“Are you the only one with a car on the island?” I question.
Reign turns down a street, and people move out of the way, not that Reign even attempts to slow down. “Mostly. I prefer the outside world’s choice of transport and clothing. What about you?”
“I can’t say I’m a fan of the dresses,” I admit, picking at the sari I have on. “I envy your jeans and shirt.”
“I will find you suitable clothing to keep,” he replies just before slamming the brakes on the car, and I jolt forward, the seat belt hurting my neck. Not making any apologies, he flips up the handbrake and opens his door, climbing out and disappearing with vamp speed. Swiftly, I undo my seat belt and climb out my door, my boots smacking against the stone. Several people stop to stare, a mixture of vampires and humans, I think. I try to ignore them and head around the car, seeing that Reign hasn’t waited for me, but a door is kicked open. Taking a wild guess the prince has gone that way, I gingerly walk into the house and into a front sitting room. Reign stands in the middle, easily commanding the space, and there is a very pretty vampire woman on her knees in front of him, bleeding from her nose. Did Reign punch her?
The woman has long, almost white-coloured hair and bright grey eyes that watch over me.
“Of course, your majesty. It would be a great honour,” she is saying to Reign. Reign turns his head back, meeting my gaze and pointing to the door at the back of the room. I don’t give the vampire woman a second glance, running to the back door and pulling it open. The smell hits me right away, the metallic tang of blood and just an awful stench of god knows what. I hold my nose as I walk into the dimly lit room, and I stare in shock at the sight of Arlo chained up at the back of the room. His wrists and ankles are chained to the brick wall, and dozens, if not hundreds, of bite marks litter his bare chest and legs. In fact, every part of him looks bitten, and he looks so pale.
A sob leaves my lips as I run over to him, picking up his fallen head and checking for a pulse on his neck. When I feel it, I breathe out a shaky sigh.
“I’m going to look after you,” I whisper and kiss the top of his damp hair. I look over my shoulder and raise my voice. “Reign, I need your help!”
Reign is in front of me in seconds, his vampire speed making it impossible for me to have tracked his movement. He looks me over before turning to Arlo, frowning for a moment. He lifts his arm and bites harshly into his wrist, blood pouring out all over his mouth and dripping onto the floor in front of us.
“Will your blood heal him?” I question. I’ve gathered as much, but I don’t know for certain.
“I’m surprised my brother has not forced you to drink from him to heal you,” Reign replies. “He usually likes to break his toys and put them back together, unaware of the internal damage wreaked.”
“He offered me blood when he marked me, which I refused, and he fed me when I passed out on the auction stage, but otherwise, no,” I explain.
Reign doesn’t seem happy with my answer, but he gives no comment, only lifting Arlo’s head and forcing him to drink the blood, even unconscious. After a few seconds, he lets Arlo drop once more, and I look at his wrist, seeing he has already healed. Damn, they heal quickly. Reign grabs the chains around Arlo’s ankles, snapping them off like paper and doing the same to the ones on his wrists before picking Arlo up over his shoulder. Following Reign out of the horrible room and back into the posh living room, the vampire woman stands up and bows her head.
“I hope he makes a brilliant new addition to your home, Prince Reign,” she states, licking her bottom lip. “I enjoyed my time with him.”
I grit my teeth, clamping my hands into fists and begging myself not to try to punch a vampire. Arlo needs rest and to get the hell out of here; otherwise, I would most likely lose it. My anger and temper have never been something I’ve gotten used to.
“You speak a word about this to my brother, I will kill you when you least expect it. Do you understand?” Reign coldly states to the woman. She looks between Reign and me before falling to her knees.
“I serve only you, Prince Reign. This is your territory, and I chose to come here, to serve you. May the true king of The Onyx live,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. They really do love their royals here.
“Be true to your word,” Reign replies and walks out. I glance back at the woman, who hasn’t lifted her head. I know she did terrible things to my friend. A boy I grew up with. Someone I love as family.
“Learn to be better than the monster you were created to be,” I tell her. “Because in the end, someone will judge you, and that judgment is one many wish to pass.”
I turn away and leave, gulping down the sickness I feel in my throat, mixed with a tiny bit of hope because I have Arlo now and a deal with a relatively safe Prince. The street is now filled with vampires and humans, and all of them are on their knees bowing. So many of them fill the street like a silent wave as Reign dumps Arlo across the back seat of the car. I climb in the back with him, pulling his seat belt on as best I can before doing my own. As Reign gets the Jeep going, I lift Arlo’s head onto my lap and brush some strands of his blood-soaked hair away.
He looks in turmoil, even as out of it as he is. If we ever do escape this island, I know what happens here will forever haunt us either way.
Chapter Nineteen
Arlo sleeps the entire journey out of the city and into the thick forest on the opposite side of the city, away from the mountains and Maddox’s castle. The forest is full of trees so high that I can’t see the tops, and the ground is littered with fallen branches, leaves and bushes. There is no clear path, but Reign seems to know his way through the trees, never once stopping the car, but it’s clear why he has a Jeep. It might have been lightly snowing on the mountain, but there isn’t snow here, it’s just freezing cold outside, making the windows foggy. Arlo stirs a little bit, and I softly brush my fingers across his forehead, which seems to make him settle down. The car ride is bumpy for a few minutes, and I hold onto Arlo tightly to make sure he doesn’t fall off just before we come out onto a smooth road. I peek out the window, wiping some of the condensation away, to see a cliff with a modern house built onto the edge of it. The house looks like something from LA, with tall glass windows, white brick pillars, and black outlined doors. Perfectly cut bushes line the road to the space in front of the door where Reign comes to a stop.
“I will carry him in and show you where you will live,” Reign announces like he has overthought the idea. “Other than a housekeeper who comes twice a week, there will be no one else here, and I don’t want my privacy interrupted. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I quickly reply. I don’t want to be around him any more than he does me. I smile tightly at Reign as he scowls and pushes his car door open before walking around the Jeep. Opening the door, he looks in at us and unclicks Arlo’s seat belt before picking him up over his shoulder. Arlo groans but doesn’t move as Reign kicks the door shut. I quickly escape the car and jog to keep up with Reign, who speed walks to his front door and kicks it open.
He really loves kicking stuff.
I don’t get much of a chance to see the inside of the room before we are heading up the glass staircase in the middle of it and around a corner. Kicking another door open, Reign heads inside a bedroom that is covered in white sheets. He unceremoniously drops Arlo on the bed and walks back to me.