Page 37 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

Dimitri screamed as the sharp blade separated Davon’s head from his neck and the body slumped to the floor.

Rene continued his barrage against the shield, but Davon’s death momentarily distracted Brigid, and I sent a small bolt of energy toward her hand. Whatever that weapon was, it looked fatal to vampires, and I had no plans to be an undead guinea pig.

Brigid screamed as the energy hit her wrist, and the strange weapon clattered to the tile floor. Her gaze moved to the door as the remaining death dealers arrived and began to kill or incapacitate the mercenaries. She turned to me with hatred as the shroud formed around her and disappeared a second before the barrier fell and Rene was at my side.

Dimitri dashed to his brother’s side and knelt by his body. “No, Davon.” There was no mistaking the pain in his voice, and I felt a pang of regret.

Rene stared at the fallen clan member. “He was a traitor.”

Dimitri’s eyes flashed red as they met Rene’s. “You will regret this. You are blind to the wiles of the blood witch. Even her own kind know she is a threat and instead of putting her down like a feral cat, you invite her into your bed.”

Rene hissed. “I will allow you to live since you are insane with grief, but my decision about your future as clan head stands. The process of re-selection will begin soon.”

Dimitri stood and exited the foyer to complete silence as Constantine moved to scoop Cassara into his arms. He calmly held her as he moved to mine and Rene’s side. “Your queen has proven herself worthy of standing beside you, Rene.”

I heard his words and the collective gasps, but my gaze was locked on Cassara’s face. She had closed her eyes, and I tookthe hand that draped from Constantine’s arms. “Let’s get her upstairs.”

Constantine nodded. “Of course, my queen.”

“I’m not a queen, Con.”

“Yes, you are, and if anyone disagrees, I will convince them with my blade.”

I shook my head. “No wonder you annoy the crap out of Cass.”

His lip twitched as we ascended the stairs toward our suite. “I aim to please.”

CHAPTER 14

Constantine stood over Cassara as her shoulder made a cracking noise, and she hissed. “You are healing faster than expected. How long until you are mobile?”

Cass pushed herself to a sitting position in Rene’s bed. He had Con place her there, so she was involved in our conversation about Brigid and Davon’s treachery. None of us believed Dimitri had suspected his brother was working behind his back, but Davon’s motives were clear. He wanted Dimitri in charge. “Get me a glass of blood.”

Rene grabbed a bottle from the minibar and poured it before handing it to Constantine. The burly warrior sat at the edge of the bed and held the glass to Cassara’s mouth. There was a gentleness to his actions, and Cass wrapped her fingers around his hand.

I sat on the chair in the room, but sighed loudly when Cass released the glass. “Cass, what was Davon talking about? What proposal did you turn down?”

Cass grunted. “After repeated attempts to get me in bed, Dimitri sent his brother with a formal proposal. It outlined bonding with Dimitri and his intention to support me as the next clan leader.”

Constantine’s eyes flickered. “He proposed a politically-motivated bond?”

Cass nodded. “Can you believe that shit? I told him to take a flying fuck, and he never made any additional overtures after that. Honestly, I never thought more about it until Davon mentioned it. That was over fifty years ago.”

Constantine’s eyes remained on Cassara as she rolled her shoulder. “Rene, I wish to challenge Dimitri. I know Cassara did not tell you about this proposal, but that was a disgrace. He was attempting to use her position as your personal adviser as a way to retain power. He will seek to align with a weak-minded female that he can control in order to regain power over the clan.”

Rene shook his head. “Dimitri is a virtual pariah now. He will never hold any position of power within the clan.”

I stood from the chair. I had changed from my beautiful dress to simple black capris and a white blouse with a tan jacket, while Cass was healing. “That could make him more dangerous. He has nothing to lose.”

Con turned to me. “Do you believe he will attack Rene? He is no match for him physically.”

Cass pushed on Con’s shoulder, forcing him to move before she got up from the bed. She pulled off the long formal leather jacket that signified her as my attendant for the ceremony. Her leather tank top was tucked into her belt, adorned with various weapons. “Dimitri won’t go after Rene. He will go after Raven. Once he rebounds from his brother’s death, she will be his target.”

Con shrugged off the long leather jacket that matched Cassara’s and tossed it on the bed. “He will die painfully if he comes anywhere near her.” His muscles bulged, and I pursed my lips before Cass gave me a dirty look.

“Don’t say it, Raven.”

“I wasn’t... it’s just there is a lot you could do with...”