Page 13 of Oath of Blood and Joy

I snagged his red hair, dragging him away from the man with enough force to make him snarl. My fingers tightened, wanting to punish him for his lack of control, for the pain he was causing her.

“Move, you fool.” I trembled dangerously with barely contained fury. My command left no room for argument, cutting through the chaos like a blade. I pulled him closer, close enough that only he could hear my next words. “You’ve done enough damage tonight.”

The mission was going to hell, and every second we lingered increased the risk. But the weight of Joy’s silent horror against my shoulder eclipsed even tactical concerns. The tears I could smell on her cheeks, the way her breath caught on suppressed sobs—each a painful reminder of the revelation still to come. And that was a conversation I wasn’t prepared to deal with while bullets were flying and our escape route was rapidly closing.

“Lorcan, I’ve got her.”

He stopped fighting with Maximo, who had a sword. He was quite gifted for a human, matching Lorcan stroke for stroke with unexpected skill. The Unseelie’s face showed rare surprise as he disengaged from the fight, dark magic swirling around his fingertips as he prepared to follow me.

Maximo stretched out his hand, his face contorted with rage and desperation. “No.” The word echoed through the blood-soaked hallway, chasing us as I fled with my prize. His voice carried a note of genuine fear that satisfied something primal within me—the predator recognizing the prey’s realization that it was too late.

“Guards!” he bellowed. “Stop them! Don’t let them escape with her!”

I burst out into the night air, the cool breeze a stark contrast to the stifling heat of violence inside. Joy’s heartbeat fluttered against my shoulder like a trapped squirrel, her scent—clove and vanilla—briefly overpowering the copper tang of blood that clung to my clothes and skin. I tightened my grip, feeling the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her gown. With my free hand, I grabbed Steve by his collar and tossed him outonto the ground. He landed with a dull thud, snarling up at me with blood-drunk eyes, his stained fangs still extended.

Behind us, the sounds of boots pounding against marble floors grew louder, accompanied by shouts and the metallic slide of weapons being drawn.

Stalker growled and snarled at the mansion entrance, his massive form silhouetted against the light spilling from inside. The wet sounds of tearing flesh punctuated his movements as he kept the first wave of guards from coming out. When he saw me, his dark eyes gleamed with recognition before he disappeared into the woods, his powerful muscles carrying him swiftly away, most likely returning to Trystan’s Moonmist Manor, just like I had planned. The soft padding of his paws faded quickly into the darkness.

“Lorcan, take Steve back to Court of Thorns.” My fangs ached behind my lips, demanding satisfaction I couldn’t afford to give in to yet. “If he’s left to his own doing, we’ll have more bodies than we can count.” I swallowed hard, tension coiling in my shoulders at the thought of what was to come. “Angelo is going to be furious when he finds out about this.” The mere mention of his name sent a chill along my spine despite the heat of battle still pulsing through my veins.

We were like brothers, but he was still the king and I had initiated a battle without his consent, but then, what would he do if the roles were reversed and it was Serenity being sold? He had literally gone to hell and back to save her. Could he expect me to do any less for Joy?

Joy twisted and turned. She was slipperier than an eel. “No, I want to talk to him.”

“Joy.” Steve stepped toward her.

I shoved him away from us. This wasn’t the time for a family reunion.

Lorcan put his sword underneath Steve’s throat, a blade glinting with an unnatural blue light. “It’s deadly to vampires. Come with me now.”

Steve glared at me, his pupils still dilated with bloodlust, but he allowed Lorcan to escort him away from Ravenwood Estate. Their shadows disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone with Joy.

I could hear the tires crunching on the gravel driveway on the other side of the mansion. The buyers were coming, their expensive cars purring up the long drive, but I doubted Simon would have an auction tonight. Not with all the carnage. The smell of blood would be impossible to hide, the bodies even harder to explain. He couldn’t afford to tell the buyers about us.

That would be his death sentence. Our world remained hidden for a reason.

“Enzo, please let me talk with him.”

Lorcan and Steve had already melted into the shadows.

I headed in the opposite direction. “No.”

Joy smashed her fist on my back with each word. “Then we have to save those girls.” She pushed her hands against my shoulders as she tried to get off my back. “My friend Zoe is still in here. All those girls?—”

Her pleas weren’t enough to stop me. Getting her to safety was all that mattered and we were too close to Ravenwood Estate. I refused to lose her again. I tightened my grip and pushed deeper into the swampy wilderness surrounding the property.

Sangue Realewas Angelo’s houseboat, and it was about fifteen miles from Ravenwood Estate, deep in the bayou where the water ran black as midnight and cypress trees created a natural barrier against unwanted visitors. Simon wouldn’t know of its location. The Santi family had kept it secret for generations, a place of refuge when needed. By car, it wouldhave taken about a half hour navigating the winding, poorly maintained roads, but using vampire speed, I was able to get there within fifteen minutes, my feet barely touching the ground as I raced through the night with Joy safely in my arms.

I paused at the edge of the clearing, taking a moment to catch my breath—not that I needed to. Joy’s face was partially illuminated by the sliver of moonlight filtering through the cypress canopy. Her usually vibrant features were now etched with worry, shadows accentuating the delicate curve of her cheekbones. Despite everything, a quiet determination shone in her eyes, reminding me why I’d been drawn to her from the beginning. Her heartbeat, strong and steady against my chest, grounded me in a way I hadn’t expected.

I gently put Joy down in the living room once we were inside theSangue Reale. Relief flooded over me that she was safe, away from those assholes.

She shoved me hard, her small hands connecting with my chest with surprising force, but it didn’t even move me an inch. Her frustration radiated from her like heat waves, her scent sharpening with anger and distress. “What did you do? Why did you keep me from my brother?”

I cocked my eyebrow and crossed my arms, my blood-stained shirt pulling tight across my shoulders. A mixture of amusement and irritation flared within me at her accusatory tone. “What? No thank you?” My fangs threatened to descend as I spoke, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through my system.

She stepped back, panting. Her pulse jumped erratically, the sound filling my sensitive ears like a tantalizing drum. A flash of fear flickered in her eyes as she took in my appearance—the blood spattering my clothes, the predatory stance I couldn’t entirely suppress. I inhaled deeply, savoring the complex blend of her emotions. “It’s not that I’m not grateful…I am. But I’ve missed my brother. I’ve missed him so much.” She brushed awaya tear. “And then those poor girls…I can’t just leave them! They need me.”

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