His gaze hardened, and a chill tiptoed down my spine. I had no idea what he was thinking, but the odd look he gave me made me wonder if I’d made him suspicious. But no, that couldn’t be right. Vasilios was well aware of how I felt about him. In fact, allowing him to put his hand on my shoulder would be far more suspect than leaping away.

  “My apologies,” he said finally. “I won’t make that mistake again.” A pause, then, “You have about five more minutes to shower. After that, we’ll need to get back. We can’t be gone longer than half an hour, or someone will notice.”

  I glanced once more at the open-plan bathroom and swore under my breath. I would have to give in, wouldn’t I? Not only because I couldn’t stand to stay in my soiled clothes another day but also because it was a small step in pleasing Vasilios, and the more I pleased him, the more likely he was to reveal his secret schemes.

  “Fine, turn around,” I said gruffly.

  “You’d swear I was asking you to bathe in piss,” Vasilios commented wryly, though I heard the triumph in his voice. He’d won that round, and he was pleased about it.

  I made sure he was facing the wall before I quickly undressed and turned the water on. It was a relief just to be out of that dirty, torn jumpsuit. I brought it into the shower with me, figuring I’d wash it and put it back on wet. Being a dhampir, I wasn’t as susceptible to pneumonia as humans were, and wearing wet clothing was preferable to putting dirty ones back on.

  I stepped under the spray, and blessedly warm water cascaded down my face and body. It was a convenience I’d taken for granted my entire life. Never again would I fail to appreciate the simple pleasure of getting clean. There was a bar of soap and some shampoo. I squeezed the shampoo onto my clothes and quickly washed and rinsed them, watching the water turn pink as the blood seeped from the fabric. I wrung everything out, then hung each item over the shower railing to dry.

  I focused on scrubbing my body and my hair next. Beyond the shower curtain, I heard Vasilios moving around, and my skin prickled. What was he doing out there?

  An awareness fell over me, and I grew self-conscious that I was naked while he was beyond the curtain waiting for me. Was he still facing the wall, or had he turned around? Could he see the outline of my naked body? A shiver washed over me, and I quickly finished up. I reached out to grab a towel before wrapping it around myself and a smaller one around my hair. When I reached up to retrieve the clothing I’d left hanging over the shower railing, I froze. It was no longer there. I pulled the curtain back and found Vasilios was gone, too.

  Panic struck. Where the hell was he?

  Had he decided to play some kind of schoolboy trick by stealing my clothes and abandoning me there? Fury bubbled up, but it quickly dissipated when I spotted my red jumpsuit folded neatly on the bed. Upon further inspection, I saw that the torn parts had been mended, and it was dry as a bone. Vasilios had used his magic to mend and dry my clothing, and I couldn’t help being touched. Some suppressed emotion bubbled up, lodging firmly in my throat.

  Ugh, get a hold of yourself.

  I was busy putting my clothes back on and towel-drying my hair when a familiar scent hit my nose. I stilled. At once, my entire body ached with need, every vein singing for sustenance. There, on the nightstand, someone had left a single drop of blood. No, not someone. Vasilios. He’d left it there to tempt me, to weaken my resolve, and it took everything inside of me not to dash across the room and inhale it.

  I couldn’t move because if I did, I would head straight for that blood.

  “Vasilios?” I whispered, but there was no response. He’d left, and I could only hope he’d made sure the barred door that led back to the main part of the prison was unlocked. Otherwise, I had no way of getting back in.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on my breathing, but all I could hear was my heart pounding inside my chest, my hunger a beast that raged to be fed.

  I didn’t know how long I was standing there when suddenly my willpower snapped. I lost control, and within less than a second, I was across the room, licking up the drop of blood as if my life depended on it. It tasted strange, but not in a bad way. Vasilios was from another dimension, and his blood was like none I’d tasted. It was dense and powerful, similar to Peter’s, but with an unusual aftertaste. I could taste the magic within it, but it was a wholly different kind of magic. Peter’s magic tasted pure, like good intentions. Vasilios’s didn’t taste like bad intentions. Instead, it sat somewhere between the two … like morally grey intentions.

