Page 19 of Crown of Death

I nod. “Cornelius,” I say. “Cornelius Rath. Eli for short. Why would you call him by his lastname?”

There’s a slight sparkle in the man’s eye and an amused smile begins curling in the corner of his mouth. “Cornelius. I don’t think even Henry knew his real name, ifEliis telling you thetruth.”

Henry. There is another one of those names I know has meaning, but don’t understand the historyof.

I’m beginning to realize that maybe I don’t know very much about mylife.

A tiny moan pulls my attention to Eli, who still sits slumped over, his eyesclosed.

“Right,” the man says. “I suppose we ought to get the entire purpose of this trip over with beforeCorneliuswakes and makes things much moredifficult.”

He offers a hand to me. Looking up into his eyes, I see that there is no other option than to take it. I place my hand in his, and there’s a vibration that surges through my entire body at the connection. Ice. Fire.Time.

My eyes widen as I look up at his and I stand. His widen just slightly, staring at my hand. And I wonder if he felt it,too.

“It will be over in just a moment,” his voice comes out wispy, full ofanticipation.

And suddenly, he raises my wrist. Sharp fangs lengthen and sink into myflesh.

Searing pain rips through my body, but the next moment, I find myself falling instantly still. The man’s arms wrap around me, holding me upright. And a thick fog sweeps through me, numbing my body, numbing mybrain.

I hear him make a little sound. An excited moan. Another, harder, moreinsistent.

And then he releases me. My brain only begins to register my surroundings when I see him lick over the puncture wounds in my wrist, and they immediately closeup.

“She’s Royal,” the man breathes. I blink, finding myself face to face with this man and his black-green eyes. “Throughbothsides. Mother and father. A descendant of Dorian andMalachi.”

My head rolls, my muscles weak and tired. I blink,slow.

Wakeup.

Open youreyes.

So I do. I force themopen.

And stare into this man’seyes.

“Two Royal bloodlines,” he breathes, warming my face. My skin tingles. “There has not been word of a female Royal Born in over ten years. Not since AsterDawes.”

And I see things in his expression now that were not there just moments ago. Reverence. And something that looks inexplicably likehope.

“She still has so much life ahead ofher.”

My head whips to the side to see Eli’s head rising, his dark eyes watchingus.

“It doesn’t have to happen yet,” he says. There’s defeat in his eyes. Agony. Failure. “Please give her a little moretime.”

“Did you know?” the man says accusingly. He still gently cradles me against his chest, supporting me while the strength returns to my legs. “Did you know that both her bloodlines wereRoyal?”

Eli’s eyes just stare darkly at the man. His lips press into a thin line, his jaw clenchedtight.

“Do you know who her father is? Her blood is both of Dorian and Malachi. Alivia is a descendant of Dorian, so he must be of Malachi.” His tone grows more frantic. Moredesperate.

“Alivia never told me who the man was,” Eli—Rath says. “Only that she knew he was aRoyal.”

But instead of being angry, this man’s breathing only grows harder in excitement. I feel it sparking off of him in waves. A tidal wave that could take both of usunder.

“Please,” I breathe, finally finding myself again. “I don’t understand. Who are you? Who is it you think Iam?”