Page 14 of Vampire Sins
Slipping his arm around my waist, he tucked me against his hard chest and I naturally rested my cheek against his warmth. My fingers slipped under the loose edge of his shirt, automatically exploring to see if the damage I’d caused him was still there. The knots in my shoulders unwound to find his skin tightening under my fingertips, already recovering from the deterioration.
“It seems that Jet and a small faction of dragons have revolted,” Luke said, his voice a low rumble against my cheek. “I don’t think we’ll be able to reach him.”
My fingers continued to stroke across his collarbone, needing the assurance of his body right now as my insides twisted again. “There has to be something we can do.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “At least we could get some sort of information about Jet. It sounds like he’s okay, for now, but I don’t even know how to begin to look for Nate.” I bit my lip before admitting, “What if Derek hurt him?” I let the unsaid words drift between us. What if I failed to protect him?
Luke held me tight as if his mere embrace could protect me from all the evils of the world. “I know you want your four to approve your transition to become a vampire and to make sure they’re okay, but look at where we are. We’re in a bunker at the end of the world and Derek is raining down mind-control fog all over the city. You won’t be much good to anyone if you fall under Derek’s influence.”
I knew he was right, but none of this was going how I wanted it to go. I slipped away from him, the cool air rushing in to replace his warmth. His soft blue eyes watched me as I moved, the force of his love apparent behind his gaze. He’d always put me first, just like all of my four would. “You think I should take Xavier’s offer?” I asked. That’s exactly what I needed to do, but I needed my four to tell me that it was okay. I wanted to complete this bond that had plagued me all my life, but I was afraid that made me selfish. Darkness still raked the backs of my dreams and this was my chance to finally banish it.
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, carefully considering the question. “Let’s go over the facts,” he began. He held up one finger. “If Nateisin trouble, it’s going to be something Derek has done. The best way to help him would be to neutralize the Incubus King.” He lifted a second finger. “The division among the dragons is Jet’s current issue. The dragons have assembled under Derek, so without the Incubus King in power, they’ll be forced into line.” He lifted a third finger. “Xavier is a powerful vampire, but he’s been driven underground with the rest of his race all because the Incubus King has turned the male muses against him. If we can awaken Hades, then the threat will be neutralized and Venice can be reclaimed and order restored.”
I sighed and wrapped my arms around myself. “So, the only way to help everyone I care about is to do this; that’s what you’re saying?”
He closed his fingers into a fist. Reaching out, he took my hand and placed it over his. I felt so small in comparison. The tips of my fingers barely managed to wrap around the ball of his fist. “We are all bound to you for a reason, Sonya. Each of us holds a power that can make this world a better place, but you are the one who must wield it. I am nothing without you. I think I speak for the others when I say they would feel the same. Whatever you choose to do, we support you. All of us.”
I squeezed his hand before letting go. It was a lot of responsibility, but I knew that he was right. Nate, in his snarky way, would tell me to do what I needed to do. Jet, well, he’d probably chastise me for needing his permission to do anything. Luke and Xavier clearly approved of me taking the next step to cement this ancient bond, to become a vampire—to save the world.
“Okay,” I said, my voice so soft that only Luke’s angelic hearing would be able to pick it up. “Let’s do this.”
“First step,”Xavier said as he instructed Luke on how to cast the spell, “is to make sure you pronounce the words correctly.” He dropped a dusty tome into Luke’s lap with a softthudand stabbed a finger into his face. “Never,ever,mispronounce a spell.”
Luke glowered at the vampire before Xavier finally backed off.
Yep. Luke was a cell-phone thief, multi-lingual immortal, and apparently half warlock. Sure, just another day in my crazy life.
Vampires didn’t practice magic themselves, but they were the source of all witches. Their blood sang with magic, even if they couldn’t directly use it other than for their own biological skills.
The vampires never let witches into the bunker where Hades slept. His resting place was a well-kept secret, and it spoke to Xavier’s trust in me that he’d let non-vampires in such a sacred space.
Or, he realized no witches around to protect his master had been a really dumb decision, and he was going to settle for an angel with subdued magical powers.
Luke frowned at the dusty tome as he opened it and thumbed the pages. “How am I supposed to pronounce anything correctly. What is this shit?”
I peered over his shoulder only to find that the “words” were runic scratches that scattered like scars across the withered page.
“Angels can read any language,” Xavier said. “Don’t tell me you can’t read witch writing.”
“It’s not a language,” Nimra corrected. “It’s magic in verbal and written form, but it’s not a method of communication. It’s a gathering of power, which means even an angel can’t read it.”
The remark was surprisingly informative as Nimra eased closer into our small circle. She paused, then slowly grinned as her nostrils knowingly flared, her gaze shifting between Luke and me. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering how good a vampire’s sense of smell really was. I knew I should have showered.
Xavier politely ignored the light deterioration that marked Luke’s face, but the angel was already starting to heal. I wished that we could have waited before returning to the vampires, but the explosions rocking the city were only getting worse. Derek was trying to draw me out and get to Hades. He’d demolish every beautiful building in Venice until he got what he wanted.
“Well, can anyone here pronounce it for me? I can’t read it.”
Xavier sighed. “That’s dangerous.”
“I thought that you said only Luke could perform the spell?” I asked.
Xavier tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. “True, however witch writings come with power. One does not utter them lightly.” He sighed. “But there’s little choice. I’ll—”
Before Xavier could offer, Liam pushed him aside. “I’ll do it.” His ruby gaze sliced with gold found mine. “It won’t do much good to risk the spell before you’ve had a chance to turn our alarm clock into a vampire. At least if reading the spell goes wrong with me, I’m expendable.”
Nimra slipped her arm through his. “You’re not expendable, darling. You’re just more resilient.”
My mouth lifted on the side. “Did he really just call me an alarm clock?”
Nimra shushed me. “Quiet, you’re not supposed to be going off yet.” She poked me in the forehead. “Snooze button!”
