Honoria Ravena Read online

  Chapter Seventeen

  The door slammed against the wall with a bang. Zarek shot out of the bed faster than I thought possible. He landed in a crouch in front of Laedan, two daggers in his palms. Where had those come from?

  “Whoa!” Laedan fell back against the wall and held up his hands in surrender.

  “Laedan! What the fuck are you doing? Are you trying to get killed? Stupid boy, I ought to—”

  “Boss, we’ve got bad guys. We need you downstairs.”

  I leaped out of bed and pulled on my clothes, which were still strewn on the floor from last night. There was no time to find clean ones.

  The windows shattered, and I shrieked. Three vampires landed on the hardwood floor with a thud. They were dressed from head to toe in black. They released their ropes.

  Laedan broke into a fit of giggles. He clapped me on the shoulder. “I don’t know what’s funnier, ninja vampires or that scream.”

  I wanted to glare, but I wasn’t taking my eyes off the vamps in front of me. Two more men swung through the windows.

  Zarek’s voice was harsh. “Laedan, poke fun later. Fight now.”

  I caught the sword Zarek tossed me. I sensed movement behind me and spun just in time to block the blade that would have taken my head off. The clash of the metal jarred me to the bone.

  I heard metal on metal and grunts of strain as Zarek and Laedan started to fight.

  I thrust the sword at the vampire in front of me. He leaped back with a curse and swung at my head. I ducked and kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach. He grunted and crashed into the wall as Navarro came through the door.

  He slid down the wall. Blood from his head trailed after him. I frowned. He’d left a dent in the wall. There was definitely something to be said about having vampire strength.

  I didn’t get a chance to attack Navarro before someone came up behind me. I spun, dropped to the floor, and kicked his legs out from under him. He crashed to the ground with a shocked gasp. I stood and brought my sword down. The vampire’s scream was cut short as I severed his head. Blood puddled on the floor.

  I spun around. The vampire I’d slammed into a wall was on his feet.

  He probed the back of his head gingerly. Rage flared in his eyes. “You little bitch.”

  He picked up his sword and strode toward me. His first swing almost decapitated me. His sword sliced my cheek open. I hissed and clutched the cut. He spit blood on the ground. I must have kicked him hard enough to damage something. Yippee.

  “Too bad that won’t scar that pretty face.”

  He swung at my stomach, and I parried. I lunged forward. His sword slammed against mine and it spun away.

  “Fuck!”

  The only thing that saved my head from his next chop was the fact that I fell over the body behind me. The dead man’s sword was missing. I grabbed the dagger from his waist.

  The vampire swung the sword at my neck. I rolled away from him and stumbled to my feet. I spun and kicked his sword hand. The blade went flying. I slashed at his throat, barely catching him under the jaw.

  He stumbled back, and one hand went to his throat as the other reached for the dagger on his waist. He came at me so fast, I barely blocked the thrusts of his knife.

  Pain ripped through my chest. I fell back on the floor, clutching the handle of the dagger that protruded from my sternum. Blood started to coat my tank top. My hands were covered in it. I couldn’t draw enough breath to scream. My vision swam. The air roared in my ears.

  Zarek was shouting. “Regan!”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him go down under the three vampires he was fighting. Navarro passed me, heading for the heap of vampires trying to hold Zarek.

  My vamp leaned over me, sword in hand. I realized I still had my knife in my hands. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t dropped it. My hand convulsed around it. I wouldn’t let this fucker kill me. I shoved my knife into his chest with all the strength I had left. It was enough.

  He collapsed next to me, his sword clattering to the ground. He was dead before he hit the floor. Unlike him, I hadn’t missed the heart. I glanced around. Laedan was struggling to finish off his last vampire. Zarek had killed one of his attackers, but the other two were struggling to hold him to the floor.

  As quickly, but steadily, as I could, I pulled the dagger from my chest. I shrieked and curled onto my side. Blood gushed between my hands as I tried to put pressure on the wound. Absently, I wondered if vampires could bleed out. I sure hoped not.

  I seized my target’s sword and used it to help me to my feet. My head spun, and I wobbled dangerously. I managed to right myself.

  Navarro unsheathed the sword at his hip. I stared at Zarek on the ground, Navarro looming over him. Oh God, I wasn’t going to make it! Terror froze me. He could die now. We were just starting to understand each other. I could barely stand, let alone make it to Zarek to help him.

  I had to try, even if I had to crawl the distance. I took a shaky step toward them and almost fell on my face. Zarek locked eyes with me. He shoved his power into me with enough force to send me to my knees. I gasped for air as his power flooded my system. That “I’m invincible” high flashed through me as I shoved myself to my feet.

  Navarro started to swing the sword.

  “No!” I dashed forward and swung my blade at his neck with all my might. His head went flying. Blood splattered everywhere. I shoved the sword into the heart of the vampire holding Zarek down. Laedan slammed into the other. They crashed to the floor.

  Zarek blinked up at me in shock.

  I dropped to my knees next to him as the power he’d given me evaporated. I coughed, and blood splattered my hand. “Ow. That’s going to heal before I die, right?”

  Zarek nodded. “We’re going to need to feed though.”

  Laedan groaned from his spot on the floor. A headless vampire lay next to him. “Not from me, damn it. I think I’ve lost enough blood.”

  “You’ll live too, right?”

  He sat up and braced his hands on either side of his thigh. “Yeah, this broken femur hurts like hell though. It will heal. I just have to shift. It’s not going to be fun to do it either.”

