Crimson vow

old buildings and crumbling stone. It was the kind of night stories were made of-old s

wasn't afraid o

slick against the wet cobblestone. The sound of her heartbeat

an. Not

ng in b

ng the scrape across her palm. The only thing that mattered was getting away. Away from the manor.

ld as the marble floors she'd grown up walking on. "You will

And honor meant nothing w

rn, nearly slippin

Pain. Air knocke

it the gr

arm before she c

yourself killed?" a d

ut her instincts screamed danger. She

little rabbit," the voice drawled.

finally

is leather coat. Pale skin. Dark hair that curled just past his ears. And

mp

ered, trying to

s head. "But I'm curious. Who runs through a vampire

rt thudded ag

ur business

e," he said.

one a

e smirked.

t wa

a gloved hand. "You look like you'

dn't t

t warning, he threw his coat over her shoulders and stood. "You'll

," she hissed. "Why

s playing across

you already ran away from the worst va

ry, laced with somethin

o I am," she

o the mark on her wrist, a shimmering crimson s

ood Co

ame for a

staste. "You're promised t

na fl

let you go,"

" she spat. "I

just

The city rumbled beneat

e to the rooftops. "W

em-the scrape of claws, the low growl of

the darkness. Mo

ding his hand again. "You want to

a hesi

she t

nd cold, like stone

y r

eping buildings with closed shutters and silent windows. No one

g a sound. Evelina tried to keep up, the adrenaline

into an old chapel-long abandoned, its stained glas

et go of

fe for now

to a broken pew. "Wh

nst the crumbling

aybe I hate Thorne more than I

ed. "You

es darkened

se, thick with

were coming back," Ev

were bred to track blood contra

a targ

target the moment you were

hed the mark

t be r

N

eart

wrapping around him like a second skin

ha

g cla

eath c

ou'll be bound to him for eternity. His power will roo

ha

elf. Not e

s blood

ptly. "Then I

he a

ll come

en n

be in danger

rp as a dagger. "Danger

et it. This isn't a game. He'll

ped to a whisper. "

saw it. A flicker of something broken and burnin

e?" she asked,

n't answer

someone like you die. And I

s heart

" she

didn'

chapel doors, pushing th

id over his shoulder. "A

he

hide you. Maybe ev

of the pew. Her whole world had shattered in

a mystery. But something in her chest

her onl

... her o