Page 44 of Fated In Blood (Nocturne Vampire Clan #1)

44

EVANGELINE

I floated on a powdery cloud while Riordan dusted me off and slipped me back into my clothes like he’d dressed me a thousand times before. Finally, he zipped up my jacket. The familiar embrace of that soft leather made me sink deeper into this blissed-out state where I didn’t have a care in the world.

Honestly, this was better than fucking Xanax.

I was trying to stay mad at Riordan, really, really trying, but God, after what happened between us, with the taste of him still coating my mouth like honey, all I wanted was to snuggle deeper into his arms.

“We can’t go back to Crimson House.” It took a minute for Riordan’s words to register. “We wouldn’t be safe there. Blake’s scouting an alternative location for us. We’ll move as soon as I hear back from him.” I frowned, trying to figure out what he meant.

“Is there a reason Crimson House isn’t safe?”

“Silas will be hunting us now. He can’t dematerialize, but your Uncle Dante is the best tracker in the world. If we lead your family of slayers back to Crimson House, we put everyone in the clan in danger. I can’t take that risk.”

I nodded, winding my fingers into the lapels of his jacket. He was right.

Silas was deadly on a normal day, but now, fueled by rage and frustration, he wouldn’t stop until he found me. If he uncovered an entire society of vampires living peacefully—okay, somewhat peacefully—in plain sight, he’d slaughter them all.

Riordan smelled like smoke. Smoke and fire and danger, and I pressed my nose deep into the smooth skin on his chest and took a deep gulp. I wasn’t even hungry anymore, but my fangs throbbed in response to his musky scent. Then his words finally sank in.

“Dante isn’t the best tracker in the world,” I muttered defensively. “I’m pretty damn good myself.”

“I never said you weren’t, Silver.” He ran his hand down the back of my head, and I nestled closer against his chest, his heart beating right beneath my cheek. I was greedy for this kind of contact, craving his touch like I craved his blood.

Which was going to be a real problem because I still kind of hated him, but I really liked what he did with his mouth.

But I couldn’t fall for him, I couldn’t .

Leaves rustled overhead and Riordan tensed, his whole body stilling. My eyes flew open, scanning the mossy rocks and towering pines for any sign of movement.

“Blake’s found us a safe place; we’ll meet him there.” His arm tightened around my waist in preparation to dematerialize. “Are you ready?”

I nodded, unsure if I was ready to see Blake. Bits and pieces of the past hours were arranging themselves into a horrifyingly cohesive order and I didn’t much like what I saw. God, what had I done?

I drank from a complete stranger.

Let him use my hunger and my weakness to manipulate me, and that mistake was going to cost me if I really owed him a favor.

And Riordan…God, I regretted what we’d done, was aching to do it all over again, and I didn’t even like him.

What the fuck was wrong with me? I used to be in total and complete control of myself and now I was running on some kind of autopilot where my hunger and libido were in the front seat and common sense was just along for the ride.

And if Riordan hadn’t shown up when he did, what would Malachi have done? Would he have killed me? Or worse? And Blake…where the fuck had Blake been all this time?

“We’ll figure everything out Silver.” Riordan tried to sound reassuring. “Your family is only a complication, nothing’s changed, our deal is still on.”

I frowned. I didn’t give a good goddamn about our fucking deal. I wanted to know why his voice was so cold but every fucking time he touched me his gaze ignited like a fucking volcano. That couldn’t be an act, could it?

Or was Riordan so adept at manipulating people, I couldn’t tell the difference?

He tugged me against him, his mouth curling into a sardonic grin. “Blake’s waiting for us. We need to leave right now; we’ve been here too long.” His grin faded until his expression was dead serious. “I know you don’t have reason to trust me, Silver, but once Tyrell is dead and?—”

“Don’t.” I pressed my face deeper into his shirt so he couldn’t see the despair spreading across my face. “Don’t make promises. Especially when you don’t have any intention of keeping them.”

“ Silver …”

“Blake’s waiting,” I reminded him, winding my fingers tighter into his jacket. “We should go.”

The aging safe house was nondescript, surrounded by pine trees in every direction. I couldn’t even see the horizon, couldn’t get my bearings, but the air was pristine, so we were far from any city.

I’d thrown up in the bathroom, washed my face and my arms, then run my fingers through my hair to get out most of the leaves. I drank from the faucet until I felt sick again, then finally went out to the living room, where tall windows overlooked the impenetrable forest.

The dagger lay on the table between us, still wrapped in the black velvet bag, covered in dirt and stinking like a doused house fire. Blake, I assumed, had retrieved the weapon while Riordan and I were…

Yeah, so not going there.

Riordan brought Blake up to speed, while I resisted the urge to reach between my shoulder blades and check the tracking mark again, cursing myself for being so careless.

I should have anticipated there would be an extra layer of protection around the Vault, and I shouldn’t have underestimated the effects of me—a new-born vampire—stepping onto hallowed ground.

But here we were.

