Page 84 of Nyte

Cy didn’t hesitate. He shoved the dagger straight into Merick’s heart, shoving hard so the steel embedded itself into his chest. It was as good as a stake to stop the heart’s beating.

Merick sputtered and spat more crimson across the floor. A hiss of air slipped through his lips. Cy had heard that sound before. A death rattle.

Merick’s unresponsive body fell against Cy’s chest. Grabbing a fistful of matted dark hair, Cy tugged the vampyre’s head back and cut the cords on the other side. The head came off without struggle as a torrent of blood rushed out to pool around the body that had fallen to the floor.

Cy dropped the head without remorse, allowing it to fall beside the rest of the corpse that had once been Merick.

Distantly, as if on another plane of existence, he felt Haven’s gaze. He knew he must look a mess, covered in entrails, but Haven didn’t seem to mind as he stepped forward, chest heaving. The torn flesh at his neck was almost completely sealed shut

Gingerly, Haven dipped his finger into the slowly closing mess of his own ragged flesh. The tip came back red. With hesitant eyes, he brought the finger to Cy’s lips.

“Drink.”

Cy blinked and did as he was told, opening his mouth to envelop Haven’s finger.

The taste of Haven was pure ecstasy. It bloomed across his tongue and shot straight to his groin, invigorating him, setting him on fire from the inside out. He couldn’t help moaning around the slim digit. Then, Haven moved even closer, putting his wounded neck directly in front of Cy’s mouth. “Put your mouth on the wound.”

Cy did, his tongue darting into the torn flesh, absorbing the blood that pooled from its depths and Haven groaned, his hands clenching around Cy’s arms to reel him in closer. Cy didn’t want to hurt him, but he couldn’t help himself. He drank and continued to drink until his limbs felt stronger and his head cleared.

When Haven finally withdrew, a veil of lust had fallen over his features. “It will help you heal.”

“I understand now what you said about your blood being like fine wine.”

Haven chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not as it once was. Neither am I.”

“Haven—”

Haven shook his head, sadness passing over his expression. “We have to get you out of here. Before it’s too late. Someone will notice his absence soon.”

“How are we going to get out of this?” Cy glanced down at the mess, taking it in completely, and cringed.

“Wearen’t.Youare.”

Cy stalled. “What?”

“You’re a vampyre slayer. The scenario is just as it looks. Merick came to gloat while I was speaking with you. He let you out to have another go at you, locked me in this cell. And you killed him before escaping.”

“You can’t be serious. You think anyone will believe that?”

“It’s as good a chance as any we have. Either I let you go and I’m executed for treason, or I was overcome and outsmarted. And at least I stay alive to be of some use to you.”

“Or you come with me! Come with me and be free of this place.”

A look of longing flickered in Haven’s eyes. Then, he shook his head. “If I run, Thorne will never let you be. You’ll never be safe.”

“I’m not safe either way.”

“The Dominion still has the De Raises. I’ll serve on that jury and help decide their fate. If I stay here, I can try to be of some help to you while you gather the means to free them.”

“You’d side with the Veritas?”

Haven’s nose crinkled in disgust. “I’d side with what is right. I’d side with you. The Dominion is wrong. The council is wrong. The Veritas...the Veritas is charged with false crimes. And recently, some items of importance have come to my attention. Everything I’ve been told...I’m having doubts. To say the least.”

“I can’t leave you here.”

“You’re going to. You’re going to go back to Jax, and you’re going to keep fighting. For hope. As long as you live, hope lives as well.”

“Haven—” Cy reached out. He wanted to hold him, to comfort him.

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