He’s going to take everything I’ve worked so hard for? Everything I’ve built myself?
He’s going to takeSanctus.
I cry out as Astor draws another scar across my cheek.
“For nearly two centuries, I’ve lived with the scars of your betrayal.” Astor licks along the wound, pressing his lips to my skin and sucking. “Do you have any idea how cruel the world can be to someone they perceive as weak? How hard it is to exist outside of civilised society?”
I have something of an idea, yes.
“You cheated me out of what’s rightfully mine, and I have suffered for it. I have waited and longed for my revenge, but now I have you, I’m going to take my time with you.”
Sinead kneels down beside him. “Now that I’ve given her to you, you’ll do it, won’t you?” She tugs Astor’s shoulder. “Turn me, John. Youpromised. Turn me into a vampire right now and we’ll drain her together.”
He shoves her away. “You’ll not touch a drop of her blood. She’s mine.”
“She’s never been yours,” a voice rings out.
Gideon.
I can’t see him, but Ifeelhim behind me. The front door slams against the wall, which means he must have stolen mysecretkeycode.
I’m too happy to hear his voice to care.
Astor stands, straightening his lapels, wiping my blood across his starched white shirt as he regards the newcomer.
“We meet again, mouse,” he rasps.
Gideon smiles, and that smile is all fangs and violence. The best kind of smile.
He turns to Sinead. “You’re fired.”
She laughs. “You can’t fire me. I know every one of Sanctus’ dark and filthy secrets. You think I haven’t already copied that hard drive of yours? When I release those files, the Conclave will come for your head and every one of your members. John and I don’t even have to kill you – you’ve already signed your own death warrant. You were so easy to manipulate, it’s almost laughable.”
“A bold plan, worthy of you, Sinead.” If Gideon is afraid, he shows nothing, just stands there like they’re all discussing the weather. I realise now that I’m seeing the man who ran the Vega empire – not a man at all, but a devil in Armani. “Brava. But you forgot one little detail. You may be Thralled to John Astor, but you’re also Thralled to me, and I’m about to make his life rather unpleasant. Without his blood on your lips, you’ll quickly fall back undermycontrol, and I have many imaginative punishments for Thralls who cross me.”
“I’msoooafraid.” She sidles up to Astor and wraps her arms around his waist. “Good luck trying to kill him.”
“Oh, I don’t want to kill him.” Gideon grins. “Not yet.”
He lunges.
He’sfast. Impossibly fast. Not even my vampiric vision can keep focused on Gideon and Astor as they crash across the room. My coffee table smashes. Another Rodin statue bites the dust. I dive to catch the edge of Claude’s painting before it crashes from the wall, and slide it gently behind the sofa. Sinead backs away towards the kitchen, screaming at Astor, but neither of us can see what’s happening.
How did Mr “I’m a lover, not a fighter” get so good at this? Astor’s ancient blood should give him an edge, but not when Gideon has Astor’s blood in his veins. Gideon ducks and weaves like a dancer before diving for the silver blades scattered across the floor.
Of course. Gideon has drainedtwovampires.
Astor’s magic in my blood stirs, whispers,You have a chance.
Gideon’s fingers clasp around a knife, but Astor kicks it away. He grabs Gideon under the chin, slamming him against the wall with enough force to shatter the plasterboard and part of the internal wall. Gideon’s cobalt eyes flick to me, down at the floor, then back to me again.
The magic between us hums.
Yes.
I spy the blade Astor was using on me beside the leg of the coffee table. I summon every last ounce of rage and magic I possess to push through the pain and launch my body towards it.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Sinead’s heel slams down on my hand. She grinds her stiletto into my palm, breaking delicate bones. It hurts likegiving birth to a stick of dynamite. I haven’t given birth to a stick of dynamite, but Iamcurrently experiencing a stiletto through my hand and can conclude, academically, that the comparison holds up.
