by J. L. McCoy
I tore my eyes away as his head hit the ground and started to roll. Running full force, I grabbed Oleif’s sword and had to pry his fingers off before he let go. Even in death he was being difficult. I turned on my heels and charged into the circle of men, wanting to join in on the fight.
I was grabbed from behind and I brought my sword around, narrowly missing Archer’s head.
“It’s me, Cion,” Archer said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly to his chest. “You’re okay. Thank God you are okay. Where were you? I looked everywhere for you.”
“I was saving Trey,” I breathed in relief as I hugged Archer. “Amun had him chained up. What are you doing here? How the hell did you find me?”
“There is no time to explain,” Archer said before letting me go and calling something out in Gaelic to Ruarc and his men. “We need to get you out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said defiantly. “I’m going to finish this once and for all, Archer. Amun is going to pay for what he did to Seamus and Trey.”
Turning my back on Archer, I flashed into the chaos and spotted Amun smiling and taunting one of the soldiers as he expertly ducked and dodged his sword. I heard Archer calling my name and Amun’s head immediately perked up, his eyes finding mine.
“Who will you stand with, Nisiqtu?” Amun grinned at me. “Be careful that you choose the winning side. If you raise your hand against me and I live, I will destroy everyone you have ever known… slowly.”
My nostrils flared as my rage built. His words helped me realize that I was doing the right thing. I would never live in peace, my family would never live in peace, as long as this asshole walked the Earth. I roughly pushed the soldier that was fighting Amun to the side and smiled at Amun as I walked up to him.
He opened his arms to me and I cocked my head to the side as I brought Oleif’s sword up and stabbed him in the chest. Amun threw his head back and laughed as he pulled the sword out and threw it to the ground. My mouth opened in utter shock. The sword didn’t even faze him. “It looks like you have chosen wrong, Damu. Such a pity.”
He raised his hand and backhanded me before I even knew what happened. I hit the dirt hard and crashed into someone’s legs; my face pounding in time with my heartbeat. Amun screamed out suddenly and I felt searing pain in my stomach. I looked down to see blood gushing from between the laces of my bodysuit. When I glanced up at Amun, he was staring down at his stomach in utter shock. He had been sliced open and the wound was deep.
Someone pulled me up off the ground and began dragging me away, but not before I saw Ruarc attack Amun again with the Sword of Saint Patrick. The sword connected with Amun’s chest and I felt the searing pain again as it tore through my skin. I screamed at the exact same time as Amun did.
I felt my body being thrown over someone’s shoulder and I watched helplessly as I was taken away from the fight. “P-Please,” I whispered, the pain in my chest excruciating. “I have to go back. I-I need to go back.”
The person carrying me said nothing as they started descending Mount Bonnell’s stone steps. Pain sliced through me again and this time I felt it in my side. I started choking and coughing up blood and I had a sudden moment of startling clarity. Amun was dying. I felt each of his injuries as it happened to him; I carried the same wounds from the Sword of Saint Patrick as he had. I blew my essence into you; shared my very soul. I combined a part of it with yours. Amun’s injuries were killing me in return.
The next blow hit me on the side of my head and I saw stars as blood began pouring down my face. I had to stop them from killing him or I was going to die too. My vision began to vibrate as the person carrying me reached the parking lot. I felt my body start to pulse and everything around me turned bright white, blinding me. I closed my eyes as I let the vibrations overtake me.
The next second, I hit something hard and I opened my eyes to see that I was laying on the ground a few feet from Amun and Ruarc. Amun was on his knees and Ruarc stood over him with the Sword of Saint Patrick in his hand. I watched Ruarc draw the sword back and I screamed as loud as I could.
“STOP! It’s killing me!”
Ruarc turned around in shock as Archer picked me up off the ground. “Páiste? Where did you come from? What happened to you? You’re covered in blood.”
“The girl just appeared,” one soldier remarked. “One second the ground was empty and the next she was there.”
