Page 42 of Blood Currents
Cyrus moved closer to the table, scanning the documents.“Why not take this to the council yourself?”
“Because the council would kill me before I got within ten feet of them,” Parker said.“And because Levon trusts me, but he’ll trust you more.You’re the heirs they’re terrified of.”
Before we could respond, the sound of boots echoed sharply in the tunnel.Multiple sets.Moving in precise formation.
Parker swore under her breath.“Shroud Guard.They shouldn’t even be down here.”
“They’re looking for you,” Cyrus said.
“Hide,” she snapped, shoving a folded piece of paper into my hand.“No matter what happens, don’t let them find you.Get to Levon.He’s your only chance to end this war.”
Cyrus grabbed me, pulling me toward a narrow alcove and activating the illusion charm, just as six guards entered the chamber, their weapons drawn and magic crackling in the air.
“Parker,” their leader barked.“Step into the light.Hands visible.”
The guards swept the chamber with detection spells, blue light flaring across every surface.Cyrus shifted closer, his body shielding mine completely as the magic passed too close for comfort.
“Unauthorized magical communication device,” one guard noted, lifting the mirror.“Classified files.Suspected contact with vampires.Treason.”
They bound Parker in glowing yellow restraints.She didn’t resist—just glanced once in our direction, her eyes sharp with unspoken urgency.
Then the leader applied a muting charm, silencing her completely.
They gathered her equipment, every folder and document she’d collected, and led her away like a criminal.
We waited in tense silence until the echoes of boots faded and then longer still.
When Cyrus looked up, I realized just how close we were—his arms still braced around me and his breath warm against my ear.The tunnel felt too small, too quiet, every detail heightened—the faint hum of Elio’s fading illusion charm, the distant drip of water somewhere in the darkness, the solid heat of Cyrus’s body pressed to mine.
“She gave us what we need,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.I still didn’t move away.
“What is it?”
I opened it.Silverpine Pages, Wyckhaven.Ask for Mr.Walton.Tell him James Grimley’s daughter needs to find silver bells.
Understanding flickered across Cyrus’s face.“Can we trust her?”
I nodded automatically, but I wasn’t really hearing the words anymore.I was staring at him—at the way his red hair fell messily over his forehead, at the set of his jaw, at the raw, unguarded intensity in his amber eyes.He hadn’t stepped back even though the danger had passed.
Neither had I.
“I won’t lose you,” Cyrus said suddenly.The words vibrated with something primal, fierce.“Not to the council.Not to anyone.”
“Cyrus—”
Before I could say more, his hand slid to the back of my neck, his fingers threading through my hair, and he kissed me.
It wasn’t careful or measured.It was fire and want and everything we’d been holding back for weeks.
His mouth was warm and demanding, stealing my breath as his other arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against him.Heat flared from his skin, not scorching, just enveloping—like stepping too close to a bonfire on a winter night, dangerous and irresistible all at once.
I made a sound—soft, surprised,wanting—and felt him respond immediately, deepening the kiss with a kind of desperate certainty that told me he’d been holding this in for far too long.
For a heartbeat, I kissed him back.My hands fisted in his shirt, feeling the steady, hard lines of muscle beneath, the barely restrained power humming under his skin.His flames curled instinctively around us, swirling ribbons of gold and blue that didn’t burn but wrapped us in heat and light, shutting out the rest of the world.
My pulse roared in my ears.Every inch of me felt acutely aware of him—of the solid strength of his body, the rough heat of his palm at my hip, the way he kissed like he’d already decided he wasn’t letting go
When I finally tore myself back, breathless, my lips tingled and my heart felt like it might shatter my ribs.“This doesn’t… We can’t…”
