It still didn’t make any sense, though.
Was that anxiety barfing?
I’d never heard of that for a vampire.
I blinked. “I’m confused.”
Chester snorted. “And now I know why you really wanted to kill me.” He snickered. “Now who’s the liar?”
I flipped him off but kept my attention on my lover. I tilted my head to where my father was. My words were hollow and muddled even to my own ears. “I’m going to go stand over there now.”
Lord Belshazzar’s brows lowered over his eyes. He marched right at me. “Are you all right?”
I backpedaled quickly and held up a stopping hand, halting him in his tracks. “I just…need a moment.” I shook my head. “That was all a bit much for me. I’m a little fazed right now. Adrenaline pumping and all that nonsense, I’m sure.” I nodded quickly and walked backward to where my father stood.
My back slammed against the wall, with one of my shoulders even lying on top of Lord Cato’s bicep. He didn’t move away from me, letting me lean on him. I waved a hand, and mumbled, “Go on ahead. Spell away, my lord.”
Maybe vampires did get anxiety…
Or, perhaps, I was just…falling for the devil.
Fuck. Me.
‘Cause that was indeed how I’d just acted.
Like, falling-fallingfor him.
That was a little fast even for me.
Lord Belshazzar started walking toward me again, with worry imprinted on his features, his eyes running over me from head to toe.
Lord Cato held up the stopping hand this time. “Just give her a little space, my lord. Like she asked for.” It wasn’t really a request, but he said it kindly enough.
My lover scanned my face once more and then nodded. All personal emotion fell from his features and was replaced by cool cunning, the Overlord staring at me. He pivoted on his feet and turned to face our prisoner.
Lord Belshazzar stated, “Are you ready to work now that the show’s over?”
Chester’s lips trembled in humor. “I don’t know. If the drama continues, I’ll demand some popcorn.”
The Overlord swiped his left hand through the air. “Let’s get to work before that actually happens.”
The vampire Overlord and the druid assassin circled the ingredients, once more studying them. They finally sat down, one on either side of the pile, and faced each other.
With meticulous care, they placed four total rocks around them. One to the north, the east, the south, and the west, all in their geographical direction from where they were taken. Then the real fun began.
Chester’s eyes turned golden as his power flared inside the room and Lord Belshazzar’s gaze burned blood red as his own power whispered in the air.
They moved as one as they began chanting words of magic, their hands lifting over the pile. I jerked in place as two flares of power shot down from their palms, the spell so heady it began to steal the air from the room, pulling in the wind from the open cavern door. Their mouths were moving, but I could no longer hear the exact words, only hints on the breeze, uncatchable and indecipherable.
Chester lowered one hand to the king’s head and gently placed his palm on top of the king’s blond hair, while Lord Belshazzar lowered one hand and lifted the amethyst vase full of blood.
The Overlord tipped the vase and began pouring the blood on top of Chester’s lower hand. Blood drizzled over his skin and down onto the king’s head. They kept chanting, their mouths moving faster.
The four feathers—two from a crow, two from a dove—floated up into the air. They moved like the wings from the birds they were taken from. The dove flew above Chester’s head, the feather’s flapping and hovering above him. The crow took flight to linger over Lord Belshazzar’s head.
Venom from a snake lifted from its vial, then dove to the floor and took shape like the snake it had been stolen from. It slithered around and around King Niallan’s head until it lifted its clear head and struck inside the king’s mouth, filling it with the venom. The king’s cheeks moved, the skin poking out at odd times, as the snake continued to slither about within his open mouth.
I pressed back harder against the wall—and against my father—as the power increased, the chanters’ lips moving so quickly they never stopped for breath, the spell taking over through them.