“She left with Lorcán,” one of the soldiers behind me said. “I told him to take her to the van and out of harm’s way. I saw them leave.”
“Please,” I whispered with difficulty. “No more. You’re killing me.”
Amun started laughing as he slowly pulled himself to his feet. “You cannot kill me without killing the girl, you fools!” He laughed again and started coughing up blood.
“He… w-we… are connected,” I coughed, allowing Archer to pull me into his arms. “Every cut you inflict upon him with the Sword of Saint Patrick cuts me as well.”
“How can this be?” Ruarc whispered in horror, his eyes bouncing between me and Amun.
“Shared his soul… blew a part of his… soul… into me.”
Amun started to stagger away and I reached my hand out and flicked my finger in his direction, pushing him back to the ground. The effort it took nearly made me black out.
“Blood… I need blood,” I whispered as my vision started to go black. I knew I had lost at least half the blood in my body judging by the puddle Amun left behind.
Amun started laughing again as he pulled himself to his knees. “You cannot harm me… not without harming Skye. It was the… perfect plan really, to split my soul with your beloved human and never die. I knew how much you cared for her… I knew you could never kill her… and thus never kill me.”
Ruarc growled fiercely in frustration and threw the sword down to the ground. The action caused Amun to laugh harder and I hated him even more in that moment, if that were possible. I hated what Amun had done to me; I hated that, because Archer loved me, Amun would never experience the death he deserved. I couldn’t let Amun walk away from here. I couldn’t let him get away with all he had done. He had killed Seamus, Callum, Greyson Mead, and Archer’s brother Treasach. He had killed Jesse and he had killed my chance at living a normal, human life. I hated him for all he had taken from me and the people I loved and I desperately wanted to make him pay, no matter the cost. The world would be a better place without Amun in it.
I tilted my head up and kissed Archer on the lips. His eyes grew wide in surprise, but he didn’t hesitate to kiss me back. “I love you Archer… so much.”
“I love you too, baby,” he said, wiping the blood from my eyes. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. An Dilis will find a way to contain Amun until we can figure something out.”
He tried leading me to the stone steps but I stood my ground. “Do you remember all the things I told you in the basement before my test with Ruarc?”
Archer’s brow furrowed deeply as he slowly nodded his head.
“Good… good,” I breathed as I felt my shoulders fall in relief.
“What’s this about?” Archer asked as I turned toward Amun.
Amun met my eyes and I saw the sick glee behind his. He was enjoying our pain. That pissed me off even more and I took a few steps toward him and Ruarc.
“I hate you,” I whispered as I stopped ten feet from him.
“I am not very fond of you at the moment either,” Amun wheezed, “you betraying kashshaptu.”
“I hope you burn in hell, you sick bastard. And I hope it’s extra hot when you get there.”
Amun smiled at me and I wasted no more time as I pointed to the Sword of Saint Patrick, lifting it using my newly acquired Divine Power of Telekinesis, and then drove it straight through his heart.
I immediately felt the sword impale me and I collapsed to the ground. Screams and chaos surrounded me as Archer fell to his knees beside to me. I tried to smile at him, to reas
sure him that I did the right thing, but I felt myself rapidly drifting away. I did it, baby. I finally killed him. My head turned as my eyes found the stars and I welcomed death’s embrace with open arms.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I was surrounded by the sweet, floral aroma of Gardenias, Jasmine, Roses, Lilacs, Peonies, and Lily. I took a deep breath in, enjoying the smell, and felt someone lightly caress my cheek.
“Open your eyes, Cion,” Archer whispered.
It took me a few tries, but I obeyed and smiled when I saw his beautiful face above me. “Hi,” I whispered, my voice rough and weak.
Archer closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, I saw tears glistening on the surface. My brow creased in confusion and I raised one shaky hand and placed it softly on his cheek.
“Don’t cry,” I whispered.
