Blood Oath
na's
ough his smirk haunted me like a curse. Not because of my father, who called me a peace offering like I was a bottle of aged whiskey. Not even because of the dress still clinging to the chair
gs and chambers like arteries in a beast, and most of the windows were sealed or barred. My roo
childhood. Inside was a faded photo of a woman with my eyes and a folded piece of paper I'd never dared to open until
when
mach d
had planted that message in the locket I'd worn since I wa
cked the note back into the locket,
was information. That m
ed tightly over my shoulders. My father was already seated at the head of the long tabl
e. "No. You're worse. You're sentimental." I ignored the insult and reached for a piece of bread. "I want to visit the greenhouse,
I wan
a Roman nose, and eyes too kind for this world. He followed me like a shadow as we walked toward the back of the estate. I kept g
ping my tone innocent. "Since I was seven
nty-
ou li
faintly. "
ever tried
to mine, sharp no
smoothly. "It
le
ack tulips bloomed among the roses. I noticed something that made my pulse
ng
til the manor slept or
e stone floors as I slipped through the corridor, a satchel slung across my shoulder. Inside: cash s
, and into town. From there, I'd find a phone, call a cab, and vanish. I did
air smelled of mint and earth. My breath clouded in the cold as
cre
fr
ps. Beh
me to see Luca emer
known," he
me
ightened.
n't und
a hand.
n symbol etched into it. He held it out to me. "Your mother gave me this the night
ha
r did, to follow you-not stop you."
you," he
yes. "I don't ev
fierce. And k
ed down. "I'll give you a five-minute he
ts. My breath was ragged, lungs on fire, but I didn't stop. I ran until the
'd taken from one of the staff desks. I dialed a random cab company I'd seen on a kitchen flier. An hour
essed in black-on-black, eyes like frozen steel
hand closed over mine. "Cute," he murmure
did y
call
ckled. "Don't be mad. He did
lanned
ons. You made it further than I expected." I tried to shove him. "Let me go."
N
your pr
id. "You're
en, to my shock-he smiled. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you in, Ros