Chapter 45
Tobias
When he first opened his eyes, it felt like coming out of the Fade. Except… birds were singing. He should not have been able to hear birds from his bedroom in the palace. Not only was it below ground, but birds didn’t sing under the cloak of night.
Slowly, he propped himself up on one elbow and gazed at the beautiful meadow.
Gorgeous cloudless blue skies stretched overhead, the delicate aroma of wildflowers hung in the air, and the sound of a bubbling stream could be heard nearby.
The whole place had a surreal feel to it, as though nothing bad could ever happen there.
What was more, he didn’t feel Undead. He felt mortal again.
Obviously, he wasn’t in the In-Between. Was this some sort of fucked up dream? Vampires do not dream.
“Welcome back.”
Uriel’s voice. Tobias sat up and turned to face the angel.
He wore his Holy form, magnificent ivory wings on full display, and bejeweled amber eyes wielding much more depth than a mortal form could hold.
His walnut-colored curls were longer than before, and his dark forest-green robes completed the other-worldly appearance.
“Where are we?” He asked.
“This is one of the Outer Realms. Ramiel’s home, actually.
We’re about three miles from his palace.
I didn’t know if I would be enough to heal you and I wasn’t taking chances.
There are a few angels in this realm who cannot go to the In-Between, but they can still perform miracles.
Yours was a unique situation, which required a certain finesse. ”
Tobias took another look around. “But, I’m okay now? We can go back?”
“We can, but there’s something we need to discuss first.” He gestured further down the slope, near the stream.
Tobias allowed his gaze to follow the indication. Christo’s body lay in the grass, eyes closed, and hands clasped over his abdomen. He looked as though he was just sleeping.
Scrambling down the slope, Tobias hurried to the bartender’s side. Cupping a hand over his, the vampire king fought to swallow the lump in his throat.
“Ah, Barrett.” His voice sounded small and far away.
“Do you want the angels to care for him a while longer? Or would you prefer to take him back to the In-Between with you?”
“Let’s leave him here for now; he looks so peaceful. I hate to disturb him until we have to. Once we’ve made preparations, someone can come back for him.” Tobias pinched a couple of tears away, and sighed.
“Would you like a few minutes alone?”
“I’d love to stay longer, but I need to deal with the aftermath. We need to figure out who else we’ve lost.”
“Wise choice. Tobias, once we leave here, the impact of losing your servants will return. Prepare yourself, for I cannot cushion the burden this completely in the In-Between.”
“You’re doing that right now?”
“I am. You needed to heal a little in order to be capable of enduring the trauma once we go back.”
“Thank you, I’m grateful for your help. How long have I been out of action?”
“Three days, on the In-Between timeline.”
His stomach turned over. As the king, he should have been there to support his people and help navigate the consequences of the war.
He should have checked on the servants who’d survived.
Then, there was Kitty, who’d made him promise not to die.
She must have been beside herself. One thing at a time, Martelli, he told himself.
“Do they know where I am?”
Uriel sighed. “No, unfortunately they do not. I have not left your side since we arrived here.”
“Are my servants okay? Has anyone healed them?”
“I would not like to speculate, but other than Vixen and Christo, they are all alive. I know that is rather vague, so again, I apologize.”
“It’s okay. I’m ready to go back now.”
Uriel nodded and flashed them both back to the In-Between.
They materialized in the center of Rion’s penthouse, next to the large round sectional leather couch. Kitty, who had been sitting on it with her back to them, leapt up at once and spun around.
“Holy shit! You’re back!”
She didn’t even bother running, and instead flashed directly to his location.
Both arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she buried her face in his chest. While no sound could be heard, he felt her trembling.
By this time, the impact of losing Christo and Vixen had slammed back into him with full force.
“Sorry I took so long,” He managed with difficulty. Suddenly, forcing his body to remain standing felt like an impossible feat. His head swam as dizziness fought to take hold.
“You’re still hurt. Fuck.” She flashed them both to the couch and forced him to sit down.
He managed a small smile. “I’ll be okay, Silverwood.”
She reached up to place a palm against his cheek. “I’m not convinced.”
