Not even Lincoln can stop me now from reaching for this motherfucker and picking him up by his robe in my two clenched fists. I Vamp out, flashing my fangs at him as my claws tear into the rough fabric. His fear bounces around the room, causing the predator in all of us to come to the surface. But I reluctantly give him his due, as he doesn’t wet himself like I had hoped. I shove him back down and retract, stepping back and giving him an evil smile. “Keep talking,” I command him.
“We plan for the child to be born in a protective circle, where we will then bind its powers until we have swayed it to our side,” the Cleric says. “It will then fight for the Hunters and wipe out your kind once and for all.” He spits at my feet in a move so bold, he clearly wants to die by my hand.
I hold onto my rage as he keeps calling my baby “it” and try not to hyperventilate at what he is saying. I hold my hand up to my eyes, pressing down so that I can think. I take it away as I hear a sickening crunch in the eerie silence.
My eyes take in a sight that surprises me. I had automatically assumed it was CK that had snapped his neck like a twig but, in fact, it was Remiel.
“What did you do that for?” I ask him sharply. “We needed him.”
“I think he was quite finished,” Remiel says, removing his hand from the dead Cleric’s neck. “And no one threatens you and gets away with it,” he adds, brushing off his hands. “I thought we had learned this lesson today already?” His obvious puzzlement would’ve made me laugh if my stomach hadn’t just clenched into a disgusting, sick ball that forces the bile into my mouth. However, while I may not be amused, my traitorous body can’t help my simper and slight blush that tinges my cheeks. It is a natural thing that occurs when your sire defends you, but it goes down like an Acme anvil with my husband and ex-sire.
CK gives me a look that makes me cringe and I try to wipe the admiration off my face, which isn't that difficult when I remember my sire just committed yet another murder “for me.”
“Well,” CK says. “Now that we know the Hunters’ reasons for being here, it has been confirmed what we have all been thinking since the Vampires attacked earlier.”
“That they are about to cause some serious, pain-in-the-ass trouble?” Devon asks, slipping in next to me and giving me a not-so-gentle-elbow in the ribs.
“Hey,” I snap at him.
CK narrows his eyes at us and points an accusatory finger between the two of us. “What have you two been conspiring about?” he asks, knowing us too well.
“Not conspiring,” Devon says. “It was an idea I threw at Lizzie about two hours ago.”
“A very bad idea,” I mumble, but of course everyone hears it.
“Are you saying that you wish Aefre to take back control of the Vampires?” CK asks with a suspicious note and crossed arms.
“No, I am saying that I want you to take back control of the Vampires,” Devon says and then slides his eyes across to Remiel before adding, “with him.” He gestures with his chin to my sire.
All eyes go between the two ancient Vampires, who are staring at each other in revulsion and defiance.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” CK says.
“It’s not that ridiculous,” I say, suddenly changing my mind in light of the latest news. “You two are the oldest Vampires in existence, not to mention the most powerful and formidable and foreboding creatures I know.” I hold my hands up apologetically, hoping that both of them don’t see straight through my flattering. “And we need them if we are going to take on the Hunters.”
“And how exactly do you propose we accomplish this task that your fiancé has set for us?” CK asks sarcastically. I hear Devon’s slight “mmph” at the ‘fiancé’ reference. I feel Remiel’s eyes boring into me, but I ignore him as CK has definitely seen straight through my attempt to sway him. I feel the loss of our sire bond deeply in this moment and mourn for a second before he carries on. “There is no way they will accept us as their leaders without a massive coup, and to be quite frank, my sweet, we have bigger issues to deal with than that.”
“Not if you give them something that they want,” I say quickly. My astute mind has not only gotten on board with this plan in record time but has also come up with a way to make it work. “My blood.”
“Over my dead body!” Vito roars, crashing towards me, knocking a silent and watchful Rosalina off her feet, and landing in front of me to grab my upper arms so tightly I hear the bones break.
At my grimace of pain, he lets me go with an abashed smile. “I have suffered that life, Aefre. It is not something that you should ever be subjected to. You will not endure it on your own.”
“I agree,” CK says, silently fuming at me. I know am going to get a hiding later for bringing this up, but it doesn’t scare me. In fact, I am kind of looking forward to it!
“Not necessarily,” I say, patting his arm. “We limit their use. Greater Immortals only.”
“No!” Vito says. Staring down into my eyes, he makes a decision before I can stop him. “Use me. I will not put this on you, Aefre. Never.”
I look up at him softly and reach out to touch his cheek gently. I feel a rush of love for him go over me, knowing that he would go back to that torturous existence just to protect me. I hear Devon clear his throat and I drop my hand quickly and step back. I had been about to go up on my tiptoes to kiss Vito on his lips and that really would not have been the smart thing to do, considering the company
“You are pregnant, Aefre. You cannot drain yourself to give your blood to them. I won’t allow it,” CK says.
“And I won’t allow Vito to go back to that life, nor will I allow these Hunter bastards to kidnap me and turn our child against us,” I say. “We do this my way. End of story.”
CK shakes his head. “It will never work. Dmitri won’t go for it.”
“He will if you talk to him as his sire,” I say, abandoning Vito’s side to take CK’s hand. “All of the Vampires that took over as the new Council are Master Vampires, CK. They are the only ones that this will affect, and they will listen.”