by K Loraine
She shook her head. “Nothing I wasn’t willing to do.” The slight bruise at the crook of her elbow proved he hadn’t bitten her. He was telling the truth; he’d taken a donation.
“How much did you take?” I snarled at Cashel.
“Enough to ensure we will be able to stop this disease in its tracks.”
“We thought we had enough when you ruined Olivia’s blood.”
“This is different. This is…Lucas, she’s given us the ability to create a vaccine.”
I stared at him, trying to control the possessive anger in my chest because I understood. We lost our brother, our sister, his mother, all to this sickness. He was about to have his own child, and who knew if Olivia’s blood running through their veins would protect them? But Briar was mine. She was mine to protect and cherish. By taking her blood, he’d weakened her when she needed to be at her strongest.
“Why now?”
Briar rested her palm on my forearm. “Because if I die here, my blood is gone. Now, if that happens—“
“It won’t happen.” My statement was a growl of warning.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. I’ll die before anything happens to you.”
She released my arm and stepped back. “You tried that once before.”
It hurt. The blow was sharp but true. I had tried to save her from marrying the wrong man and got her killed instead. “I won’t fail you.”
“I’m not a fragile creature who needs saving. I need you to let me do my part in all of this. Now, come on. We have guests to greet. I need to use my energy on them.”
Palms clenched, I gritted my teeth and fought the urge to take her away from all of this right now. But running never solved anything. I’d tried that more than once and only ended up coming back to a bigger mess than before.
Holding out a hand, I waited for her to slip hers into mine. “I have something for you,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her knuckles as soon as she gave me what I wanted.
“Not here,” she teased. “After.”
“Definitely after, but this is something I want everyone to see.” With my free hand, I pulled a velvet box from my breast pocket. Then I opened it, revealing the ring I’d bought for her a century ago, just before I lost her. A large sapphire sat nestled into a halo of diamonds, the light catching on the perfectly cut gems and throwing prisms. “I’ve had this for far too long, Briar, and I never thought I’d get the chance to give it to you. Wear it tonight and every night after?”
She didn’t answer me with words, instead simply nodded as I slipped it on her left hand.
“Lovely, brother. Shall we greet our guests now that the romantic gesture is complete?” Cashel tried for unimpressed, but I could see the pride shining in his eyes.
“Is the show prepared?” I asked.
Martin stood at the doors. “It is, sir. The courtyard is prepared, and the guests are all accounted for.”
I took Briar’s hand and led her toward the exit. “We’re not having the ball in the ballroom?” she asked.
“No. Tonight we’ll dance under the night sky in the courtyard. No walls to cage us in. No barriers keeping us from escape.”
“Do you think we’ll have to?”
I swallowed back my fear. “I hope not.”
22
BRIAR
Lucas didn’t let go of my hand the whole walk to the courtyard. It was a place I’d never been, a place the Blackthornes rarely used, or if they did, Lucas had never told me about it. Stepping down the three marble stairs into the recessed sunroom, I held a breath I didn’t need and watched the figures milling around outside. My mother was among them, along with her new husband. Members of my former pack awaited, the councils of both vampires and shifters, all beings who thought I was an abomination and should be killed. They all waited for me to make my appearance.
“Are you sure Seb is safely hidden? I don’t want them to know about him until we’re sure they aren’t going to try to murder me.”
Brushing his lips over my temple, Lucas murmured, “Cashel did his best to convince him to go. The man is stubborn and completely in love with you. He refused.”
Panic clutched my chest. “So where is he now?”
“Skulking in the shadows, most likely.”
“We have to hide him.”
He turned pained eyes to me. “Why do you care? Why does he matter so much?”
Guilt hit me hard in the chest. “You know why.”
Lucas ran his knuckles over my cheek and nodded, not saying the words. “I should have been there for you.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t tell him he was wrong or brush it under the rug. All I could do was move on and forgive him for not coming to find me. “They’re waiting.”
Reaching for the door, I tried to move past him, but he caught me by the wrist. “Let them wait.”
There was apprehension in his eyes, fear radiating from him. The sight of my cocky, strong, stubborn vampire fighting for control over his emotions made my heart ache. “What are you afraid of?”
He flicked his gaze away from mine before returning to me again. “I’m afraid of losing you just as we’ve found each other again, Briar. Isn’t it obvious? What if we’re not destined to be happy? What if we’re truly damned and our Hell is here on earth?”
I stared up at the vampire I never should have loved but couldn’t resist. “Then our creator really is a vengeful God. But I don’t believe for a minute that we’d get a second chance to be together if this was supposed to be punishment.”
Warmth returned to his irises, chasing away most of the trepidation and leaving only the barest hint of unease. “Then let us make the most of every moment we have. The span of a lifetime isn’t a guaranteed number of nights, not even when you can live forever.”
A smile spread across my lips. “Sometimes you’re so romantic.”
“Only for you,” he whispered, dropping his head and brushing his mouth over mine. “Shall we prove to them all you’re not a danger, so I can finally take you home for good?”
