Chapter 44
Complete chaos surrounded us. I sucked in a breath, trying to make sense of the blurred bodies flying back and forth.
I couldn’t distinguish friend from foe. I placed one hand against Laurent’s back and the other against Zola, hoping the potion’s invisibility would encompass them too.
There was no telling how long it would last, but hopefully long enough to get us outside.
“This way,” Laurent said, his voice raspy.
He’d regained much of his strength, but not everything.
There were still parts of him that hadn’t healed.
I didn’t dare tell him how tired I was from the blood loss.
Giving him my blood felt right, even knowing it was a risk.
I trusted him completely, even if he’d been worried he might kill me.
We kept to the perimeter of the nave, step by step, working our way toward the entrance.
“Watch out—“ he cried.
I had just enough time to blink. A body flew past us, slamming into the wall.
Laurent backed up, taking me with him. The whole building shook, debris raining down around us.
I winced, glancing at the ceiling. The whole place was ready to collapse at any moment.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel so brave about sticking around to fight.
At least the vampires could handle a building if it dropped on their heads.
We kept moving. The entry was in sight, doors thrown wide. The next few minutes felt endless as we made our way out into the sunlight. The courtyard was no less chaotic. Laurent carried Zola toward the overgrown garden and set her beneath a tree. He was just standing up when—
“Laurent Sarkas!” A voice boomed from across the courtyard.
Laurent’s face morphed from wariness to fury before smoothing into cold emptiness. “Stay here, little flower. This is not a fight I can win if I’m worried about your safety.” His tone sent unease rippling through my belly. I nodded, crouching down to check on Zola. She was still unconscious.
“I should have known it was you, Bardanes,” Laurent said, striding toward the other vampire lord.
I turned to watch as both vampires slammed together like titans clashing in the heavens.
Bardanes went flying. He rolled across the pavement, only to regain his footing a moment later.
He darted forward, grappling with Laurent.
Their snarls mixed with the other sounds of fighting.
Space opened up around them.
Blood rushed past my ears as I watched the head of each house tear into one another. I caught sight of a fist connecting with a jaw, a foot slamming into a kneecap, a hand wrapping around a throat. But most of it was so fast, even my eyes couldn’t follow.
Laurent carried my blood. At full strength, I knew he’d be unstoppable.
But he wasn’t at full strength because he was still healing.
His movements slowed as Val Bardanes wrapped a hand around his throat and slammed him to the ground.
I whimpered at the sight of Laurent’s body hitting the pavement.
Hard enough to break bones, had he been human.
He clawed at Val Bardanes’s hand, his face contorted with rage, trying to break free of the hold. He wouldn’t suffocate, but if he held still enough, Bardanes could reach in and rip out his heart.
“As soon as I kill you,” Bardanes said conversationally, “I’m going to take that little amplifier whore of yours and drain every last drop of her blood. I won’t even fuck her. I’m not interested in sloppy seconds.”
Laurent roared. He surged forward, wrapping a hand around Bardanes’ arm, flipping their positions. Laurent’s hand shot forward in a blur, fingers piercing Bardanes’ chest—
My own chest exploded in pain. I screamed, right as a hand wrapped around me.
“Remove his heart and I’ll kill her,” a feminine voice shouted.
And then more quietly against my ear she said, “Speak a single word, pet, and I’ll rip this knife upward, right into your heart.
You’ll be dead before you finish issuing your command. ”
Laurent froze, his hand embedded in Bardanes’s chest. He didn’t remove his heart. Instead, he stared at me, his careful mask broken. There was only fear.
My mouth opened and closed in utter disbelief. My potion must have worn off. All I could think about was Laurent having to watch me die. After all we’d been through, it would end here.
I wanted to tell him I loved him, but I couldn’t pull in a single breath.
I dared not speak for fear she would make good on her threat.
Maybe my eyes said enough. Laurent’s expression morphed with anguish.
Fire spread from my chest, radiating through my limbs.
I looked down at the blade embedded just a millimeter below my heart.
My vision tunneled at the sight of it, still not quite believing what I was seeing.
Bardanes began to laugh, staring up at the dawn sky, cackling like a mad man. “You heard her,” he barked through his amusement. “Can’t kill me now unless you want to lose your little pet.”
