Kearn reached deep into his blood, trying to sense Amber and see how she was coping. She was still afraid. Her blood whispered to his, seeking comfort. He sent a message to her, telling her not to fear and that it would be over soon.
Just as he did so, another group of vampires broke through the line of Venators and into the room.
Kearn went to attack them and then stopped.
Kyran was close.
He glanced at his father and before he could say a word, his father rushed into the vampires, tearing them to shreds with his bare hands, and crushing their bones and puncturing their skin with thought alone.
“Fall back,” Kearn called to him but his father kept going forwards, towards the doors, and then disappeared through them.
Kearn was halfway to the doors when his father flew backwards into the room and slammed into the far wall. Kearn was on his knees beside him in an instant, helping him into a sitting position.
He swallowed.
Three long lines cut across the chest of his father’s black coat. Blood poured from the gashes and he felt his father’s strength flowing from him at the same pace, trickling away with each passing second. He had to get him to safety. Kyran would easily kill him in his weakened state.
Kearn placed his father’s right arm around his shoulders and carefully stood with him. His father grimaced and placed his arm across his stomach.
“Do not worry about me.” His father looked at him with red eyes. “Kyran is too strong. I could not stand against my own son, not even to spare my other child the pain of taking his life.”
“Do not speak.” Kearn walked with him to the doors of the safe room. He could sense the three Venators watching him. They would have to hold off the vampires without him until he got his father to safety. “It is my duty to carry out the law of the Sovereignty. I am strong enough to do this.”
His father growled. Kearn felt his disapproval and knew in his heart that it wasn’t about him. He was angry with the Sovereignty too.
Kearn sent another message through his blood, this time to his mother. The gilt doors ahead of them opened a crack and then a wave of distress swept through the room. His mother was at his father’s side before Kearn could tell her to remain where she was. She murmured quiet words of love and took his father’s other arm, helping him into the room.
Amber waited on the other side of the doors, face pale and eyes enormous. He probably looked terrible by now. His eyes were still red, his fangs still extended, and blood covered him. If she was ever going to think he was a monster, a beast, it would be now.
He set his father down on a chair and went back to the doors. He wanted to go to Amber, his heart telling him to comfort her and to kiss her in case he never saw her again, but he had to return to the fight. He had to end this.
Amber caught his wrist. Her fingers trembled against it and her fear became strong in his blood, bringing out his own.
He looked at the three Venators as they fought the vampires, holding them back. One of them was injured. He could feel his brother getting closer, heralded by a black malevolent wave of power so hideously strong that it turned his insides. Kearn felt weak compared with it, and knew deep inside him that he was no match for his brother. Kyran must have taken more Source Blood in their time apart, boosting his power. The effects of Amber’s blood on Kearn were already beginning to fade, and the Sovereignty’s power drained his strength too. What chance did they stand when his brother arrived? Kyran had taken his father down without even being close to him.
Kearn placed his hand over Amber’s, still facing away from her, and held it. He told her without words that she would be safe with his parents.
A scream pierced the noise of fighting and one of the Venators fell back into the room, his torso and arms cut to ribbons. An injury like that would easily kill him and the severity of it made Kearn’s blood run cold. Kyran could only have done it at close quarters.
He was here.
Kearn turned to Amber, his heart beating hard against his chest. He had promised to return to her, but the wave of power sweeping over him was stronger than he had anticipated. Even with her blood, he still wasn’t as strong as Kyran.
He smiled at her, holding his fear beyond her reach and giving her only his love.
“I will be back soon.” He took her hand from his arm, pressed a kiss to her hand and breathed her in, savouring her warm scent. “I love you.”
She frowned when he lowered her hand and then released it.
He looked at his mother, and then backed out of the door, his gaze returning to Amber.
It hurt to lie to her, to tell her that he would keep his promise even when he knew he couldn’t. He had to do it though. He had to protect her from his brother. He couldn’t let her die.
