Savor

by Duncan, Megan

  It was obvious they struggled with my resistance, but when I continued my march without giving them time to comment back they quickly refocused on the task at hand.

  I quickened my pace the closer I got to my room. I wanted to check on Robin. I had a feeling she was probably frantic with worry and then a sinking feeling crept into my gut. Maybe she wasn’t worried, nor Dmitry for that matter. I had a Blood Mate now that was sworn to protect me, so they would have no need to worry for my safety.

  Chapter 16

  As I entered my hallway I sped to my bedroom door and flew in with precision speed. I closed the latch behind me. The tiny bolt gave me very little sense of safety. My room was eerily quiet even though the sounds of shouting and flames rumbled through the night.

  I yanked off my cape and threw it onto the coffee table making my way to the balcony. As I pulled open the curtains another explosion erupted, violently shaking the walls of the palace. I braced myself with the velvety curtains in hand. The fabric began to rip from the rod as I nearly fell to the floor. I steadied my feet and flung the tattered curtain to the side as I leaned out over the balcony. Black smoke billowed from below me and the wind blew it directly into my face blocking my view.

  I could hear people shouting and screaming, vampires growling and the sound of flames consuming its victims below me. I didn’t understand the human’s violent actions, it just didn’t make sense. I knew after the second explosion the vampires wouldn’t stand by and leave it to just Fox and his guards. Vengeance ran too strong in our veins and I could feel it burning through mine. The desire to extinguish the threat was almost unbearable.

  I no longer cared about following orders and turned to head out of my room to join in the fight. I barely made it a step when my nerves shot through me with violent extremity as my body stood at alert. Another vampire was nearby. The hair on my body stood on end and my mouth opened as a growl began to build in my chest.

  My bedroom door flew open in one tremendous movement. The small bolted latch flew to the ground and scattered across the floor. Ana and Luka stood before me, their teeth bared and my vision swirled with rage. Everything made sense. Ana wanted me out, she wanted me dead and this was her chance.

  “Poor little Princess is all alone,” she giggled evilly as she strolled into the room. Luka pushed the doors closed behind her and stood guard.

  I watched Ana’s every move as she walked through the room, taking her time like she was savoring every moment. Shock was frozen on my face.

  “It was you wasn’t it?” I hissed at her and clenched my hands into fists at my sides. The muscles in my legs began to flex as my instincts were preparing me for her attack. My eyes flicked to Luka, but he remained at the door seemingly uninterested in the inevitable battle.

  “If you haven’t figured it out by now, then you are dumber than I thought you were. You’ve taken what was rightfully mine and I want it back.” She hissed back at me and flung her arm out to send a porcelain vase flying toward my feet. It shattered sending pieces of its broken beauty and flowers spreading beneath me.

  I giggled at her childish mentality. She really was causing all this trouble because she was a spoiled brat. “That’s seriously it? You’re having a little temper tantrum cause you can’t have what you want? News flash Ana! It was never yours and now it certainly never will be!”

  She growled loudly and flew at me. She lashed out, but I anticipated it and twirled to the side sending the back of my fist across her face. My knuckles connected with her cheek bone and pain erupted in my hand, but if felt good to finally hit her. I readied my stance as I finished my spin expecting her to come back for a counter attack, but she stood gazing at me, clearly looking like she enjoyed my hitting her.

  Her tongue trailed along the inside of her mouth and she spit blood onto the floor, wiping her lip with her arm. “Not bad, Princess. Maybe this will be more fun than I thought. Daddy told me you wouldn’t put up much of a fight.”

  This time she shrieked like a banshee and flew at me. The momentum of her speed knocked me back. She took advantage of my stager, hitting me hard twice in the face. I had never been hit before and the pain and shock disoriented me for only a moment and that’s all it took. She began running in circles around me at incredible speeds slashing, punching and kicking me. My body jolted and shook with every impact and the pain was intense, causing tears to fall freely.