The pain in my chest was so intense, I couldn’t think about issuing a command even if I had wanted to. All that training, and what did it matter? I was helpless. Laurent was helpless.
At least I’d freed him, I thought to myself. At least I’d done something. Even if it cost me everything, he would survive. That had to be enough.
I wanted to tell him to follow through, to kill Bardanes and be done with it. But I couldn’t even do that much. A look of resignation crossed his features as he said, “If I remove my hand, do I have your word that you’ll release her and leave the blade intact?”
There was a long hesitation before Natasha spoke. “You have my word.”
Laurent hesitated. His eyes flicked behind me. Bardanes was still laughing, wheezing because Laurent’s hand was still wrapped around his heart. I knew the moment Laurent let go and removed his hand, he’d lose his leverage—
A gasp sounded against my ear. Warm blood gushed over my shoulder.
The hand wrapped around the blade protruding from my chest disappeared, followed by the arm pinning me.
I heard a triumphant roar, caught a brief glimpse of Laurent ripping Bardanes heart free as I spun.
Zola stood, holding what was left of Natasha’s body; her throat had been ripped out, but she was still alive, only just. With a single movement, Zola ripped Natasha’s head from her body and tossed it away.
She looked like a vengeful goddess. Blood pouring down her chin, her eyes wild and fearful.
Her gaze snapped to the blade sticking from my chest and the look of worry—worry for me—made her blink.
“I always hated that bitch, darling.” She offered me a mischievous grin, attempting to make light of the situation.
It was the last thing I saw before my legs buckled and I fell into strong arms.
I heard the murmur of voices as my consciousness returned.
I was cocooned in warmth—a hard body, wrapped around my own, with a soft bed beneath me.
I tried to make out the words being spoken as my eyelids fluttered.
The voices cut off. There was a brief silence, and then I felt the brush of lips against the corner of my mouth.
I opened my eyes to find Laurent’s face, his brow furrowed with concern. The warmth that exploded in my middle sent heat to my fingertips. His expression was vulnerable and open. It made my insides turn to mush.
“There you are,” he whispered, this time pressing his lips more firmly to mine. “How do you feel?”
“Terrible,” I croaked, my throat dry. A rough laugh escaped him. “How am I even alive?”
“I got to you the moment you fell, removed the blade, and replaced it with my blood. It’s faster that way. You wouldn’t have been able to live, otherwise. After that, I managed to get you to swallow some.”
I made a humming sound, trying to shift. “What…happened? Did we win?”
He hummed a confirmation, the warmth of his breath fanning against my cheek.
“House Bardanes is done. Most of them are dead. A few survived and escaped. I would have hunted them down but…” His gaze swept over my features.
I heard his unspoken words. He’d been busy taking care of me, and he didn’t look the slightest bit bothered by it.
He pulled me more tightly against him, tangling his legs with mine. He was warm, so warm and cozy.
“Laurie,” I breathed, happy to be with him.
“I…” He licked his lips. “I thought I was going to lose you, little flower. Twice. And all I could think of was how we spent a month—how I spent a month—being a stubborn ass. I could have been worshipping you, telling you what I felt, but instead I was a coward.” His words made my heart skip.
“What I should have told you when you asked me to try, was that I had already fallen so deeply in love with you, that there would be no coming back from it.”
A croak escaped my lips. My heart kicked into overdrive. I could only stare at his handsome face, his chiseled jaw, his sharp chin, his fathomless eyes.
“I want to scold you for what you did—putting yourself in danger earlier. You have no idea the punishments I’ve conjured up while you were sleeping?”
“Punishments?” I breathed, my brows furrowing.
“What were you thinking,” he cried, showing a hint of anger, “coming to my rescue like that?!”
“I had to save you,” I whined.
He sighed, his expression relaxing. “I know. And saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t feel adequate.
Hence, punishments.” I blinked in surprise.
He let out a low laugh that sent warm shivers down my spine.
“I cannot wait to take you over my knee and use my palm on your bare ass. You won’t be able to sit for a week after I’m done with you.
Or maybe I’ll fuck you and wait until you’re just about to come, then keep you from it, and do it repeatedly until you’re begging for release.
It will be the best orgasm of your life. ”