57
Damn, Dani and her mind-blowing, reality-bending, ass-kicking portal powers. One second, we're trailing behind Bloodbitch's ship, and the next, we're right on top of them, close enough to see the whites of their beady little eyes. My heart's pounding like a jackhammer, and my blood's singing with the need to spill some pirate guts.
"Hold your fire, you trigger-happy fucknuggets!" I bellow, my voice echoing across the deck. "Nobody shoots until I've got my hands on Seraphina, you hear me? Anybody jumps the gun, and I'll personally shove a cannon up your ass and use you as a meat puppet!"
I mentally connect with Dani, I know I'm probably going to hear it from my asshole brother, but I don't give a shit,"Dani, baby, I need you to work your portal mojo and get me on that floating shitheap. Like, yesterday."
She's at my side in a flash, panting like she just ran a marathon through a minefield. "Lucian, you magnificent dumbass, you can't just charge in there solo!"
I give her a look that could melt steel; my jaw clenched. "Watch me, Princess. Now, open up a portal and send me over there before I start getting creative with my transportation methods. And trust me, you don't want to see what I can do with a catapult and a jar of lube."
Dani plants her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Lucian. I'm not letting you go alone, you colossal dipshit. If you think I'm letting you waltz onto that ship without backup, you've got another thing coming. I'm coming with you, end of story."
I start to protest, but she shuts me up with a glare that could melt my balls off. "Zip it, Lucian. Seraphina's important to me too, and I'll be damned if I'm going tosit back and twiddle my thumbs while you go off half-cocked. Besides, someone's gotta be there to save your sorry ass when shit inevitably hits the fan."
A shit-eating grin spreads across my face, pride and affection for this feisty little firecracker swelling in my chest. "Alright, alright, you win, you stubborn sibling. But don't come crying to me when your brooding boy-toy throws a hissy fit and takes it out on your sweet ass."
"Leave Rhyland to me to worry about."
The ship lurches violently as an explosion rips through the air, Bloodbane's cannons finding their mark. The deck pitches beneath our feet, threatening to send us all overboard.
Fuck!
I lunge for Dani, my hand shooting out to snag her arm before she can hit the deck. In the same breath, my other hand latches onto the nearest rope, my fingers clenching so tight I feel the fibers digging into my palm.
The acrid smell of gunpowder fills the air, mixing with the salty sea spray. My eyes dart around, assessing the damage and looking for the next threat. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready to react.
This isn't a game anymore. This is war, and that bastard Bloodbane just fired the first shot. As another blast rocks the ship, I grit my teeth, a snarl escaping my lips. Playtime's over, fuckers. It's time to show these pirates what happens when you piss off a vampire with a grudge.
With a flick of her wrist, a shimmering portal springs to life, the gateway to chaos and ass-kicking beckoning us forward like a siren's call. Rhyland's spidey senses start tingling as if on cue, and he whips around, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Danica! Don't you fucking dare—"
I crack my knuckles, a feral grin splitting my face ear to ear. "Ladies first, Princess. Let's introduce these bastards to a whole new world of pain. And by pain, I mean the kind that involves lots of screaming, crying, and begging for mercy."
Danica and I don't hesitate for a single fucking second. We dive through that portal like a couple of kids cannonballing into a pool, and the next thing we know, we're in the dank, dark bowels of the ship. The sound of pirates yelling, cannon fire, and water pounding against the hull, the creaks and groans of the timbers fill our ears, and the stench of mold and rat shit assaults our nostrils.
"Seraphina?" I call out, my voice echoing through the gloom. But there's no response, just the distant shouts and curses of the crew above us.
I'd assumed Dani would've portaled us straight to Seraphina's location, but as I look around, there's no sign of my angel anywhere. Just a bunch of fucking barrels and coils of rope and other pirate bullshit.
We start tearing the place apart, searching every nook and cranny, but it's like looking for a needle in a goddamn haystack. The shouting from up top is getting louder, and I know it's only a matter of time before they realize we're down here and come looking for us.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse something blonde. My heart stops, and I whirl around, my eyes straining to see through the darkness. And there she is, lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, her golden hair spilling out around her like a halo.
"Fuck!" The word tears from my throat as I reach Seraphina's side instantly, Dani right on my heels. The sight of her chained to the wall like a goddamn animal makes my blood boil, and I have to clench my jaw so hard I think I might crack a tooth to keep from losing my shit entirely.
Dani doesn't hesitate for a second. Her hands start glowing, her otherworldly light burning bright as she focuses on the chains. The metal melts almost immediately, the cuffs and links falling away and hitting the pissed-soaked floor with dull clangs.
I scoop Seraphina up in my arms, cradling her against my chest like she's the most precious thing in the universe. Because she fucking is. Her body feels too light, too fragile, and it only fuels the rage burning in my gut.
I press my ear to her chest, holding my breath as I listen for the steady thump of her heartbeat. And when I feel the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the whisper of her breath against my skin, I nearly collapse with relief.
She's alive. My cupcake, my everything, she's alive.
But she's out cold, and who knows what those fuckers did to her before we got here. I want to storm up those stairs and rip every last one of those bastards limb from fucking limb.
But I can't. Not yet. Not until I know Seraphina is safe.