“I love you,” she whispered and he sensed the rest of what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him to come back to her. She knew what was happening.
Stay with me forever.
Her blood said it with such intensity that he had to turn away, had to break the connection between them, couldn’t bear to feel her need and her love for him when he was only going to hurt her.
His smile faded.
He wanted nothing more than to be with her forever.
Kyran stepped into the room.
But destiny had other plans.
CHAPTER 32
Kearn was a terrible liar.
Amber’s chest hurt at the thought of losing him. She didn’t want to become a vampire in a world where he didn’t exist.
The double doors closed and her attention shifted to Kearn’s mother. She was doing something with a panel beside the doors. Amber’s eyes widened when she heard a mechanism kick into life and a sheet of metal started to slide down over the doors.
No. She couldn’t let Kearn fight alone. She wouldn’t live forever without him. She could help him. She didn’t know how yet, but she was sure there was something she could do.
Amber glanced at Kearn’s mother, and then his father, and then ran at the doors. His mother called out to her but she didn’t stop. She shoved the door open, dived through, and slammed it behind her.
It was a warzone on the other side. Her heart stammered in her chest and then began at a rapid pace, sending her blood rushing through her ears. Kearn was fighting Kyran with the assistance of another Venator. He was badly injured and there was no sign of the other two Venators. Kyran wasn’t without injury either. A thick red gash darted across his cheek, stark against his pale skin, and another cut into his dark hair above his left temple. He looked at her, his red eyes melting back to blue, and smiled.
Kearn glanced over his shoulder, anger in his red eyes. She had only seen him a moment ago but he already looked worse, his face covered with scratches and bruises, and his lower lip cut. He held his hand out and she obeyed his silent command to keep back even though she wanted to help him.
Kyran grinned and raised his hand. Kearn and the other Venator flew across the room, clearing the path between her and Kyran. Kearn’s gun dropped from the holster around his thigh and bounced off the floor. She flinched, afraid it would go off, and then backed away when Kyran stalked towards her.
“Leave her alone!” Kearn threw himself at Kyran. They hit the parquet hard and she sidestepped away from them.
Her gaze strayed to the gun on the other side of the room beyond the remains of the two gold couches. If she could reach it, she could help Kearn.
Pain tore through her and she grimaced against it. The moment it eased, she checked herself over, afraid that she had been caught in the fight. There wasn’t a scratch on her. She looked at Kearn. He was clutching his arm and glaring at his brother. It was his pain. The connection between them had reopened. She could feel his weariness and hurt, and the pain that fighting his brother caused him deep in his heart. She wished she could take that away and end this for him, so he didn’t have to be the one to kill his brother. She knew he would never forgive himself or the Sovereignty for it.
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“Traegard, the door,” Kearn said and the other Venator nodded and went out into the gallery. The sound of fighting there increased. He was defending the room so Kearn could fight one on one with Kyran.
No. Not one on one. She was here to fight too.
Amber edged towards the right corner of the room, trying not to draw attention to herself.
Kearn’s fight against his brother was vicious and fast, so quick that it was only a blur of punches whenever they clashed. Kyran flew across the room like a ragdoll, slamming into the wall near the fireplace and landing hard on the destroyed couch there. Before he could stand, Kearn was on him, grasping the back of his torn black shirt and hauling him off the ground. He growled and threw Kyran across the other side of the room, away from her.
Amber slunk back against the wall behind her.
Kearn turned to face her with a frown. “I wanted you safe.”
She laughed. “Safe… so you can get yourself killed out here alone?”
His expression darkened.
“You’re a crappy liar,” she muttered and then her eyes shot wide when Kyran got to his feet. She pointed. “Go… I have a plan.”
Kearn didn’t stick around to ask about it. Amber was thankful. He would have laughed had she said that she intended to shoot his brother for him, pump him full of lead until he couldn’t move and Kearn could kill him. She had never fired a gun before. She wasn’t even sure if she could. Kearn needed her help though and it wasn’t the time to be weak and worry about the consequences. She couldn’t kill Kyran with a gun. It would just be flesh wounds to slow him down.
