Page 52 of Reckless Witch

In less than a minute, I reach the instructors’ offices and land at a run. My wings retract as I hit the front door with a shoulder. I take the stairs three at a time and burst into Raith’s office, breathing heavily. He’s not at his desk.

He doesn’t have classes at this hour. Where is he?

“What the hell?”

I whirl.

Raith’s standing in the doorway that connects to his private chambers.

“Someone attacked Ciarah,” I pant.

Her head lolls against my chest.

God, don’t die.

I rush to the leather couch and lay her on the cushions. Raith reaches my side.

“She needs your blood,” I say.

He stares at her.

“Raith,” I growl.

“Maybe it’s better this way,” he whispers.

“What?” I shout. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Life with Ciarah never ends well.”

“Life without her is hell.” I seize his collar. “Save her or I’ll put a stake through your frozen heart.”

His eyes meet mine. “Too late. Ciarah cut out my heart forty years ago.”

I drive him so hard against the bookshelf that several books hit the carpet. “Give her your blood or I’ll bury you so deep no one will find you for a millennium.”

Leilah moans. Raith’s head snaps in her direction and his pupils dilate. His gaze fixes on the wound…on her blood. I pull him over to the couch and shove him onto his knees.

“Don’t you think this is as hard on her as it is on us?” he asks.

Fear twists through me as I grab the broken spear and yank it from her body. She convulses. I throw the spear to the carpet. As blood gushes, I rip her t-shirt and expose the wound. Raith draws a sharp breath. He starts to rise, but I shove his face into the blood. He throws his head back and I stumble two paces before catching myself. Raith shakes his head as if he’s been drugged.

Good.

I grab his head and force his face into the blood. Ciarah draws a stuttered breath. I hold Raith’s mouth in the pooling blood. He relaxes in my hold and grasps her waist. When he begins sucking the blood, I drop to my knees, breathing hard.

Blade bursts into the room. I shake my head in warning, and say, “Hand me the letter opener on the desk.”

Blade rushes to the desk. An instant later, he slaps the handle of the letter opener into my open palm. By now, Raith is sucking hard. Just as I thought, it’s been too long since he’s fed.

I grab his right hand and cut the vein in his wrist. He grunts but doesn’t stop drinking. I press his bleeding wrist against Ciarah’s mouth. After a second, she thrashes her head aside and loses contact with Raith’s wrist.

“Blade,” I call.

Blade grabs her head and holds it still as I force the bleeding wrist against her blood-smeared lips. She grimaces, but closes her mouth around the wound. I shift my attention to Raith. He has sunk his fangs into her abdomen. The wound no longer gushes blood. I release Ciarah and straighten.

Now we wait to see if Raith saves her…or kills her.

Chapter Twenty-Two