Saxon appears by my side, pulling me into his arms. I completely melt into him, relieved that our nightmare is almost over. Together, we watch our nemesis collapse on itself in a pile of dust, burying the athame with it.
“Are you okay, my love?” Saxon asks, but my mind is whirling, so I don’t answer him right away.
Shit. There’s no demon blood. How are we getting out of here?
42
Saxon
Aurora keeps staring without blinking at the pile of dust that’s left of Ashmedai, making me extremely worried.
“Rora?” I ask again. “What’s wrong?”
With eyes as round as saucers, she looks at me. “Declan said that the only way to get out of this place was to use Ashmedai’s blood. But where is the blood, Sax? There’s nothing left but soot.”
I open my mouth to reply when hissing and snarling sounds can be heard not too far from us. Ashmedai is gone, but this is hell. “Let’s grab the athame and get out of here. We’ve got company.”
Aurora looks over her shoulder, squinting as she tries to see the approaching danger. Quickly, I head over to Ashmedai’s remains and dig our only weapon out. On instinct, I don’t dust it off. It’s not blood, but maybe the warlocks were wrong about that detail. I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Come on, Rora. We have to leave.”
“What if we can’t open the portal again?” Her voice comes out as a squeak. She’s panicking, and I can’t have that.
I pull her to me, cupping her cheek. “We’ll find a way out of here, my love. I promise.”
She nods, her eyes hardening with determination. “Yes, we will.”
When I step back, I see that her right hand has doubled in size, and her left arm is hanging limp by her side.
“You’re hurt.”
“I think I broke my arm when I fell, and Ashmedai crushed my hand under his foot.”
Rage surges within me, making me wish I could kill the motherfucker again. I tuck the athame in my pants, and pick her up in my arms, careful not to jostle her too much.
“It’s going to be all right, Rora.”
She presses her face against my chest. “I love you, Sax.”
“I love you too, Rora.”
Running at my maximum speed in unfamiliar and perilous territory is not ideal, especially when I have no clue where to go. Everything looks the same here. I have to keep my speed down because one false step can be fatal to us.
“Turn left after that jagged cluster of rocks,” Aurora tells me. “I remember running past it.”
“Okay.”
I don’t hear the sound of pursuit, so I slow down. “Does this area look familiar to you?”
“It’s hard to say for sure, but I think so. Let me down.”
I do so as gently as I can.
“I marked the location of the portal with a pile of rocks,” she says.
“Good thinking.” I scan the area, and after a minute, I spot Aurora’s marking. “There it is.” I point ahead.
“I see nothing but gloom.”
“I have other perks besides my enormous dick.” I wink at her.
With a shake of her head, she says, “You’re such a dork.”
Still sporting a cheeky smile, I press my hand on her lower back, and steer her toward the rocks. I’d like to say I remember being here, but at the time, I was too busy fighting that fucking demon.
“Now what?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Can I have the athame, please?”
“How are you going to hold it? Your arm and hand are broken, love.”
Wincing, she raises her broken arm. “I can manage. It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”
She’s lying through her teeth, but she’s too stubborn and won’t relent.
“Fine. I’ll pretend I believe you.” I hand it over to her, pommel first. The green stone glows when Aurora touches it, and immediately, a bad feeling enters my chest.
“What was that?”
She locks her gaze with mine, and I don’t like the sorrow shining in her eyes. “In order to use the athame, I had to bond with it. Its magic wouldn’t have worked otherwise.”
“But I was the one who killed the demon with it.”
“I know. Maybe you were able to use it because we’re mates.”
“I don’t like this at all, Rora. But let’s figure out how to open the portal first.”
“Yeah.”
She turns to the right, shutting her eyes. The light on the stone burns brighter, creating a small halo around us. The outline of a crescent moon appears on Aurora’s forehead, and when she opens her eyes again, they’re glowing too. Tendrils of magic curl around her wrist, then spread up her arm, and the rest of her body. A small gasp escapes her lips, which makes my spine go rigid.
I’m about to pry the athame from her hand, but she turns to me and says, “I’m fine. The athame is healing me.”
I drop my eyes to her broken hand, noticing that the swelling is decreasing. Son of a bitch. I’m fucking glad that the strange magic is taking Aurora’s pain away, but at what cost?
When she seems to be completely healed, she raises the athame, holding it firmly in her hand, and then slashes the air in front of her while speaking words in a foreign language. Two glowing lines appear, forming an X. They turn into a mirror, and through it we can see the inside of Elena’s apartment.
“You did it! You opened the portal.”
“I guess Declan was wrong about the blood. Maybe Ashmedai’s ashes were enough.”
I step closer, finding Solomon and the High Witch standing on the other end, staring at us. I link my hand with Aurora’s. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“On the count of three. One, two, three.”
We both step forward, but instead of crossing to the other side, we hit an invisible wall.
“What the hell!” I frown at the mirror. “Why is it not working?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I cast the spell wrong, or we did need his blood.”