  My body hummed with the power from that single drop, my remaining injuries healing within seconds. I flexed my hand, stunned by how swiftly my strength had returned. I stretched my arms up over my head, feeling supple and lithe. Not a single ache or pain. Sifting my fingers through my hair, the damaged part of my scalp had healed. There was still a bald patch, but it wasn’t sore or tender anymore.

  Swiftly, I left the room and hurried down the empty corridor. My body was infused with energy, and I couldn’t tell if I resented Vasilios or was glad he’d left it there for me. I’d direly needed it, and yet, there was no way I’d allow myself to feed from him directly.

  I suspected he knew that, so he gave me a chance to take his blood without any kind of intimacy involved.

  I ran my fingers through my still-damp hair as I approached the barred door and found it unlocked. Thank the heavens! I had no means of locking it after myself, but hopefully, Vasilios would return later and lock it so that no guards or other prisoners discovered it open.

  I was headed toward my cell when I saw a gathering of elves ahead. Cassandra was among them, and when one of them spotted my approach, they whispered in her ear. She turned, surveying me with fury in her eyes. It was obvious I’d showered, and she was steaming mad about it. I knew it as soon as she stomped her way toward me, her expression enraged as she demanded, “Who the hell let you use the showers?”

  I straightened my shoulders and met her gaze head-on. Now that I’d washed, was wearing clean clothes, and had new blood in my system, even if only a drop, I felt renewed. I wasn’t the weak, desperate girl she’d encountered yesterday. I was ready to take her on.

  Elves had psychic abilities, but they weren’t as strong as dhampirs, and right then, I felt strong. I was powered by Vasilios’s magical Oreylian blood and fury that she’d denied me the simple act of entering the shower rooms.

  I tilted my head at her, feigning confusion. “Nobody. I had what you’d call a sink bath.”

  “You expect me to believe that? You’re practically glowing.”

  I leaned close to whisper in her ear. “That’s because I fed. I’m not the weak, starving girl you picked on yesterday, so watch yourself.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “Interpret it however you like. Just get out of my way.”

  Her eyes narrowed, then a cruel smile shaped her lips. “I’ll tell. I’ll tell everyone who you really are.”

  I reacted without thinking. My hand shot out, grabbing her by the neck as I slammed her into the railing. The only thing preventing her from falling was my vicelike grip on her throat. She gasped for air as the other elves hurried over, begging me to let her go.

  “Please don’t kill her,” one woman begged. “Whatever she said to you, she didn’t mean it. Cassandra just likes to mouth off.”

  I ignored them all, my gaze steely and locked on Cassandra’s. I dug my fingers in, and I knew it had to hurt by how she gurgled and struggled for breath. I leaned in close, my voice a low whisper when I said, “You forget what you know about me, or I’ll let you drop.”

  Her expression showed her internal struggle, but finally, she spat a reply, “Fine, fine. I’ll forget, I promise.”

  “And don’t bother plotting any payback. I might be in here, but my father is still powerful. I can have the guards put you in solitary confinement for weeks if I choose.”

  Her eyes bugged, and she nodded as best she could. Happy I’d frightened her enough to stay out of my way, I released my hold on her neck and shoved her to the ground. Her friends hurried to her side, fussing over her as I walked away.

  I found myself smiling, a sense of delight at how I’d overpowered her. I was swept up in the feeling of triumph before the reality of what I’d just done kicked in, and my smile fell flat. I’d acted like a monster back there, no better than a bully, and even though it was necessary to get her off my back, I worried about the part of me that enjoyed it.

  I’d enjoyed it far too much.

  12.

  The following day, I found Vasilios and Sven sitting in their usual spot in the dining hall. Breakfast consisted of cornmeal, the same lump of dry bread, and a tiny scrap of meat of indeterminable origin. As always, I was too hungry not to eat every bite. I sat down next to Vasilios and began spooning up the cornmeal. It tasted like bland nothing, but I shovelled it down nonetheless. My attention was fixed completely on the food in front of me, so I didn’t immediately notice the silence from my two dining companions.

