“The silver,” Drake asked, though he already knew the answer. “Does it burn? Or merely drain your strength?”
“It burns like hellfire. And if it didn’t weaken me, I’d be on the other side of that door with my hands around your throat.”
Drake grinned inwardly as he turned on his heel and left the dungeon. He had no doubt that Zack Ravenscroft would make a formidable enemy. The worst part was that he found himself liking the other vampire in spite of everything.
Chapter 22
Zack cursed long and loud as he sank down on the cold stone floor. If Kaitlyn’s father was going to kill him, why the hell didn’t he just do it and get it over with? Anything would be better than this.
He wondered again how many people—mortal or vampire—had been imprisoned here. Suffered here. Died here. The floor beneath him reeked of old blood, urine, and excrement; the very air was fetid with the scent of death.
Leaning his head back against the wall, Zack closed his eyes and tried to distance himself from the stink that surrounded him, the pain that knifed through him with every movement, every breath. Knowing it was useless, he tried to dissolve into mist, but the silver rendered him powerless, helpless.
And he hated it.
Kaitlyn had asked if he liked being a vampire. He had never really answered her, other than to say that, given a choice, he wouldn’t go back to being mortal. The fact was, he loved being a vampire. He loved the physical power it gave him, the enhanced senses, the ability to read minds, to change shape, to will himself wherever he wished to go. He loved the anticipation and excitement of the hunt. He loved holding a woman in his arms, reading her thoughts, giving her pleasure even as he filled himself with her essence. And yes, if he was honest, he loved knowing that he held the power of life and death in his hands. It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of, but there it was.
“Kaitlyn.” He felt her presence, recognized her scent, even before he opened his eyes. And she was there, her beautiful blue eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at him.
She moved closer to the cell, her hands wrapping around the bars. “Are you all right?” It was a silly question. She could feel his pain, see it in the depths of his eyes, the tight lines around his mouth.
“Oh, yeah,” he muttered, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Never better.”
“I’m so sorry for all this. Zack, why did you come here?”
“I’d think that would be obvious,” he said quietly.
Kaitlyn sighed, touched by the warmth in his voice. “You must have known my father wouldn’t be happy to see you.”
He shrugged, then winced. “I had to try, Katy. I missed you.”
“My hero,” she murmured.
He snorted softly. “Some hero. So, why was your father so insistent that you come home? It wasn’t just to keep you from me.”
“No.” Grimacing, she sat cross-legged on the floor. “My father killed one of his half brothers before I was born. And then you killed Daryn . . .”
“Another brother?”
“Yes. Daryn and the brother my father killed had the same mother. Nadiya. Apparently she’s decided to avenge herself on my father for the deaths of her sons.”
“And your father’s afraid she might use you to get to him.”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“It’s not hard to figure out.” Struggling to his feet, he moved closer to the bars, the shackles that bound his ankles rattling over the stone floor with every step. “He did the right thing, bringing you here.”
“How can you say that?”
“It’s what I would have done, in his place.” Zack reached through the bars, one hand caressing her cheek. “You’re his only daughter, after all, and he loves you.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh. What would she do if her father destroyed Zack? If that happened, she would lose the two most important men in her life, because she would never be able to forgive her father if he destroyed Zack. Never.
“How are your hands?” Zack asked, remembering how the silver had burned her skin earlier.
“Fine.” She held her hands up so he could see her palms. “Silver has never burned me before.”
“Like I said, I think your father infused the chains with some sort of vampire mojo to make sure I couldn’t escape. He probably didn’t expect you to be poking around up there.”
“I knew you were nearby,” she said, a note of wonder in her voice. “I could feel your presence. I heard your voice inside my mind. I could feel what you were feeling.”
“Must be lots of fun now,” he said, grimacing.
“It’s only fair, since you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me.”
“True enough.”
“Kiss me, Zack.”
“Here? Now?”
“What if we never get another chance?”
“Good point.”
It wasn’t easy, squirming around, leaning forward far enough to be able to press his lips to hers, but it was worth it. Her lips were cool and sweet and for that brief moment, he forgot he was bound with silver and locked in a putrid cell in a dungeon, forgot that every breath might be his last.
Chapter 23
Drake sat in front of the hearth in his Fortress apartment, his fingers drumming on the arm of the chair. He had a decision to make, and for the first time in years, he wasn’t certain that doing the right thing was the right thing to do.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Elena asked, perching on the other arm. She had been watching him for the last ten minutes, waiting for him to confide in her. “Or are you going to make me guess?” Although guessing wouldn’t be necessary. She knew exactly what was bothering him.
“It is Zack Ravenscroft, of course,” he muttered irritably.
“Ah.” No surprise there, she thought.
“Yes, ah! Dammit, I like him.”
“Really? Well, that does make things more difficult, doesn’t it?”
“You have no idea,” he said, his voice little more than a growl. “He seems honest and forthright. If he was lying to me, I could not tell.” He blew out an impatient sigh. “He claims to love Kaitlyn.”
“Claims to love her? Honestly, Drake, why else would the man come here? If he intended to harm her in any way, I’m sure he’s too smart to try it here, under your very nose! Besides, if he meant her any harm, wouldn’t he have done it before this?”