Page 122 of House of Crimson Hearts
My attacker lunges for me again, but I spin out the way and land my boot across the back of his knee. He bellows and crumbles to the ground. I grab him and spin him onto his back before he hits the deck. And then I leap on top of him and plunge the stake right into his heart.
He desiccates instantly.
I scrabble off him. No time to stop and work out who he is because there’s still one more attacker to get. Octavia is prowling, circling him, her face smothered in blood, chunks of human flesh scattered over her clothes, limbs at her feet. Her fangs drip with gore, eyes blazing, and this is when I see the monster the city thinks her to be.
But I also see through the mask she’s wearing to the terrified vampire trying to defend herself and protect me.
I wait a beat. The man’s back is to me. Octavia spots me a split second before I move. I lurch, crouching and springing forward onto his back. She’s ready and she swings her fist, landing a savage upper cut to his chin. He sways and with my weight on his back, he staggers and collapses. I scramble off him, my stake drawn and ready to plunge into his chest.
But Octavia is way ahead of me. She slams her fist right into his chest. The man screeches but it’s too late.
She roars and rips his dripping heart from his chest, and he falls still.
We’re both breathing heavy, panting loudly in the darkness.
That’s when we survey the damage around us. Our human driver is dead. There are three dead and dismembered vampires by our carriage. In the distance behind us, there’s another overturned carriage.
“Whose carriage is that?” I ask.
Octavia speeds up the forest path and is back before I can take a breath. “Gabriel’s. He’s alive, so is his hunter, though Keir is looking a little worse for wear. Behind them is Dahlia’s carriage.”
I suck in a breath.
Octavia waves me off. “Lincoln is fine, Dahlia is more covered in blood than me. She had fun by the looks of it.”
“Then I suspect Sadie and Xavier have been attacked too,” I say.
“I don’t think it’susthat’s being attacked,” Octavia says, bringing her hand up to my cheek and stroking.
“The hunters?” I mumble.
“It’s more the potential dhampir. That’s who they’re looking for.”
“Someone doesn’t want one of us turning, activating and becoming the dhampir. Shit.” I wipe a hand across my face, frustrated. “If these attacks continue, we might not make it to the boundary, let alone the door.”
Octavia hardens. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ll kill every human and vampire in the city if I have to. I will keep you safe no matter what.”
“You don’t hate me…?” But I’m grinning because it feels more like a joke, we both know it’s me that’s the problem.
She smiles, soft and tender as she strokes my cheek. “That’s the thing, Verity.Inever hated you…”
Chapter30
RED
Ilunge for Octavia, sinking my mouth over hers in a bruising kiss. She tastes like iron and sweat and the hint of blood—the other vampires she killed, not hers. She’s drenched in it, all over her face, neck and body.
But I don’t care. They’re dead, consuming their blood because I’m kissing her won’t make a difference.
Besides, I want her. Right now. Here in the woods and I don’t give a shit if anyone is around us. I need to take her right now.
I push my lips over hers, and her hands glide around my waist. “We shouldn’t,” she gasps as she pulls her mouth off mine and glances at the carnage around us. Dead vampires desiccating, a missing horse. Human driver without a throat, and bits of wooden carriage splintered all over the ground.
“Fuck shouldn’t. Who’s going to complain if we fuck? We killed everyone.”
She smiles and swings me around, popping me on top of the carriage wreckage.
“Oh no, not this time.” I hop down and turn her body instead. I put her hands on the carriage.
