Page 105 of Marked
His gold eyes glow. “Ruin ... Son. It’s against the accords. I can’t.”
I stare at him, hatred building in my heart. “Then we are through here.”
He reaches for me, but I pull away.
“Don’t. I’ve never asked for any of this,” I snarl. “Never wanted this. She is the only thing that has ever made this shit worth it. And now she’s gone.” My eyes illuminate his face in a light so bright, it’s like the fucking sun rose early. But I know better. It will never rise for me again. “We’re done, do you understand? I fucking quit.”
Markus’ lips clamp into a hard line before he growls. “Ruin. Give her your wrist.”
I glower. “Why?”
“Just fucking do it.”
I rip into my arm with my fangs and press it over Lilah’s unmoving mouth. My blood dribbles over her lips and down her chin. T helps open her mouth and the dark fluid flows down her tongue.
Markus’ eyes glitter. “Horan. Feed him.”
I start to protest, but Markus snarls, fangs flashing and his hands like hooked claws. “You will drink, you son of a bitch, until you can’t hold anymore. Doyouunderstand?”
We gaze at each other. Markus motions.
The Angel comes out of my peripheral, his body glowing softly and his sword at his side.
He crouches before me and offers me his wrist. “This is going to hurt you more than it is going to hurt me.”
I look at him, but he just lifts his arm higher. My mouth closes over the steady beat of his heart and heavenly fire rips through my insides.
My back bows and I try to hold onto Lilah, to keep my blood flowing into her as I force myself to drink the lava from Horan.
It burns, twisting and trying to purify the vampire blood in my veins. Or maybe to absolve me of all my sins, all the lives I have taken.
He stays poised on the balls of his feet, his lips turning paler and paler as I drink as deep as I can.
Markus pushes him aside. “Gage.”
The Fae warrior rolls up his sleeve. When I try to shake my head, his hand clamps on my shoulder. “It’s on all of us. Take it.”
My fangs press gingerly into his pale skin, but my eyes never leave his. Fresh mown grass and leather wreathes the air around me in a cloud. He nods, throat working. “Good man.”
I drink until Markus pushes him back too. T gently widens Lilah’s open jaw and offers me his neck.
“This don’t mean shit,” he mutters as he leans down, but his face is ashen under his tan. “I’ve just been bit there before.”
I clamp my jaws around him, cheeks hurting from every suckle I have taken. His blood is hot, almost as hot as the angel’s, and I realize out of my team, I am the coldest. The closest to death.
Or maybe the one who has welcomed it too many times.
Markus pulls my bleeding arm from Lilah’s mouth and presses it over her heart. Quick as a snake, he flips a blade from his belt and stabs it clear through my arm. And her chest.
I roar.
But I can’t pull away. If I do, I’ll hurt her worse. Injure her worse.
Markus crab walks backward as I snarl and gnash my teeth. “By blood you are bound, by love you are tied,” he says softly. “With these dark ties, arise, Lilah Marks, daughter of Adam and Eve, and walk in the night once more.”
Something tickles along my consciousness. His eyes glow like beacons, but Markus merely climbs to his feet and steps to the other side of the dais.
A heavy drum slams in my ears. I wince, nerves scrubbed raw as it pounds again. And again.
