Vampire Blood (Vampire Bite #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lucas

“Annika?” I cried out, but she couldn’t hear me.

Her body hung limp in my arms, her breathing shallow and too damn faint. I pressed her closer, as if just by holding her tighter I could keep her here with me.

“Stay with me, Annika,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Just stay with me.”

Her head lolled against my chest, unresponsive. My heart thundered in my ears, drowning out everything else. The shouts, the footsteps, the chaos around us. None of it mattered. Not anymore.

Even the shifters had dispersed, refusing to wage a war without anyone to lead them. I took that as a small victory. A small one, but not enough.

I knew what I had to do now. Only Rowena could help us.

I took Annika into my arms, rushing out of the crypt. Breathing heavily, my eyes scanned the area outside. There were a few horses tied to nearby trees. I mounted one quickly, gently placing Annika before me.

I rode hard and fast, faster than ever before. Annika’s limp body was cradled against my chest, her shallow breaths barely audible over the pounding of the horse’s hooves.

“Hold on,” I whispered, my voice breaking as I pressed my cheek against her hair. “Please, Annika. Hold on.”

Her skin was cold… too cold. And it only made the panic claw at my chest harder. I could feel her heartbeat, faint and uneven, as if it was struggling to keep going. Every beat was a reminder that I might not make it in time.

The forest blurred around us, shadows stretching long in the fading light. I pushed the horse faster, urging it forward despite its labored breaths. Sweat darkened its coat, but I couldn’t stop.

My arms ached from holding her so tightly, but I refused to let go. Her head lolled against me, and for one terrifying second, I thought she’d stopped breathing.

“Annika!” I shouted, pulling the reins hard to stop the horse. My heart slammed against my ribs as I shifted her slightly, brushing her hair away from her face. Her lips were pale, her eyes shut, and she didn’t stir.

“No,” I growled. “Not like this.”

I shook her gently, my hands trembling. “You’re not giving up. Do you hear me? You’re not!”

A faint breath ghosted against my fingers, and relief washed through me so fiercely my knees nearly gave out.

I didn’t waste another second. I kicked the horse forward again, forcing it into a gallop as the cave finally came into view through the trees.

Rowena’s torches burned at the entrance, flickering like a beacon in the dimming light.

“Help!” I shouted as I jumped off the horse, still holding Annika tightly. My boots hit the ground hard, and I stumbled but kept moving. “Rowena!”

The shaman appeared at the mouth of the cave, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw us. She didn’t hesitate.

“Bring her inside,” she commanded, already turning back toward the shadows.

I followed without question, my pulse roaring in my ears. Annika felt so small in my arms, so fragile.

Rowena’s cave felt smaller than I remembered. I laid Annika on the same cot as before. Rowena’s sharp eyes swept over her, and I didn’t miss the flicker of concern that passed through them before she masked it.

“What happened?” she demanded.

I told her everything—the crypt, Aurelius, the ritual, the screams. My voice broke more than once, but I pushed through. I told her how Annika had collapsed after sealing him away and how she hadn’t woken since.

Rowena listened without interruption, her hands working quickly to mix herbs and light incense, the sharp scent burning my nose. When I finished, she turned to face me, and I hated the grim look in her eyes.

“He’s latched onto her,” she said quietly, touching Annika’s pale cheek. “He’s refusing to be locked away. He’s clinging to her essence, feeding off the bond that was forged when she used her blood to seal him.”

I flinched, her words slicing through me like a blade. “Then break it. Whatever it takes, just… break it.”

She hesitated, her gaze flicking to me before settling back on Annika.

“To truly sever the connection would mean killing her,” Rowena said, her voice low but steady.

“No.” The word burst out of me like a growl, raw and unrelenting. “Absolutely not.”

Rowena didn’t flinch. “If the tie remains, Aurelius will never be fully contained. He’ll keep pulling at her, feeding off her strength until there’s nothing left of her. She’ll be trapped in this state forever—neither alive nor dead.”

“No.” I shook my head, backing up a step even though every fiber of me screamed to protect Annika. “There has to be another way.”

“There might be.”

I froze, hope and fear tangling inside me. “What is it?”

“I can try to force him back into the crypt,” she said, but her voice was uncertain now. “I can strengthen the binding spell and close the door tighter. But it won’t kill him, Lucas. Aurelius can’t be killed.”

I didn’t care.

“Do it,” I said, stepping closer, my voice firm despite the dread clawing at my chest. “Whatever it takes… just bring her back. Please.”

I brushed Annika’s hair from her beautiful face. She looked so peaceful, like she was only sleeping. I bent down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Then, Rowena started.

I stood frozen, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. Smoke curled from the incense burning all around, making my eyes sting, but I could barely feel it.

Annika lay on the cot, too still, too pale. Her chest barely rose and fell, and with every passing second, the fragile thread of hope inside me frayed.

Rowena’s hands hovered above her, trembling slightly as she chanted words in a language I didn’t recognize. The air grew heavier, charged with something unnatural, and for a moment, I thought I could feel Aurelius, like a cold breath slithering down my spine.

Rowena’s voice rose, her chant becoming sharper, louder. Her eyes fluttered shut as the energy built around her, but then—

Nothing.

Annika didn’t stir.

Rowena’s hands faltered, and the flicker of power that had been building suddenly collapsed. The tension in the air evaporated, and Rowena stumbled back, gripping the edge of the table for support.

“No,” I growled, surging forward. “No, keep going! You can’t stop!”

