Page 72 of Fangs and Family
‘But you just had to hold on to her spirit, didn’t you? And don’t get me started on the whole portal mess. Now we have a vampire with a soul and, if we’re lucky, only half a city that witnessed magic exploding over Gdansk Bay. Gedania’s council won’t be happy. I barely kept you out of their dungeon last time. You can’t keep breaking the rules, my love.’
Leszek was back to acting surly, which he only did when he was feeling protective, so I tried to ignore their discussion and looked instead at the miracle in my arms.
‘I’ll be fine. I will simply explain the situation calmly and have you stand there glowering behind me. C’mon, Nina is my friend. If I can’t help her and the people I love, then why am I even here?’ Sara’s frustration was obvious, and Leszek sighed in defeat, taking her hand to kiss her delicate fingertips gently.
‘I know my Firefly. All I’m asking is for you to be careful,’ Leszek answered as he looked into his wife’s eyes.
Despite trying to ignore the lovebirds, I’d been so engrossed in their exchange that I nearly missed Nina’s eyes opening, but the smile that stretched my lips wide was the most joyous I’d ever felt.
‘Welcome back, my love,’ I said, pushing an unruly strand of hair from her eyes.
I was entranced. Nina’s eyes were swirling crimson with no iris or pupils, just two hypnotic glowing whirlpools.
She looked back at me and smiled, reaching out for my face.
I exhaled, hopeful that this reaction meant I was forgiven, but my relief was premature as Nina’s hand paused and her features twisted into furious outrage. With unexpected strength, Nina tried to push me away. When that didn’t work, pain exploded in my cheek as she slapped me with all her might.
‘I thought you killed him. You let me believe you killed him! Then I told you all those hateful words, and I fucking died. Do you even know how it feels to die after that?’ She snarled, clawing at the tarmac to get away from me, and I tightened my arms, hugging her to my chest and burying my face in her hair.
‘I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice,’ I whispered, kissing her desperately, ignoring her fists as they beat against my back. ‘Pawel will return tomorrow, I promise. Please say you’ll give me a chance to explain.’
Nina’s pummelling of my back seemed to slow, and I hoped that meant she was just angry and not succumbing to a feeding frenzy. I relaxed my hold and cursed as Nina sank her teeth into my shoulder. My blood flowed into her mouth, and her struggles ceased as she began stroking my back until her hands were caressing my wings.
‘Why do you taste so good? Gods, I’m so hungry,’ she mumbled before looking up at me. ‘What did you do to me?’
‘Nothing. I swear. When you killed Sapieha, something happened. Sara said it was a ritual sacrifice, and that did something unusual. Nina… you’re a vampire.’
She looked at me with shock and reached up to touch her new fangs. I breathed a sigh of relief as the crimson in her eyes slowly bled away, but my heart nearly broke when Nina started shaking, and a sob broke free from her lips.
‘I need to take her home,’ I said, looking at Leszek, and he nodded, pulling his phone out from… somewhere.
‘I’ll arrange the clean up. Where do you want us to put Pawel’s body?’
‘Deliver him to the Seethe’s compound. Tell them to lock him in the basement and feed him when he wakes up. I’ll come talk to him as soon as I’m able.’
Leszek nodded and looked around the hospital car park and the various bloodied corpses.
‘And… which one is Pawel?’
I couldn’t help it; I laughed. The confusion in Leszek’s voice was amusing, and I pointed at a small heap at the bottom of the stairs.
‘The only one with no missing parts? The others, I’m afraid, you’ll have to collect with a shovel.’
Sara approached me, shaking her head, before she looked at Nina.
‘Adam…’ I heard the warning in her voice and bowed my head in response.
‘I know you think the worst of me, but I love Nina. I will look after her. I promise she’ll feel better soon, but right now, there is no better person to look after a vampire with no Master than me.’ As if to confirm my words, Nina lifted her head.
‘I feel strange. I need… something. Gods, that’s confusing.’
I kissed the top of her head.
‘I know what you need, my Obsidian and I will provide it as soon as we’re home.’
I carried Nina to the car while Leszek phoned our associates to clean up what had essentially been a vampire gang war. As I settled her in the passenger seat, the vampire I’d allowed to live stepped out of the shadows.
‘Sir, what about your oath?’ I frowned before I remembered I’d promised him a place in my Seethe for withdrawing from the fight.