  I swung at her but missed as she ran faster and faster, giggling all the while. That’s when I saw it, her hair. Her long blonde ponytail floated behind her as she ran. I bared my fangs waiting for her to hit me. She slashed at my face, cutting through the flesh on my jaw and sending warm blood dribbling down my throat.

  I knew the wound was deep, but I didn’t want to lose my chance. I lunged and grabbed hold of her hair, yanking it down as hard as I could. Her head snapped back and she shrieked in pain as her head slammed hard onto the wood floor.

  Ana yanked at the hand holding her hair and swung at me with the other but I caught it. I cringed and bent her arm at the most unusual angle I could manage. Her screams grew louder as she writhed and shrieked beneath me. I knew I was stronger than her and I needed to use that to my advantage. I might not know how to fight, but I did know that what I was doing was hurting her, so I pressed harder until I heard her bone snap.

  I froze in shock at what I had done, but the animal inside me was cheering in victory and urging me to bite her. The blood pounded in her throat as she wailed in pain. Tears streaked with black ran down her face and I opened my mouth, baring my fangs at her as my body yearned to drain her.

  Her eyes widened in realization of what I was doing and she let go of her hair and slapped me hard across my face. Her ring covered fingers tore open the thin skin above my eye. Blood poured out of the open wound burning my eye and blinding me. I rolled over as she jumped out from under me. The pain was so intense I couldn’t manage the breath to scream.

  I heard Ana shouting to Luka and although I couldn’t make out the words I knew what she would say, “Finish her!”

  There was nothing I could do. I turned onto my knees feebly trying to get away as I cupped my hand to my face. I sensed Luka at my side. He hesitated, but Ana was cheering him on. He swiftly sent his heavy boot into my stomach.

  I cried out and fell onto my side again. An end table was beside me and I latched onto it trying to pull myself away, but Luka sped to my side again and landed another excruciating kick into my abdomen. I rolled over as the urge to vomit overtook me.

  Ana ran over to Luka and hugged him. They smiled and rejoiced as I writhed on the floor. They were truly evil. I had never seen someone, human or vampire so demented in all my life. The sight of them enjoying my agony gave me a last surge of energy and I lifted myself up from the floor.

  I knew I couldn’t take them both on, but I wasn’t going to let them kill me without at least taking one of them out. I stumbled my way to the fireplace and pulled out the wrought iron poker from its base. The metal made a loud scraping noise that echoed throughout the room causing Ana and Luka to cease their victory celebration.

  Ana smiled at me, her fangs bared and she licked at them like a lion would before pouncing on its prey. They lunged simultaneously and I held my breath as I timed my swing. The poker connected perfectly with the side of Luka’s head. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud as blood oozed out of his skull. Further enraged, Ana landed on me knocking me onto the floor as she clamped firmly to my neck. I could feel her sucking the blood from my body like a straw. My hands searched for where I dropped the poker, but I was quickly deteriorating. Unlike the beatings, her feeding on me wasn’t as painful, but it was definitely effective. I could feel the life draining rapidly from me like water dripping from cupped hands.

  I finally felt the cold metal beneath my fingers, but I didn’t have the strength to lift it. My eyes rolled back and forth inside my head and Ana lifted her face from my neck as she took a deep breath. Blood, my blood, dripped from her mouth an
d down her chin in dark trails. She had had her fill, yet I wanted her to finish me. I didn’t want to be left on the ground to bleed out. Alone. I closed my eyes as I accepted my fate, waiting for her fangs to pierce my flesh yet again.

  Instead, a loud shriek erupted and her weight lifted from me. I opened my eyes to see Arrick and Dmitry standing in the doorway. Dmitry looked at me with complete sadness, his attention on me alone. Seeing his presence filled the animal inside me with a renewed energy.

  My fingers gripped the poker firmly and with one solid swing I flung it upward, colliding against Ana’s jaw. She fell a few steps back, surprise plastered on her blood covered face. “In tenebris venit!” she hissed before spitting blood onto the floor.

