My heart shoots up to my throat, getting stuck there. I close the short distance between us as fast as I can, dropping to my knees next to him. This feels like déjà vu. Weren’t we in a similar position not even an hour ago?
“Saxon, are you okay?” I lift his head onto my lap.
“Everything hurts.” He twists his face in pain, pressing his cheek against my belly.
Furious, I whip my head toward Solomon, who is now helping Calvin up. “Did you have to blast him off like that?”
“He was going to kill this idiot here. I had to act fast.”
“I’m not an idiot. That vampire is a menace. He needs to be put down.”
“Fuck you, Calvin,” I snap.
“How dare you talk to me like that? I’m your fiancé. I deserve respect!” He takes a step in my direction, shaking in anger while a vein on his forehead seems about to pop.
“Respect?” I snort. “You have to earn that, asshole.”
He laughs derisively. “You think you’re so special. You look down on me because you’re the future High Witch. Let me tell you a secret, darling. That position is political—it’s not awarded to the most powerful or deserving person. It’s given to the witch who can suck the king’s cock hardest.”
Saxon tenses, but I don’t give him the chance to attempt a retaliation. I’m the one who fires the most powerful attack spell I know without holding anything back. My entire body radiates with energy; my skin feels hot as the violent surge of power rushes through me. Sparks of electricity converge on my outstretched hand a second before a blast akin to lightning whooshes from my fingers. A blinding light illuminates the hallway. There’s a cry and then a string of curses.
When the light fades the air still crackles with the vestiges of magic. My skin is tingling, and my ear is buzzing. It takes a moment for my eyesight to adjust, and when it does, I find Solomon looking like a mad scientist who has just been electrocuted. His hair is sticking out at odd angles, and there’s black soot on his right hand and sleeve.
“Holy shit!” Saxon exclaims. “You fried the headmaster.”
Oh my God. I think I did. Solomon must have stepped in front of Calvin and received the full blast of my spell. Fuck. I’m in a heap of trouble.
Calvin staggers back to his feet. I’m not sure how he fell, but it’s clear by the animosity shining in his eyes that his retaliation will be severe.
“You tried to kill me,” he grits out.
“No. I only wanted to hurt you. A lot.”
“The council will know about this. You can say goodbye to your chances of ever being High Witch.”
A bubble of crazy laughter erupts from my throat. “Do you think your threats scare me? Go ahead. Bitch about me to the elders. Besides, if I’m no longer in line to become the next High Witch, then I don’t have to marry you.”
I won’t marry him either way, but he doesn’t need to know that. Not until I get rid of the deal I made with Elena.
“That’s fine. I like your sister better anyway.”
My blood runs cold. “What?”
“Oh yeah. Once the council deems you unfit for the High Witch role, your sister is the next contender.” He smiles maliciously, making me wish I had more juice in me to explode his head.
Saxon sits up but keeps his hand on my leg. He has no idea how much I appreciate that connection, even if it’s an innocent touch that, so far, has not triggered anything wicked in me.
“You’re not getting Rora, or any of her sisters, motherfucker,” he snarls.
Understanding finally dawns on Calvin’s demented face. “You’re fucking that bloodsucker, aren’t you, little whore?”
Saxon tries to get up but I hold his hand, keeping him in place. “No. He’s not worth it.”
“Enough!” Solomon finally decides to butt in. “I don’t care who you are or how you got a spot in my institution, but I won’t tolerate that kind of foul language in my presence. Get out of my sight before I forget I’m not supposed to use magic to torture people.”
Calvin’s eyes narrow to slits while he locks his jaw tight. But he doesn’t open his mouth again before he strides away. The rush of adrenaline slowly recedes, leaving me completely depleted.
Saxon turns to me, capturing my face between his hands. “That blast … Holy shit, Rora. It was awesome!” He crushes his lips to mine, taking my breath away in an instant. I want to melt into his arms, but we only have time for a quick peck before Solomon ends the fun with an annoyed throat-clearing.
