Page 26 of Midnight Queen

Silas stiffens at the sight of his foe, but he doesn’t make a move toward him.

Gideon’s hands have been chained to his ankles behind his back. His face has been badly beaten, but he’s still conscious. His dark gaze darts around the empty room like he’s looking for something, but when he comes up empty, he glances in our direction.

“You brought a friend, Silas. I’ll admit I didn’t see that one coming.” Gideon chuckles to himself like he finds it truly comical. The sound still sounds so forced and unnatural to my ears. “Here I thought all the people in your life who liked you enough to help you were currently indisposed.”

The Irishman’s face crinkles. “Likeis a strong word.” He shoves Gideon’s body with his foot, forcing him farther into the room. “And whether I was here or not, he would have found a way to get his hands on you. One would think you’d know that already since you’ve been plotting your revenge for a century, but then again, you really aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed, are you now, Gideon?”

Gideon’s wild eyes clash with mine like I’m the one who insulted him. His lips lift in a snarl, the tips of his fangs exposed. It’s the same look he had when he took the knife to my chest, and it instantly makes my stomach drop.

Before I’m able to open my mouth to give a warning, a roar escapes from Gideon and the chains that have been wrapped around his body snap. In a flash of chaotic movement, he’s on his feet and barreling toward us.

Everything happens so fast, my exhausted brain struggles to keep up with it. One second, I’m in Silas’s arms and the next I’ve been placed on my unsteady feet. In the time it takes me to inhale my next breath, Silas is colliding with Gideon. Silas’s hand grabs onto the other vampire’s face and with a movement that looks effortless, he brings the psychotic vampire to the ground.

The back of Gideon’s head hits the floor first, followed by the rest of his body. My own bones shake from the collision. The concrete breaks underneath Gideon, and cracks spread out across the flooring in a way that reminds me of a spider’s web.

I’ve seen my fair share of human fights but watching two vampires with their enhanced speed and strength fight is something else entirely. My simple human eyes struggled to keep up with their quick movements.Each blow they take to their bodies makes the entire building rattle. I find myself holding my breath as I’m helpless to watch.

Gideon’s foot swipes out, kicking Silas’s legs out from under him. Silas appears hardly bothered by the attack. He’s back on his feet within a second, but still, I’m worried for him.

Without thinking, I take a step toward the feuding vampires as if I could step in and help Silas. My bare foot just leaves the concrete floor before the tattooed vampire is suddenly standing in front of me, blocking my way. “That doesn’t seem like the wisest decision, now does it?”

Unsure of who he is exactly, I retreat back from him. “Someone should help Silas,” I argue.

The blond man’s head tilts back as he laughs. “Help him? Darling, Silas doesn’t need help, nor does hewanthelp. He’s beencravingthis fight since the second you were taken from him. So, we’ll let him have his moment.” He pauses, his light-brown eyes with flecks of gold appraise my bloody and almost bare form with keen interest. “It’s truly adorable you think you can help though. I’ve seen how much fight you’ve got in that tiny body of yours, but unfortunately it isn’t going to cut it right now.” My skin crawls at his admission. The very fact that this mysterious man just confirmed that many other strangers watched the footage of my time here. “A brave little thing indeed.”

The fighting stops for a second, the sound of metal scraping across the ground fills the sudden silence. Looking around the Irishman’s body, I find Silas using the discarded chain to lash Gideon’s body. Each aggressive blow and grunt of pain makes me cringe inside. The tattooed man in front of me, however, doesn’t look fazed in the slightest.

Pushing down the unease, I question him, “Who the hell are you?”

“Ah yes, I forgot that we haven’t been formally introduced. We’ve been discussing nothing but you for twenty-four hours. At this point I feel like I know you so well we could be long-lost friends.” His perfect white teeth show as he grins at me. “I guess it’s only fair I introduce myself. My name is Lorcan, but friends like you can call me Lor.”

“I’m not your friend,” I remind him immediately.

A cocky grin splits his face. “I suppose we aren’t yet, but it’s only a matter of time before we are. Besides, officially I’m not Silas’s friend either, but he still calls me Lor. Has since I first met him many,manyyears ago.”

I should feel more cautious of him, given my latest experience with a vampire that wasn’t Silas, but I don’t. Even with the alarming amount of blood that coats him, the longer I stand in front of him, the more comfortable I become in his presence.

“Silas doesn’t really have friends,” I remark as the ache in my chest begins to intensify. The adrenaline from falling and reuniting with Silas is starting to evaporate and the relief it was providing me is leaving with it. I know touching an open wound is never wise, but my shaky hands reach up on their own accord. The second my fingertips touch the torn skin; my stomach rolls and a rushing sound starts in my ears. Looking down at my hand with now fuzzy vision, I find my fingers coated red. I swallow hard, forcing the nausea to stay down before I find the strength to utter, “I think I’m going to pass out.”

The sentence isn’t fully out of my mouth before my knees buckle and I feel myself falling for the second time tonight. This time, hands catch me under my arms, and I’m lifted back up.

“Falling for me already, Quincey? I won’t tell Silas if you don’t,” he speaks, but his words hardly make sense to me. Lorcan lifts me up and begins to carry me away. I’m suddenly too exhausted to argue with him, and I have no choice but to allow it to happen. Over his shoulder, I watch as Silas, a long metal pole in hand, stalks toward Gideon, who lies on his stomach on the ground.

I blink, trying to keep my vision clear and the darkness that threatens to overtake me at bay. With his fangs bared and midnight eyes full of fury, Silas lifts the pole up above his head before piercing it through Gideon’s middle. From here I can tell it went all the way through the villainous vampire and into the flooring, effectively impaling him in place.I know I should be feeling something about what I just witnessed, but I’ve suddenly grown numb—I’m too tired to feel anything.

I’m placed gently down onto a stack of empty crates. My body lurches forward, depleted of all strength but once again, hands are there to keep me upright.

“Silas, stop toying with him and get on with it already,” Lorcan hollers, but his voice sounds funny. Like he’s yelling through a tunnel.“Your girl is fading fast. She needs a doctor.”

My eyes close for only a second before hands are holding either side of my face. I attempt to jerk my head away from the unwanted touch, thinking it’s the Irish vampire, but when lips press to my forehead and I hear, “It’s okay, my love. I have you now.” I relax and lean into Silas’s touch.

I feel myself being lifted off the crates before I’m once more cradled in his arms. “He doesn’t get to die here,” Silas speaks darkly, his chest vibrating. “It’s too easy. I want him taken to the church. I’ll deal with him there.”The church?

“You got it,” Lor responds, sounding farther and farther away by the second.

“I’m going to pass out,” I cut in with a slur, feeling the need to warn Silas so he’s not alarmed. He’s felt enough of that over the past day. He shouldn’t be forced to feel it anymore. Even in this state, I want to do what I can to alleviate his worry.

“I know. It’s okay,” he promises. “You’re safe now. I’m not going anywhere. You can close your eyes,Mon Soleil.”

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