Chapter 40
Every day, Lila traveled to the farthest points of the Viper Morada land, with Nostro, Marcus, Rebekkah, and whatever other configuration of people wanted to attend that day, and would use her powers on the people—on the murine. Those changed into strigoi would be healed and changed back into their original forms. Their wounds would be healed as well, and together, Lila and Nostro would assist them in rebuilding.
With Rebekkah, they established new terms between humans and vampires, setting up trade and accommodation, and abolishing the murine system.
As they worked their way inland, the people of the Morada began to call upon the Sun Child, to save their loved ones and rescue those that had been forcibly changed, vampires and humans alike.
During this, Ambrose worked tirelessly with Maronai to . . . convince the vampire of the Viper Morada to no longer hold allegiances to Ciro and Hektor Reinick, but instead to follow the proper Lord of the Viper Morada, Rebekkah Reinick. Thankfully, many of the vampires had secretly disdained the brothers’ rule since its inception, when Ciro murdered his parents for the title.
By night, Ambrose and the others trained Lila, vigorously. He focused on her strength, her skill, her hand-to-hand combat, now that she was the weapon. He taught her how to properly hold her dagger, how to plunge it into a chest after using her heat to catch the opponent off guard.
Slowly, the Viper Morada was making something for itself, growing, and becoming a proper vampire manor once more. And the more Lila healed, the more hands they had volunteering for the cause. Ambrose took volunteers and trained them how to fight, how to not only defend their land, but themselves. He’d armed them with stakes, and taught each and every soul who wanted to learn how to use them.
But Ambrose halted all of his duties the moment Lila told him she’d be going to her hometown next.
“Nostro says that’s the next farthest town.”
She shuddered next to him, their limbs wrapped around each other in bed as he caressed her hair.
“I’ll go with you,” Ambrose whispered. “Do not ask me to stay.”
Lila nuzzled into him. She had been using her powers more and more lately, healing her tired and sore muscles, and recharging daily in the sun. Her pale skin had tanned in the last weeks, and what was originally red had now turned into a glowing warmth Ambrose couldn’t get enough of. “Thank you. I would’ve felt selfish asking, but . . . I do want you there.”
He kissed her head. “Of course. Asking me for things your heart needs is never selfish. You are the most important thing to me. Even if the plan crashes and burns, even if Drusilla takes over all of Malvania. You are my eternity.” He intertwined their fingers, rubbing his thumb over their shared bargain mark on their ring fingers. “You will be my wife.”
“Can I plan the wedding?” she teased.
He nipped at her cheek. “As long as I can plan the honeymoon.”
Lila giggled, “Ooo, what are you thinking?”
“I’m not sure, but I know whatever it is will involve lots and lots of rope.” She squealed and snuggled closer to him.
Lately, the lot of them have barely been sleeping. With their new schedules of working during the day and training during the night, it had only left a sliver of hours for any real sleep to be had—let alone time for anything else.
So, no matter how badly Ambrose wanted to make sweet love to his future wife, he wanted her to sleep more. She was exhausted, and the only way to replenish that power she kept using would be to sleep. So instead of continuing to tease her, and whispering his dirty thoughts into her ear, he pulled her close to him, and combed his fingers through her hair until her breath became heavy and her back rose and fell with each inhale and exhale.
He rubbed her back as he thought of their time since they decided on a course of action, since they first came to the Viper Morada. They still had so much to do before the summer solstice but they had already come so far as well. Ambrose couldn’t wait to have his manor back, his people. He couldn’t wait to marry Lila surrounded by those he loved in the place he’d made with his own two hands.
Once Drusilla and Hektor were defeated, he would make sure to do just that. He would make sure to bring it back to its former glory.
As Ambrose rubbed Lila in her sleep, the familiar black crow wiggled his way into what was once Ciro’s room, but was now Ambrose and Lila’s.
Ah, Pollock, Ambrose said to the bird, Lila was waiting for you. Every morning after that first morning, Pollock has slept on the pillow on Lila’s opposite side, and Ambrose has found himself enjoying the lilac sandwich he and the crow would make. Something about it filled his heart, and he thought this must’ve been how fathers felt when they watched upon their spouses and children.
Pollock hopped up on the bed, and nestled into the dip in the pillow he’d made for himself over the last month and a half they’d already been here.
It was already the beginning of June, and they would ideally be sneaking to the Crow Court in just a few weeks to surprise Hektor and whatever strigoi he had protecting him in Ambrose’s manor. They were anticipating, and hoping, for Drusilla to come to aid her partner, then Lila could take on her whole army at once.
Which, in tandem, absolutely terrified Ambrose. He had full faith in Lila, and knew she was more powerful than the sun itself. But what if . . . what if her power faltered? What if it didn’t reach the masses of Drusilla’s army? What if something happened to her, or she got hurt before she could heal?
The idea sent a shock wave of cold through his system, as he pulled her closer just that much more. He couldn’t fathom losing her. He’d let another Mass Death plague the world if it meant keeping her.