Solomon and the High Witch begin to speak at once, but we can’t hear a word they’re saying. What I can hear is the growling of something large and foul approaching. My muscles tense as I turn around in a defensive stance. A few yards away from us I spot a beast on four legs, running in our direction. Damn it! We’re so close.
“Run, Rora!” I yell.
“No, I’m not going to let you fight that alone.”
There’s no time to argue. The monster is almost upon us. I’m ready to say my final words to her when something grabs my jacket and yanks me back. A terrible shock courses through my body, and then my back meets solid, smooth ground. My vision is blurry for a second, but when I can see properly again, I’m staring at a white ceiling.
“What the fuck!”
“That’s what I should be saying.” Solomon appears in my line of vision, his white hair sticking out and messier than normal. “Honestly, I’m sick of getting zapped because of you two.”
“Rora!” I sit up at once.
“I’m here.” She touches my arm with her fully healed hand.
I don’t care that we have an audience, I pull her onto my lap and attack her mouth. I came too close to losing her tonight. I need the connection, to let her know how much I love her. She tilts her head to the side, deepening the kiss while her arms wrap around my neck. Nothing matters besides us and this glorious feeling of completion.
Somebody whistles nearby, then Ryker tells us to get a room. I don’t want to break the kiss on anyone’s account, but when the High Witch clears her throat, Aurora eases off.
“Are you two done?” she asks.
“Not by a long shot,” I reply with a smile.
“That was hot,” Niko says, staring at us like we’re two lovers in a movie.
Okay, maybe it’s best if we keep the PDA PG-13.
Aurora slips off my lap and together we get back onto our feet. She turns to Solomon. “What happened? How did you get us out of hell?”
�
�You can thank you mother for that. Isadora worked out the spell. We formed a magical cord that allowed me to step into hell and pull you two back.”
Aurora switches her attention to her mother, not speaking for a moment. Her heart is conflicted—I can sense as much.
“What happens now?” I ask to break the tense moment.
The High Witch glances at me. “Now I explain to the council what happened.”
“Are you going to tell them the truth or your version of the facts?” Aurora snaps.
The woman frowns, pinching her lips together. “I’m sorry I doubted you before. Believing Elena betrayed the coven meant everything I’ve done for them, every sacrifice I’ve made, was done for the wrong reasons. Elena was my mentor, Rora. And your grandmother’s best friend.”
“You never told me that.”
She lowers her gaze. “I’ve been wrong keeping you and your sisters at arm’s length.”
“What’s going to happen to Rora now that she’s engaged to Saxon?” Niko butts in.
I choke on my saliva, which results in a coughing fit.
“We’re not engaged, Niko,” she replies, not glancing in my direction.
“No. You’re just married,” Solomon snorts.
Aurora and I shoot him a glance.
“What?” He arches his eyebrows. “That’s what being mated means.”
I rub the back of my neck, feeling awkward as fuck now. It’s not that I don’t want to get married to her. I just never really gave it much thought. Traditional marriage ceremonies in my world are reserved only for royals.
Aurora walks over to Declan. “Here’s your athame. Thanks.”
“Oh, no. This is yours now. The Alton jewel has linked to your powers. It would be painful to sever the connection now.”
“Does that mean that when I bonded with it, it hurt you?”
He lifts his shoulders in a resigned shrug. “It was a small price to pay. Think of it as a welcome gift to the creed.”
“Say what?” I ask.
The warlocks and Aurora look at me, but it’s Solomon who answers. “Aurora is a warlock now.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’ll have to cut your honeymoon short, lover boy. She needs to come to Scotland to initiate her training,” Ryker answers.
“Training for what?”
“What do you think?” Declan raises an eyebrow.
“Are you a demon hunter now?” I meet her gaze.
“I guess so.”
I pass a hand over my face, hating these new developments. My instinct is to say, hell to the fucking no, but she’s my mate, not my property.
“Is that what you want, Rora?”
She glances at the warlock duo for a moment, then back at me. “To be honest, I don’t know. But slaying demons and monsters sounds like an interesting career.”
“And also dangerous as fuck. You almost died.” I cross my arms, unable to control my frown.
“But she didn’t,” Ryker intervenes. “And with training, she’ll be more prepared the next time.”
“Saxon was the one who killed Ashmedai, not me,” she chimes in.
Declan raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“What does it all mean? If Aurora is a warlock now, who is going to be the next in line to become the High Witch?” Niko asks.
“Let’s not worry about that now,” her mother replies.
I’m still brooding when my skin begins to prickle, and a great sense of unease takes hold of me. “Uh, does anyone know what time it is?”
Solomon pulls his pocket watch out. “It’s time to get your ass back home before you turn into a crisp. Sunup is around the corner.”
43
Aurora
Saxon is falling asleep on his feet by the time Ryker drops us off in our apartment. He’s so out of it that he doesn’t even grumble when the warlock tells me he’ll be in touch. I give him a noncommittal response, which is all I’m capable of right now. I can’t deal with all the changes and their consequences before I sort out my priorities.
Ryker leaves in the same manner as usual, using his warlock magic. I can’t deny that learning how to do that is exciting. Leaving Saxon’s side to go to Scotland isn’t. But if the warlocks insist that I must leave right away, would Saxon come with me or stay?
