Bad Blood (50 page)
“The final cost of what?” Chrysabelle cinched her robe a little tighter as she entered. Her hair was dry. Maybe she’d changed her mind about showering. The look in her eyes said she understood perfectly well what they were talking about.
He didn’t want to fight with her. But neither did he want to ignore something so important. Velimai glanced at him, her expression plainly asking him to drop it. But he couldn’t. This was too important. This was Chrysabelle’s life. Her future. “The final cost of what’s going on with you. With the ring’s power in your system.”
“The ring’s power was destroyed when Atticus melted it down. I told you I’m fine. If you can’t accept that, maybe you should go.”
He canted his head to one side, trying to quell his building frustration. “Chrysabelle, don’t be—”
“It’s my house,” she said quietly. “I’ll be whatever I want to be, understood?”
He stood, thankful there was no sun in the sky to keep him captive here. “Let me know when you’re ready to be someone who wants to face reality, because if you think the ring’s power and my blood in your system aren’t somehow responsible for you still being alive, you’re wrong. And we need to figure out what else it means before something new happens. Tatiana’s still out there. The first sign of weakness in you and she’ll exploit it. You think she won’t?”
Her face went slightly ashen. “You don’t want me to have a moment’s peace, do you?”
He rolled his eyes skyward. “I just want to figure this out. To help you.”
Help yourself. Bite her. Drain her
.
She crossed her arms like a shield against him. “Yes, I know how you help. Like the time you followed me to the Aurelian. And the time you put your blood into me to save my life. Your help is never really that helpful, is it?”
He came closer, staring down at her maddening glow. “You’re still breathing, aren’t you?”
“Yes. And I’m tired of the air smelling like vampire.” She turned away. “Go home, Mal. If I need you, I know where to find you.”
Every cell in his body ached to fire back. Raw anger kept his mouth shut. He didn’t need to be told
twice. He stalked out of the house and slammed the door behind him. The voices raged like drunken carnival revelers.
Maybe the voices were right. Maybe it was time to let Chrysabelle go. Let her deal with her life on her own.
If only he could get his heart to agree.
HOUSE OF COMARRÉ
“Gripping, gritty, and imaginative. If you love dangerous males, kick-ass females, and unexpected twists, this is the series for you! Kristen Painter’s engaging voice, smart writing, and bold, explosive plot blew me away. Prepare to lose some sleep!”
—L
ARISSA
I
ONE
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Kristen Painter brings a sultry new voice to the vampire genre, one that beckons with quiet passion and intrigue.”
—L.A. B
ANKS
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Painter scores with this one. Passion and murder, vampires and courtesans—original and un-put-downable. Do yourself a favor and read this one.”
—P
ATRICIA
B
RIGGS
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Kristen Painter’s
Blood Rights
is dark and rich with layer after delicious layer. This spellbinding series will have you begging for more!”
—G
ENA
S
HOWALTER
,
New York Times
bestselling author
OOKS BY
K
RISTEN
P
AINTER
House of Comarré:
Blood Rights
Flesh and Blood
Bad Blood
Anathema:
a noble vampire who has been cast out of noble society for some reason.
Aurelian:
the comarré historian.
Castus Sanguis:
the fallen angels from which the othernatural races descended.
Comarré/comar:
a human hybrid species especially bred to serve the blood needs of the noble vampire race.
Dominus:
the ruling head of a noble vampire family.
Elder:
the second in command to a Dominus.
Fae:
a race of othernatural beings descended from fallen angels and nature.
Fringe vampires:
a race of lesser vampires descended from the cursed Judas Iscariot
Kine:
a vampire term for humans, archaic.
Libertas:
the ritual in which a comarré can fight for their independence. Ends in death of comarré or patron.
Navitas:
the ritual in which a vampire can be resired by another, to change family lines or turn fringe noble.
Noble vampires:
a powerful race of vampires descended from fallen angels.
Nothos:
hellhounds.
Patron:
a noble vampire who purchases a comarré’s blood rights.
Remnant:
a hybrid of different species of fae and/or varcolai.
Sacre:
the ceremonial sword of the comarré.
Signum:
the inlaid gold tattoos or marks put into comarré skin to purify their blood.
Vampling:
a newly turned or young vampire.
Varcolai:
a race of shifters descended from fallen angels and animals.
Meet the Author
A Preview ofCOPYRIGHT
Out for Blood
Published by Hachette Digital
ISBN: 9780748121311
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Kristen Painter
Excerpt from
Out for Blood
copyright © 2012 by Kristen Painter
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
Hachette Digital
Little, Brown Book Group
100 Victoria Embankment
London, EC4Y 0DY