  He closed his eyes. Every hair on my body rose to full attention as magic filled the room. A shudder worked its way up his body. He tossed his head back and moaned. It was a pain-filled sound, and it made me want to go to him.

  There was movement under his skin as bones and muscles reformed. Cloth ripped as his body changed. His face elongated. He fell back on the floor, and his back arched. He howled in pain. Fur started to flow down his body.

  He collapsed back on the floor. I was about to crawl toward him when Zarek grabbed my wrist. “He just passed out. Leave him that way, it’s better for him.”

  “Does the change always hurt wereanimals like that?”

  “He’s told me that it hurts, but if he has to heal something, it’s worse. But yes, it always hurts them. They weren’t built for it. While shape-shifters say it feels a lot like orgasm, wereanimals say it’s like torture. And Laedan says it hurts more if it’s not a full moon.”

  “It must suck for them.”

  “In some ways. But they also gain a lot of power and can survive almost any injury. It’s not all bad.”

  I lay down next to Zarek. He wrapped an arm around my waist and smiled at me. “You saved my life.”

  I frowned at him. “Well, yes.”

  “I didn’t think you would.”

  “I thought about letting you die.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m lying. I didn’t think about that for a second. I thought I might not get to you though. It terrified me. Without your power, I wouldn’t have. I can’t let you die anyway. What’s life without your nagging?”

  His lips brushed lightly against mine. “I don’t nag you.”

  Someone standing in the door way cleared his throat. We glanced back toward it. Macon leaned heavily against the f
rame. Blood seeped from a vicious tear in his side.

  “When I saw you never made it downstairs, I came up to see if you needed help. I guess you didn’t. The battle has been won, by the way. When the others felt Navarro die, they retreated.” He smirked. “They didn’t get far.”

  Zarek grimaced back. “That’s good. Now sit down before you fall down. I hope the troops are in better shape than us.”

  “Some are. And they’re procuring willing donors for the ones who aren’t. We had five deaths.”

  “Shit. For us that’s a hell of a lot.”

  Macon nodded solemnly. “Yes, it is. The toll of this war is going to be bad.”

  Epilogue

  I clung to Zarek’s hand as my brother slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. I tried to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes but didn’t quite manage. He was leaving to be one of the King’s Watchers, and I hadn’t been able to keep it together since he’d told me.

  “Goddamnit, Regan, will you stop that? I’ll be back. And you have Zarek to keep you occupied.”

  I sniffled and silently cursed myself. I wasn’t this weak. “We’ve never been apart for long.”

  “I know. But I’ll be saving lives. That’s important to me. As vampire hunters we killed indiscriminately. This way I’ll be killing vamps who deserve it.” He bit his lip. “Besides, seeing how happy you are with Zarek. It just reminds me of what I lost with Liora. She’ll kill me before she accepts me now.”

  Zarek made a pained sound. “Jason, if I’d known…”

  “You would have turned me anyway. You wanted me to live.” He clapped Zarek on the shoulder. “This isn’t a fate worse than death. I just miss her. I need some time to heal.”

  Darius honked the horn, and Natalya smacked him on the back of the head. Faintly, I heard, “He’s saying good-bye to his family. He could die doing this job, don’t be an ass.”

  I smiled, but by Jason’s flinch, I could tell it wasn’t a very happy look.

  I threw my arms around him. “Be careful, okay?”

  He dropped the duffel bag and hugged me back. “I will be. You just be happy.”

  I leaned back and swiped at my tears. “You’ll be back for holidays?”

  “Every single one. And apparently I get some sort of paid vacation, so I’ll be back for that too.”

  I released him and he walked to Darius’ car. I hugged Zarek, but he didn’t hug me back. Strange. Since the fight he had his hands on me constantly, as if afraid of losing me. Laedan said the clinging was starting to gross him out.

  I looked up at him. He was staring at me, his eyes filled with pain so intense it wrenched my heart.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  He licked his lips and cleared his throat. “You’re free to leave me now. I won’t hold you to me any longer. I frighten you and now I know why you could never be happy with me. I…I love you, and I don’t want to force you to stay with me. I want you happy.”

  My arms dropped from around his waist and hung limply at my sides. He was letting me go. I could leave and never set eyes on him again if I pleased. I wouldn’t have to live in the vampire world. The thought thrilled me. I would be free.

  But then why did it hurt to breathe? Why did the thought of never seeing Zarek again make my heart sink? Hell, the thought of not hanging out with Laedan anymore made my heart sink. The thought of never being with Zarek again made me want to die.

  Zarek turned from me and started to walk away. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled his back to my front.

  “I’m happy where I am.”

  He went rigid. “Really? Because if you don’t love me, I want you to go. Just leave now.”

  “You couldn’t force me from your side. I do love you, and I intend to spend eternity with you. I think my brother even likes you in his own way. I think we’ll be at peace here.”

  He faced me and gripped me in a hug so tight he lifted me off the ground. He pressed his mouth to mine, thrusting his tongue past my lips as I threaded my hands through his hair.

  Breaking the kiss, he swept me into his arms. There was no place I’d rather be.

  Biography

  Multi-published paranormal author Honoria Ravena lives in north Texas. With a cat for a pet who consistently insists on helping her type her stories, she enjoys yoga, belly dancing, a growing addiction to cosmetics, and reading many types of fiction. You may find her on Facebook and Twitter, but do not be surprised if her cat answers you instead, as she never sits still long enough to be found. Visit her at .