  I used the poker to pull myself. My breaths were ragged and gurgled, but I squared my shoulders and flew at her. If I only had moments of life left, I was going to use them to take hers. I locked my eyes with Ana’s for one cold instant before the poker crashed into her temple. She screamed out and toppled backward and over the railing. Her shrieks fading as she plummeted.

  Dmitry flashed to my side as I collapsed to the floor and lifted me into his arms. Arrick didn’t so much as look at me as he passed, making his advance toward the balcony. His eyes were fixed with a rage no vampire could imitate. It was the rage of a Blood Mate and his anger emanated from him, heat erupting around him. Hearing his growl of challenge made my heart expand with love.

  I could feel Dmitry assessing my wounds, but what little was left of my being was focused solely on what I could sense of Arrick. He was nearby and I knew I would be safe.

  “Is she dead?” I heard Dmitry ask as Arrick rushed to my side.

  “I don’t know. She’s gone. You need to move!” Arrick pushed Dmitry aside without the slightest of effort and quickly ripped the sleeve from his shirt. I looked at him with my blurring vision and opened my mouth to talk, but only hot tears and a broken smile were manageable.

  “You’re going to be okay Claire. I promise. What did she say?” Dmitry spoke frantically at my side.

  “The dark is coming.” Arrick replied, concern wrinkling his brow as beads of sweat rolled down his temples.

  “The dark? What’s that supposed to mean? I’m going to get help.”

  Arrick completely ignored him and Dmitry flashed away with his incredible speed. “Claire!” Arrick tugged at my chin to angle my face toward him. “Stay with me! I need you to bite me, okay?” He pressed the flesh of his wrist against my mouth. I did my best to bite, but there was no strength left within me. I could barely put enough pressure to keep my mouth from sagging open. “Bite Claire!” he ordered again. Our bond gave me the strong desire to please him, to obey his command, but my body was incapable to execute it.

  “Shit!” Arrick stood up and ran. Panic coursed through me when he was out of my sight. I needed him here with me. I didn’t want to die alone.

  “Arr-ig,” I managed to gurgle some version of his name. I heard glass shatter and Arrick was quickly by my side again.

  “I’m still here. I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice was steady and reassuring. Something sparkled in my vision and when I was able to focus on it my body panicked and my eyes widened. Arrick was holding a piece of broken glass and in one swift movement he slid it across his wrist. I heard him grunt in pain and his jawline flexed as he bit his lip.

  His emerald eyes locked onto mine as he pressed his bloody wrist against my mouth. His warm life blood poured into my mouth and I recognized the taste. It was his blood that I had drunk from the day I became a vampire. It never tasted so good and energy quickly crept through me. I raised my hands and pressed his arm harder against my lips. As much as I wanted to, I resisted the urge to bite onto his wound and focused solely on his eyes. They were so full of love and so full of strength. I released his arm to take a breath and licked at my lips not wanting to waste a drop. “We need to go. Can you stand?” I nodded and allowed him to guide me up. I saw him wince as I rested my weight on his wounded arm.

  “Are you going to be all right?” I said, almost a whisper as I pointed to his wrist.

  “Can you close it for me?” I looked at him questioningly. “Lick it.” I quickly obeyed sliding my tongue across the wound feeling it bubble underneath. The last drops of blood lingered on my tongue and I savored its flavor. I didn’t know if he let me drink from him as a last resort to save my life, but it was so delicious that I had to fight the urge to feed more. “You’ll need to drink again Claire, but we don’t have time now. We have to go.”

  The hunger and desire must have been clearly evident on my face or maybe he could feel it through our connection. Either way, there was no way to hide it. “Where are we going?” I asked as I let him guide me out of my room and down the servant’s hallway.

  “You have to leave the palace.”

  “What? I don’t want to leave!” I halted our progression. “Because of Ana?”

  “There is no way to tell where she went Claire! It’s not safe for you here.”

  I panicked and wrapped my arms around myself. “She’s not dead? But she fell, I saw her!”

  “We don’t have time to debate this. We have to go. Now.”

