Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
LOVE STORY
‘Really?’
‘Yep. I was sixteen, still living with my father. And she was … on the estate.’ He frowns.
‘We were friendly, I guess. But after my father tried to change me, he left me pretty torn up, and she … er, she looked after me, while I was recovering. No one else even cared. My mother was already dead, and my father washed his hands of me when it became apparent I couldn’t be made vampire. ’
I swallow against sickness, hugging him closer. Blood-borne humans can’t be changed. I know that all too well. ‘Why did he let you live in the first place? I’ve always wondered that.’
‘My mother ran away from him after I was born. She was a Vindhof, as you know, and they took her in, sheltered us. I don’t remember much about it.’
‘Really?’
Michael nods, his blond hair falling forward. ‘When she … after she died, he came to find me. I suppose I was happy to see him. I was young, though. Too young, really.’ Pain flashes across his face. ‘Anyway. I met Bonnie, and she was like a ray of light.’
‘Oh.’ I hate Bonnie already.
He grins. ‘Jealous?’
‘Keep telling me your love story, sunshine.’ I bump him with my shoulder.
‘Not much more to tell. She looked after me until I healed, then … continued looking after me. I thought she loved me.’
‘Why wouldn’t she? You’re very lovable.’
‘You’re just biased.’ Another kiss on my temple. ‘Anyway. I thought she loved me and, once I was well enough to leave, I asked her to come with me.’
‘And did she?’ This is so like Kyle and me, leaving the Raven estate together.
‘Yeah.’ Michael’s gaze darkens. ‘Right up until the moment she betrayed me to my father and brothers. Turned out she was fucking all of them, too, often at the same time. I was nothing but a joke to her. That hurt almost more than the beating they gave me, to be honest.’
‘Oh, darkness.’ I turn his face to mine, kissing him. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I murmur against his mouth. ‘I want to kill all of them for you.’
‘Fierce girl.’ I feel him smile. ‘I don’t know what happened to Bonnie. Nor do I care. And my father … you know about him. I don’t mind if you want to flex some of that Raven power on my brothers, though.’
‘Consider it done. There are perks to sleeping with the heir, you know.’
‘Hmm, yes there are.’ He gently tugs my hair, angling my head as the kiss deepens. ‘You flexing your power isn’t the first one I think of, though.’
God. I want him so much. I don’t know how we can make this work, once we get out of here.
‘What is it?’
‘What’s going to happen when we get out of here? With…’
His expression darkens. ‘Joaquin? You love me, not him.’
‘I do love you. But—’
‘There are no buts. You love me, end of. If you think for one moment I’m going to give you up and let you go back to him, you must be fucking kidding yourself.’
He’s right, of course. If our situations were reversed, I would fight for him until my last breath.
How can I expect him to feel any differently?
I don’t say anything as he pulls me to my feet, as he leads me through the woods past more shops, more houses, a primary school with a climbing frame in the playground, fashioned from cut timber.
All of it sheltered by soaring trees. I become aware of noise up ahead, cheering and clapping, the occasional roar of frustration.
‘Where are we going?’
‘You’ll see.’ We pass under an archway constructed of logs lashed together.
A carved wooden sign hangs from it, shaped like a sword and shield, the shield bearing a familiar red-flower emblem.
We follow the path to a clearing, where a circular arena has been carved into the forest floor.
Tiers of wooden seating rise around it, the ground inside trodden hard.
There are humans in the seats, as well as vampires, clad from head to toe in black, wearing goggles like the others I’ve seen.
Two more vampires are in the ring, wielding swords. Fighting. Their swords have timber blades, I realise, as we get closer. Michael leads us down between the seats to a spot in the front row.
The fighters circle each other, then one darts in, arrow-swift, swinging their sword. The other fighter blocks, pushing their opponent upwards so quickly it forces them into a backflip. I gasp, my hand to my mouth. The crowd cheers, the crack of blades echoing through the clearing.
‘They’re so fast!’
‘Yes, but watch. You’ll notice when they’re about to strike, how their muscles bunch up. It’s a subtle tell. Most humans can’t see it. Unless they’re like us.’
‘What?’
‘Just watch. See if you can spot it.’
I focus on the ring. At first, it’s a blur, the two fighters moving so quickly I can barely make out what they’re doing. Then I see it. A tiny movement, like the smallest of breaths taken before each strike, each darting slash.
Now that I know what I’m looking for it’s easy to see, even when the fight becomes more intense. I wince at one particularly brutal strike, slicing under the arm to the ribs, the crunch of bone audible. The crowd groans.
‘Shit.’
‘Don’t worry. This is just a friendly competition. People lay a few bets but it’s all in fun.’
‘Doesn’t look very friendly.’ The struck vampire has fallen to their knees, one hand to their side.
‘It’s part of training. A real enemy wouldn’t hold back, so we don’t, either.’
‘We?’ My stomach lurches. ‘Are you telling me you’ve fought in this arena?’
‘How do you think I learned the Morningstar?’
‘Are you fucking kidding me? You trained to fight with vampires?’
‘Isn’t that what you’re doing with Varin?’ Michael keeps his voice low. He’s grinning, though. ‘This is how Reapers keep their skills sharp. Human and vampire.’
The crowd roars. The downed vampire sweeps their sword, knocking the other fighter to the ground. Swift as a flash they’re on them, a blade to their throat.
‘Fight’s over. A blade to the throat is the end goal. A vampire can heal from a lot of things, but not from having their head removed.’
‘Holy shit.’ I clutch his arm. People around us are clapping and groaning, money changing hands.
‘Michael?’ One of the fighters comes over to us. ‘Is that you?’
He gets up, shaking the vampire’s hand. ‘Good to see you again, Eddard.’
