I ground my teeth together, searching the emptyrooftops for aid that wasn’t going to arrive. I wasn’t helpless. Iwouldsave him.
“Open your eyes.” The voice that came out of my mouth wasn’t mine. It was harsh and cold and commanding. Gabriel’s beautiful, long-lashed eyes flickered open, irises hazed over with pain and impending death.
“You are going to live, do you hear me? We’re in the middle of a war, and you’re not getting out of this so easy.”
I sank my fangs into my wrist and shoved the bleeding bite into his mouth, not giving him a choice.
He fought me, shoving at my arm, making little sounds of distress that became something else entirely when he latched on, eyes falling closed as he began to feed, his tongue brushing frantically over the bite and his lips…
Gods, the feel of his lips on my skin was sublime, the steady pressure of his fingers digging into my arm, those delicious, greedy groans humming around the punctures, every vibration reaching deep into me and igniting a fire between my thighs.
I got lost in every slow, sensual pull, as though Gabriel was savoring every drop. After a few mouthfuls, his eyes opened and found mine, something intimate passing between us. I brushed his wet hair off his forehead, forcing myself to smile.
“There. Was that so hard? You could have said something sooner,sciocchino. Stubbornness is no reason to die.”
Dante chose that moment to reappear, took one look at the two of us, and fire exploded all over his body. Unfortunately, this also turned us into a fucking spotlight for anyone who might be searching for us, which was the whole fucking city.
“Fluck mbe…” Gabriel mumbled around my wrist, frantically licking the punctures closed, his wide gaze locked on his brother, silent and murderous and glowing brighter than a beacon.
Seriously, where was Nico when you needed him?
“Just… stop right there.” I held out my hand, heat blazing against my palm. “He was badly hurt and bleeding out. I figured you might want him to survive, given he’s your brother. Try to rein in your murderous inclinations until we get off this roof.”
Some of the flames subsided, Dante seemingly considering my advice.
“The safehouse?” Gabriel asked, clearly taking his life into his own hands, given the growl rumbling deep in Dante’s chest.
Then he slowly shook his head. “Soldiers. Lots of Draconi soldiers,” he intoned in that not-of-this-world voice that made me want to throw up.
“Okay, so the safehouse is out of the question. Where else can we go?” I’d already run through the possibilities—twice—and failed to come up with anything feasible. I’d spent my entire life in this city and was appalled my list of allies was so short.
“Castello Dominico.We go to our island, and we hole up there. Nico and I already agreed it would be our secondary location if anything went wrong tonight. I’ve vetted the remaining staff, and it’s the most secure location in Venice. We hole up there, and we wait.”
“For Nico?”
“For your uncle to make the next move. He needs that Basin back. We’ve run out of time,bella,”—Dante’s feral growl grew louder—“to prove your uncle’s crimes to the council like civilized people. And now that Blackwood’s involved…”
“Yeah, we’re fucked.”
I turned to my husband, in all his blazing glory. “Can you… I don’t know, put the fire out? Everyone in the city can see us, Dante.”
I winced as Gabriel climbed to his feet, but I didn’t dare help, given the fact that Dante was on the verge of imploding. “We have to get out of here. Can you dematerialize without tearing the wound open?”
“Hard to say, but since there’s a castle full of healers where we’re going, you won’t have to save my ass again. Thank you for that, by the way.” His gaze dropped to my savaged wrist.
“Any time,” I said breezily, trying to ignore the tightening in my stomach when I thought about his lips on my skin.
“Husband…” I tipped my head, peering through the flames to gauge his expression. “Can you get yourself to the island? I don’t think I can touch you, not without getting burned.”
Dante dipped his head, as if words were beyond him.
“Then we’re out of here.” Shouts echoed through the street, and I leaned over the edge, just as a patrol of Draconi soldiers raced around the corner below.
We landedon Isola dei Lupi a few minutes later, and I shivered, remembering the last time I’d been here. I’d arrived with murder in my heart and left as Dante’s wife, and honestly, I didn’t regret it a bit. I glanced in my husband’s direction, but it was impossible to tell if he remembered that night. Or anything at all.
I waved Gabriel ahead. “You go on, we’ll catch up.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with him.” He glared at his brother. “We don’t even know whatthisis, Emberline. We don’t know…”
