Vampire Girl 3: Silver Flame Read Online Free PDF Page B

what you were until we brought you here. This isn't your fault. Never blame yourself."
    I nod, wiping the tears from my eyes. "We don't have long. We must leave. Levi will know we've escaped as soon as he gets to my cell."
    That's when Fen looks down at me and notices I'm wearing only a cloak. "What happened to you? What did he do to you?" A growl forms deep in his throat, and the new tattoo on his stomach glows a slight pale blue, radiating his magic.
    "I'll explain later. Right now we have to go."
    Fen presses his lips together but nods, reaching for my hand as we climb back into the secret passage. He returns the stones to their proper place and we make haste through the dark, hidden halls as quickly and quietly as we can. I know he has many questions, as do I. They will have to wait.
    As we pass one door, Fen stops and holds up a hand. "We need our gear. Our weapons. Normally they’d be in the armory, but ours are a special case, so they should be kept here." He looks down at my feet. "And you won't get far without some clothes and shoes."
    I can't argue with that. I'm limping along as it is.
    He pushes through the door and peeks out, then ushers me in. It's Fen's quarters, though it's clear Fen's not the one who's been sleeping here. "Levi has taken my place," Fen says with venom in his voice.
    I look at the disheveled bed and unfamiliar clothing that litters the floor and I seethe with rage. "That bastard."
    Fen opens a few trunks until he finds what he's looking for. He hands me Spero—my sword—and the dagger Daison made for me before he died. Then he hands me clothes. "They will be too big, but they're better than nothing."
    I shrug them on over tender skin as he also undresses out of his rags and into his leather armor. Light but still offering some protection. I try to look away when he's naked, but don't quite succeed. He catches me staring and smiles for the first time since the dungeon. "There will be plenty of time for that later, Princess."
    I'm flustered but don't turn my eyes away. "I hope so."
    And I mean it. I'm tired of waiting. Tired of second guessing. We aren't guaranteed any kind of future. I want to live my life now. Which means being with Fen. Loving him. Regardless of what the future holds. I spent so much time worrying about who would make the best king, I failed to consider that fate might conspire to take the choice from me altogether. I almost lost him once in the battle, and again at the hands of Levi. I won't lose him to my own foolishness now.
    He raises an eyebrow at me as he pulls on his clothes. He says nothing with his mouth, but so much with his eyes. For a moment it's almost easy to forget everything that's happened. Everything we are running from. We are in his room. We are safe. We are together. But we can't let our guard down. He takes three long steps and is standing in front of me. He raises his finger to my cheek and runs it down my jaw. "This face, these eyes, this mouth, filled my thoughts every moment I was imprisoned. I feared I would never see you again."
    I reach for his hand and hold it against my face. "I'm not so easy to get rid of."
    He leans in and his lips find mine. It is a moment I have dreamt of every night. The feel of him. The taste of him. I don't want it to end. I want to lose myself in his embrace. But we are nearly out of time. We could still be caught. We could still be killed.
    We pull away from each other with great reluctance and grab our swords. It's time.
    It doesn't take us long to make our way out of the castle. Fen knows even more secret passages than I; this has been his home for longer than I can even imagine.
    I show him the note, and he nods and leads us to the barge. I can see the questions in his eyes, but we both know this isn't the time. First, we must escape and get somewhere safe.
    I have no idea where that somewhere is, but I know it's not here.
    The moons are high in the sky by the time we make it to our meeting place: the docks, which