Chapter Thirteen #2
Her blind date from hell put his hand on the nearest wall and steadied himself. A shudder shook his body. “T-trouble…” he gasped out. “Devereaux…he’s got witches. They’re using magic to send him here…he’s g-gonna…gonna kill…”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Oris boomed.
Charles squinted at her father. “You…you hired me to find her, remember? Said I’d get…half of the kingdom if I-I brought her to you before Dev—”
Oris was laughing. Hard, deep, mocking laughter.
“You fool! I never was going to give you anything. But I needed to give Devereaux more of a challenge. We always fight harder for the things that we fear will be taken from us! He needed competition. He needed another vamp in the mix to bring out his protective instincts for Lark. I was never giving you anything!”
Charles slowly straightened. And smiled. “Then I don’t feel so bad…about betraying you now.”
A low chant filled the room. Smoke drifted through the open doors, and a group of cloaked figures appeared, filling the space. Witches? Oh, jeez.
But…when the cloaks were pushed back, Lark saw familiar faces. Vamps who’d been at Devereaux’s mansion. There was Salvatore and there—
Devereaux. He was standing right behind her father.
Her father must have sensed the threat because he whirled around.
“I came for your daughter,” Devereaux thundered. “I came for my queen.”
Her chin lifted.
Devereaux had a stake in his hand, and that stake was right over Oris’s ice-cold heart.
“You won’t do it. You can’t!” Oris laughed at him.
“You think I don’t know? You are obsessed with my daughter!
Have been, for years. I knew it, I planned for it all!
Knew you’d get so lost in her that you would never be able to hurt her.
And killing her father would hurt her. So you’ll do nothing.
” He waved back toward Noren. “The hound will take her to hell—”
“Never,” Devereaux swore.
“And when she begs enough, I’ll get her back,” Oris continued coldly. “Then we’ll take your kingdom and you’ll still do nothing.”
Devereaux’s gaze shot to Lark. “You can have my kingdom. She’s worth more.”
Her chest ached. Dammit, her vamp prince was sweet. He was also not staking her father, probably because—
He loves me.
It was time for her to take matters into her own hands.
She grabbed Noren. The fool had just been standing there, watching the show. She peered into his eyes. “You aren’t taking me to hell.”
“No, I—”
“But you’re going to help me.” Lark had vamp power, so that meant she could use compulsion on her prey. She just had to focus hard enough.
Let’s see if this shit works. “Go use your fire on Oris.”
He blinked. Then smiled. She wasn’t sure if she was controlling him or if he just wanted to burn Oris for old time’s sake, but both worked.
Noren bounded toward her father. He let the fire above his fists rage, and he threw the fire right at Oris.
Her father bellowed.
The other vampires swarmed.
“This is what we call a rebellion,” Lark shouted at her not-so-dear dad. “We’re taking your power, and you’re getting a nice, fun dungeon someplace to call home.”
But Oris—he raced toward her. Moved faster than any vampire she’d ever seen in her life. He shoved Noren and his flames away, and the hellhound slammed into a heavy stone wall. Her father grabbed Lark and hoisted her into the air. One hand clamped around her throat.
“You will not take my kingdom!” Spittle flew from his mouth. “I will see you dead first.” His fangs were long and savage. “Now I know I can breed with monster hunters. I’ll just find another one.”
Devereaux rushed up behind Oris, a stake in his hand.
“I’ll have another child, perhaps a boy this time, and maybe—”
Her legs kicked at him. Her hands scrambled along the side of her coat. “Back…up…”
His brows snapped together. “Why the hell would I want to back up?”
Devereaux was slamming down his stake, aiming for her father’s broad back.
And Lark lifted the stake that she’d put in her jacket. Back-up stake.
When Devereaux hit her father with his weapon, Oris arched up, screaming. He let her go, and—
She drove her stake into his heart. She heard the crunch of bones. Blood spurted at her. It was horrible. Lark realized she was screaming but she still kept driving her stake deep.
And then her father just—
Vanished. Turned to dust that fell at her feet. Because she’d driven her stake straight through his heart.
The stake was still in her hand. His blood and his dust were on her, and she was about to freak the hell out.
“She just killed the king of all vampires,” Charles announced, his shaking voice filling the room.
Devereaux stared at Lark. There was pain in his eyes. Why the pain? Was he hurt?
But then Devereaux sank to one knee before her. He lowered his head.
All of the vampires bowed to her.
And Noren—that jackass hellhound—even took a knee.
She had tears on her cheeks. Because she’d just killed her own father. It hurt. Even if he had been a straight-out-of-a-nightmare monster.
And everyone was bowing to her. It was freaking her out. “Stop it!”
Devereaux’s head whipped up.
“Why are you doing this?” She dropped the stake. She’d been clutching the thing in a death grip. It hit the stone floor with a clatter. “Why are you bowing?” Lark grabbed for him, yanking Devereaux up.
“I’m sorry,” Devereaux told her, voice gruff. “Oris would have killed you. I couldn’t…I hit from behind, and I was going to kill him. I was going to drive my stake into his heart because I didn’t want you to have to do that. I didn’t want his death on you.”
Didn’t Devereaux get it? “I wasn’t going to let him kill you. And I wasn’t going to let that bastard kill me, either.” Her breath heaved out. She wasn’t ready to die. Not today, not even fifty years from now. She wanted her forever.
“I’m so sorry.” Pain still filled his eyes. Pain for her. “There should have been another way—”
She kissed him. Even as the tears slid down her cheeks, Lark kissed her vamp. Devereaux was all right. They were both still alive. Or, at least, still undead. She just wanted to wrap her arms around Devereaux and get far, far away from there.
“I love you,” he growled against her lips.
“That’s really good because I think I love you, too.” Didn’t matter how fast things had moved. She’d come to some very hard truths when Oris had threatened to destroy Devereaux.
Truth one…No one hurt her lover.
Truth two…It wasn’t just about awesome sex. She wanted Devereaux with her always because she loved him.
Devereaux’s eyes widened. Those gorgeous eyes. “Sweetheart…”
She spared a frantic glance around the room. “Why is everyone still kneeling? It is freaking me out!”
“They’re kneeling…” He looked around. “Because you’re the biggest badass in the room.”
He said the sweetest things. “I’m not.”
“You killed the reigning king of all vamps. You have his blood in you so you are the next in line for his throne. The only relative he had—that means you now control all the vampires who followed him.”
Oh, shit.
“I am at your command, my queen.”
She kissed him again. Kissed him hard and deep. “Command one—marry me.”
His arms wrapped around her. “Baby, you don’t have to—”
“I want to. I want to marry or bond or do whatever vamps do.” Another wild kiss. She’d never forget hearing him say… “You can have my kingdom. She’s worth more.”
Sexy vamp. He was worth everything to her. “Bond with me, and love me, forever.” She sucked in a breath. “And get me out of here, please?” Away from a nightmare that was going to haunt her for far too long.
“Anything you want.” Devereaux lifted her into his arms. Held her close.
And he took her away from the tower. Away from the father who’d never wanted her, but had planned to use her. The pain stayed behind. The hell stayed behind.
But a hellhound…he trailed after them.
Another battle, for another day.