I nodded, swallowing back the unwelcome lump of fear in my throat.
He opened the doors, letting in the sweet evening air. It was a moonless sky above us, the powerful orb hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. Music floated through the open space, the haunting strains of a string quartet giving the gathering a sense of foreboding and looming danger. An odd choice, but then again, it was the Blackthornes who were hosting. They knew how to keep everyone on edge and probably did so for a reason.
My gaze swept the crowd, men and women dressed immaculately in black tie and ballgowns. If I hadn’t known these creatures weren’t human, I could have easily mistaken this for a charity gala hosted for the wealthy humans in the area. But behind those smiles and fine clothes lurked deadly beings with sharp teeth and sharper claws. The scent of something wild mixed with the tang of blood on the wind. It was strange and comforting. Both speaking to parts of me I’d been trying to contain.
Lucas tightened his hold on my waist as we walked through the crowd. Couples dancing together parted to give us a wide berth. So, they were afraid of me. Or maybe it was the expression on his face that scared them. He looked ready to kill anyone who came near us.
But then everything stopped as the woman I hadn’t seen in a century came into view. My mother stood near the long table clearly set for the Blackthorne vampires. She was painfully beautiful, her hair pulled to one side, falling in loose curls over her shoulder, eyes filled with sadness, relief, and disgust. And next to her was a man I’d met only once. My uncle. My new stepfather. Henry stood beside her, his arm around her waist, eyes trained on me that were filled with nothing but suspicion.
“Mother,” I said, forcing my voice to remain calm.
“Is that all you have to say to me after all this time?” She seemed truly upset. Heartbreak was written all over her features.
“You had me imprisoned. You let him do vile things in the name of saving m
e. Yes, that’s all I have to say.”
“Briar, don’t speak to your mother that way,” Henry interjected, his voice so like my father’s.
“You’re not my father. Don’t pretend to be.”
Lucas linked our hands and squeezed. His voice whispered through my mind.
Gently, love. We won’t get what we want from them if you run him off first thing.
He was right. I needed answers about my father’s death, about the truth behind their marriage. I also needed my freedom.
“I see you’ve accepted your vampire side.” It was a statement from my mother, not a question.
“Rowena, you know she had little choice in the matter. Without accepting, she would have died.” Lucas still held my hand tightly.
“That may have been a blessing,” Henry said.
Lucas was on him like a shot. His hand wrapped around my uncle’s throat, and he backed him up until he was bowed over the table. “Her death would have been nothing short of a tragedy, wolf. I’ll have you remember the feel of my hand around your windpipe the next time you think to insult my mate.”
Cashel appeared at Lucas’ side, one hand on his shoulder. “Brother, have the festivities begun without us? Already playing with the guests, I see.” He leaned close. “Release the wolf, Lucas. There will be no bloodshed tonight. I’ve signed a treaty to ensure it stays that way. I can’t do anything to help you if you break it.”
Lucas held on, staring hard into my uncle’s eyes before finally releasing him. My uncle coughed and spluttered, face red, throat bruised, but he returned to my mother’s side and didn’t say another word.
“So, you’re marrying him?” Mother asked, grabbing my hand and inspecting the ring Lucas had given me.
I cocked a brow. “And you married my uncle?”
“You don’t understand, Briar.”
I laughed bitterly as the truth spilled from my mouth. “I understand exactly what’s happened here. You two have been in love for far longer than I’ve been around. But you had to marry my father. I should have known when you told me it wasn’t a love match. You loved someone you couldn’t have.”
She nodded. “A bit familiar, isn’t it?”
It hit me like a slap in the face. Throwing my own mating ceremony gone wrong at my feet was harsh. “Oh, it is. I also know what dying feels like. Just like my father. How did he die, Mother? It’s awfully hard to kill a shifter.”
“It was terrible. A wasting sickness like nothing we’ve ever seen.”
My stomach churned. “We don’t get sick.”
“No one could figure it out. Not even with modern technology at our fingertips. It took months. When he finally left us, he was a shell of himself.”
I flicked my gaze to Lucas, the question on the tip of my tongue, but he shook his head in warning. He knew me without being in my mind. Had sun sickness begun to spread to other creatures?
“Are you sure he wasn’t poisoned?” Lucas asked. “A fair amount of kings and leaders are removed from their positions in nefarious ways. Poison is still a tried and true method.”
“You would know, wouldn’t you, vampire?” Mother spit the accusation at him, but to his credit, he didn’t flinch.
“Rowena, Lucas, lay down your weapons. Now is a time for peace. Haven’t we had enough conflict between us?” Cashel put himself in front of Lucas. “We are here to put aside our grievances and celebrate your daughter’s return to our worlds. Proving she’s not a danger can only happen with your support.”
My heart fluttered like a caged bird. I’d nearly forgotten the councils who were in attendance, watching every move I made. “I can do it,” I announced. “Lucas has seen my control grow since we’ve been reunited. I’m not a risk for exposure.”