“It’s not working!” Rowena snapped, her voice strained and raw. “He’s too deep inside her, Lucas. The bond is stronger than I thought.”

I grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at me. “Then try again.”

“Magic doesn’t work that way!” she hissed. “This isn’t some trick or spell I can repeat over and over. She’s fighting, but he’s winning.”

“No,” I said, my voice breaking. “You can’t let him take her.”

Rowena’s eyes softened, but it wasn’t enough to dull the sharp edge of panic slicing through me.

“She’s still here,” Rowena said, more gently this time. “But I need more time, and I don’t know how much she has left.”

Annika’s fingers twitched. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

“She’s fighting,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “She’s fighting him.”

Rowena stepped closer, her hands trembling as she reached for Annika again.

“She’ll need more than just me to pull her back,” Rowena said, her eyes locking onto mine. “She’ll need you.”

“Tell me what to do.”

I moved closer, resting my hands beside Annika’s head as Rowena began chanting again. The tension returned, pressing against me like the weight of a storm about to break.

I leaned down, my lips brushing Annika’s ear.

“Come back to me,” I whispered. “I need you, Annika. Don’t let him take you. Fight.”

Her breath hitched—just a tiny, shallow sound—but it was enough to make my heart lurch.

“Fight, Annika,” I said again, my voice stronger this time. “You can do this. I’m right here.”

Rowena’s chanting grew louder, and I held onto Annika’s hand, squeezing it as if that alone could keep her tethered to me. Her skin was cold, far too cold, but her fingers twitched faintly beneath mine. That flicker of movement was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Energy crackled in the air, and for a moment, it felt like something inside me snapped, like the bond that tethered Annika to Aurelius trembled, threatening to break.

Her body jerked.

Rowena gasped, but she didn’t stop, her words turning almost frantic.

“Annika!” I shouted, gripping her hand tighter. Her eyelids fluttered, but they didn’t open. “You can fight him. You’re stronger than this, stronger than him!”

Her lips parted, and a soft, shuddering breath escaped, but her body sagged against the cot, limp again.

“I love you,” I breathed. “I love you, Annika. And I’m not letting you go.”

The moment the words left my mouth, something shifted.

A sudden surge of power erupted around us, so strong it knocked Rowena back a step. The torches flared, and Annika arched off the cot, her mouth opening in a silent cry.

“Annika!” I shouted, holding her down as the force rippled through her.

Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

She collapsed against the cot, her breath ragged but steady. Her fingers tightened around mine… weak, but there.

“Annika?” I whispered, my voice shaking.

Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused at first, but then they found mine.

“Lucas?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

Relief hit me so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. “I’m here,” I said, brushing the damp strands of hair from her face. “I’m right here.”

I couldn’t stop looking at her. Even now, as she lay weak and trembling in my arms, she was the most breathtaking thing I’d ever seen.

Her head rested against my chest, her breathing soft but steady. It was a sound I had been terrified I’d never hear again. My fingers brushed through her hair, damp strands clinging to her temples. She leaned into my touch, and it shattered something inside me.

“You scared the hell out of me,” I whispered, my voice rough.

Her lips curved into the faintest smile, but her eyes didn’t open. “You’re always worried about me.”

“Because you never stop throwing yourself into danger,” I said, but there was no bite to my words. Only relief. Only love.

She shifted slightly, just enough to lift her gaze to mine. Her eyes were still glassy, still exhausted, but they held a light that hadn’t been there before. “I had to,” she murmured. “You know I had to.”

I swallowed hard. “I know.”

I cupped her face, my thumb brushing along her cheekbone. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, and my chest tightened.

“You came back to me,” I said, barely more than a breath.

Her eyes opened again, shining with something that looked an awful lot like tears. “I’ll always come back to you.”

I didn’t know who moved first. Maybe it was both of us. But before I could think, my lips were on hers, soft and slow, as if I was terrified she might shatter beneath my touch.

She didn’t.

Instead, her fingers curled into my shirt, pulling me closer, grounding me. And for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt like I could breathe.

When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers, holding her close.

But then, softly, almost as if she could sense it, Rowena’s voice broke the fragile moment.

“You can’t get lost in each other just yet.”

I groaned inwardly, but I knew she was right.

“You need to be cautious, Annika,” Rowena said, her voice calm but firm. “Aurelius may seem gone, but the bond between you two hasn’t been severed entirely. The power he left behind… it’s still there.”

I tightened my hold on Annika instinctively, though I knew Rowena wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already fear.

“You’ve already come close to losing control of it once,” Rowena continued. “His power lingers. The darkness doesn’t leave so easily.”

Annika sat up a little, her brow furrowing. “What does that mean for me? For us?”

Rowena’s gaze softened slightly, but there was still an edge to her words. “It means you have to be vigilant. He may not have the strength to rise again yet, but the bond is there. If you’re not careful, if you let your guard down, you might find yourself drawn back to him… even if it’s against your will.”

My chest tightened at the thought, and I felt a surge of protectiveness, my jaw clenching.

“I won’t let that happen,” I said firmly, my voice low.

Annika gave me a tired but determined look. “I won’t either,” she replied quietly. “But I’ll need time to figure out how to stop it for good.”

Rowena nodded slowly, then stepped closer to us. “You will. But be careful. The bond between you and Aurelius is more dangerous than you realize. You have to be strong enough to resist it, or it will pull you back into his darkness.”

I looked down at Annika, my hand resting lightly on her shoulder, a silent promise passing between us.

“I’ll protect you,” I whispered, more to myself than to her, but I knew she heard it. And I knew she believed me.