His hands tangled in her lilac hair, hair that perfectly matched the color of his venom. Even now, he didn’t know the meaning of the similarity, wasn’t sure if there was any actual significance, or if it was just a coincidence. But deep in his soul, he liked to believe it was a symbol. A tether. That Lila Bran was made for him, and he was made for her. That whatever gods and devils had cursed them to this life, had cursed them to be together. The Sun Child with lilac hair, the Sun Child with hair like night meeting day. Like dusk and like dawn. Lila was his tomorrow, his light after the darkness, his morning after night, his sun to the moon. And he couldn’t live without her—not again.
Ambrose finally slept, with Lila’s warmth lulling him into her embrace, surrounding him, encompassing him, bathing him in her sunshine.
As the sun rose beside them, he felt her shivering in his arms, and he knew it wasn’t the cold affecting her. As they neared her hometown, Lila became increasingly stiff in Ambrose’s arms, a reaction she’d hadn’t had in all the trips out to save her people. But, Ambrose now knew everything that had happened here. Her entire youth spent scavenging for food, her mother’s death, her father’s hollowness. He knew of the last time she was here too, of Hektor Reinick trying to force himself on her, of Ciro acting as if he’d claimed her.
But, then, Lila had just figured out how to simply conjure her power. Now? Now, she was so much more.
Everything’s going to be okay, Little Crow, he reassured through the Concord, rubbing her thigh with his thumb where he held her.
She visibly gulped. I know. I’m just—I feel so bad I failed them last time. I tried to help them but . . . I was too afraid.
He remembered how her power spurted, how the love she attempted to conjure was completely overshadowed by the fear and heartache.
You’re stronger now. And you’re not alone.
She turned to him, lilac hair blowing past her face and against his chest. Then she smiled at him and it almost made his wings give out.
And, if you need the reminder of how loved you are, I could also show you in the center of the town. Maybe with my tongue? Or maybe you’d like to take my monster cock again?
Lila’s cheeks blushed furiously, dipping into a deep red, as she smacked his arm. You complete, utter rake and your silver tongue, she tutted.
Oh, you love me and my tongue and you know it.
She bit her lip. I do love your tongue.
He chuckled, and slowly licked his lower lip, just for her to get a glimpse of his best weapon against her.
Maybe I do need a reminder. We could take a quick pit stop and then get back to—
An actual laugh bubbled out of Ambrose’s lungs, one that caused his head to fall back, and his entire body to shake. “Who’s the rake now, love? Trying to seduce me out of this? I don’t think so.”
Lila’s pout only extended his laughter, a sound and feeling that had been so foreign to him for so long before she came into his life. Now, it seemed like he was doing it more and more.
As they flew closer to her hometown, Ambrose felt Lila’s resolve solidify. Her back straightened. Her shivers turned into a hard grip against his shoulder. He felt her warmth, her heat, emanate—it felt dangerous. It was a rageful surge, something threatening and protecting all at once.
But more than that, the colors of her aura had shifted. The hue of fear had ebbed away to be something . . . so much more. It was the shades of colors he had fallen for when he first saw her that night in his manor. Colors he saw again when she first took up training, when she first fought the strigoi on the way home from the Arachnid Estate, when she entered his office wearing that skimpy little dress and underthings. It was courage and determination and a fierceness for others. Her gaze was focused, her lips were set.
She was a war goddess, being sent to a battlefield, ready to conquer her enemies and protect her comrades.
As the sky pinked, then oranged, and finally became the brilliant blue of daytime, Ambrose flew with Lila in his arms, Nostro guiding them, Pollock and Constance behind them, into the town.
It was decrepit and silent. The buildings had fallen apart and dusted even more than Lila’s recent memory. The courtyard was broken. Stone smashed, plants ripped apart, and not so much as a cricket chirped.
Ambrose put Lila down, and Pollock immediately landed on her shoulder.
“If they’re all strigoi, then they’re probably asleep right?” Constance asked, landing on Lila’s other side.
Nostro nodded. “As we hoped. It’s been easiest with them asleep.”
Lila didn’t speak. That determination was fueling through her, swirling through every limb. She walked past Constance and Nostro, past Ambrose, and into the winding veins of the town. Ambrose kept a close eye on her, keeping only a couple of steps back.
He sniffed the air, trying to sense where the monsters hid, only hearing the smallest amount of shuffling in the nearest buildings. Ambrose could feel their hunger more than anything else.
In there,he told her.
She turned in the direction he indicated, and walked right up to an old, gray door. The wood looked worn, molded, like the simplest touch would send it crashing down.
But Lila didn’t even need to touch it, she just walked up to it, and closed her eyes.
An all-encompassing warmth crashed out of her, like waves in the ocean. A tear dripped down Ambrose’s cheek he hadn’t realized was coming. It was like . . . a blanket when you’re a child, like soup when you’re sick, like a parent’s hug, like a first kiss, like cuddles with a pet, like a day in with the rain hitting your window, like reading your favorite book, like life, like joy.
It was like love.
Ambrose’s heart was overflooded, his knees threatening to buckle under the weight of it all, while simultaneously feeling like he could float, free and weightless. He clutched his heart, breathing deeply, breathing to ground himself.
And all too sudden, the rush of warmth, the rush of love was gone.
He looked up, searched for Lila, to make sure she was all right. But she was already looking back at him, a smile on her face, as humans and vampires groggily stepped out of the buildings surrounding them, out into the daylight.