Saxon and I break apart, and glance at the short man who is looking the opposite of amused.
“Get in my office.” He points at the open door.
Like scolded children, we get back on our feet and march into the room with our heads hanging low. We both messed up royally. Neither of us should have attacked Calvin. But I have no regrets. His insinuation that if he doesn’t marry me, he’ll marry Miranda has left me reeling. I wish Solomon had let me fry the bastard.
Over my dead body he’ll marry my sister.
Saxon and I remain standing in front of Solomon’s desk, waiting for him to sit behind it and doll out his punishment. But the familiar walks to the right, and pushes the heavy burgundy curtain open, revealing a small alcove where he has set up a mix of lab and infirmary. There’s an examination table, shelves with books, glass pots, and boxes, and a number of other objects I can’t identify.
“What are you waiting for, fool? Get in there.” He gestures at Saxon.
He minces into the alcove clutching at his midsection. I follow him, getting hit by a mix of strong scents. Herbs, rubbing alcohol, mildew, and … What the hell? Wine. What kind of shenanigans has Solomon been doing here?
Saxon sits at the edge of the table, wincing as he does, which makes me mad at the headmaster again.
“What was Calvin doing here?” I ask.
“What do you think?” he replies without making eye contact. “You hexed him with a powerful sleeping spell.”
“I had to get rid of him in a hurry. But he should have slept for at least ten hours.”
“I found him passed out in his car.”
The familiar continues moving around the small room, grabbing vials and bottles from the overcrowded shelves, and setting them on the table next to Saxon.
“You brought him back?” My voice rises to a shrill.
He levels me with a glare. “Of course I did. Everything that happens on Bloodstone grounds is my responsibility. I don’t care about your issues with the man. You can’t go around attacking people.”
“If you can call that vermin people,” Saxon chimes in. “If he doesn’t stay away from Rora, he’s going to die.”
“Oh shut up. You’re not going to kill anyone.” He stops in front of Saxon, eyeballing the big hole on his chest. “Jesus, how did you get hurt like that?”
“I faced a pissed-off dragon.”
He shakes his head. “How come every time there’s a problem in the community, you and your dumbass friends are involved? We haven’t seen a dragon shift into their beastly form in decades.”
“Hey! This time wasn’t our fault. Manu was set up for murder. Jacques is trying to weaken King Raphael by making him lose his allies. My father used to do the same thing when he wanted to conquer an enemy village.”
“I know. Your daddy was a piece of shit.”
There’s no visible reaction on Saxon’s expression, but when our eyes meet, I see the deep-rooted pain in his. I wish there was something I could do to erase that.
“Let’s see what we’re dealing with here,” Solomon continues.
He rips Saxon’s blood-caked T-shirt in the middle, revealing a sight more gruesome than I expected. The hole seems to be closing, but there’s still plenty of torn muscle to make me nauseated.
“How can you still be breathing?” I say.
“The right question to ask is: how hasn’t he gone into hibernation yet?” Solomon mutters.
“He drank from me.”
Solomon s
witches his attention to me, displaying wrinkles on his forehead. “Feeding wouldn’t necessarily help, but perhaps since you are his mate, that made a difference. Still, Saxon is not out of the woods yet. He should feed again.”
A barbed wire seems to wrap around my heart. How can I do that without hurting Saxon in the process.
“No. Rora almost died tonight trying to help me. I won’t put her at risk again like that.”
“What do you mean she almost died? Did you enter bloodlust?”
“No. There’s something within me that’s repelling Saxon,” I say with a heavy sigh. “I fought it and it backlashed. I was foolish enough to make a blood vow with Elena Montenegro. In exchange for the spell that brought Lucca back from hibernation, I agreed to marry Calvin.”
