Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl #1)(24)

Asher frowns. "Of course I have but—" his eyes widen. "You're not suggesting what I think you are?"

Fen nods. "The only way is if one of us let them in."

"Fenris, this is a serious accusation. You're suggesting that one of our brothers not only plots to kidnap Arianna, but also helped aid in our father's murder?"

"I'm not suggesting it," Fen says. "I'm saying that's exactly what happened."

"If you're right, then why share your suspicions with me? How do you know I'm not the guilty party?" Asher asks. "For that matter, how do I know it's not you?"

"You know it's not me because I don't want to be High King. And I'm pretty sure it's not you because I trust you more than most. That and you had plenty of time with Arianna in her world and never made a move. You could have made it much easier to kidnap her, but you didn't. So it must be one of the others."

The princes lock eyes with each other. I might as well not be here but for Baron standing by my side. The ramifications of what they are saying slowly sinks into my mind. I have to spend a month with each brother. If one of them is a traitor, then like it or not, I will eventually be kidnapped. And I still don't know why the princes wanted me here to begin with.

"I get why the Fae are after me. Basically you put a target on my head when you decided I, and only I, could decide the fate of this kingdom. But you still haven't explained why you chose me. Why am I so important to you?"

Asher frowns. "To answer that would require bringing our father back from the dead. He dictated the terms of the ascension in his will. He is the one who negotiated the contract for your mother's soul. And he is the one who demanded you be brought here to marry one of us before a new reign could occur. We don't know why, and it has caused a considerable amount of unrest amongst our brothers, who are not happy their fate—and this kingdom's fate—rests in the hands of a human girl."

"Which is why," Fen says, "we must leave this place. I need to get you to my realm, where you will be safe while we sort this out and figure out who has betrayed us."

Fenris nods to Asher and turns to leave the room. Asher reaches for my hand. "Be safe, Arianna. I will see you again soon."

I follow Fen out, his wolf trailing by my side, and he takes me to the castle's entrance. A chandelier hangs overhead, made of crystal branches and glowing leaves casting shadows against the walls. The doors are tall, wide, made from thick wood and carved with a tree symbol. Fenris opens them and Baron nudges me through.

It's still dark, well past midnight, and the sky is bright with the moons and stars. Once again I'm taken to a boat. "Is this really the fastest mode of transportation you have?"

"Yes. Get in."

It's a lot easier in pants and boots than a dress and heels. The wolf leaps in next to me and lays his large head on my lap as the boat begins to magically move through the water. It's a warm night, which I wasn't expecting. I slip off my black cloak and lay it by my side. "The air smells different here," I say. "More... dry than your realm did."

Fen raises an eyebrow. "You have a tracker's nose. That could be useful. We are about to enter Niam's land. The Prince of Greed, as you might know him. It's a desert land that doesn't provide much in the way of export, but does manage all the commerce in our kingdom."

"So Niam is the tax collector? He must be popular."

Fen chuckles. "You could say that. He's also the banker. All things money, that's Niam."

We travel through his realm, and though it's dark, I can make out the city hub through the waves of sand. It's beautiful in its own way, with a cathedral in the center made of sandstone and a marketplace littered with colorful booths displaying wares. Right now they are closed up, but I can imagine the bustle of it all.

I have so many questions, but I'm exhausted and too tired to ask them right now. Fen is leaning against the pillows with his eyes closed, but I can tell he's as alert as ever. Does this man ever relax? I'm thinking no.

I mindlessly pet Baron, who snuggles in closer to me, his nose nudging my hand for more affection.

"There must be something special about you," Fen says.

"Because of your father's will?"

He opens his eyes to look at me. "No. Because of Baron. He's never taken to anyone but me before. I found him when he was a pup. Raiders from the Outlands had killed his litter, but he survived by some miracle, though he was nearly dead. Our healer said he was touched by a special magic, but that his condition was grave. I nursed him back to health, never leaving his side for nearly two weeks. If he likes you, which clearly he does, there must be something special about you."

"Is that why you intervened with Dean? Because your wolf likes me?"

"I told you why I did that."

"To protect me? I don't think that's the whole truth. Dean has quite the effect on women, doesn't he?"

Fen grunts. "Not just women. But yes. He does. It's part of his demon charms."

"And what are your demon charms?" I ask.

"Killing."

"Huh. That's less charming than you might imagine."

The landscape changes around us as the desert begins to transform into a more tropical, lush setting. "Who lives here?" I ask. There's a sensual quality to this realm that permeates the sights, sounds, colors. From the boat we can see the city's center, and unlike Niam's realm, this place is still lively in the middle of the night. Women walk around in bathing suit tops of gold, silver and purple, with thin, sheer, colorful scarves of fabric draped around their lithe bodies. The men are dressed in less, bulging muscles oiled and glowing under the lights. Music plays, a deep rhythmic beat, and many dance, the movements nearly sexual as the bodies rub against each other. "Wait, let me guess? Lust?"