That didn’t make her feel better at all. She was still proposing to pull the trigger on someone she knew. The thought alone chilled her blood.
But she kept moving towards the gun, slowly easing her way around the room to where it lay on the other side of the fireplace.
Kearn kicked Kyran across the head but he blocked it by grabbing Kearn’s ankle and slamming him into the ground. Amber flinched against the pain that shot through her, numbing her senses. Kearn didn’t seem to notice it himself. He brought his other leg up like a rocket, catching Kyran under the jaw with the heel of his boot and sending him soaring upwards. He hit the ceiling and dropped, landing on his knees. Kearn raised his hand and curled his fingers up, and Kyran howled in agony.
Amber didn’t like that sound. It was wrong somehow. It sounded like a beast baying for blood. She continued and was close to her target when the world suddenly swept past her. She hit the floor, collapsing onto her shoulder, and struggled to breathe.
What had happened?
“Touch her again and I will—”
“What?” Kyran interjected, cutting Kearn off.
Amber’s vision swam when she tried to look at them. Her head felt fuzzy.
“We could always make this a more interesting game.” Kyran grinned at Kearn and then turned his smile on her. “Come, Lover.”
She had forgotten one very important thing in the midst of her desire to protect Kearn.
Kyran had her blood. He could control her.
Amber shook her head, fighting the effect of Kyran’s command. She wouldn’t go to him. She didn’t want to hurt Kearn again, not as she had at the ball. She wouldn’t do it.
He crooked a finger and she was on her feet without thinking and walking towards him, her thoughts of resisting him drifting away. They didn’t matter. She wanted to do as Kyran asked.
“Go back, Amber,” Kearn said and the connection to Kyran severed.
Amber shrank back again, scowling at Kyran. She had to end this before Kyran managed to gain control over her again. She wouldn’t hurt Kearn.
Kyran motioned to her again but this time nothing happened. He turned his steely gaze on Kearn. Kearn’s right hand glowed bright blue, lighting the air around him and reflecting off the buckles on his scuffed and dusty black leather boots. He raised it towards Kyran and sparks broke from the surface of his skin, leaping through the tears in his black military-style jacket. Kyran dodged the bolt of white-blue light that shot towards him. Amber didn’t waste her chance. She ran for the gun.
She was scrambling over the broken furniture when the floor dropped away again and she was flying. This time she braced for impact. It didn’t help. Pain shot through every bone in her body when she smashed into the wall. Her head was a riot of pain, spinning so much that she didn’t want to open her eyes. Someone growled. Her blood said it was Kearn, and he was growing angrier by the second, but weaker too. She could feel the strength draining from him.
Carefully, she tried to sense Kyran. His blood flowed strong with hers and his power was incredible. She broke the connection before he noticed and opened her eyes. Her head pounded. Kearn was fighting hard but it wouldn’t be enough. They had both taken blood from her in an almost equal quantity, but Kyran was stronger than he was. Why?
A noise from the gallery drew her attention. The other Venator was there, fighting the vampires that were trying to get through. The blue glow of his arm highlighted his weary expression.
Amber looked back at Kearn, remembering the fight at the warehouse. He had been tired after that.
Did the power in his arm drain his energy?
He looked at her as she thought that, his red eyes boring into hers. Just as she felt the answer in her blood, Kyran threw him hard onto the floor, splintering the wooden boards. Kearn grunted on impact, his eyes closing and arms splaying out. The light from his arm flickered and died, leaving only the silver markings behind.
It did drain him. It was making him weak.
Kyran went to attack Kearn, but Kearn grabbed him and managed to get his feet against Kyran’s stomach. He launched Kyran into the ceiling and was on his feet before he fell. The moment he did, Kearn spun around and kicked him in the stomach again, sending him shooting across the room. Kyran hit the wall, shaking the room, and the windows exploded out into the night.
