.

I gave my head a shake, tried to even out my voice so I didn’t sound like I was lying. “Why would I trust the word of strangers over my fated mate?”

“That’s right.” He crawled forward with the deliberate gait of a predator, his muscles rippling. “You and I share a soul.”

A shiver ran down my spine. How could fate be so cruel as to connect me with a murdering, blood-sucking terrorist?

Prince Draconius’ broad chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. A muscle in his jaw twitched. He was probably thinking the same thing as me. What was the point of helping him escape when handing him over to the Council was the answer to all my problems?

Without him, I could sustain my life as a nun. Without him, I might be able to repair my relationship with my Sisters and maybe qualify to become a priestess. Without him, I could continue my crusade against vampire predators.

“Stay here.” I held out a palm. “The others will be expecting me for breakfast—”

“You’re going nowhere.” He appeared in front of me and seized my shoulders.

“But I have prayers, patrols, chores…” My voice trailed off as his hands seized the sides of my head.

“Listen to me carefully, Yana.”His voice echoed through my mind.

I turned my gaze to the wall.

“Do not pretend you can’t hear my voice in your head,”he said through our mental link.

“Let me go,” I said.

“Not until I make sure you will never betray me,” he said out loud.

“How could I go against my mate?” I tried not to sound sarcastic.

“Do I need to take the doll from its hiding place?”

My nostrils flared. That was hardly a threat, now that the Angel King had announced his amnesty. All I had to do was tell the Council I had their biggest fugitive, and he would pardon me for black magic.

But then Mother Hecate would probably excommunicate me, and I’d end up on the street.

Defeat crumpled my posture. Even the thought of a thousand gold crowns to pay off my debt and start a new life couldn’t compare to losing the only home I’d ever known.

“That’s better.”The corners of his lips twitched into a smile. Out loud, he said, “Now, take off your protective lenses.”

Palpitations rippled through my heart. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Would you like me to reach into your eyes and pull them out?” he snarled.

“Fine.” I turned my head, placed my finger on my eyeball, and removed one contact lens and then the other.

“Very good.” He clamped both hands on the side of my head. “Look into my eyes.”

“Do I have any choice?”

“No.”

“What happened to fated mates trusting each other?” I muttered.

Prince Draconius didn’t dignify my question with an answer. Instead, his irises widened, and he pulled my consciousness into the depths of his eyes. It was like floating in the dark, warm and protected and safe.

I held my breath. Somehow, I wasn’t feeling the same blank terror and loss of control as before. Perhaps because we had secured our bond with his bite.

“Yana?”

“Yes?” I replied.

“You will obey my orders,” he said.

“I will obey.” My mouth formed the reply without my consent.

Terror traveled along my nerves, making my skin prickle into goosebumps. Would he make me take off my protective clothes?

Prince Draconius cupped my cheek. “Yana, you must believe me when I say I did nothing wrong.”

“Nothing wrong,” I repeated against my will.

On the inside, I screamed and thrashed and struggled against his control. With their mesmerism, vampires could make a victim believe they were God. Enslaving others was a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment, but I doubted that a creature wanted for a string of heinous crimes cared.

“My nephew got himself involved with a devious phoenix,” he said. “The fiery little bitch murdered him, brought him back to life as a preternatural, and controlled his every movement.”

My eyes bulged. A couple of months ago, a newsflash had announced the death of King Valentine, but days later, it was retracted. “What?”

“Valentine’s behavior became erratic, and he caused his subjects to riot. My Lord Father ordered me to Logris to restore order.”

“Oh.”

The pressure on my mind eased. “You asked why I look different. The phoenix burned me alive.”

“No,” I said, my voice breathy.

“I tracked her down to a demon coffee shop, where I found her sexually defiling his corpse. My men and I did everything we could to protect my nephew’s honor—to preserve his memory, but the disgusting creature fought to keep him a living corpse.”

“What happened next?” I asked.

His features tightened. “She commanded him to fight with all his preternatural might. The black magic overpowered us, but we prevailed.”

Images of a brutal fight filled my mind. Figures in hooded cloaks fighting against an enraged and wet and naked vampire. It was King Valentine, and he had more crossbow bolts in his chest than I could count.

A scream caught in my throat. Not a single drop of blood poured from his body, indicating that he was dead. This was beyond horrific. In the vision, King Valentine murdered all the warriors with a blast of power. Prince Draconius retreated to higher ground, leaving his warriors to fight the undead Vampire King, only for the abomination to follow him.

