Suddenly, I feel the softest, most delicate hands cradling my face, followed by the feather-light brush of lips against mine. It's like being kissed by my sweet, sweet angel, and I swear, I can almost hear the hallelujah chorus singing in the background.
And then, like a fucking miracle, air rushes into my lungs, sweet and pure and so damn good I could cry. The burning in my chest eases, replaced by a warmth that spreads through my entire body like liquid sunshine.
I force my eyes open, blinking against the sting of the saltwater, and find myself staring into the most breathtaking pair of golden eyes—Seraphina—that sparkle with love, relief, and fierceness that takes my breath away all over again.
I feel a tug on my body, and suddenly, we're moving upwards, cutting through the water. My limbs are useless, but I can feel Seraphina's strong, slender arms wrapped around me, holding me close as she propels us toward the surface.
And then I see them—her wings, those magnificent, iridescent wings, unfurling behind her like the most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen. They're glowing withan ethereal light, each powerful stroke sending us rocketing through the water like a pair of feathered torpedoes.
It's like something out of a goddamn fairy tale, watching my angel soar through the depths, her wings shimmering like stardust in the filtered sunlight. I can feel the raw power emanating from her, the sheer determination and love driving her to save the man she loves.
As we break through the surface, gasping for air and clinging to each other, I can't help but stare at Seraphina in awe. She's a fucking vision, her golden blonde hair plastered to her face, her cheeks flushed with exertion, and her eyes blazing with a fire that could put the sun to shame.
"You came for me," I croak. The saltwater has done a number on my throat, but it's the overwhelming surge of emotions that has me feeling like I'm about to choke up like a little bitch at a Nicholas Sparks movie. "You saved my life, baby girl. You're like my own personal superhero, minus the spandex and the tragic backstory."
Seraphina smiles as she presses her forehead against mine. Her hands cradle my face like I'm the most precious thing in the world—I can feel the warmth of her love seeping into my skin like a balm for my battered soul.
"I will always come for you, Lucian," she murmurs, her voice trembling with a fierce intensity that makes my heart skip a beat. "I would move heaven and earth to get to you. You think I would just leave you hanging like a forgotten ornament?" She gives me a knowing smile. "I will always find you in this life and the next."
I can't help but grin like a fucking idiot, my heart swelling with so much love and gratitude it feels like it might just burst out of my chest like the world's most awkward baby alien. She's throwing my own words back at me, the same cheesy-ass line I used when I rescued her from that douchecanoe pirate, Captain Bloodbitch, or whatever the fuck his name was.
But coming from her lips, those words take on a whole new meaning, a promise of forever that makes me want to shout from the rooftops and do a little victory dance.
Seraphina smiles, "And…I love you, too," she whispers, her words sweet with more sugar than a diabetic's nightmare.
My brain short-circuits faster than a toaster in a bathtub. Wait just a motherfucking minute. She heard my entire internal monologue? The private radio station broadcasting straight from my twisted mind while I was in Squidward's ass? Holy shit. Call me a psychic because this can only mean one thing—our bond is levelingup like a Pokemon on steroids. We're going full Professor X here, complete with the mental walkie-talkie action.
I can't resist the urge any longer. I grab Seraphina and plant a big, fat, sloppy kiss right on her perfect lips, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude and sheer fucking relief into it like I'm trying to win a gold medal in tonsil hockey. And bless her angelic heart, she kisses me right back, her lips moving against mine in a dance that's both familiar and electrifying, like coming home and discovering a new world all at once.
Our little makeout session is rudely interrupted by the sound of cannon fire blasting through the air like a fucking Fourth of July parade. The Kraken bastard is still trying to drag the ship to the briny depths like a kid with a bathtub toy.
Seraphina doesn't hesitate. With a powerful beat of her wings, she launches us out of the water like a fucking surface-to-air missile, holding me close as we soar toward the deck of the ship.
We land on the deck with a bone-jarring thud, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be feeling that shit in my tailbone for weeks. No time to dwell on my aching ass because Dani and Rhyland are going full Super Saiyan on the giant tentacles, blasting them with energy beams and magic missiles like they're in a fucking anime battle sequence.
The ship rocks and sways, and I'm starting to regret that third bowl of fish soup I had for lunch. Dani catches sight of me, her eyes wide and puffy and still glistening with tears like she's been crying her fucking eyes out over my sorry ass.
"Lucian, holy shit, you're okay!" she yells, her voice barely audible over the sound of splintering wood and eldritch screeching. "I thought you were calamari for sure!"
I open my mouth to reply with some witty one-liner, but before I can get a word out, another tentacle slams down on the side of the ship like a fucking wrecking ball, tearing a hole the size of a Buick in the hull.
"You two stay out of the way!" Dani shouts, her voice strained with the effort to keep the ship from being dragged under. And as much as it fucking kills me to admit it, she's right. I may be a badass vampire with a potty mouth for every occasion, but I don't have the kind of superpowers that my stick-in-the-ass brother and his pint-sized powerhouse of a mate are packing.
So I do the only thing I can do. I grab Seraphina like she's my life raft, pulling her close and ducking down behind a pile of crates and barrels to keep her safe from the chaos erupting around us. The deck is slick with seawater, and god knows what else. The air is thick with the stench of brine, burnt wood, and coppery tang of blood.
But through it all, Seraphina remains a beacon of calm, her presence soothing the frayed edges of my nerves like a balm on a raw wound. She clings to me just as tightly, her wings wrapping around us both like a protective cocoon, shielding us from the worst of the debris and the flying tentacles and the fucking insanity of it all.
Danica
70
I'm so freakingrelieved that Lucian and Seraphina are okay. Seraphina just dove in like a boss to save her man, and I'm feeling all sorts of proud, relieved, and pissed off at the same time.
I mean, what in the actualhellwas she thinking? Then again, I can't really talk, considering I pulled the same stunt for Rhyland. When your mate's in trouble, it's like this primal instinct kicks in, and suddenly, the concept of self-preservation goes right out the window.
I focus my energy on the overgrown sushi roll, giving it one last chance to back off.
"Listen up, asshole,"I growl."You've got one chance to untangle yourself from this ship, or I swear to every god in the sea, I will turn you into a floating pile of ash."
