Chapter 44
Chapter forty-four
Kai
Thick, salty blood spills down my throat, filling my stomach and sating a hunger that runs deeper than anything I’ve ever experienced. A type of craving that comes with sharp teeth.
Tingles buzz across my mouth as I run my tongue along the rim of the glass, searching for every last drop.
“Do you want some time alone with that thing?” Golden asks from where he’s perched next to me on the sofa.
I pause while tilting the glass up. “Was I moaning again?” I ask, reluctantly placing the empty glass down.
Ramy smiles, patient and without judgment. “Not really…”
“Oh yeah, dude, like you were about to fuck it.”
Laughing, I kick him good-naturedly in the shin.
We’re in the small living room, crowded on the sofa, remnants of smoke from the fireplace lingering in the air, leaving the room thankfully dim.
Vampires don’t need much heat, but it was the headache-inducing light I couldn’t stand.
Since being made three days ago, my senses have amplified, like I’ve cleaned my ears of wax and taken off glasses smudged with grease, and the more blood I feed on, the sharper my world becomes.
As if with each sip, I’m healed of whatever wound becoming a vampire created.
Though my status as a half-demon remains up in the air, I can still create fire.
“I’m just happy to see you healthy again,” Ramy says, hugging a knee to his chest. “Turning into a vampire instead of a ghoul suits you better.”
“Better looking, too,” Golden teases.
“You’re telling me, mate. It was fucking gross, and I didn’t even have to look at myself.”
“And…” Golden’s face pinches. “And you didn’t feel any pain, right? You were okay?”
I drop my head against his, our temples rubbing together like overly affectionate cats. “Nah, mate. I’m all good.”
Golden hugs my arm and reaches for Ramy’s hand. With no hesitation, Ramy laces their fingers together, and my chest aches sweetly to see Ramy, once so uncertain, know that our love comes without claws.
“To be honest, I don’t remember much after Summer held a knife to my throat.”
The memory of a cold blade cuts away at any lingering good feelings. The shock of betrayal is the only wound I can’t seem to heal.
“She might’ve put your soul back, but I’ll never forgive her,” Ramy says, his gentle voice sharpened with anger. “We nearly lost you, Kai.”
In that moment, we pull together. Our limbs tangled, legs over knees and arms wrapped up in bows. Strengthening what we have to make up for a loss we hadn’t expected.
“I asked Apollo if he suspected anything,” Golden says. “But he’s as shocked as us.”
“How is he after bringing Kai back?”
Golden shrugs. “Quiet. Kinda like he wants to ask about Rurik but doesn’t know how.”
The day after we returned to Vampire Manor, Rurik came to me and Vidar, a broken version of himself and said he needed time away to clear his head.
All Vidar asked was for him to look after himself, and all I asked was that he keep in touch.
After Rurik left, and late into that evening, I was more than a little surprised when I got a text from him.
‘You’re the second head of the Haraldsson Vampire family now, Kai.’ Vidar told me when I pointed it out. ‘You gave him an order, and he’s following it.’
A sudden weight of responsibility lay across my shoulders at Vidar’s statement, but I didn’t hate it. I’ve always wanted a big family, after all.
“Any updates on the whole half-demon thing?” Golden asks.
“I don’t wanna think about the demon shit,” I groan.
“Lucky—or unlucky—for you, the demons shut their magical gates when they got word that Summer is after their King and prince,” Ramy pipes up. “So no one can get in or out of their realm.”
“Would’ve been so cool to see them…” Golden muses. “They’ve got horns, right?”
“All I really care about is my magic, anyway.”
Since the demon Script Apollo carved into my chest, I can channel my magic through myself, like I’ve grown a new set of lungs and can hold my breath for longer. But like hell I’m getting rid of my jacket.
Holding up my hand, magic flows easily through the mark on my chest to create a fat, flickering purple flame sitting comfortably on the end of my fingernail. Bright, but not harsh enough to hurt my sensitive new vision.
The door pushes open, and Vidar’s muscular shoulders fill the frame.
My heart slows as our gazes meet, locking together with no plans of parting.
I give a little tug to my magic, like pulling out a cord, and the fire stutters out of existence.
