Page 107 of House of Crimson Kisses
“We don’t know for sure it’s Cordelia,” Amelia says.
“Who else would it be?” I ask.
“That I don’t know. I suppose we have no better suspect. But we can’t deal with this now. Let’s find Lincoln and get him back. Look, carriage tracks.”
She points down a muddy path. Together, sisters in arms, we jog down the dark path, united as equals for the first time in our lives.
Chapter29
RED
By the time we catch up to Lincoln, he’s already escaped his restraints and killed one of the vampires.
But he’s grappling with three others.
Amelia and I move in unison, charging the group. Amelia darts to the side as a fourth vampire holding a rope approaches. She’s lightning quick, throwing a series of punches at him. She’s not as coordinated as me, but she’s never trained for combat. What she has at her disposal is speed.
And fuck, am I proud as I watch her land hit after hit.
Lincoln drops to his knees in front of his main assailant, clearly exhausted from his prolonged fight. But he doesn’t get to quit on me. I dive in front of him, fending off a slew of attacks, then leap and land a flying kick to the head of the vampire attacking him.
He’s fast though. He spins around, ducks under my turning kick and lands a hefty hit to my ribs. I collapse on the ground, puffing and sputtering. If a rib isn’t cracked, it’s sure as shit bruised to hell. Coughing and gasping for air, I scramble to my feet.
I manage to block a blow to the face, followed by an uppercut, and slam a mean front kick to the vampire’s knee. He yelps and staggers back, but charges forward a split second later when his knee realigns. Motherfucker.
This time, he’s too fast. He lands a mean blow to my jaw, making me bite down on my tongue as my teeth clatter together. Blood spills into my mouth. I spit it on the floor, but he doesn’t let up. I stagger, my ribs now burning, my mouth stinging. I need to get control of this. I inhale and swing, finally landing a savage blow to the vampire’s solar plexus. He stumbles back, wheezing and breathless. Good. I want him winded. It’ll be easier to take him out.
But as soon as I get cocky, a fist collides with my spine, and I’m flung forward through the air and crash against a stone. The sting of gravel rips through my clothes so I know I’m cut and bleeding.
The vampire who hit me lands on my back. He yanks me around and lands a series of brutal blows to my body.
I’m beginning to think I won’t be getting out of this melee in one piece, when thank the gods, Octavia catches up to us. The carriage she’s driving skids as the horses rear up on their front legs to slow themselves down. She jumps down from the bench and spins around, searching.
“Thank fuck!” Octavia says as she catches sight of me and speeds to my side. “You’re alive.”
“Alive, yes, but not faring so well,” I say as I struggle against the pain in my back and my ribs to stand.
To my surprise, Dahlia hops down from the carriage and immediately dives into the fight. She launches at the vampire I’m fighting, grabs his neck and snaps it in a quick, wrenching motion.
Then she punches into his chest and rips out his heart for good measure. But she doesn’t wait, she moves on to the next vampire. A short-lived fist fight ends in her ripping his heart out too. Followed by the heart of the unconscious vampire at Lincoln’s feet. It’s all but over as Dahlia busts the leg of the last vampire and wrenches it until it severs from his body. The screaming stops shortly after that.
“You okay there, partner?” she says to Lincoln, who nods from his bent-double knees, catching his breath.
Partner? It stings hearing that, as does Lincoln putting his hand into Dahlia’s as she hauls him up. Octavia and I stand staring at each other. It feels like an eon since we were in the club. Since we shared that kiss. But in reality, it was more like two hours ago. That knowledge hits hard since I can’t remember the last time I drank her blood.
“You okay?” she whispers, pulling me into her.
“Not really. My ribs might be cracked, but it’s also been too long since…”
“Later. I promise,” she says, cutting me off before I say something that gives us away.
Her fingers brush my bruised cheek and bleeding lip. I flinch. She hesitates but offers me her wrist. I want to take it, but I also know that is the only carriage we have, and I’m not about to drink from her or fuck her in front of Lincoln.
I wrap my hand around her wrist and shake my head. “When we’re safe at Castle Beaumont. That’s where I sent Keir and Talulla.”
“I sent Xavier there too.” Octavia brushes my hair back from my face. Her expression is tight.
“I’ll be okay,” I say, even though I wince as I take a step.
