The Blood Prince by Josie Jaffrey

Author:Josie Jaffrey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, vampire, horror, lgbt, fantasy, paranormal, zombies, young adult, postapocalyptic, dystopian
Publisher: Josie Jaffrey

Julia started firing questions the moment Marcella had shut the bathroom door behind them.

‘Are you alright? Did he hurt you? Is Claudia alright? Have you seen her? What’s going on out there?’

‘Julia, please.’ Marcella leaned back against the door, closing her eyes for a moment. ‘I’m well enough. I don’t know about Claudia. I haven’t left this house since the Casting.’

That had been weeks ago, long enough to feel like a lifetime to Julia, and Marcella had spent every moment stuck in this house with Rufus. Julia couldn’t imagine it.

A Server joined them then, a rake-thin boy with sunken eyes but a cheerful smile. He was carrying two buckets of steaming water, and was followed by a couple of smaller boys carrying more. They filled the bath then left without saying a word, though Marcella nodded her thanks to them.

‘They’re not allowed to speak to me,’ she explained. ‘He tells them I’m too precious.’

‘He’s isolating you.’

‘Of course. He thinks it makes me easier to control, more compliant, and if Rufus loves one thing it’s being in control. He likes to make us dance, doesn’t he?’

Julia took Marcella’s hands in hers and looked her over, tracing the lines of violence on her skin. ‘I’m so sorry I left.’

‘But why would you come back? I thought you were Lucas’s Candidate now. I thought you were safe.’

‘None of us are safe, you know that. I came to get you out of here. He promised me an exchange. But it means…’ Julia sighed, but there was no other way. She couldn’t keep Marcella in the dark. ‘I have a plan to get us out of this. Not just you, but all of us. I need your help.’

Julia whispered Cam’s plan to Marcella while she bathed the scent of Lucas from her skin. Soon her brown limbs were pinked with the heat of the water, and she had run out of words.

‘So, will you help?’ she whispered.

Marcella smiled. ‘Of course.’

‘Then the first thing we need is the contaminated blood. It’s stashed in my mattress back at Livia’s. Can you bring it here once you’re free?’

‘Here?’

‘We start with him.’

Marcella nodded, but Julia was worried as she helped her out of the bath and into a linen. For someone who’d seen Julia kissing Rufus less than an hour ago, she seemed remarkably willing to trust. It would have rattled Julia’s faith had their situations been reversed.

Marcella slipped out of the room while Julia dried herself off, returning a few moments later with a stack of clean clothes.

‘What you saw earlier…’ Julia said. She caught Marcella’s eye, then looked away, pretending to be absorbed in drying her hair.

‘Do you think I’d judge you for it?’ Marcella asked quietly, passing Julia a clean dress. ‘Loathing is a force of attraction.’

‘I am not attracted to Rufus.’

Marcella shrugged. ‘He makes us dance. Your steps are different from mine, but you’re still following his tune.’

‘I’m doing what I have to do,’ Julia said, tugging the dress on over her head. ‘I’m making him believe what he needs to believe so he’ll let you go.

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