Then reach for the connection between our souls, smiling at its strength.
So many things are still a mess, but my soulmate and I?
Yeah, we’re good.
“I was on the phone with Grey.” Vidar’s deep voice hits my vampire hearing in a way that has me shuddering all the way down to my toes. “Astra’s pissed.”
“And you care about that?” I ask, instinctively leaning closer to him.
He stalks forward until he’s right in front of me, taking hold of my chin in his thick, tattooed fingers. “I don’t give a fuck about what that Blood Mage Sovereign thinks, but she’s sending her foul mages to track Summer, and her death is mine.”
I swallow at the intensity of my mate. My feelings for Summer are fragile and complicated, softened by years of friendship. But damaged by the thin edge of a dagger.
I want to tell him no, let me speak with Summer first and heal this rift. But from the way Vidar’s eyes hold me captive, he’ll sooner let the whole world bleed before I’m allowed near her again.
“Enough of that for now.” Vidar inclines his head out of the room. “Come with me.”
Saying my goodbyes to Golden and Ramy, I slip off the sofa and follow him as we leave the living room. We take our time strolling through the dark hallway until we’re inside the library. A large space lined with old and new books. Smelling of leather, dust, ink and paper.
The lights remain off, yet I can make out all the fine details of the desk Vidar leads me to. The rosewood might appear smooth, but tiny cracks mar its surface.
“Looking at art is going to be a really trippy experience,” I say.
Vidar pulls out the chair tucked into the desk and sits on it, legs spread wide, and hooks an arm around my middle, pulling me onto his lap.
“Waiting for you to come back to me, Kai, was the worst moment of my life,” Vidar says, his eyes dropping to the demon Script carved into my chest. “I promised once you were back, our life would truly begin. So, I was wondering if you’d help me with something.”
I peer into his silver eyes and hope when I say, “Of course,” he hears what I really mean. My soulmate might do whatever’s necessary to keep me safe, but to keep him happy, and out of apathy’s clutches, I’ll also do the same.
Vidar fishes his phone from his pocket and lays it face up on the desk. “I have an old number.”
I peck his lips, encouraging him to continue.
His grip on my hip tightens. “úlfr’s number.”
“Your oldest son?” I ask, perking up.
He nods slowly.
“I…” Vidar clears his throat.
“Wanna call Ulfr?” I hope I pronounce his name right. From the way Vidar smiles, I don’t think I have. But he doesn’t correct me. “I’d love to meet him.”
Tension drains from Vidar’s tightly coiled body. “Have I told you today that I’m the luckiest bastard alive?”
I press a kiss into his cheek. Then his jaw and his nose. All over his face until our lips meet. “I’m pretty sure you did this morning, when I woke up with your mouth around my prick. But I ain’t opposed to hearing more compliments.”
Vidar laughs easily, loud and booming and filling every corner of the room.
Grinning, I loop my arms around his neck. “Ready to call Ulfr?”
Vidar brushes my scarred cheek with his thumb before swiping on his phone a few times.
After three rings, where Vidar doesn’t dare breathe, the phone is answered.
“Hello?”
It’s startling to hear a voice so similar to Vidar’s, yet completely different. Ulfr’s voice is deep, steady. Like he’s slow to anger, and his every move is well considered before acting.
Vidar clears his throat. “Hello, son.”
A pause.
Then the smallest exhale. Maybe a laugh, or a sigh of relief—or both.
“Hey, old man.”
***
Standing outside the mansion, the wind whistles through me. Warmer than it was yesterday as winter begins to lose its vice-like grip, and we creep into the beginning of spring. The evening sky is shot through with stars and fluffy white clouds.
There’s no sound to warn me when Sen appears at my side.
“Looks like I won’t be getting paid for the job that brought me here,” Sen says casually, hands tucked into tailored black trousers.
“And you're sure it was Summer who hired you?”
“It all checked out, and she used a fake name, which isn’t unusual, so I didn’t know it was her when we met.”
“I guess you could chase her down for payment. You did technically lead her to the First Tome.”
He chuckles. “Not this time. I’m thinking about sticking around. For a while, anyway.”