The air shifted, and my nostrils filled with the scent of coffee. My heart galloped across my chest like an out-of-control stagecoach. I was reliving the prince’s memories. One of the hooded warriors sliced off King Valentine’s head, making it fly into a fountain of coffee.

I thought that would be the end of the memory, but a person-sized bird of fire rose from the floor and engulfed Prince Draconius in flames.

“The moment she reduced me to ash, the family tree declared me dead.” He released me from the images.

Blinking, I cleared the spots from my vision and gazed up at the vampire. “But you’re standing here alive, and not incinerating in the sun.”

He inclined his head. “By the time I burned, the fountain had overflowed and coffee spilled across the floor, defiling my ashes and those of another of the phoenix’s victims.”

“Bloody hell,” I muttered.

His lips tightened. “My remains soaked up the coffee, mingled with dust and dirt and debris, not to mention the other fellow’s ashes.”

“How did they rescue you?”

Prince Draconius sat heavily on the edge of the mattress. “Look at me.”

I stared down at what had to be the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. “You look alright.”

He shook his head. “My entourage collected as much of my remains as they could, but the majority of it spilled down the drain.”

“How could they bring you back to life?”

“Anything burned by a phoenix will eventually regenerate if nobody disturbs the ashes.”

My brows drew together. Didn’t he just say he’d lost most of his remains? “But how—”

“There was enough of me for the demons to revive with the darkest of magics,” he said.

I swallowed hard. “What happened to the phoenix?”

“The last time I saw her, she had twisted the minds of all my nephews. They fought against me and stole my most precious possession. Now, she’s angling for the vampire throne.”

“How?”

He stared up at me through sad eyes. “She burned my nephew’s remains and brought him back to life.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re a wanted man. You only acted because you thought your nephew was undead.”

The corners of his lips curled into a tiny smile. “I hoped you would understand. All I tried to do was protect others from a preternatural vampire. My nephew is so enthralled by this phoenix that he’s allowing her free reign of his kingdom.”

“She trumped up those charges?” I asked.

“And in revenge, they want to sacrifice my soul to Tartarus.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “But King Valentine always seemed so reasonable.”

“He’s a strong and just king who I trained to rule Logris with integrity. But he’s under the control of that devious phoenix.”

That sort of made sense in a twisted way, but I wasn’t ready to believe the word of a vampire. Especially not one with a track record of abducting young women and mesmerizing them. My hand drifted to the phone in my pocket. Even if what Prince Draconius had told me was true, that didn’t negate the fact that I didn’t want to be mated to an overbearing vampire.

“Yana.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the space between his legs. “Without your protective power, you are completely at my mercy, but have I violated you in any way?”

“You dragged me into bed, exposed yourself multiple times and are still doing so.” I nodded to myself. “And there’s false imprisonment, blackmail, and inappropriate touching.”

He released his grip and snarled, “Why did fate have to mate me with such a prudish creature?”

“I could ask the same question myself.”

“Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “But even you have to admit I could have used mind control to strip you naked, plunder your virtue, or sink my fangs into your flesh.”

I stepped back, hitting the wall with a bump. “If you want me to thank you for not violating—”

“My point is that I have changed,” he said with a snarl.

“Prove it by letting me carry out my duties.”

He swept out an arm. “Don’t you want to shower and change first?”

I bristled. “Not with a naked vampire in the room.”

His brows rose. “Didn’t you call me the most beautiful man you’d ever seen?”

“No I didn’t.” My teeth snapped shut with a click. “Can you read my mind?”

“Not unless I make the effort.” He stretched himself out on the bed with a smirk. “But it’s pleasing to know that my mate finds me desirable.”

“You’re twisting my words.” I turned on my heel and headed to the exit.

“I have a proposal,” he said.

“What?” I paused before the door.

“As my fated mate, you are entitled to everything I own.”

“I don’t want your stolen bottles of blood.”

“You’ve just inherited my entire fortune.”

I turned around and stared at the naked vampire, making sure to keep my eyes off his junk. “Enough to pay off my debts.”

He snorted. “An hour’s interest on my holdings would sustain the temple for a year.”

“What are you saying?” I folded my arms across my chest.

“With enough money, I can bribe a wardbreaker to help me leave Logris, but I need you to access my funds.”

“Won’t that get me into even more trouble with the Council?” I asked.

“It’s a risk you’ll need to take if you don’t want to lose favor with your goddess.”