Archer leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. “I didn’t think you’d ever open your eyes. I thought I had lost you forever.”
“What happened? Is Amun still alive?”
Archer nodded and sat back up as he took my hand in his. “The sword missed his heart by a fraction of an inch. Thank God it did. How could you do that, Skye? We would have found another way. You didn’t have to try and kill yourself.”
“A life connected to Amun is no life at all, Archer,” I whispered as I slowly looked around the room. I saw that I was lying in Archer’s bed and that the room had been decorated entirely with elaborate floral bouquets.
Archer’s eyes followed mine and he smiled. “Trey has had trucks delivering these for the last five days.”
My head turned back to Archer and I frowned. “Five days?”
“Aye,” he whispered before lifting my hand and placing a soft kiss on the inside of my wrist. “The longest five days of my entire existence.”
My stomach cramped with intense need and I groaned in answer.
“Are you hungry?” Archer asked as he brushed the hair from my forehead.
I nodded my head and watched him stand and flash out of the room. I heard muffled noises drift down the hall from the living room, followed by the sound of someone running. Archer’s door burst open a second later and Trey stood there with the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face.
“You’re finally awake!” he grinned as he flashed to the side of the bed and gingerly leaned over to hug me. “Sakes alive, honey. We all thought you were dead for sure. What the hell is wrong with you, trying to kill yourself like that? Do you know what we’ve been going through around here?”
I returned his embrace and patted his back. “Seamus is dead,” I whispered, remembering the feel of his severed head as it hit my leg. Tears stung my eyes as Trey’s body stiffened and he stood up.
“Yes,” he nodded slowly as tears filled his eyes. “It’s been a tough few days for everyone. Lochlan is taking it especially hard. They were very close, those two. Seamus was like a big brother to him.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get anyone killed,” I covered my mouth and closed my eyes as tears slid fast down my face. “I did like Amun asked and didn’t tell anyone when I left. All I could think about was saving you.” I opened my eyes and looked Trey over, remembering his horrible injuries. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Trey sniffed as he took my hand from my mouth, holding it as he sat down on the bed next to me. “No one blames you for Seamus’ death, sugar. If you hadn’t come, The Faithful probably never would have captured Amun and I’d most certainly be dead right now.”
“Poor Seamus,” I sobbed. “It’s just so tragic, Trey. I know I haven’t known him as long as you guys have, but I really liked and respected him. He was good to me and always kind, even when I was being a pain in the ass. What was he even doing there? He shouldn’t have been there. I was careful when I left the clu-.”
“Sshh,” Trey patted my hand as he swallowed thickly, the pain in his eyes clear despite his rather calm exterior. “There’s plenty of time to talk about this when you’re well. We don’t need you getting yourself worked up, darlin’.”
“What did they do with Amun?”
“I’m going to let athair answer that one for you. I just wanted to come in and see you for a minute. Archer asked me not to stay long because you still need your rest and I’ve got to get ready for work anyway. You focus on getting better, okay? I’ll come and visit with you again first thing in the morning.”
I tried to sit up and hug him but a sharp pain in my chest and stomach stopped me cold as soon as I moved.
“You lie still now,” Trey tsked as he leaned over and hugged me. “You haven’t fully healed yet.”
I nodded my head as he stood up and gave him a tired smile. “Thank you for the flowers, honey. They’re beautiful. It was the first thing I smelled when I woke up.”
Trey’s face fell and he was silent for a long moment. “I wanted you to be surrounded by something beautiful when you woke up. Ever since you awoke as a vampire, you’ve had to deal with a whole lot of ugliness. I wanted you to have better this time.”
“Oh, Trey,” I whispered as tears fell anew. I was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness. “I don’t know what I did so right to deserve a friend like you, but I’m glad.”
“Me too,” Trey managed a small smile as he gently patted my ankle.
“Dinner is served,” Archer said as he entered the room carrying three bags of blood.
