Free A Shade of Kiev 2 by Bella Forrest Page A

cool fingers ran along it, it emitted a dull red glow, coming alive beneath his touch. Finally, he removed his hand and showed me his palm. His brand—identical to mine, in the center of his palm—glowed red too.
    “We bonded ourselves for a reason,” he said softly, his face barely a few inches from mine. The intensity of his black eyes made my breath hitch. I wanted to look away, but something about them had arrested me completely. “Do you not remember that? What happened to your fire, Mona? We used to be so good together. We accomplished… so much.”
    I stood up, knocking his hand away from me. Turning my back on him, I looked out toward the ocean.
    “You think you know why I want you back,” he continued. “Yes, since we are bound, it can’t be denied that we are stronger when we are together in service of the Ancients. But more than that… I do still love you, Mona.”
    I never loved you. We were childhood friends, and all you ever did was take advantage of that history we shared.
    I shivered as he slid his hands around my waist and breathed against the nape of my neck.
    “I can make this nightmare disappear,” he whispered into my ear.
    You are the nightmare.
    “I can give you back your powers. Give you back your life. Nobody you care about needs to be harmed again. All I’m asking you is to come back with me. Come home, my queen.”
    I didn’t know that I had a choice anymore.
    I don’t know anything anymore.
    In that moment, I felt weaker than I’d ever felt in my life. All my resolve disintegrated as his strong hands enveloped mine.
    I felt exhausted from resisting what seemed destined to be. I’d tried to live apart from him. God knew, I’d tried. It had only ever ended in disaster—harming those around me I loved most. My parents. My sisters. Brothers. Cousins. My entire family… and then that vampire.
    There was no way to save my family, but maybe, if I gave myself up now, Kiev would still survive. Maybe he wasn’t dead already. Maybe it wasn’t too late to save him.
    Rhys always did speak of sacrifice for the greater good of our kind.
    I’d not accepted until today that maybe it was time to surrender.
    Perhaps it’s just time to accept that I am that sacrifice.

Chapter 13: Kiev
    A few hours later , my front door opened and shut. I climbed out of bed to see Celice walking toward me, wearing a silk nightgown. Her dark hair hung down to her shoulders.
    “Shh,” she said, raising a finger to her lips. “It’s quiet in the castle now. Almost everyone is in bed. We could leave now. Nobody would know.”
    I stared into her determined brown eyes. She was right. I could take her now. We’d disappear into the night. I thought about what a difference she would make to Matteo and everyone else’s lives at their island. No more watching over the walls. No more living on edge, in fear of Elders deciding to come for them. No more attacks. No more living underground to hide from the sun in those filthy tunnels. After everything I’d put him through, I couldn’t let him down.
    “Just say the word,” she whispered, approaching me closer and standing on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around me. “I’ll make us disappear.”
    I didn’t know how my siblings would react if I told them that I was in alliance with Matteo. That I’d sworn to lead their island to sanctuary. And part of this was that they needed a witch.
    They’re your siblings, Kiev. Even if they are enemies with Matteo, they should grant you this request because you’re their brother.
    I detached her hands from my neck and placed them by her sides.
    “Not yet,” I said.
    “Why not?” she said, crossing her arms across her chest and stamping her foot on the ground.
    “I need to speak to my brother and sister. I can’t just leave with you without gaining their permission.”
    “They don’t control me,” she seethed. “I don’t need their permission for anything.”
    I rolled my eyes at her indignation.
    “All right,