  “What?” I asked as I glanced up. They were both staring at me, Sven with curious interest and Vasilios with something far more intense that I didn’t wish to analyse.

  “You’ve been so covered in filth these last few days that I’d forgotten you are, in fact, beautiful,” Sven said. I blinked at him. What he’d said could be taken as a compliment, but his tone told me he’d stated it as mere fact. I swallowed and self-consciously ran a hand through my clean hair. It had dried into soft waves.

  I’d gotten a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, and when I woke up that morning, I decided to try a new tack. I would be civil with Vasilios. At least I would try my best.

  He said nothing when I turned my head to meet his gaze. I cleared my throat. “Thank you for the shower and drying and mending my clothes,” I said politely. “The barred door is still unlocked, though. You should probably try and lock it if, you know, you still have enough mojo left. Otherwise, a guard might notice—”

  Suddenly, he stood abruptly from the table. “I’ll do it now.”

  I peered at him as he left the dining hall, then brought my attention to Sven. “He didn’t even finish his meal.”

  Sven glanced at the half-eaten food. “Don’t worry. Vas will be back.”

  “Is that what you call him? Vas?”

  Sven nodded. “Where is your ghost friend? I find her furious barbs quite entertaining.”

  I looked around. “Must be off attending to other ghostly business still. Why?”

  He shrugged and scooped up some cornmeal. “I thought I might be able to get her to reveal how she died. Vas is convinced you murdered her in a fit of rage. Supposedly, you two were enemies?”

  “How many times do I have to tell you two that I was framed?” I grunted in annoyance. They were definitely gaslighting me with this. “And just to clarify, Belinda and I weren’t enemies. We went to school together, and we disliked each other. It’s not a cause for killing someone, but then again, I know you and Vas have a very different standard when it comes to what does and doesn’t necessitate a murder.”

  Okay, so I might’ve decided to be civil with Vasilios, but that didn’t mean I needed to extend the same courtesy to Sven.

  The demon vampire shrugged. “If you’d lived the lives we’ve lived, you’d have a different standard, too.”

  I stared at him, and he stared right back. I wanted to deny it, but I knew it would be a lie. I had no idea what type of person I was capable of becoming, especially after how brutal I’d been with Cassandra yesterday. Maybe a horrible, cruel woman was buried deep, deep inside me, just waiting for the right circumstances to be let out.

  “Why did Vasilios leave so abruptly just now? What’s going on with him?” I asked, changing the subject.

  Sven ate a bite of bread, chewed, then said, “Your beauty affects him in a way it does not affect me, I think. It’s also obvious by your sudden vitality that you drank the blood he left for you.”

  I bit my lip, self-conscious to discover that Vasilios had told Sven about the blood. I also didn’t know what to say about the other part, about him being affected by my beauty. Besides, it was probably a lie so I ignored it.

  “Believe me,” I replied. “I tried as hard as I could not to drink it, and I almost managed to resist, but then I lost the thin hold I had on my willpower. You’re half vampire, too. Surely you understand how maddening the hunger can be.”

  “I understand and know it well, far better than you.”

  “Who are you feeding from in here?”

  “There’s a witch who’s providing me with blood in exchange for sexual favours,” he answered, again very matter of fact. I was beginning to see that was Sven’s way. He didn’t beat around the bush, and I was a little shocked by his answer.

  “And you’re okay with that?” I asked.

  “She isn’t unattractive, and this way, I don’t have to feed from Vasilios, so we can both be strong. This is not a place for weakness.”

  “Why does he keep offering for me to feed from him, then? I mean, won’t it weaken him?”

  “It will, but he cares about your well-being.”

