by Maya Daniels
“Drink.” My shaking words get everyone around me to press closer. They are all holding their breath just like I am. The blood drips down his chin, spilling through his parted lips. “Drink!” My hand shakes when I try to move his jaw to close it. I only manage to tilt his head to the side, spilling out whatever was left from my blood.
My body shakes, teeth chattering from fear or shock, but I’m not sure which. Ripping open my now-healed wrist, I press it to his lips again. “Drink, damn you!” Curling a fist, I thump him on his shriveled chest. “Drink!” My scream echoes through the crystal behind me.
His lips close on my skin, the pull when he takes what I offer releasing the vise around my chest. I watch with tears running down my face as his body fills up and, finally, his back bows off the floor when he takes his first breath.
“April…” My name is the first thing he says, like a prayer on his lips.
“Oh, Sebastian.” Throwing myself across his chest, I hiccup with my sobs. “I want to kill you again for scaring the shit out of me, you asshole.” His arms wrap around me, dragging my body on top of his. “You deserve to be stabbed again.”
“What did you do, my redemption?” His deep voice sounds raw.
Lifting my head, I look down at him, my tears dropping like raindrops on his angelic face. “New era, as Khan said. New blood is my legacy.”
Sebastian surges up, taking my lips in a searing kiss while the guardians roar around us in victory.
Draped over the throne like a cat on Sunday morning, I rub Mutt’s ears with my toe. He whimpers and wiggles, his tail going crazy and thumping in a fast beat on the floor. My hand is wrapped around Sebastian’s, who is sprawled on the second throne just as unwilling to leave my sight. Or stop touching me for that matter.
“Did the woman make it safely out of here?” I ask no one in particular.
“She is back at the hotel with the two you appointed as her keepers,” Marcus says from near Sebastian.
“You feel like you’re expecting something to happen.” Sebastian’s deep voice is soft, but I feel it inside my chest, warming my insides.
“What if I am?” Mutt perks his ears up, lifting his head to focus his intelligent brown eyes on me. “You buddy, are too judgmental for a dog.” Sebastian chuckles at that.
I feel him before I see him. Lifting myself up, I straighten on the throne, Sebastian becoming alert along with me. We are still dressed in our bloodied clothes, including everyone else that refused to leave our side. Marcus is sitting with his legs thrown in front of him, his back leaning on Sebastian’s throne. Andrei walks through the doors, his eyes finding mine the same second.
I nod, and he grimly nods back.
Reaching behind him, he drags Sara through the haphazardly draped bodies on the floor. She looks pale, the hair escaping her braid and curling around her face while her wide eyes turn deviant when she finally sees me. Sebastian stiffens, and Marcus jerks upright when they see Andrei pushing her on her knees in front of me.
“Hello, Sara.” She glares at my smile. “I’m happy to see you are safe from all the monsters now.”
Her lips press in a thin line, and she refuses to look away from my penetrating gaze.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Sebastian frowns, looking from me to Sara.
“Are you going to tell him, or should I?” Her eyes widen in shock, but she bites her lips, not saying a word.
“April?” Marcus moves to my other side, looking coiled up and confused.
“Why don’t you tell them where your brother is Sara.” She jerks back at my question.
“He is struggling with the transformation.” Marcus grumbles, but Andrei just shakes his head, cutting off whatever else he was about to say.
“He must’ve made a miraculous recovery since I saw him protecting Irina from the sunlight when she ran from the hotel.”
“You traitor!” Sebastian roars, but I grab his forearm, holding him back.
“But that’s not all, is it Sara?” Her glare turns wary. “You have more secrets, don’t you, my dear friend? How about you tell them about the group that you are part off.” She tries to run, but Andrei grabs her, throwing her back down on the floor. “About the hunters that are planning to kill us all in our sleep.”
Sebastian jumps up, his body shaking in rage. “I will rip you apart!” he roars in her face.
“Where will the fun of that be, Tesoro?” Standing up next to him, I give Sara a cold smile. “I have other plans for her. Much, much better than ripping her apart.” My eyes flick to Andrei. “Go get her brother.”
Andrei stumbles midturn, catching himself before he topples down. My arms fling to my sides so I can keep my balance, Sebastian and Marcus taking hold of the crystal thrones to stay standing. The ground under our feet shudders violently, raising everyone to their feet. Confusion clouds my mind. This feels nothing like an earthquake. A niggling thought that we’ve missed something fleetingly passes my mind but the strengthening of the building and the ground under my feet pushes it away.