  “Dmitry is getting help. He will tell Nicolae. There is no way she will be able to get near my again. Nicolae will have her killed after what she did.”

  “Maybe so, but you can’t stay. You don’t belong here.” He put his arm around me to guide me down a stairwell and I exhaled as each movement to a lower step sent shocks of pain spiraling through my body.

  “I don’t understand. Why don’t I belong here?”

  “I can’t explain that right now. You have to trust me.” His sense of duty coursed through him and I could feel it through our connection. I knew I could trust him without a doubt, so I nodded and we quickened our escape.

  Arrick and I burst through a small six panel door and found ourselves in the garage. The room was filled with smoke but unharmed by the explosions with the exception of one car that had been too close to a skylight and had rubble fallen on top of it.

  “Stay here,” Arrick commanded as he leaned me against a wall to locate a set of keys from a nearby wall. As soon as he found the one he was looking for he scooped me up and ran to a four door sedan. The alarm beeped as he unlocked it with the remote and slid me in onto the smooth leather seats.

  I looked over as he entered and saw that he had chosen a Mercedes. He latched my seat belt and forced my seat back before buckling himself up and turning the key in the ignition. The engine purred steadily and with a push of another button on the overhead he started the movement of the garage door. With a screech the motor pulled the doors open.

  Arrick put the car in gear and pulled ahead, waiting just inches from the door for it to open far enough for him to speed through. The Mercedes rocketed out of the garage at full speed. Being the only exit, he headed for the front gate. The shouting grew louder as we drove closer. The car doors clicked as Arrick locked them and he made his way through the remaining crowd. “Looks like they let these humans live,” Arrick said more to himself than to me.

  “What?”

  “The humans who breeched the palace had to be…” he looked over at me to gauge my reaction, “removed.” I nodded in understanding. There was no way to keep the vampires from attacking, once they were provoked a second time. The crowd banged on the car as we slowly rolled through them. They shouted and chanted at us.

  I pulled the lever on the side of my seat causing it to fling back into a sitting position. There were more people than I had originally thought. The pandemonium was extreme and my nerves frazzled with the clash of emotions. “There are so many of them.”

  Arrick nodded as he gripped the steering wheel. Our escape was slow going as we nudged our way past the unrelenting crowd. “We are almost through.”

  “Where are all the guards?” I didn’t see or sense anyone around other than the rioting mob of humans and it comforted and scared me.

&nbs
p; “They headed for the palace after the second explosion. Damnit!” Arrick cursed when a large man slammed his thick fist onto the hood, denting it. The sound made me jump in my seat and I twirled around to look back at the palace. The building was as dark as the night sky and illuminated in a fiery outline. A few windows were alight and I tried to guess whose they were. Robin would worry for me I knew, and my heart twinged with pain at the thought of leaving her behind, but Arrick’s sense of duty was becoming my own and I couldn’t fight it.

  I took a deep breath and focused my thoughts on my emotions letting them build into a thick, strong ribbon. I willed it to find Robin and let her know I was okay. I tried not to think about what she would see when she entered my room. The destruction and the blood that now tarnished its beauty. I blinked away a forming tear and gripped the seat tight as I pushed the emotion outward.

  “Stop!” Arrick commanded. He gripped my arm and pulled me violently back into my seat just as we broke through the crowd.

  He didn’t waste any time putting the car into gear and making a hard left as he slammed on the gas sending me back against my seat as we propelled forward. “You can’t do that, Claire. Someone else could discover that or sense it. For now, we don’t need anyone knowing you made it out of that palace alive.”

  Chapter 17

  “But Robin is going to be worried. I can’t do that to her,” I protested and kicked my foot at the glove box in frustration. “Tell me what’s going on. I need to know. I deserve to know.”

  He took a deep breath as he gripped the shifter and put the Mercedes into the next gear pushing it to its limits. I watched him flexing his jaw muscles, sensing his emotions knotting into each other, but I remained silent. He would tell me and I was willing to give him the time he needed to prepare. It had to be something big, something very important.