  I stilled. Vasilios had put him up to saying that, right? I was about to say I didn’t believe him, but I couldn’t refute it entirely. Vasilios had been going out of his way to help me, first by running off Serg, then by using his magic to fool Mack, and most recently by bringing me to shower and providing me with his blood. So, why did he frame me? Was it really as Sergeant Davis theorised? Vasilios wanted to get me imprisoned with him so that we could be together in some twisted way? Was that what he meant when he wrote in his letter that he had a plan for us to be reunited?

  I was still stewing on the question when Vasilios returned, took his seat, and resumed his meal. A few long moments of silence passed, with my gaze fixed on my tray.

  “You drank the blood,” he commented at last.

  His voice was subdued. I lifted my gaze, tilting my head in his direction. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t expect you’d do it. You were so adamant that you wouldn’t.”

  “What did you mean with that letter you sent?” I fired back, unable to stop the question from slipping out. I also didn’t want to talk about the blood. I hated that I’d been too weak to resist it.

  “I don’t know about any letter,” he lied, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Cut the crap. In the letter, you said you had a plan to reunite us, and now, all of a sudden, I’m here—”

  “Are you insinuating I had a hand in your conviction?” he asked, a thread of anger in his voice. “How? If I had any means of affecting events outside this prison I’d have been out of here long before now.”

  At that, I lost a little of my steam, realising I’d basically just tipped him off that I knew he set me up. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. I might as well keep going.

  “It’s very coincidental, is what I’m saying. And if it’s not true, then what did you mean by that letter? How could we possibly be reunited if not for me being sent here? And please don’t pretend you didn’t send it because I know you did.”

  He glanced at Sven, and they did that strange silent communication thing again like they could read each other’s minds. I knew that wasn’t the case, of course. They’d been together for over a century and could read what the other one was thinking from a look. Finally, Sven tipped his head as though giving Vasilios some kind of permission. Vasilios brought his attention back to me, his voice barely a whisper when he said, “Fine. I sent the letter. I had a strong burst of magic that day I was feeling a little melodramatic and theatrical.”

  “Right, so, what did you mean about reuniting us?” I prodded.

  There was a pause. Vasilios stared at me for a long, long moment as though trying to suss me out. Finally, he said quietly, “We’ve been working on an escape plan.”

  My eyebrows practically jumped up into my forehead. “What? How?”

  “We won’t be telling you that,” Sven stated just as quietly.

  “But you are welcome to come with us if you’d like,” Vasilios added.

  “That wasn’t part of the plan,” Sven complained.

  “It won’t make any difference if she comes. She’s fast and strong. She won’t weigh us down.”

  “Fine, but we’re still not telling her the details. She could decide to snitch,” Sven said.

  Vasilios turned in his seat to face me, his eyes holding mine. “She won’t. She wouldn’t betray me again.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “Because if you do, I’ll kill you.”

  I gaped at him, a tremor sliding over me. I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just saying it for Sven’s benefit, since the demon vampire clearly only agreed to let Vasilios tell me about their escape plan grudgingly.

  “I don’t normally give second chances,” he went on. “But for you, I’ll make an exception. There won’t be a third chance, however.”

  A chill ran down my spine. If my mission went according to plan, then I would have to betray him again. Although, if the offer to escape with them was real, and it certainly felt like it was, then how could Vasilios be the one who framed me? The only reasonable explanation was that he did it so we could be together, but it didn’t make sense if he planned to escape anyway.

  My thoughts were a jumbled mess, and I was more confused than ever. It was starting to feel like Belinda was onto something. Maybe Vasilios wasn’t the one behind her killing, and the whole thing was vastly more complicated than I ever could have conceived.

  I mustered my most humble expression when I replied, “I won’t betray you again. You have my word. And I apologise for saying it was your fault I’m here. I was just lashing out because I’m still trying to understand how my life was turned upside down so fast. It’s still a shock that I was sent here.”

  Vasilios studied me for a moment like he was trying to determine if I was telling the truth. He must’ve decided I was being honest because his expression softened. “Why don’t you tell us what happened, and we can help you figure it out?”