“When I’m queen, there will be no cycle to continue. Things will be different.” Forehead pinching from maintaining my null, I raised her sword. With my left hand, I positioned the sharp tip and drove it down through her heart.
She died with one last word on her lips. “Lie.”
I stared down at her still body, leaving the weapon embedded through her, thrust straight into the dirt. As I caught my breath, the stillness in my chest cracked. My panting took a dangerous turn, sounding a lot like shuddering sobs. But no tears came.
Ash nudged my leg with his beak. His deep voice was stained with worry and pain.“Friend sad. Why?”
I put on a smile for his sake, stroking his head and scratching behind his ears. He’d sat and folded himself in such a way that he wasn’t putting any weight on his wounded leg. I ruffled his pelt with my left hand. “Rest, you fantastic beast,” I whispered. “You saved me.”
“I thought I saved you.” At Noir’s interjection, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I’d been expecting Zane or Finn to return, as they must’ve killed Earth and Telekinetic by now.
The scent of banana preceded the assassin as he seemed to step out of nowhere. He casually ate from a partially peeled fruit, two more dangling from their stems around his fingertip. He bounced his eyebrows. “Want one?”
“Not right now.” I actually liked bananas, but my stomach cramped for another taste of blood. My mouth was as dry as bone. I’d lost a lot of blood, and my slow dhampir healing was still mending the network of damaged nerves under my armpit.
“Suit yourself, my fascinating flower.”
“Do you have healing magic?” I was weighing the idea of using my healing serum on Ash. It wasn’t built for animals, but his injury was an emergency. Especially if it was a broken leg. He needed medical intervention one way or another.
“Sure do,” Noir answered brightly.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I need you to mend Ash’s wounds.” This way, we wouldn’t potentially hurt him worse with the serum while trying to heal him.
“Okay. Did you save an enemy for me to kill too?” He eyed Emmeline’s body behind me.
“Plenty of those are still walking around,” I muttered.
“Well, not the inquisitor. He had a deadly accident.” His eyes brightened as he spoke with way too much enthusiasm. He hovered there, expectant, as if he waited for me to say,Good job, murder hound.
I grabbed his arm with my good hand, leaning in. “Did he talk to the regent before his accident?”
“Nope.” A broad smile cleaved through his beard. “I’m a professional. Retired, but still professional.” He leaned in too, mouth descending toward mine.
Darkness shifted around us as Zane rounded a hedge of flowers. A shadowy force pushed between Noir and me like an invisible wall. There was murder in his dark eyes as he glanced between us, and blood spattered over his face and neck.
Noir tsked. “Wow. Someone needs a banana.”
For a moment, Zane looked like he was considering wrapping several tendrils of shadow around Noir’s neck and squeezing. But his furious gaze landed on me, and the high of battle gave way instantly. He rushed the rest of the way over to me, hand halting halfway to my injured shoulder. “Sidney. Fuck. I’m sorry we couldn’t get to you sooner.”
“It worked out.” I flashed a strained smile. “Are Emmeline’s devotees dead?”
Zane nodded. “Finn is on his way. His opponent was a runner. We didn’t get your healing serum.” He loosened his collar, baring more of his throat. “So, you need blood. Take mine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I love you. Take my blood,” he said with fierce affection.
I was in no position to argue with him, not when he bent his knees and tilted his head, exposing the traceries of veins under his tanned skin. My fangs throbbed in my gums.
“Love you too,” I murmured against his skin. I nuzzled into his neck before I bit down and drank deep. Despite the stench of death in the air around us, I pressed closer to the heat of his body, desperate to feel more.
His blood poured down my throat in a river of liquid life, soothing away the worst of my nerve pain. I could feel my right arm again. It burned as I twitched my fingers and tested my elbow. Warmth swarmed in my veins, spreading through my limbs with each pulse of my heart.
Zane drew me closer still, his hand closing around my hip. His other hand threaded through my hair, fingers pressing in encouragement.
I might’ve drunk more had Noir not stirred and said, “Oh, by the way, that regent guy is probably on the way to see all this. I got here first with one of my super-special powers.”
I released Zane abruptly with a gasp. This was quite thescene for Mathias to find.