“But are you a risk for the safety of those you’re around?” A tall, elegant vampire male approached our tense group.
“Samson, we agreed tonight would remain civil and a private interview would be conducted after the ball,” Cashel warned.
Samson shrugged. “Forgive me, but I’ve seen this before. Abominations like you can’t be trusted to stay in control. It’s not in your nature.”
I straightened my shoulders, standing tall and proud with Lucas by my side. “You haven’t met me, then.”
He smirked. “We’ll see. Won’t we?”
Samson left us without another word, moving so soundlessly, so smoothly, I would have thought he was gliding if I hadn’t known better. “How old is he?” I whispered to Lucas.
“Old enough.”
“He’s floating.”
“It only looks tha—”I followed his gaze to the edge of the curated garden. A tall, handsome man stood in the shadows, long dark hair flowing past his shoulders, gaze glowing silver. He exuded power, but beyond that, there was something ominous about him.
“Who is that?”
Lucas’ grip tightened. “Death.”
23
LUCAS
No. Fucking hell. Azriel couldn’t be here. There was no way the angel of bloody death had been invited to this party.
“Briar, I need you to stay here. Don’t leave Cashel’s side. Do you hear me?” The panic in my tone must’ve been poorly concealed because Briar narrowed her gaze at me and crossed both arms over her chest.
“What are you up to?”
“Just greeting an old friend.”
“Then take me with you.”
I shook my head. “This isn’t the kind of old friend I want you to ever have to meet.” Locking gazes with her, I sent every bit of my pleading thoughts into her head before whispering, “Do this for me. Please?”
She heaved a sigh. “All right, but I need you to explain when you come back. This is already weirder than I expected. Who is he? He feels familiar.”
Of course he did. He was an angel, just like Gabriel, who’d bound the two of us in a destiny doomed for tragedy. I wondered if they did it for shits and giggles? Were these celestial beings so bored with their existence they toyed with us all to amuse themselves? If so, I’d pluck every last feather from Azriel’s wings and have a dress for Briar made of the things.
I pressed a light kiss to her temple and left her standing next to my brother and Olivia. The angel backed farther into the shadows as I approached, luring me away from prying eyes.
“What do you want, Azriel? I haven’t seen you in one hundred years, not even when my father died.”
“I didn’t come for him. He was bound for something darker.”
“I suppose you’re not here for a night of dancing and drinking? Making merry?”
His expression remained stoic. “No.”
“Who are you here for?”
“I can’t tell you that. You know it.”
I hated him. He could be here for anyone in attendance, but the fact that Briar and I could see him didn’t bode well. “You can’t have her. I won’t let you take her from me.”
“If I want her, she is mine. You think because my brother bound you together that makes her somehow special in all this?”
“I think I heard Gabe’s wings were ripped from him and he’s no longer singing in your choir. You know what that means?”
Azriel cocked a brow, looking wholly disinterested.
“It means I could do the same to you.”
He laughed then, a long, loud rumble that sounded like thunder rolling from his chest. “I’d like to see you try. Gabriel fell, but not of his own choosing. Lucifer bested him. We’ve lost him, and I don’t think he’ll ever return, ruined as he was.”
“So who’s the new messenger?”
He smirked.
“You? So you’re wearing two hats now? I hope they’re paying you overtime.” We strolled through the path that wound around the estate, my heartbeat slowing as I realized what this meant. “Are you here as Death or the Messenger?”
“Perhaps it is both?”
I swallowed. “What’s your message?”
“The stars are crossed when it comes to your union
with her. You were fated for tragedy and despair.”
Shrugging, I dragged a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I got that memo a century ago.”
“Defy them.”
“Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you right.”
“Defy the stars. Your story wasn’t written by my father. It was written by yours.”
I snorted with laughter. “What? Am I hearing this right? The angel of death, the new messenger of God, is telling me to fight destiny?”
“Do you want her?”
“Fuck, yes, I do.”
“Then that is exactly what I’m telling you to do, vampire. It’s what my brother would have said as well, if he weren’t lost.”
“All right, I will.”
I turned away, ready to go back to Briar and finish this mockery of a ball, but he stopped me with a palm on my shoulder. “I’m here for them all, Lucas. None will survive this.”
My stomach churned. “No.”
“Your brother is going to burn this place to the ground. He’ll purify it with fire, and I can’t intervene.”
“Cashel? No. He wouldn’t.”
“Not Cashel.”
“What the bloody hell are you saying? Callum is dead.”
“Go. Do what you can to stop this. Save the Blackthorne bloodline before it’s snuffed out completely.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the air shifted, causing my ears to pop, and Azriel was gone, just like that. The clouds parted, revealing a bright full moon. I couldn’t bear the pressure of power that fell over everything like a weighted blanket. “No. The fucking moon.”
I ran, hard and fast, but already I heard the growling, the howls. The shifters had changed because they couldn’t help themselves.
Briar stood in the center of the dance floor, her control slipping with every passing moment. So many wolves around her, so much power begging her to change. She cut a glance to me, her eyes pleading for help.