I watched Trey walk out and then turned to Archer with wide eyes. “I can’t drink bagged blood.”
“It’s fresh,” Archer smiled. “I just drew it from your three feeders. They’ve been here all afternoon. I wanted to make sure you had food in case you woke up.”
Archer sat down next to me and handed me the first bag. “Í think the citrate phosphate dextrose preservative solution that’s in most collection bags is what makes you ill after consumption. The citrate, when combined with blood calcium, acts as an anticoagulant. This blood here is additive free.”
I sucked on the tubing that was still connected to the bags and drank deeply. The blood had only cooled by a degree or so, but it was delicious just the same. I quickly polished off the three bags and felt stronger almost immediately.
I tried to sit up again and Archer gave me a hand. The pain in my stomach and chest were still intense and I lifted my nightgown to see that I was heavily bandaged. The gauze was tinted in two areas with my blood.
“Why haven’t I fully healed yet?” I lifted my eyes in confusion. “I don’t understand. I’m supposed to heal faster than any of you.”
Archer frowned as he looked at my bandages. “Amun’s cuts were inflicted by the Sword of Saint Patrick. It is not a mere sword, Skye. If you had not been half Day Walker, you would not be here right now. It’s a miracle you survived and I’ve thanked the good Lord every chance I’ve gotten.”
“If I’m healing, does that mean Amun is healing too?”
Archer nodded his head and explained what happened after I drove the sword through Amun’s chest.
“We thought you were dead. You stopped breathing and your heart stopped beating. Amun, on the other hand, had signs of life so Ruarc and his men withdrew the sword and carried his body to their van. They heavily chained him in silver and draped him with rosaries. Ruarc thought there was a chance you were still alive because Amun was, so he refused to kill him. Ruarc’s remaining men helped me carry you to the car before they gathered their fallen and left for the airport. Trey, Hagan and I brought you home and Trey cleaned you up while I called Jameson. I needed him to come heal you, even though I wasn’t sure if you were alive or not. Jameson immediately chartered a private jet from New Orleans and was here less than three hours after I called. As soon as he touched you, your heart started to beat. After he healed you the first time, your head wound was gone and you were breathing steadily again.”
“Jameson came?” I whispered in shock.
“Aye,” Archer nodded. “He is still here. He’s been healing you every 6 hours for the past five da
ys.”
“Oh crap,” I cringed. “You took him away from his tour? Is he mad at me?”
“Yes I took him away from his tour,” Archer said, raising his voice a little. “What part of ‘we thought you were dead’ do you not understand? I’d trek through the nine circles of hell and fetch the devil himself if I knew there was any chance of saving you, Skye.”
“What about his tour, though?”
“He rescheduled the last eight stops,” Archer sighed. “You are far more important to us, to him, than some bualadh craicinn concert.”
“At least he isn’t mad at me,” I whispered and worried at my bottom lip. “How did he take finding out that I was a vampire?”
Archer sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Not well… not well at all.” He was quiet for a few moments and then began speaking again. “He was angry at first that I had turned you but when I explained what Amun had done by sharing his soul with you, he calmed down; he realized that I didn’t have a choice. Jameson was also angry that no one told him that you had joined the family. He’s very upset with me over that… and I probably don’t have to tell you that he’s upset over our relationship. He is hurt… and rightfully so.”
I pushed back the covers and tried to get out of bed but the pain was too much. I gasped and leaned back against the headboard as Archer stood and covered me up again. “You can’t get out of bed yet, baby; don’t even try. You still have two gaping wounds. What do you need? I’ll get whatever you want.”
“I need to speak to Jameson,” I whispered tiredly. “I need to… apologize to him.”
“No, you need to rest right now,” Archer frowned, tucking the covers around me and fluffing the pillow behind my back. “You can talk to him when he comes to heal you again in two hours.”
I sighed unhappily but didn’t have the strength to argue with him. “Come lay down with me?” I whispered with pleading eyes. I just wanted to be close to him.