The Vampire Oath by Ali Winters

Author:Ali Winters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rising Flame Press

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CLARA

“I need your help,” I say again.

“Mmm,” she hums, gaze narrowed. Her wrinkled skin nearly swallows up her eyes. “I can see that. No one seeks me out unless they are desperate with no other options.”

“No one?” I ask.

Ophelia chuckles. “The price of magic is steep, far more than any ordinary mortal can afford, and higher still than most vampires are willing to pay.” She scratches her dry cheek with cracked nails. “What could possibly be worth the payment for you?”

I swallow the lump of fear lodged in my throat. I still have nothing to offer. “I need to free someone from the queen’s compulsion.”

Her eyes glitter with curiosity. That has to be a good sign.

“Who exactly needs to be rescued from her clutches?”

Inhaling deeply, I say, “The crown prince.”

The oracle throws her head back and laughs. “Why would a human try to save the prince of vampires from his fate?”

I fight back the surge of panic threatening to take over and lift my chin in determination. “No one deserves to be trapped that way. I—” I stop myself from saying too much. “I was told you could help.”

Her lips press into a tight line. “Who would know to send you to me?”

“It isn’t important,” I say.

She knows what I want—that’s all that matters. Would anyone willingly help someone sent to them by a demon?

A wrinkled hand shoots out and tangles in my hair, dragging my head down with a painful tug until the scent of mint leaves fills the space between us.

“Who sent you?” she half-growls, twisting harder until my neck is at a painful angle, and I think she might rip a fistful of strands out by the root.

“Varin… Varin sent me.” The demon’s name comes out breathy and strained.

Ophelia releases me. Her expression gives nothing away. I stumble back, catching myself on the iron stove. My breath catches as I wait for her decision.

“A human traveling with vampires who would rescue their prince and consorts with powerful demons. That is an unlikely combination I did not see coming.” She talks quietly, more to herself than to me. Her pale eyes dart back and forth as if calculating things I can’t even begin to guess at. Finally, she heaves a sigh and says, “There is nothing I can do for you. You’ve wasted your time.”

Ice fills my veins. Varin sent me to her… all for nothing. “Why?” I demand.

She scoffs. “You expect a lot, child. To act against the queen is no small thing—and you ask me to do so without payment.”

“Anything,” I say hastily. “Name your price, and I will gladly pay it.”

White brows arch high on her forehead they almost touch her hairline. “Anything?”

Words stick in my dry throat, so I nod.

“That is a dangerous thing to offer,” she warns.

Cassius said as much.

“I don’t care.”

“You may not like the price. I could ask for your sight, your mindless obedience, or the next fifty years of your life. Breaking a compulsion is a fairly simple spell but it takes a considerable amount of magic that is worth more than you can afford.

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