‘Is it? Last I remember I put your arse in the dust in here. I thought that might have been why you left.’
‘You put my arse in the dust? Was that before or after I almost took your head off?’
I close my mouth, which is hanging open. This place is one revelation after another. I remember my first time in the Safe Zone, how the sky looked, how it felt to see things in the human world. This is ten times as intense.
I realise the black-clad vampire is looking at me, head tilted.
‘Sorry. I was miles away.’
‘I was just asking your boyfriend if he cared for a rematch. And he’s making excuses.’ Laughter threads the smooth tones coming from under the mask. ‘Says he needs to stay with you or some bullshit.’
I blink. ‘Er, well, I guess he does and—’
‘Bollocks. You’re perfectly safe here. Flynn will sit with you.’
Flynn is the other fighter. He lopes over to us, vaulting the barrier and sitting next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulders. Up close, the masked face and goggles are disconcerting, but there’s a sly smile in his voice. ‘Yeah. I promise I won’t hit on you too much.’
‘You guys are both dickheads, you know that?’ Michael, grinning, bends down and kisses me thoroughly. My breath is unsteady when he lifts his head. ‘You going to be okay?’
‘Go on.’ I give him a little push. ‘I know you’re dying to.’
Eddard hands Michael a moulded leather chest guard, forearm and shin guards, which he straps on, plus a helmet with a metal faceguard.
It doesn’t seem like enough, not for facing a vampire.
I push down my worry as they head to the rack of practice blades.
People clap, calling out as Eddard moves to the centre of the ring.
Michael, twirling his sword nonchalantly, comes to face him.
Eddard drops into a crouch. Michael’s sword comes up, instantly. And it’s on.
My nails dig into my hands and I try not to cry out as Eddard strikes, arrow-swift. But Michael, somehow, blocks him, countering with one of his own. Move number 13 from the Morningstar, I realise, remembering his body against mine.
‘Don’t worry.’ Flynn leans closer to me. ‘He’ll be fine out there. Even if he is a bit rusty.’
‘A bit rusty?’ Michael is trading blows with Eddard, moving so quickly I can hardly make out what he’s doing. If that’s rusty, I wonder what he’d be like at full power.
‘Is it harder … I mean, wearing the goggles, does it make it more difficult to…’
‘Eddard is fighting at full capacity,’ Flynn says. ‘But yeah, it’s weird. Takes a lot of time and training to get used to it, especially when you’re blood-borne. Goes against all our instincts to be out here in the light.’ The goggles swing my way. ‘Plus, of course, you can’t see how pretty I am.’
I grin.
‘You and Michael known each other long?’
‘Long enough.’
‘Hey, just asking.’ Flynn raises both hands, sitting back. I feel bad.
‘Sorry. I mean, he and—Michael!’ He’s gone down, groaning, holding his left arm. I half-stand, but Flynn pulls me back, gently.
‘Don’t worry. He’s tough. Eddard has hit him harder than that before.’
‘That seems hard enough!’ But Michael is already back on his feet, his blade spinning as he unleashes a flurry of strikes. Eddard parries, laughing. As I watch, a pattern emerges. For every two of Eddard’s moves, Michael does one. It’s as though he can anticipate what comes next.
Then all of a sudden, they come together, a blade at each other’s throat.
‘Ha, nice one!’ Flynn gets to his feet, clapping.
The other spectators clap, too. Eddard and Michael shake hands.
Michael is limping but, as he takes off the helmet, he’s grinning, his entire face alight.
His shirt, damp with sweat, clings to his muscles.
Oh darkness. He racks all the equipment then comes over, still breathing hard, a wild light of joy in his eyes.
Before I can speak his lips are on mine, his arms around me.
Then he picks me up, slinging me over one shoulder.
‘Hey!’ I smack him as he carries me away from the ring, Flynn and Eddard’s laughter ringing behind us. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘Taking my woman back to our place.’ His hand slides across my backside, squeezing.
‘You cannot carry me all the way back to the house!’
‘I’m pretty sure I can.’
‘Put me down!’ I pinch him, hard.
‘Ow!’ He stops, releasing me so I slide against him, kissing me. I taste sweat and a faint tang of blood, his smoke and incense scent curling around me.
‘What’s got into you?’ I say, once I can talk. ‘Not that I’m complaining.’
‘I want you, E. Now.’ His voice is a growl. ‘In that nice bed of ours. Or the shower. Actually, both.’
My knees go weak. ‘I want you, too. But you don’t need to carry me around like a sack of potatoes!’
He grins. ‘Then walk faster.’
‘Oh, just watch me.’ I stride ahead of him, as fast as I can. After a minute or so I realise he hasn’t caught up. I turn. He’s walking a few metres back, his stormy gaze intent on me.
‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘Watching that nice arse of yours and imagining what I’m going to do to it.’
‘Oh my God.’ I maybe let my hips swing a little as I start walking again.
Then I’m scooped up, flinging my arms around Michael’s neck and laughing as he carries me the last few steps to the house, taking me over the threshold then setting me down.
My body tingles with anticipation, need curling in my stomach.
Michael’s shirt is already off by the time we reach the top floor and head into the bathroom together, locking the door.
When I see his arm, I gasp. ‘Michael!’ There’s a huge red welt, already turning purple, across one bicep.
‘What?’ He’s already out of his trousers, sliding down his underwear.
‘You’re hurt.’
‘You can kiss it better. I’m injured in a few other places, as well.’ He winks, then steps into the walk-in shower, turning it on.
A few moments later I join him, pressing my lips to the bruise on his arm, my hands already exploring his body. ‘Does that feel better?’ At his growled assent, I grin. ‘Just tell me where it hurts.’