Memory of an Immortal Heart (Immortal Hearts) Read Online Free Page B

wish, my lady,” he said,
bowing. He meant every word. He had been sent to protect Rohe, to watch her. It
was not in the Courts’ best interest to leave either the Kaspian or the
Winterbourne free to talk. Free to act . Not after what Rohe had done to
them.
    Escaped
prisoners made for uncontrolled enemies. Uncontrolled enemies were dangerous.
Corin King turned to leave, to gather his soldiers and hunt his quarry. The
ashes of something old and distant stirred in his chest, as they did every time
he began a hunt: anticipation. Corin King had been born to hunt.
    “Strategoi.”
    King
paused at the threshold. Rohe was facing the windows again, the long fall of
ice-blonde hair shimmering over her shoulders like a veil.
    “Yes,
my lady?” His voice was toneless as her own.
    “I find
I am bored. If you will not see to my entertainment, then send someone who
will.”

 

Chapter 2
    Eva
woke to warm darkness and the sensation of someone much larger – and more
dangerous – looming over her. Despite how she despised her weakness, she
forced her body to stay relaxed, taking groggy stock of the situation.
    It felt
as if a truck had hit her. That was nothing new. But Eva could still fight. Or
run. Her feet felt swollen, pulsing with pain, but if Eva was running from
Rohe, then she could run forever. If she had to.
    And the
concrete floor was soft beneath her… Wait.
    Eva’s
brain woke up and she just kept herself from stiffening. The floor? No,
this was a bed. They put me in a bed . And the harsh lemon scent of hotel
soap – a scent Eva knew far too well– pervaded her senses as if
someone had cleaned her body.
    Rohe’s
guards had cleaned her and put her to bed.
    No. On
a bed .
    Eva
panicked, barely keeping her body from tensing. No – no, no no. As
long as she hadn’t challenged Rohe, she had been safe. There had been a line
Eva had known never to cross, a line she had taken pains to avoid – a
line that had allowed her to escape this . After that first time, Eva had
been careful – very careful – not to even toe the line.
    The
first time she had gotten free of the table restraints and struck Rohe across
the face, Rohe had given her to the guards to drink.
    As a
guard leaned to take her neck, Rohe had smiled down at Eva, saying, “If you
will not play with me, then you will play with everybody . Your first
warning, pet.” And then her smile vanished – it was a monster’s smile
anyway – and the guard had frozen with his teeth touching her skin.
Everyone feared Rohe, even – no especially – the guards.
“Well, idiota ? Will you not feed? It is not everyday someone will feed
the likes of you ,” and Rohe had tapped a thigh with one of her scalpels,
as if contemplating using it on the guard. Then those fangs had sunk into her
flesh…
    Eva
snapped back into the present as a large hand brushed her hip, turning her body
onto her chest; her heart began to thud until she realized that someone was
examining the gravel abrasions on her back. Her terror grew and she resisted
the urge to clench her thighs together. As long as they thought she was asleep,
she was safe. Two deep voices were speaking in a foreign language and Eva
sucked in a breath as her stomach twisted.
    There
was a masculine, spicy scent to the air. Eva struggled against it, confused. It
was as if, somehow, she recognized that scent. Because that scent
– everything about that scent – told Eva she was safe. That she
could relax and sleep, and know that she would be safe and protected.
That she could trust this scent. Eva desperately wished it were true. But she
knew better than to cling to stupid hope or blind fantasies.
    It had
to be one of Rohe’s tricks. It had to be.
    Because
she wasn’t safe. Never again.
    But if
they were going to rape me, wouldn’t they just do it on the floor? Why
bother with a bed?
    And
none of Rohe’s guards would have cleaned her. Or be touching her so… gently .
    This
wasn’t right. Nothing about this situation