The other Venator was on him in a heartbeat, pummelling him with his fists, his eyes vivid red and narrowed.
Kyran threw him away. He landed in amongst the vampires in the gallery but they didn’t have a chance to attack him. He struck first, pressing his hand against one vampire’s chest. The man unleashed a scream that made her cover her ears and strange black things crept out of the Venator’s hand and into the man.
Amber looked away and her gaze fell on the gun only a few feet away.
Kyran had thrown her exactly where she had wanted to go. She smiled, reached for it, and dragged it towards her. She pushed herself onto her knees and lifted the gun. It was heavier than she remembered. Her limbs trembled with pain and her fingers felt so weak she feared she was going to drop the weapon and alert Kyran to her presence again.
He didn’t seem to notice her. He was stalking towards Kearn with murder in his red eyes and plaster chalk covering the back of his ruined black shirt and trousers.
Kearn was ready for him but she could still feel his fatigue and see it in his face. He was breathing hard and his desire to sleep ran deep in her veins. He couldn’t last much longer against Kyran, and Kyran showed no sign of getting weaker.
Amber raised the gun, using both hands to hold it just as she had seen in the movies, and pointed it at Kyran. It shook all over the place. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to do this, wasn’t sure if she would be able to live with herself, and wasn’t even sure what help it would be.
Kearn had told her that he used the gun to slow the vampires down and that it was his arm that killed them. She had to slow Kyran down for him.
With her heart in her mouth, she yanked the trigger.
It clicked but nothing happened.
Kyran’s head snapped around to face her. He grinned.
Crap. The safety. She fumbled with it, trying to figure out how to get it off. Kyran changed course, coming towards her. The switch moved and she raised the gun again, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
Her ears rang from the loud cracking noise and she
fell backwards from the recoil, landing on her bottom with her legs bent at her side and her back against the wall behind her. She opened her eyes, her heart rushing in her throat, and looked at Kyran.
He stood with his right hand in front of him, staring at it.
Blood covered it.
There was a wet patch on his left shoulder.
She had shot him.
The desire to be sick was overwhelming but Amber held it together. She felt weak but strong too, able to help the man she loved.
Kearn attacked Kyran, shoving his left shoulder so Kyran cried out, and taking him down to the ground. Amber swallowed her heart back down and readied herself in case she would have to shoot Kyran again. He landed on top, pinning Kearn to the ground and punching him hard across the face.
“Why?” Kearn said and Kyran’s fist stopped short of his face.
Kyran’s expression turned ugly, his frown darkening his eyes, and Amber could feel the anger in him. She didn’t want to be able to sense him through her blood. She wanted him out of it.
She raised the gun again. It shook so violently that she couldn’t aim straight and her hands felt numb where they gripped it.
“You know why.” Kyran’s voice was low and hollow. He hit Kearn again but Kearn didn’t fight back.
His hand began to glow blue.
Amber could feel his distress, the pain over having to fight Kyran and having hurt him, and the reluctance to carry out the order of the Sovereignty.
“I never chose this life,” Kearn whispered, his brow furrowing and his eyes becoming green. Kyran hit him again, his growing frustration clear on his face. Kearn growled. “It chose me!”
“Chose you?” Kyran grabbed Kearn’s shoulders, lifted them off the ground and then slammed him back down, so Kearn’s head bounced off the wooden floor. Pain speared Amber in the back of her head and she flinched.
Kearn growled, his left hand shot up, and he wrapped it around Kyran’s throat.
“You chose your life.” Kearn’s bitterness ran through her. He hated his life. She had never really suspected his feelings ran this deep. Was there nothing good about the way it had turned out for him? Wasn’t she worth what he had gone through? Kearn’s gaze slid to her and she felt his answer in his blood. She had made it worthwhile for him. He was grateful for her. He looked back at Kyran and choked him. “You committed sin and broke the law!”
Forbidden Blood (Vampire Venators Romance Series) Page 36