A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(56)

Caspian stood before me, elegant in dark blue, his hands behind his back, glaring at me.

Judging by the muscle twitching in his firm jaw, he’d heard everything I’d just said. His jade eyes drilled into my soul, and I felt terrible. He’d sort of apologized earlier in the morning, but my anger had yet to subside. Nevertheless, I had to admit, at least to myself, that I’d been a little too harsh with my ten-foot pole reference.

The embarrassment burned through me, but my ego refused to subside, not in front of Caspian. He raised a critical eyebrow at me, and it was all I needed to swiftly regain my composure and raise my chin in defiance.

“You can make that a twenty-foot pole, in fact,” I announced primly, before walking off.

I turned the corner without looking back and headed down the stone stairs, eager to put more distance between myself and the mansions. Well, between myself and Caspian. It was too late to take back what I’d said, and my heart was jerking frantically beneath my ribcage. I needed to get away from him so I could think clearly again. I couldn’t even focus anymore.

The sound of footsteps behind me made me turn my head. Two Correction Officers were following me, keeping at least ten yards between us. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

“Of course, because that’s what I needed most—your henchmen shadowing me,” I muttered as I reached the level below.

I quickly pulled my head cover on, along with my mask and goggles, then made a sharp left turn through a narrow alley, then a couple more, and quickly climbed the wall of a house, crouching on the edge of the roof and watching as the Correction Officers ran farther down. They’d already lost me.

I scoffed, shaking my head, before continuing the rest of my descent leaping from one roof to another. I broke a few shingles in the process, but no one saw me as I moved through the levels, hopping over houses and stores. The afternoon sky turned from orange to deep violet, the sun slowly dissolving beyond the gorges.

The Correction Officers were well behind and unable to track me by this point, probably lost somewhere on the upper levels, while I cat-jumped my way to the sturdy roof of the Broken Bow Inn, sliding down awnings where the terraces were too wide for me to simply jump over.

I gently slipped down the southern side of the wall, nicely shaded by a patch of pine trees growing from the side of the mountain and stretching their thick branches over the inn. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Caspian’s Correction Officers.

He’d brought more of them out since Minah’s murder, but I still wasn’t impressed. If anything, they were a little too easy to lose. I turned to get to the front of the inn and take the rest of the stairs to the infirmary… but bumped into Caspian.

He was still firm and solid like a rock, and his head was cocked to one side, an amused glimmer in his eyes. I took my head cover, goggles, and mask off in a single move, given we were both under the trees’ shade, and gawked at him for a long moment.

What was he doing here, and how had he traced me? I hadn’t caught a single glimpse of him on the way down, and I found myself stunned.

“Caspian.” I exhaled sharply. “What brings you to this side of the neighborhood?”

“Well done, Miss Hellswan.” He smirked. “That was impressive.”

“What was impressive?”

I wondered if playing dumb would annoy him. I felt like pulling his strings for a bit, because I didn’t like how he’d managed to follow me without me seeing him. It made me feel vulnerable to an attack, and I hated feeling that way. I’d spent my whole life building up my defenses, and I didn’t enjoy watching Caspian tear them all down.

“You’re quite agile and light on your feet,” he replied. “My COs are generally not to be toyed with, and yet you did exactly that.”

“Not to be toyed with? I think you’re overestimating your henchmen.” I scoffed, then crossed my arms over my chest and took a step back. My temperature felt like it was rising with only a couple of inches between us. I needed air. “Why were they trying to follow me?”

“It’s for your protection.”

I laughed hard, as if I’d heard the best joke ever.

“Yeah, I’m not buying that,” I retorted, regaining my composure. “At least try not to take me for an idiot. I may not be of high society, but my brain has top-notch synapses. Don’t insult my intelligence.”

Caspian took a step forward, getting dangerously close and lowering his head. I could see my reflection in his jade eyes.

“Despite my general conduct, which you might refer to as ‘abrasive’,” he said, his voice low and deep enough to make my spine tingle, “I really don’t want anything to happen to you or your friends. I must now reiterate that you consider leaving this place behind and head back to Eritopia. You can even go tonight. I’ll bid the Lords farewell on your behalf, and get them to agree on relocating Azure Heights.”

I held my breath, finding it hard to navigate my thoughts with his lips so close to mine. I didn’t yield, though, and poked his chest with my index finger.

“You know, the more you say that,” I shot back, “the more suspicious you come across. I’m not going anywhere until I find out what it is you’re hiding, Lord Kifo.”

He frowned, his gaze so intense it could probably be harnessed as a laser.

“You shouldn’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, Miss Hellswan,” he replied. “You might—”