Solomon’s jaw slackens and he seems to freeze in that stupefied expression for a moment. Then his bushy eyebrows furrow together. “Foolish? That wasn’t foolish. That was downright stupid and irresponsible. Has your mother taught you nothing? Under no circumstances should a High Witch enter in a blood vow with anyone. It’s the most binding and invasive contract there is.”
“I know that now!” Angry tears form in my eyes. “At the time, I didn’t think I had a choice. Elena has a mirror from the Nightingales that shows possible futures. I saw with my own eyes King Raphael going mad and killing Saxon.”
Solomon’s eyes go rounder. “She has the Taluah Mirror?”
“I didn’t ask if it had a name. I was too distraught by the vision. She said the only way to stop that future from happening was if Lucca came back from hibernation.”
“Lucca coming back won’t stop the king from going crazy. Only the return of the Nightingales will fix that.”
“What are we going to do, then?” Saxon pipes up. “They aren’t likely to return.”
A shadow crosses the headmaster’s eyes. “Don’t worry about that now. We have to find a way for you to break that vow. It’s the number one priority.”
“The warlocks of Ivern are looking into it.”
He rewards me with an eyeroll. “Sure, let’s involve the brethren that deals with dark magic.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Do you have a better idea?”
“At the moment, no.” He dabs a piece of white cloth with a clear liquid, then turns to Saxon. “This is going to hurt. Try not to cry like a baby.”
33
Saxon
“Where do you think you’re going?” She crosses her arms, stepping in front of me to block my way when, instead of walking into her apartment, I make a motion to continue down the corridor.
“Back to my place. I need to grab some blood bags.”
“You’re not drinking from those stupid bags. You heard Solomon. You need to drink from me.”
“And I told you, I’m not risking your life like that.”
Her whiskey eyes flash with fiery determination. She’s not going to back down. I rub my face, trying my best to not let my frustration win.
“You can drink from a cup like you did before.”
I knew she was going to suggest that. “I can’t stand to see you get hurt because of me.”
“Well, you’d better get over it. I’m a witch. Cutting myself is part of the job.”
Hands on my hips, I stare at her through eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re not going to relent, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Fine. But when this is all over, I’m going to make love to you so hard, you’re not going to remember what planet we live on.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. Aurora’s heart rate spikes as she stares at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her arousal is immediate, and it hits me like a cannonball. My cock is as hard as a rock, and my mouth waters, dying for a taste of her.
“Make love to me? Not fuck me?”
Her question takes me by surprise until I realize what I said. It was a slip of the tongue, but not untrue. I breach the distance between us, not caring that it’s dangerous for us to touch. Her breathing hitches as she tilts her face up. Holding my own breath, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
“There will be many, many occasions when I’m going to fuck you senseless. But as soon as you’re free of this shitty blood vow, I’m going to cherish every single inch of your body, take my time drawing every gasp, every moan of ecstasy from your lips. I’m going to make love to you.”
“Why?” She looks deep into my eyes, searching for the answer.
I’m about to give it to her—the truth I’ve known for a while, but I was too afraid to say out loud—when suddenly, I feel a cold ripple on the back of my neck. I whirl around faster than the speed of light, positioning myself in front of Aurora, using my body as a shield.
The hallway is empty, though, and I don’t smell anyone approaching.
“What is it, Saxon?”
“I don’t know. I sensed something strange. Didn’t you?”
No sooner do I utter those words than the lights begin to flicker, going out completely for a few seconds before turning back on. Now there’s a tall man standing a few feet from us. He’s wearing a hoodie over his head, which is concealing part of his face. I can only see his sharp jawline.
“Who the fuck are you?” I ask.
Pulling his hoodie back, he lifts his chin, and pierces us with his bright blue-eyed stare. Son of a bitch. It’s one of the warlocks who lied to the High Witch to cover for us.
“Ryker.” She walks around me. “I hope you’re here because you have the spell.”
“I have a spell, but not what you were expecting.” He switches his attention to me, or better yet, to my bandaged chest. “So it’s true. You did get impaled by a dragon.”
