The frustration that’d been simmering in Gabriel’s gut kicked up to a full-on boil.
Enough was enough.
“Give me the blade,” he demanded. “Now.”
“Or what?” Dorian finally met his gaze again, spearing Gabriel with a deadly glare. “Last I checked,Prince,there was only one vampire king.”
“Drag yourself to hell,highness, and how many vampire kings will we have then?”
Dorian folded his arms across his chest. Kept right on glaring.
“Give you a hint,” Gabriel said. “Starts with a Z. Rhymes with hero.”
No response from the impenetrable vampire king.
“Not even a guess?” Gabriel pressed.
“Fuck off, Gabriel. I outrank you. End of discussion.”
“Outrank me?”
“If you’ve got a problem with it, take it up with Father.”
“Youtake it up with Father. You’re about five minutes from joining him in the eternal fire, practically ready to run into his arms.”
“I’ll let him know you asked after him.” Dorian checked the strap once more, then headed for the door, knocking into Gabriel’s shoulder as he passed.
But Gabriel wasn’t about to let him leave. Not like this. Not at all.
He rushed at Dorian in a blur. Slammed him into the wall so hard he cracked the plaster. And then, with a surge of rage and terror and love and brotherhood and the last-ditch effort of a truly desperate, incredibly stupid vampire, he punched a hole through his brother’s chest and wrapped his fingers around that still-beating, infamously tender heart.
Dorian’s eyes widened in shock, his jaw clenched tight against the sudden pain.
“You’re not… going to… kill me,” he panted. “So enough with the… theatrics.”
Gabriel let him sit with it. Just for a moment. Just long enough to make the point.
Then he shrugged and said, “You’re right. I’m not going to kill you. Not today, at least.” He released the heart and drew back, slowly easing out his hand. As quickly as he’d made the hole, it healed. “I just wanted you to know that I could. That quickly, Dorian. Half a second. Azerius won’t grant you the same courtesy.”
For the span of several heartbeats, Dorian said nothing. Did nothing. And Gabriel stood like a statue before him, watching as the fury rose in his eyes, gathered in his muscles, swirled around him like the coming storm.
“Move!” Dorian roared.
Gabriel refused to budge. “If you won’t listen to reason, and you won’t listen to my bloody fist in your chest, you listen to this.” He leaned in close. Whispered the one word that held the power to break through Dorian’s stubborn rage. “Charlotte.”
A dark, fiery red chased away the golden-brown of Dorian’s irises, his fangs descending, a growl rumbling through his chest. “I don’t know what game you’re playing,” he ground out, “but so help me, Gabriel—”
“Charlotte D’Amico,” Gabriel said. “Your fiancée. Soon to be your queen.Ourqueen. Presently upstairs trying to sedate her sister, a girl who’s bloody traumatized after finding the vampire she’s in love with floating in your infinity pool bereft of a soul.”
“I amwarningyou—”
“No, you fucking twat. I’m warningyou.” Gabriel jabbed a finger at Dorian’s chest, damn near trembling with the force of his wrath. “The minute Charlotte comes downstairs and realizes you walked through that hell portal, there’s nowayshe’s not following. Straight into the lair of the very demon who once had a claim on her soul—a claim you destroyed when you defeated him at Bloodbath. I’m sure Azerius would justloveto welcome her into his bed, especially after he makes her a widow by incinerating the fucking vampire king. So if you won’t sit this one out for me, for Colin, for Cole, for Aiden himself—who, by the way, would kick your arse if he knew what you were up to—then for fuck’s sake, Dorian. Do it for her. You fucking do this forher.”
For an eternity, no one said another word. No one moved. No one blinked.
And then, finally, a tiny crack appeared in the rock-hard facade, and Dorian closed his eyes and lowered his head, the breath rushing from his lungs in a long, defeated sigh.
“You asked me to trust you on Rogozin,” Gabriel said softly, the last of his anger abating as the weight of what lay ahead fully settled on them both, “and I have. Now I need you to trustmeon this. Thisonething.” He closed his eyes, every one of his old regrets rushing to the surface, jabbing at the softest parts of his heart. “I know, Dorian. IknowI’ve made mistakes—I’ve been foolish, reckless, violent, downright suicidal at times, and if I could change the past—”