I know something big happened downtown involving Jacques and the king. If the Blueblood wars restart, Saxon will be needed here.
“A penny for your thoughts.” He walks over and pulls me into his arms.
“It’s nothing. Let’s get cleaned up and sleep.”
He brings his nose to the crook of my neck, taking a deep breath. “I don’t think I can sleep right now.”
I can’t possibly smell good, but my hormones don’t care one bit about hygiene. I’m already melting as I lean into him, curling my fists in his shirt.
“Shower first,” I say in a husky voice.
“Okay.”
Holding his hand, I veer to my room, dying to get out of my clothes. They’re grimy and bloody, completely ruined, good only for burning.
Once in the bathroom, I wince when I catch my reflection in the mirror. I look like a zombie extra from The Walking Dead. Saxon hugs me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. Even covered in dirt he looks like a god. It’s so unfair.
“Why are you frowning?” he asks.
“Nothing.”
I head for the shower, which can also be used as a bathtub. I could use a bath. My body is bruised and sore, but I doubt Saxon and I would fit in it.
“I can make it work,” he whispers in my ear.
“What?”
“We can have a bath together.”
Cocking my head, I ask, “Wait? Did you hear my thoughts?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. You were staring at the bathtub longingly and I just had a vision of us in there, you riding me, surrounded by bubbles.”
Desire unfurls in the pit of my stomach and heads south, pooling between my legs. My heartbeat increases its tempo, thrumming inside my ribcage.
“That’s quite a vision.”
He pulls his jacket off, then gets rid of his soiled shirt, jeans, and underwear in the blink of an eye. “Let’s make it a reality.”
“Okay.”
“Here. Let me help you out of those clothes.”
By the time we finally make it into the tub, I’m so turned on that it won’t take much to send me over the edge. After a lot of splashing and maneuvering, we finally manage to find the right position in the tub. Saxon is big everywhere. But once we do, and he slides home, it makes all the contortionism worthwhile. We’re slick and wet as we discover our rhythm. I gyrate my hips, Saxon pistons into me, our tongues mingle in the most erotic dance until my brain short-circuits.
“Sax?” I say against his lips.
“Yes, honey?” He kisses my neck, giving me delicious goose bumps.
“Bite me. Please?”
“Fuck, you don’t have to ask twice.”
He sinks his teeth into my skin, shooting radioactive waves of pure ecstasy down my body. I cry out his name, rotating my hips faster. With each pull from him, the pressure between my legs increases, and Saxon seems to grow larger. I have to close my eyes when the room begins to spin, and yet I see stars everywhere. My body turns into liquid fire when the orgasm hits me so intensely that I can’t even scream. My voice is gone.
Saxon is busy chasing his own release. He stops drinking from me, licking the incisions shut with his tongue before he claims my mouth again. His tongue darts in ferociously, demanding, while his arms keep me trapped against his chest. He grunts against my lips, shaking violently as he empties himself into me. I keep on riding him, which only makes me shatter again.
Minutes pass before we dare to move. My heart is still beating out of sync, and my breathing is ragged. I lean back, finding Saxon staring at me with hooded eyes. There’s still a hint of red in them.
“That was…”
“Earth-shatteri
ngly amazing?” He smiles.
“Is that even a word?”
“It is now.” He kisses me gently, turning my already limp body into goo.
Reluctantly, I pull away, but only so I can stare at him unabashedly. I pinch myself for reassurance that this extraordinary male is my mate, that I get to spend a lifetime with him. A sliver of sadness slides into my heart when I remember what I had to give up.
“What’s the matter, my love?” he asks.
A loaded exhale whooshes out of me. “You know that in order to make the warlock athame work for me, I had to bond with the jewel. But I didn’t tell you what it required of me.”
Saxon’s post-coital blissful expression becomes somber. “Tell me, Rora. Let me help you carry the burden.”
His words almost make me cry. Through a lump in my throat I tell him the vision I saw and what I think it meant. Saxon doesn’t speak for several beats, but I can read in his gaze and also sense through the bond that he’s as shattered as I am.
He reaches for my cheek, caressing it with the tips of his fingers. “You couldn’t have known. You did what you had to do.”
“You’re not angry at me?”
His brows furrow. “Why would I be angry? Your sacrifice saved our lives, and I know you’ll save many others as a badass warlock. I’m proud of you.”
A rogue tear escapes my eye, and Saxon wipes it off with his thumb. “I love you so much,” I say.
“Not as much as I love you.”
He claims my lips in a slow and tender kiss that helps soothe the pain in my chest. We’ll be all right for as long as my mortal body allows. A gasp escapes my lips when sudden realization hits me.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No, of course not. Something just dawned on me. If I’m a warlock, that means I’m immortal.”
He tenses, watching me with wide eyes. “For real?”
“I think so. Ryker and Declan are. I’m not sure how it works. But I guess I’ll find out during training.”
“I hate that you have to leave, but I’m fucking happy that I won’t lose you in a few years,” he says in a choked-up voice.
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 28