Page 97 of Caller of Crows

And Sven would be responsible for the death ofanotherperson he loved.

His heart pounded madly inside his chest, his breath becoming labored. He needed to breathe. To calm down.

Altair couldn't die.

Could not.

In an act of desperation, Sven pressed the heel of his shoe into Nephariel's foot. Hard.

Nephariel jerked backward.

Sven didn't think twice—he reached up and rammed his elbow into the vampire's stomach.

Thatgot a reaction.

With a growl, Nephariel grabbed Sven by the throat and shoved him up against the nearest wall. His fingers dug into Sven's windpipe, making Sven cough involuntarily as the air was blocked from his lungs. Then Nephariel was leaning down. The vampire's lips grazed Sven's skin, and Sven prepared himself for another bite, another rush of agony, but instead, something warm dripped onto him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was blood—Nephariel was bleeding. His chest was bleeding.

The next second, his body flew away, crashing against the opposite wall with a loud bang.

What the—

Altair was standing between Sven and the spot where Nephariel had landed, shielding him from harm. "Touch Sven again and you're dead," he snarled as he stalked toward the fallen vampire.

Nephariel jumped back up on his feet, wiping the blood from his chest. "You missed my heart." He flashed Altair a bloody grin, baring his teeth.

Altair growled. "I know exactly what I was aiming for," he said through clenched teeth. "It is a warning, nothing more. I won't miss next time."

"You've always been such an arrogant shithead." Nephariel smiled coldly. "Always underestimating others." He licked his lips, then ran one finger over the open wound where Altair's knife had hit. "This is gonna leave a scar…"

"Good." Altair stepped toward him. "Remember who gave it to you."

Nephariel shook his head. "You're the root of every bad thing in my life. Always you."

Sven watched them interact with apprehension. Despite their anger and fury, despite the hatred oozing from them in waves… the vampires didn't seem like they wanted tokilleach other… If anything, there seemed to be a weird sort of respect between the two of them, despite all the horrible things Nephariel had just said to Altair. It made no sense.

Why was he willing to letNephariellive?

God, Sven hadso many questions.

He watched as Altair approached his brother cautiously, his hand still clutching his weapon. Nephariel didn't attack though. Instead, he tilted his head to one side. "Are you actually threatening me? That's precious." His voice held a trace of bitterness. "Did you really expect I wouldn't take action when you messed with my business? I find a mortal for my coven and of course you have to get one for yourself to try to ruin me again." He glared at Altair with a vicious snarl.

Altair shook his head like Nephariel's words were nonsense. "I don't care what you do, and I don't care about ruining you as long as you keep away from what's mine." Altair's eyes bore into Nephariel's. "Keep your pathetic hands off my mortal."

Nephariel rolled his eyes. "Come on, brother," he sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I only took a few sips."

The muscles in Altair's jaw clenched. "You drank from him?" His voice was low, dangerous.

Nephariel laughed. "Of course I drank from him," he said. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to let such an opportunity pass me by?" His lips curved into a menacing smile. "That boy tastes delicious."

Sven's stomach twisted painfully with the memory of those fangs sinking into his skin, and when Altair looked at him, he knew without a doubt that the vampire could see his thoughts. There was fury burning in Altair's gaze. His lips pressed together, a muscle ticking along his jaw. His chest heaved in deep, heavy breaths.

His body vibrated with tension.

He was going to fight with Nephariel.

Fuck.

Sven rushed forward before Altair could move, placing himself right in front of Altair with his palms flat against the other man's chest. He couldn't allow Altair to throw himself into danger for Sven. He wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to him. Altair needed to know that.