In the background, Uriel was moving from servant to servant, examining them. Tobias finally absorbed the scene. Every single remaining servant was unconscious.
“How did I…?” He murmured in shock.
“The baby,” Kitty said softly. “She is the only one who is unharmed.”
“She’s what saved me?”
Tears hovered unshed on Kitty’s lashes. “Yes. I tried to save Vixen too, but I didn’t get here in time. I didn’t know Kyriel had abandoned them.”
Tobias pulled her into an embrace. “We all did the best we could, yeah? This was a fucking shitty situation. We’ll mourn those who are gone, but we need to celebrate what and who we still have left.”
“I could not have said it better myself,” said Rion as he strolled into the room with the infant in his arms.
“Is she hungry again?” Kitty asked, pulling back to get a closer look.
“I believe so,” Rion replied.
“The two of you have been caring for the baby alone for three days? Where is Will? Has anyone checked on the palace? Why the fuck are you both so calm?”
“Have some decorum, Martelli.” Rion handed the baby to Kitty, who arose to receive her. “I have been liaising with the palace and we will go there when you are sufficiently recovered. Will has gone to the Outer Realms in search of Vixen. We have had no contact with him since.”
“What about my servants… have no angels come to assist?”
“I think they’re all still recovering,” Kitty said as she headed for the kitchen. “There have been… casualties in all sectors.”
Rion sat down on an adjacent sofa next to Lori’s still form. “Obviously this is not ideal, but they are safe. They merely sleep, waiting for revival.”
Tobias, still fighting the agony roiling inside of his body, sighed heavily. “I can’t, Rion. Not yet.”
“I know.”
Uriel, who had been silent until now, came to stand beside them. “I cannot restore them all, but I could revive one. It would be wise not to leave the child as your only lifeline.”
“Lori,” Tobias said without hesitation.
“Tobias,” Rion’s voice came quiet, but laced with purpose. “I will cope if you choose another. Choose the one who will help you the most.”
“I did,” Tobias answered honestly. “After the child, she’s the next strongest. Plus, she’s inner circle. It will help you and Kitty, too.”
Uriel accepted the choice, and set to work.
“How are you doing?” Tobias cuddled up next to Kitty on the couch, mindful of obstructing her task.
“If you ask me again when I’m not responsible for an infant. I may crumble entirely.”
He draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “When that happens, I’ll be there.”
She made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a snort. “You are barely holding it together yourself. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
“So? It doesn’t make any difference. We’ll lean on each other. We’ll grieve together. Whatever you need, I will be there.”
A moment of weariness took hold of her, before she managed a half smile. “You know, when you stop being all macho and defensive, you’re not half bad, Martelli. There might even be a decent person under all the bullshit you usually toss around like confetti.”
“Nice, Silverwood. Real nice.”
She sighed and tilted her head toward his chest. “I’m glad you’re here, bullshit and all.”
“Back atcha, darlin’.”
“By the way, Will’s daughter is Holy.”
“As in, with wings?” A brow quirked up in question as he tried to make sense of the statement. “You’re really just going to casually throw that out there?”
“Yeah. Looks like you have an angel servant. Add that to your brag-list.” She chuckled softly. “We lead a crazy life, you and I.”
“Tell me about it.” He shifted slightly, to gaze down on the child. “You’re a miracle, and I’m really glad you made it through all of this,” he said in a gentle voice.
Once he’d finished speaking, he glanced up at Kitty, who was staring at him in adoration.
“What?”
“Sometimes, I forget how sweet you were with your own children.”
“You’re not going sappy on me, are you?”
She smiled and averted her eyes for a moment. “Do you want to hold her?”
“I wouldn’t want to ruin my badass and bullshit aesthetic.”
This time, she laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
They both stared down at the baby, who had grown sleepy and stopped suckling.
“You’re allowed to have feelings you know,” she teased. “It won’t make you less of a king. Quite the opposite, in fact. I mean, Rion wasn’t too manly to hold her.”
“For Christ’s sake. Give me the child.”
Carefully, she placed the infant in his arms. Holding a child after more than four centuries stirred unexpected emotion. He gave a shaky sigh, and pretended to be fussing with the blankets.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“You’re damned lucky the feeling is mutual,” he muttered.