“If I show cowardice, it only strengthens his position.” His breath caressed her cheek. “Who would then stand up to him and enforce this punishment?”
“Belle.”
“She declared herself an impartial observer. She cannot go back on that now.”
“But her testimony!”
“It was a bluff,ma chérie. She can do nothing here. No, only the Boston Vampires have the power to act, and they will not do so without a rally point.”
They were alone in the hallway, the other vampires having passed by, and Cally pulled back, reaching up to cup his cheek, his beard coarse against her palm. “I don’t give a fuck about Roberto. It’syouI love! It’syouI can’t bear to lose! If you die, it will kill me too.”
“That is no longer true,” he said gently, taking her hand and brushing his lips against her knuckles. “You have your magic now. Even if I were not here, you could spend your power before it kills you.”
“I don’t mean mymagic.I mean myheart.I don’t want to live without you, don’t you see?” Tears had formed in her eyes, and she dashed them away angrily. “I’m asking you to not do this.”
He stilled in that way of his when she surprised him, then his jaw tightened. “Very well,” he said at last, the words devoid of emotion. “Because you ask it of me, I will concede once I have shown Roberto is not infallible.”
She flinched at his tone, guilt burning in her throat like bile. She knew what it cost him to make that promise, but wasn’t his life more important than his pride? “You think he’ll stop if you do? Will he accept surrender?”
“If I make it convincing,” Antoine said grimly. “By then I will hopefully have done enough to steel the spines of my fellow vampires. Robertowillbe entombed this night.”
She stiffened against him. “This isn’t about honor, is it? This is about vengeance. Youcouldwalk away, but you don’twantto.”
“I will fight him because not doing so would endanger us more. If I do not do this, his claim on you will stand as an echo, inviting others to try the same.”
“You’re doing this for me?” She searched his face. “Bullshit. Also, I don’t care—hell, we could just leave and be done with it all!”
“I am sorry,ma chérie,” he said, voice low. “I do not expect you to understand.”
“I understand only too well,” she replied bitterly. “But I won’t stand by and see you die tonight.”
“Then I will do my best not to.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “You did promise I could ravish you if I survived. What more incentive does a man need?”
“At least take my blood,” she said, tilting her head and offering her neck. “You need all the strength you can get.”
Antoine paused for a heartbeat, then nodded. “That would be helpful, thank you.”
His arms closed around her again, his lips pressing to the side of her neck, and she braced herself for the sting of his bite. “Take as much as you can, my love.”
She muffled her gasp as his fangs pierced her skin. He drank deeply, drawing her blood in a rush that triggered an answering flood of pleasure. Her fingers clenched in his shirt, and there was desperation in the act—for her, if not for him, too. Was this the last time he’d ever feed from her?
He licked the wound and drew back. “Thank you,ma chérie.I will do my best not to fail you.”
“Now give me yours,” she said, reaching for his wrist.
He resisted. “You intend to try your spell again.”
“You’re damn right.”
“Last time, my blood was too painful for you.”
“Yeah, but I know what to expect now.” She tugged, but his arm held firm. “Damn it, Antoine,” she hissed. “You don’t get to risk yourself and then claim moral superiority! Give me your blood.”
He hesitated for so long that she thought he would refuse, then he lifted his arm, pushed back the sleeve of his jacket, and unbuttoned his shirt cuff. “I am no less enthused about you risking your life than you are about me risking mine.”
“Then we both need to survive, don’t we?”
He tugged his sleeve back to reveal his bare arm, then bit deeply into the vein in his wrist. “After the conversation we just had, I suppose it would do me no good to ask you to reconsider.”
