AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Still reclining on Holly’s lap, he had an odd, sideways view of what looked like corpses nearby and a diminishing fire. He saw a fire truck, trolls, hoses, a lot of water, and smoke.
Right. The village square in Millerell.
He’d fought two Invictus wraith-pairs, but how was that possible when there weren’t supposed to be any left?
A final battle against Margetta, the Ancient Fae, had ended the dominance of the Invictus in the Nine Realms or so it was believed. Stone, the ruling mastyr of Tannisford Realm, had sent his Vampire Guard into every crevice of his domain to root out the last of the wraith-pairs.
So, where had these two pairs come from? How had they remained hidden from the Tannisford Guard?
Within a few minutes, the pain from the axe wound and the poison was almost gone. The usual stomach cramps remained, however. Nothing could take care of the familiar affliction of his chronic blood starvation. All mastyr vampires suffered perpetual pain.
Yet right now, he felt unearthly peaceful.
Holly had done this for him.
Her hands were still settled gently on top of his head. Her healing continued to flow in strong waves.
He didn’t want it to end.
When he felt fully restored, he rose to a sitting position and her hands fell away. He leaned once more against the low stone wall.
She angled her body toward him, her hands now in her lap. She wore a red tunic over soft, red-flowered pants. She sat on the cobbled stones of the sidewalk next to him and stretched out her legs. Her loafers struck him as very expensive. Odd, he would notice that.
His gaze slid over the cobbles. Sweet Goddess, his blood was everywhere.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much.” He turned to meet her gaze. “Didn’t we do this two months ago?”
Her lips quirked. “Yes, but not with a lethal dose of dark fae poison.”
He rubbed his jaw. “No, just a brain-and-face shattering dose of Stone’s iron fist.”
She chuckled softly. “At least your sense of humor is still intact. Do you have any pain at the injection site?”
“So that’s what happened?”
“Yes.” She reached around and touched the back of his shoulder. “You were poisoned here. I gave you an antidote.”
He didn’t know much about the fae mysteries of herbs, plants and roots. All he knew was the depth of his gratitude. He took her hand. “Thank you, Holly.”
“No problem.” Her voice sounded breathy.
He held her gaze, feeling a need to say or do more. She’d saved his life. Yet, no words came to mind to adequately express his gratitude. He managed another solemn, ‘thank you.’
“My pleasure.”
He knew he should let her hand go, but it was the last thing he wanted to do. He’d felt this before, when she’d healed him last time, how drawn he was to her.
A stillness came over him, a very vampire reaction. His heart picked up speed, the beats heavy. His lips parted.
Holly was a beautiful woman.
She had long, thick, curly black hair, which hung to her waist. Her face had the shape of a heart with a wide brow and softly pointed fae chin. Her large, exquisite eyes were part green with shards of gold, gray and brown, a true hazel. Her lips were full. Kissable.
Her creamy complexion enhanced the black night of her hair.
Where his hand held hers, a warmth grew.
