“She likes the attention.” Nicholas yanked me through the opening to the tent. Except for the wooden furniture and the rugs and lanterns, it was empty.

I reached out and yanked his hair as savagely as I could. “Okay, what the bloody damn hell—”

He put his finger over my lips, silencing me. He shook his head once.

I narrowed my eyes. “It’s like you think I won’t bite you,” I muttered, but I nodded my head to let him know I understood. He kicked a Persian rug over to reveal a wooden door leading to what I assumed was one of the tunnels. I followed him down the stairs, into the cold damp darkness, hoping I wasn’t being one of those stupid girls in a horror movie.

My fists were clenched and I was getting ready to fight when Nicholas pivoted to face me. “Lucky,” he said, his voice breaking.

I lowered my fists. “Are you you? Really you?”

He caught me up against him. His hold was just as strong as before, but it was gentle, restrained, and honest.

Nicholas.

“I missed you,” he said hoarsely.

I wrapped my arms around him, not nearly as gentle. He dipped his head, slanting his mouth over mine. The kiss didn’t meander or hesitate, it went straight to fire. I was a drought-dry field and Nicholas was the spark. Our tongues touched and I felt it all the way down my thighs and into my toes. He backed me up against the wall, one hand on my waist, the other flattened on the stones by my cheek. I couldn’t get close enough. I finally had Nicholas back, and he wasn’t lost or missing or broken. He was right here, kissing me, as desperate to touch me as I was to touch him.

I had no idea how long we’d been clinging to each other but I finally had to pull away to catch my breath. “Oh my God,” I exclaimed finally, smacking him in the chest. “You scared the crap out of me, Nicholas Drake!”

“I know,” he answered, his lips still hovering over mine. “I’m sorry. But bloodslaves are either obediently adoring or terrified. I needed you to be one or the other. And since a vampire can smell the difference, I chose the latter, ” he added drily. “I didn’t think you could pull off obediently adoring, even if your life depended on it.”

I didn’t bother answering, I just kissed him until he shifted against me and suddenly we were lying on one of the cots. He pressed me down into the thin mattress, hands roaming wickedly. I ran my fingers over his back, under his shirt, letting the moment take us out of the world, out of vampire politics and death threats and the heavy jagged weight I’d been carrying since he first went missing.

I touched his cheek. “I really missed you,” I said, blinking when my eyes started to sting.

“Hey,” he said softly, half grinning. “Are you crying?”

“Shut up,” I replied, wiping my cheeks. “I don’t cry over boys. Not even Drake boys.” I sat up reluctantly, straightening my clothes. “We should stop. Fate of the world and all that.” He groaned, still kissing my neck. I ran my fingers through his tousled hair, just because I could. “What happened to you?”

He paused, closing his eyes briefly. “It’s not important.”

I twisted to stare down at him. “Are you nuts?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face and pushed off the cot. “I’m okay now.”

I swallowed, trying to dissolve the lump in my throat. “But you weren’t okay before.”

He met my gaze. “No,” he replied quietly. “I wasn’t. When you talk to my parents, and I know you will, tell them someone named Dawn is behind the kidnappings and at least some of the Dracula Killer crimes.” He helped me to my feet, brushing his palm over the puncture marks of his fangs at the crook of my elbow. His expression stilled, went stark. “There’s no excuse for what I did.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, don’t be a drama queen,” I said lightly. I knew if I let him, he’d spiral into guilt and blame.

He gave a short, startled laugh. “Lucy.”

“Well, come on, extenuating circumstances and all. Besides which, we have way worse to deal with, so cheer up.” “Great,” he said.

“Are we secure down here?” I asked. It was a mark of how dire the situation was that he didn’t tease me for sounding like I went to Vampire Hunter High.

“Not secure enough.” He sighed, taking my hand. “So come on.”

He led me through the tunnels, doubling back when his vampire hearing picked up sounds I couldn’t hear. Torches burned sporadically and moisture seeped through the walls, staining the cement and the tiles. We passed a few doors and metal stairs leading up into the forest. He kept going until he came to a hole in the wall that I wouldn’t have seen in all the thick shadows. I scraped my elbows and knees wedging myself through it. On the other side was a small circular room, just big enough for a cot and a wooden chest. A rope ladder led to a trapdoor set in the ceiling.

“Is this where you’re sleeping?” I asked. For some reason, the lonely space with the twisted blanket and the candle he crouched down to light made me sad.

He shrugged unconcerned. “It’s safe. And Solange keeps trying to compel me to stay closer to the family tent.” He looked up at me. “For some reason, I can resist her now. Well, it’s getting harder but for a while I didn’t feel compelled. ” He paused, the light making his eyes glitter. “Why are you smirking?”

“Because for once I actually know something,” I said, dropping down onto his bed. “And it’s such a nice change from not knowing anything about anything.”