He’s always so careful. So aware.
So…
I wrap my arms around him in an instant and he lets me. He holds me hard, and my body sings from the feel of it.
I just killed a man.
I’m a literal vampire slayer.
And all I want is to be held for a little while.
Twenty-One
Kira
“You tried to kill a High Councilman!” Zavia’s red lips purse harder and harder every time she speaks. “You’re lucky I don’t deal with you personally!”
Pavel and his assistant Nicco stand quietly behind Zavia. Prey kneels before me and attends to my wounds with a wet cloth. He doesn’t try to meet my gaze, not even once. He keeps his attention averted in a respectful way that eats at me with each passing second.
“You’re lucky I was able to get to Rival before the blood settled in his heart.”
My teeth grind.
“You saved a killer then.” I square my shoulders as I look up at the one woman I was told not to talk to.
“Rival Royale is no killer.” Her deep green eyes blaze with authority.
“Acessa is dead!”
“We do not know what happened between them tonight.”
“We will by dawn,” I say and Prey’s hand pauses. His pretty gaze drags slowly to meet mine. “I called Creature Control.”
Zavia’s eye twitches.
Pavel looks to Nicco and I hear the young man whispering loudly to repeat what I just said. “Kyra called Creature Control to investigate the High Council.”
“Oh, Zavia will not be happy about that,” Pavel announces so loudly that Zavia’s eye twitches all over again.
Aston’s lips part and I just faintly hear a curse whisper out from the corner he leans in.
“You called Creature Control?” Her voice lowers to a deadly tone.
“They’ll be here at sunrise to collect Royale.” I don’t know why I challenge her so hard. It feels good though. It feels good to force justice into this world where they were so happy to just toss a victim into a used grave and forget about her entirely.
I won’t let that happen, though.
Zavia’s jawline tightens as she swallows hard before turning on her high heels and storming to the stairs.
“And someone go find the Prince! I leave this house for one week and literally all Hell breaks loose!” Her young assistant chases after her, scribbling notes furiously in a little worn notebook.
Nicco holds out his hand and assists Pavel into croft number two. The old vampire is laid to rest and Nicco seems relieved once the lid to the coffin is finally in place over his master. Nicco’s heavy sigh follows him as he too heads upstairs.
Prey continues to wipe the dry blood from my hair, but a new and familiar scowl is lining his face.
“You’re an idiot for attacking him,” Prey grunts as he runs the cool rag delicately across my cheek.
“She’s a badass,” Aston says with a smile.