“How do you know?”
He gives me an amused stare. “Everyone in the supe community knows by now. You and your friends are getting quite a reputation. That’s not why I’m here, though. Should we continue our conversation in a place more private?”
Sudden dizziness hits me, making me sway on the spot. Aurora is quick to link her arm with mine, stabilizing me. I wouldn’t mind her assistance if we didn’t have an audience. I hate being weak.
“You need to feed, don’t you?” the warlock pipes up.
I grumble, but it’s Aurora who replies. “Yes, from me. Let’s get going.”
She drags my ass back to her apartment. In hindsight, I don’t know why I was arguing with her about drinking from blood bags. It’s obvious that it wouldn’t have helped me at all. A yawn sneaks up on me, which I try to cover with my fist. Aurora’s hard stare immediately zeroes in on my face, almost burning a hole through it.
“You’re not going into hibernation, are you?”
I’m beginning to feel fatigued, but that could be attributed to the fact that it’s already morning. But sometimes, the process of hibernation can sneak up, and before I know it, I’m waking up a few decades later. Fuck. There’s no way Aurora would wait for me for that long—that is, if she’s still alive when I come out of my forced slumber. The thought alone makes me sick to my stomach.
“I don’t think so,” I lie.
There’s a chance it’s happening, but I don’t want to worry her. She already has too much on her plate. Besides, if the process has begun, there isn’t much she can do to stop it.
Once inside her apartment, I steer us straight toward the couch. I need to lie down because my eyelids are getting heavier and heavier.
“Sax, are you sure you’re okay?”
I yawn again. “Yes, Rora. I’m fine. Go see what Ryker has come up with.” She remains standing next to the couch, watching me intently. “Go on. I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie down then. I don’t want you falling asleep before you feed.”
With effort, I return to a sitting position. Damn it. This lethargy is not normal. I pull my cell phone out and text Ronan. He needs to bring me blood ASAP. I don’t know how long Aurora will be busy with the warlock.
“I thought you were going to look into breaking t
he blood vow.” She turns to him.
“We couldn’t find a way to do it without alerting the old hag. She can’t know we’re investigating her.”
“So what’s your solution?”
“We’re going to remove the blockage that prevents you from … mating with the vampire. I understand that’s causing you a lot of headache.”
I sit up straighter. “That would be very helpful.”
To my surprise, the warlock smirks. I didn’t think he had any sense of humor within him. All I ever got from him on the few occasions we met was his deadly vibe.
Aurora furrows her eyebrows and folds her arms. “I have a question about the blood vow.”
“Go on.”
“You said Elena can have access to the grimoire through it. Does that mean our minds are connected somehow? Can she spy on me too?”
“I’ve never heard of a blood vow granting that kind of connection. Why do you ask?”
“Something strange happened earlier. I had to feed Saxon and fight the repel spell at the same time. Somehow, I got a glimpse of Elena. She was in her apartment, praying to a strange statue. There was a symbol painted on the wall too.”
“What kind of symbol?” The man takes a step forward, narrowing his eyes.
She shakes her head. “I can’t remember the details anymore. It wasn’t a pentagram, that’s for sure, but the color was red.”
“Blood?” I ask.
“I’m not sure. Maybe.”
Ryker passes a hand over his face. “If Elena is worshipping a demon, we need to know what kind.”
“Wait. Are you saying the witch Aurora made a deal with is messing with demonic magic?” I get up from the couch, the fear for her safety giving me a burst of energy.
“Most likely.”
Aurora pulls her hair back. “Fuck. If I could see her through this sickening link, then I have to expect she can see me too. You have to do something about her.”
“She has been extremely clever covering her tracks. Using the grimoire as bait is our best chance. You need to gain access to it,” the man retorts.
“The only way I can do that is if I marry Calvin!”
“What? That’s your fucking plan?” I yell. “Aurora is not marrying anyone but me.”
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 21