My chest tightened. The wretched creature had already worked out my weaknesses. Even if the kings on the television gave me a pardon, that didn’t stop the Witch Queen from using the excuse of my black magic to close down the temple. She held just as much influence in the Council as those offering the reward, yet the grudge she had against Mother Hecate ran deep.

“Do we have a truce?” he asked.

“Tell me exactly what you want.”

“Register yourself as my heir and extract a large sum of cash from my vault. With that, I can liaise with my enforcers and a wardbreaker to secure my passage from Logris.”

“That’s all?” I asked.

He tilted his head to the side. “No matter how much I salivate over you, I won’t pressure you into giving me sex or blood.”

My throat tightened. I had no idea he could be hungry when he still had those bottles.

“If I help, will you agree never to return for me?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to become a princess?” he asked.

“I’m happy here,” I said with an emphatic nod.

“Very well. I swear on my blood that I will not return to Logris to capture, persuade or harass you into completing our bond.” He rose off the bed and exposed his fangs.

A boulder of dread plummeted through my stomach. I staggered back with my hands up. “Stay back.”

“Don’t you want to bind our agreement with blood?”

“Not with you.” Pressing my back against the wall, I edged to my bookshelves and searched for my hollow book.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Looking for my spare wand.”

He flicked his fingers, and a twelve-inch-long pencil floated out from beneath the bed. “Do you mean this item? It looks handmade.”

“That’s because we all learned to make our own wands and foci in the temple’s academy.” I snatched it out of the air, gave it a flick, and produced a string of red magic.

“Impressive,” he drawled. “One as young as you shouldn’t have grasped the essentials of contractual arts.”

I didn’t bother to tell Prince Draconius that I’d searched the library for spells that worked specifically on vampires. The ribbon of power wrapped around the fingers of his outstretched hand, looped over his palm, and snaked around his arm.

Over the months after he had first abducted me, I had practiced everything I could learn in case I was ever trapped in a boudoir or some other space with a predatory vampire. Since my duties involved either picketing or patrolling blood salons, the chances of becoming the enemy of a blood sucker were high.

The red power reached his chest, where it slid over the contour of his pectoral muscle before disappearing into his breastbone. His turquoise eyes flared a gentle shade of magenta, indicating to me that it was time to make the oath.

“Tell me again,” I said.

He exhaled the kind of weary breath that let me know he thought I was being silly not to trust his word.

“Go on.” I gave him a nod.

“I, His Majesty Prince Draconius of the Royal House of Sargon, do solemnly swear not to abduct, seduce, or mesmerize Sister Iyana Torchbearer provided that she assist my safe passage from Logris.”

“And?” I asked.

His brows rose. “I thought that oath was complete enough.”

“And you’ll relinquish our soul bond,” I said.

“I will do no such thing.” His lips thinned into a tight line. “If fate brought us together then I won’t spit in her face by denying her gift, even if it comes in a belligerent burgundy package.”

“Fine,” I snapped. “Just don’t come after me once you’ve left.”

“That, I swear.”

A patch of red glowed in his chest, completing the bond.

“Now, are you satisfied?”

I gave him a slow nod. “How do you know I won’t betray you?”

He tapped the side of his neck and smirked.

The bite he’d given me all those years ago tingled, and I clapped a hand over my neck. “How did you do that?”

“We are connected,” he said, his smile broadening. “If you allow the Supernatural Council to hand me to my nephew and the phoenix controlling him, then fate will drag your soul wherever mine goes.”

I gulped. “You said they wanted to sacrifice you to Tartarus?”

“A place more dreary than Hell,” he drawled.

Panic pierced my chest. Tartarus was the prison where the Titans spent an eternity of pain and suffering. I wouldn’t survive ten minutes in a place like that, not even with the protection of a vampire. My knees buckled, and I placed a hand on the wall to hold myself steady.

“Relax,” Prince Draconius closed the distance between us and gave me a pat on the shoulder. “With enough money, anyone can escape justice.”

“Justice.” My voice wavered. “I thought you were escaping an unjust persecution?”

“Sure.”

I reared back, my stomach clenching with a fist of disbelief. It no longer mattered if he was telling the truth or lying. Not when our souls were intertwined. If he died, then so would I, and I wasn’t about to spend my afterlife being tortured by evil Titans.

“Alright.” I stepped back several paces until I hit the door. “Which bank is it and how much do you need?”

“Lerna, and I want a barrowful of gold. And Yana?” he drawled.

“Yes?”

“Put on your protective lenses,” he said with a smirk. “No vampire is getting inside your mind but me.”