Page 70 of A Throne of Blood & Vengeance

I didn’t know what was going on with Nyx, but I wasn’t going to give up on them.

“Celestina,” I addressed Roth’s mother, who was standing not far behind Nyx and Cali. “Would you and your family bewilling to escort Nyx back to your House? And keep them . . . comfortable?”Don’t kill them or allow them to harm others.

“Of course.” She hesitated before looking at Roth as they moved to stand next to me.

“I’m staying with Samara,” Roth declared.

“Maybe it would be better if you—” I started, only to have my words cut off as one of Roth’s ropes wound around my lower face, covering my mouth.

“Babe, it’s in your best interest that you don’t finish that sentence.” Roth glared at me. “I’m staying.”

I nodded in reluctant acceptance. Part of me was happy they were staying, but another part wished Roth were going back to House Devereux, where they’d be surrounded by thick walls and quite possibly the most homicidal bloodline of all the Moroi.

“Take care of our favorite sib,” Desmond rumbled as he gave me and then Kieran, Alaric, and Draven a pointed look.

“There will be consequences if you don’t,” Taivan added. Then the two enormous Moroi swept Roth up into a hug, which resulted in some very creative curses being thrown about before they moved off to wait by the tree line.

Roth shuffled on their feet as Celestina and Severen approached.

“I know we messed up when you were younger,” Celestina said softly. “We never meant to make you feel unwanted or like you were less than because you’re not interested in the warrior path.”

“We thought giving you space was what you wanted.” Severen reached out slowly, giving Roth time to pull back, but when they didn’t, he laid a hand on their shoulder. “Then we let ourselves get caught up in training your brothers and the rest of the rangers. You seemed happy enough to spend time with Thessalia that we just . . . left you alone.”

“But we have always loved you, child.” Celestina rested her hand on Roth’s other shoulder. “And we’re so fucking proud of who you grew up to be.”

Roth’s eyes got a little glossy. “I love you.” Then they glanced at their brothers. “And those big idiots too.”

Celestina and Severen smiled at their youngest child, and despite everything that had happened last night and the grief I was feeling, my heart felt a little lighter at seeing Roth and their family repairing what had been broken.

I stepped around Roth to give them another minute with their parents and walked over to Nyx. They were looking over the ridge and didn’t acknowledge my presence. Cali and I traded a look.

“Nyx,” I said carefully. “You’re going to go with the Devereuxes, okay?”

The ranger turned their head to look at me. There was something unnerving about the way they moved now. The Nyx I’d always known had moved with this lightness, like despite all the fucked-up shit in the world, they’d never let it truly get to them. Nyx had been quick to smile and easy to befriend.

Now, the easygoing ranger was nowhere in sight. Even in control of their bloodlust, Nyx moved like a Strigoi. Cold and predatory.

“I’m one of the monsters now.” A chilling, dark laugh spilt from their lips. “Shouldn’t you just kill me?”

Something deep inside me cracked at the hollowness of their words.

Fuck. This.

My hand snapped out, and I wrapped it around Nyx’s neck, letting my nails shift to claws that tore into their skin. They didn’t even try to stop me. Just looked at me with dark eyes thatwelcomeddeath.

I let my own bloodlust rise until I knew my eyes were just as dark as theirs.

“We all have monsters crawling beneath our skin—yours is just no longer hidden.” My fingers tightened, and more blood dripped down their neck. “You are myfriend, Nyx, and I won’t let you go.”

A small amount of light blue bled back into their eyes like glowing rivers in the dark. “Promise me you’ll make her pay.”

“I promise,” I swore and released my hold on their neck. “Stay alive, Nyx.”

They held my gaze for a long moment before giving me a deep nod. Then those new strange eyes of theirs flicked to Cali, who just arched a brow at them.

“A little insanity is good for the soul, my pretty fanged friend.”

Nyx’s eyes darkened in a way that I didn’t think was remotely connected to their new not-quite-Strigoi status, and a familiar, lazy smile stretched across their lips. For a second, it was almost like I was looking at my old friend before Carmilla had broken them. “See you around, my beautiful winged friend.”

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