“At Vampire Manor?”
“That’s what you call this place?” Sen grins, fingers running through his wave of midnight-dark hair. “I’ll stay somewhere in the city.”
“It’ll be good to have you close by,” Vidar calls as he walks down the steps towards us, gravel crunching underfoot.
Sen strolls over to his car, a sexy, sleek thing wrapped in shiny black. “And it’s good you’re no longer apathetic.”
Vidar slings an arm around my shoulders. “Back to my old self.”
Sen grins, sharing a look with Vidar made up of nine hundred years of wounds and broken promises, laughter and love.
“Not your old self.” Sen opens the door, sliding inside with a deadly grace. “I like this version much better, Maker.”
Vidar’s gaze flickers to mine, eyes softening and the corners of his mouth tilting up. “So do I, offspring.”
“Take care of your man, Vidar, or I might just steal him from you.” Sen slams the door shut, the engine purring to life like a big cat fattened on cream.
“I’d like to see you try,” Vidar growls, but the impact is lost in the way he grins at Sen.
The wrought-iron gates creak open as the car reverses towards them.
“Excited for the future?” I ask, gazing up at Vidar.
“Excited for anything with you, little prince.” Vidar tips my head back, our lips meeting.
THUMP!
I jump back as Sen’s car jolts to a stop. Frowning, I look to see what Sen hit. Maybe the gate? It didn’t sound like metal.
When a head of curls appears with a groan of pain, my heart lurches.
“Teagan!” I yell, horrified and tripping over my feet to get to my little brother. “Fucking hell, are you okay?”
He shrugs, looking more upset about the crack in his toxic-green skateboard than the bump forming on his forehead.
Vidar is already next to me, looking Teagan over. “I don’t smell any bleeding.”
“How would you even know that?” Teagan mumbles under his breath, examining his skateboard for any other damage.
“We should get him to the hospital!” I cry.
Teagan dusts off his ripped jeans with a far too casual air. “Big bro, I’m fine.”
I turn to Sen, glaring. “Sen, you fucking idiot, you could’ve killed him!”
Sen stands half out of the car, chest heaving. Staring at Teagan like he’s in front of a vast ocean, and the meaning of life just rose from the depths to pull the vampire under. From the shocked acceptance filling his eyes, Sen drowns willingly.
Frowning, I look over at Teagan, finding his large, expressive gaze honing in on the vampire.
“Have we…” Teagan’s head tilts to the side, his curls cascading down his shoulder like the darkest seafoam against a shore. “Have we met before?”
Vidar might’ve said something, but the blood rushing through my ears is too loud.
“I know you,” Teagan whispers, breathless. Edging closer to Sen.
“Soulmate…” A great, desperate longing fills Sen’s quiet words.
Fear propels me forward, and I’m grabbing hold of Sen’s forearm with both hands—nails digging into his flesh.
“It’s too dangerous!” I rush out on a hissed whisper, begging. Pleading. I’ll get on my knees if I have to. “Not now, not my little brother.”
Guilt churns in my stomach, but I can’t let my brother be dragged into this dangerous world. Not while Summer’s on the loose with a grudge and a spellbook capable of creating a whole blood mage army. Along with Emma, and who knows what her next step is.
Sen isn’t looking at me. I doubt he’s registered me. Teagan is his sole focus. His world.
Vidar moves to Sen’s other side and says something in his ear that I don’t catch.
“Sen, right?” Teagan asks. Hopeful, a little shy. So unlike my brash brother that the guilt sours in my stomach.
Sen sucks in a breath that seems to punch him in the middle, and he stumbles back as if pulled.
“I’m sure we’ve met before,” Teagan says, so painfully eager as he moves closer.
“Sorry, kid.” Sen all but falls back into his car. “You aren’t my type.” He slams the door shut, Teagan jumping at the sudden loud noise, my heart lurching for my little brother as Sen speeds away, leaving only dust behind.
For a second, I’m scared Teagan will run after him. So I wrap him in a protective embrace, and my brother, who stopped hugging me back when he was fourteen, absently clings to me. His face is twisted in confusion while watching Sen fade into the night.