Vengeance (The Captive #6)(76)

The woman’s fingers seized hold of his chin, careful not to touch the blood drying there. Her lengthy, blood red nails rubbed over his torn flesh. His jaw jutted out as he held the eyes of the woman staring mercilessly at him. She could have his head ripped off before he blinked, but he was counting on her deciding to keep him alive in order to draw Aria and Braith out by using him as leverage.

She had to keep him alive, he had to get free of here; Braith had to know what he was going to be up against. For once in your life, keep your mouth shut and play nice, he told himself. It would kill him to do so, but this woman didn’t come across as the type who handled any kind of insolence well.

“So you are the imposter queen’s brother.” Her sweet, girlish voice was entirely out of place with the rounded, sensuous curves of the woman across from him.

“The queen is my sister,” he replied. So much for playing nice, but then he hadn’t spit at her feet and called her a bitch like he longed to do, so he believed it was an improvement. “My twin actually.”

“Twins,” her green eyes lit with keen interest at the word. “They say twins have a special bond.”

“I believe the imposter is the one who turned him from human to vampire, your majesty,” Kane murmured demurely from beside him. William sneered at the man; he’d known he was a coward, he hadn’t expected him to be such an ass-kisser too.

“Hmm,” the woman said in a purring tone of voice, her index finger tapping against his chin. “Is this true, did your sister change you?”

“She did,” William confirmed.

The woman’s full, blood-red lips pulled back to reveal all of her perfect white teeth. The regal red cloak she wore was of the same fine quality as Goran’s and emphasized her pale complexion. “That makes your bond doubly special, doesn’t it?”

William refused to respond, she already had her answer. She was unlike anyone he’d ever seen before; yet, there was something strangely familiar about her. His eyes narrowed as he searched her broad cheekbones and slender nose for some spark of memory as to where he might have seen her before, but he knew there was no way they could have ever met before. Even if he’d still been human, he would have felt the wash of power she radiated, and he didn’t think he would have survived an encounter with her.

Then what was it about her that was so familiar?

“Who are you?” he inquired.

A malicious smile curved her mouth. “That’s for me to know my dear.” The woman’s fingers slipped under his chin and lifted it up. He stared into eyes the color of grass on a late spring day as she bent closer to him. “What brought you to our town?” she inquired.

His gaze flickered toward where Kane stood. She followed his gaze, a smirk curving her mouth. “And what did you do?” she asked of Kane.

“I mistakenly believed I’d killed the bastard,” he replied.

A small laugh escaped the woman; her gaze came back to him. Her fingernail scraped against his flesh, drawing beads of blood when she began to stroke under his chin. “So you came for revenge?”

“I did,” William said.

“It looks as if you may have gotten some.” She glanced back and forth between him and Kane before leaning so close to him that a strand of her floor length, black hair tickled his cheek. “How did you get into our town?”

“I walked,” he replied.

“No one could walk down that street without my people knowing they were there. How did you get here?”

“I’ve been following Kane’s trail for weeks, hunting him through the towns. I was born and raised a rebel and lived amongst caves and forests for most of my life. I’ve found my way into places far more challenging than your town.”

Her eyes burned into his as she pondered his words. Her fingernail slipped away; she grabbed hold of the healing skin on his chin before ripping it away to the bone again. His teeth clamped together as he fought back a snarl. The last thing he needed was his arms snapped by the vampires holding him, or torn from his body by the woman across from him. He would need them sooner rather than later.

“I see,” she murmured. “Pity you aren’t a true vampire; you would have been a strong addition to our growing army. You may come in handy before it’s all said and done, and I’m sure you’ll be fun to play with.”

William’s upper lip curled in revulsion when the woman’s gaze raked him in a lascivious way. The warm color of Tempest’s doe eyes flashed through his mind. This woman was perfect in her icy beauty, but the idea of ever having to touch her made his stomach turn.

“I don’t play nice,” he growled.

Her fangs glinted in the light when her lips skimmed back in a smile. He didn’t think he’d ever seen fangs so long or razor-sharp. “I’m counting on it,” she replied; her tongue slid over her lower lip and flicked over her fangs before they receded into her gums. “In fact, that’s the way I like it.”

He’d rather be killed outright than be used in such a way, but there was still a chance he could escape this mess. “Take him to the prison and lock him up with the others,” she commanded. He’d been somewhat expecting this, but had been hoping she would find somewhere within the hotel to imprison him. It would be easier to escape a hotel room than a cell, but at least he would be further away from this woman and her cohorts.