“Now that the Silverwoods are involved, the situation is more complicated, but killing Tyrell is still the goal. Malachi went back to Darkmore Castle. He’ll stall Laurent with promises of breaking the oath while we get everything in place on our end. All Malachi needs is the dagger and a few seconds alone with Tyrell and this will be over. Silver, that’s where you come in.”

I couldn’t believe that asshole Malachi was supposed to be our ally.

Couldn’t believe he was the one they’d picked to kill Tyrell.

While I was only the decoy . Psht.

Well, the joke was on them.

“Silver, you’ll cause the distraction,” Riordan explained in his most serious, kingly tone. “You’ll show up there, throwing a fit about seeing your sister. Blake will set you up with whatever weapons you need. Bosch and his security team will respond to escort you out of the castle. You’ll escape and lead them into the east wing, where there will be two explosives planted, timed to go off and cut that wing off from the rest of the house. Then Malachi will make his move.”

I didn’t bother telling him that was a shit strategy.

I kept my mouth shut as Riordan laid out his faulty plan, but my thoughts wouldn’t stop drifting back to the woods, especially the part where I begged Riordan to fuck me and the bone-melting pleasure that resulted from my shameless begging.

I’d had a lot of sex for someone who’d sworn it off.

Twice with Riordan and once with Blake, and what were the chances I could be pregnant? My hand drifted over my stomach, something Blake, glowering at me from the other side of the room like an ancient gargoyle, didn’t miss.

What I should be focusing on was the fact my family beat me half to death, then used me as bait, and now I had a magical tracking device branded onto my skin, but no, those were not my biggest concerns.

“The fucker will sell us out, just wait and see,” Blake muttered darkly. His nostrils had flared the moment we’d appeared, those brown eyes glinting as he’d gazed between us, nothing but condemnation on his face. That’s when I’d gone and thrown up.

“He’ll play us against each other and when the dust settles, don’t be surprised that arrogant, pompous bastard will be the only one left standing.”

I hated to admit it, but I agreed with Blake.

“What made you involve him in the first place?” I asked, desperate to get my mind off Riordan’s magic tongue and onto something that actually mattered . “I know from experience—take Vincent, for example—that sometimes you have to compromise to get the job done, but Malachi seems like a last resort kind of option.”

“See, that’s what I said.” Blake crossed his arms over his chest, which only put his perfectly cut biceps on full display. “Even she sees the bastard for what he is.”

“I was agreeing with you, in case you didn’t notice, asshole,” I snapped. “And for the record, he said you promised to g ive me to him when this was over . I’m not a fucking present to be regifted, and if you so much as try to follow through, I will cut off your balls.”

Blake swallowed, looking like he was going to have a fucking aneurysm. “That was only to get him the fuck out of Riordan’s office. I would never…”

“ Right ,” I muttered.

I was pissed at Blake all over again, and I wasn’t even sure why. Probably because I was getting whiplash at his ever-changing moods.

“Malachi wasn’t our call,” Riordan spat the name out like it tasted foul. “And Blake had no intention of ever giving you to that fucking bastard.

“He showed up in Thorndale after a century in exile. He’d already made contact with Tyrell, offering to break the blood oath. Then he came to Crimson House and made us a counteroffer. For ten million, he’d sell Laurent out and give us a way inside the castle. We’d finally have an opportunity to rid ourselves of Tyrell.”

“So Malachi shows up out of the blue and offers two sworn enemies the one thing you each wanted most?” I asked. “He really does know how to play people against each other, doesn’t he? I shook my head. “Ten million…dollars?” I repeated, trying to wrap my head around such a staggeringly huge ask.

“Ten million or he’d break the blood oath and hand over the Nocturne Clan to a monster. When my sire died, I did everything I could to protect my people from Tyrell’s excesses and keep as many of them safe as I could manage.”

“He’s protected the humans, too,” Blake pointed out evenly, without looking at me, of course. “We’ve been playing a very high-stakes game of chess with Tyrell for years. A lot of lives hang in the balance.”

Yeah, painting Riordan as some noble warrior didn’t work for me, not when I knew better.

“Malachi’s given us two days before he breaks the oath, so we’re on a tight schedule. Once he’s won Tyrell’s trust, he’ll send word, but I expect we won’t have much time to get you in place to provide the distraction.”

“Yeah, about my part in this.” I rubbed my hands together. “There’s something you should know about the?—”

“Now that you mention it, there’s something I’d like to know.” Blake’s eyes flashed.

“Stop right there, Blake,” Riordan hissed. “ Stop . Focus on the plan and how to sneak Silver past the revenants and into the castle unseen so we can finish this.”

“Fuck the plan.” The stubborn asshole plowed on ahead. “I want to know how long you’ve known Malachi, little slayer?”

I was so surprised, it took a second for the question to fully register. “I…I… today ? I never met him before today.” Blake crossed his arms over his chest and fury pounded through my veins at that look on his face.

I crossed my own arms. “Why don’t you tell me how long you think I’ve known him, Blake, since you have all the answers?”