“The building is going to collapse if it keeps going. We need to get out!” Sebastian reaches for my hand, grasping my fingers tightly.
A hard body tackles me to the floor, wide shoulders digging into my ribs, sandwiching me between it and Sebastian when we hit the ground. Fire bursts all around us and I turn my head to see Marcus, his face twisted in pain as he shields me and Sebastian with his own body. Everything above him is just flames. Fires lick at his back and hair, and my eyes water from the heat. My lips press firmly to stop me from screaming when I wrap my arms around him to pull him closer and away from the raging inferno. A lump wiggles between me and Marcus, and I realize he has taken Mutt along with him before he pushed us out of the trajectory of the flames.
Sebastian holds onto me tightly, rolling us over and away, pulling all four of us behind the crystal throne. My skin feels like it is melting, blisters popping up and oozing down my arms. Marcus groans painfully and slumps unconscious next to me, Mutt whimpering, his paws clawing at my leg. Pressing my hand on Marcus’s chest, I assure myself he is still alive before I turn to Sebastian. He is as hurt as me, Mutt almost unharmed, but none of us are as bad as Marcus.
Andrei! my mind screams, and I scramble over Sebastian to poke my head from behind the throne.
The fire has stopped like it was never there. Charred bodies litter the ground, pained groans and screams filling up the room. One is unmoving in the same place where Andrei used to be, and shock makes my heart stop for a second. A stirring at the entrance catches my attention, my eyes jerking there and widening at the sight.
The mage that I removed the limbs from when he tried to blind me is well and whole, his hand holding Sara’s while they focus their hatred-filled eyes on mine. How the fuck did we forget about the mages? I allowed this to happen. Guilt pushes bile up my throat. Sara grins an ugly, twisted smile my way. Squaring my shoulders, my power sends a wave at them, slamming them into the opposite wall. She hurt those that are mine. Staring her down, I make sure she hears me before the mage pulls her away.
“I’m coming for you!”
Riconoscimento: Recognition (New Blood Rising Book 3) coming soon
Betrayal. Magic. A new human threat lurking in the shadows. The throne is far from secured.
April thought that removing the Council was her biggest problem, but never did she imagine that her only friend would become her archenemy...
Reeling from the gut wrenching betrayal, she is left with too many bodies to count. There is nothing left standing in her way of becoming the monster she feared.
Sebastian has a decision to make. Support her, or stop her from destroying the human race alongside the mages. Is their bond strong enough to bring April back from her bloodlust? Or is one human the catalyst that destroys them all?
From the Author
Dear reader,
I hope you enjoyed the continuation of the story. It was so much fun writing it. But, this is not the end of A
pril and Sebastian’s problems. Who would’ve thought Sara was capable of playing them both, huh. :) Please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, or anywhere else. It helps others discover the books and it’s a virtual hug to us authors. Who doesn’t like a hug? Book three will be coming out shortly. If you like to keep up to date sign up for the newsletter. There will be an exclusive to my NL novella available there soon.
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In the meantime scroll on and check my other books if you haven’t had a chance already. Elementals, Gods, angels, demons, Fae, witches and vamps are aplenty. Thank you for joining me on this adventure.
Until next time, rebel!
Maya xxx
Also by Maya Daniels
New Blood Rising series- Dark PNR
Risorgimento-Rebirth Book 1
Rovesciamento-Overthrown Book 2
Riconoscimento-Recognition Book 3 - coming soon
Semiramis series-Urban Fantasy/Supernatural suspense:
Who am I - Prequel to the Semiramis series
Semiramis Awakened Book 1
Semiramis Reborn Book 2
Semiramis The Vessel Book 3
Stand alone-Dark Fantasy romance/ Mythology:
The Cursed Kingdom
Hidden Portals trilogy- PNR:
Venus Trap Book 1
The First Secret Book 2
The Obsidian Throne- coming soon
The Broken Halos series- PNR/Urban Fantasy:
The Devil is in the Details Book 1
Speak of the Devil Book 2
Encounter with the Devil Book 3
The Devil in Disguise Book 4
To look the Devil in the Eye Book 5 - coming soon