Prince of Twilight Read Online Free PDF Page A

surprise, her pounding resulted in the ceiling above her rising with every strike, and she realized belatedly that, while she might be in a box, she wasn’t locked in.
    The lid gave when she pushed it, and she’d barely had time to process that fact when it opened all the way, as if on its own.
    She could see at last, and what she saw was the man himself standing there, staring down at her. He looked harried, tired. His white shirt’s top three buttons were undone, and his hair was loose and long.
    Then he was reaching for her.
    She slapped his hands away and, gripping the sides of the box, pulled herself up into a sitting position, swung her legs over the side, narrowly missing him on the way, and jumped to the floor. She gave a full body shudder, then snapped her arms around her own body, tucked her chin and closed her eyes.
    He touched her shoulders. Her body reacted with heat and hunger, but she fought to ignore those things. “I’m sorry, Tempest. I fully intended to have you out of there by the time you woke, but I—”
    She punched him. Hard. Straight to the solar plexus. It gave her a rush of satisfaction to hear his grunt, and when she opened her eyes and saw him stagger backward a few paces, it felt even better.
    â€œBastard.”
    â€œTempest, if you’d let me explain—”
    â€œHow dare you? How dare you stick me in some fucking box like that? And why, for God’s sake? What the hell were you thinking?” She drew back a fist and advanced on him, fully intending to deck him again, right between the eyes this time.
    He had her by the forearms before she could swing, so she kicked him in the shin. He yelped but didn’t release her.
    â€œYou know, that’s what I like best about you freakin’ vamps. You feel pain so much more than humans do.”
    â€œEnough!”
    He shouted it, using the full power of his voice—or she guessed it was full power, but maybe not, maybe he had a lot more he wasn’t tapping into just yet. But either way, the sound was deep and as potent as if her head were inside a giant bell. It rang in her ears, split her head and temporarily deafened her.
    She pressed her hands to her ears and closed her eyes until the reverberations stopped bouncing around her brain. Then, slowly, she lowered her hands, opened her eyes, lifted her head. He was still standing there in front of her, staring hard, anger glinting in his jet black eyes.
    â€œI’ve told you, I’m sorry about the coffin. It was the only way.”
    She narrowed her eyes on him, about to cut lose with another stream of insults, accusations and possibly profanity, but then she caught a glimpse of the space beyond him, and she was shocked into silence.
    Stone walls climbed to towering vaulted ceilings. Inverted domes housed crystal chandeliers. Sconces in the walls looked as if they could hold actual torches. The windows were huge, arched at the top, with thick glass panes so old the night beyond them appeared distorted. Sheet-draped shapes were the only furniture in the place. And a wide curving staircase wound upward and out of sight.
    â€œThis is…your place?” She swallowed hard as she took in the dust and cobwebs; then, turning slowly, she started a little at the sight of the two coffins lying side by side, both of them open. “Doesn’t look as if anyone’s used it in a while.”
    â€œIt’s been a long time since anyone has lived here, yes.”
    Blinking, she went to the nearest window, passing a double fireplace that took up most of one wall on the way. Wiping the dust from the glass with her palm, she stared outside.
    The impression was of sheer height and rugged, barren rock. The moon hung low in the sky, nearly full and milky white. It spilled its light over cliffs, harsh outcroppings of rock and boulders jutting upward from far, far below. Beyond the cliffs, she could see grassy hills and valleys. But around this