33. Chapter 33

33

Chapter 33

Rowan

I 'm certain it takes a lifetime to get my wits back. Or maybe it's a moment. Either way, I'm lying against him, pulled firmly against his side. I feel his lips brush the top of my head, and my mouth curls into a smile.

I'm trying to process what just happened between us. My body still tingles from his touch, and I can't seem to form a rational thought. I glance up at him, half-expecting to see the cold, intimidating vampire I've come to know. Instead, I'm met with a softer gaze, his astonishing blue eyes warmer than I've ever seen them.

"Rowan," he murmurs, his voice lacking its usual edge. "Don't fight this."

I open my mouth to argue, but the words die on my lips. There's something different about him now, something almost… vulnerable. The hard lines of his face have softened, and a hint of a smile plays on his lips. A real smile. One that warms his hard features.

"This is right," he continues, brushing a strand of hair from my face. The gesture is so tender, so unlike the Darick I thought I knew, that I find myself leaning into his touch.

I study him, fascinated by this transformation. Gone is the cold, aloof vampire leader. In his place is a man who looks almost boyish in his earnestness. His blonde hair is tousled, and there's a light in his eyes that makes him look younger, more alive.

"I… I don't understand," I whisper, even as I feel myself being drawn in by this new side of him.

Darick chuckles, the sound rich and warm. "Neither do I, little witch. But I'm tired of fighting it."

I can't help but smile at the endearment. This Darick, with his charming grin and gentle touches, is even more irresistible than before. And as much as I want to deny it, I know he's right. Fighting this connection between us seems pointless now.

When he pulls away and sits up, I give a little growl of objection.

"You need water," he says firmly.

"What?" I frown.

"If I'm going to do that again, I need to keep you hydrated. Blood loss can be dangerous." He's getting up off the bed. My eyes track his lean form, his perfect ass, as he heads across the bedroom.

"Oh, you are, are you?" I giggle, feeling lighter than I have since—

I'm not thinking about Mia now. I'm thinking about this. This is good. I feel great.

"Of course I am. I'm going to do it again. And then probably again," he says over his shoulder before disappearing out the bedroom door. I sit up, pulling my knees to my chest as I listen to him rummaging around the kitchen.

This is unbelievable!

I don't even know how we reached this place. But somehow, I think it's right. I smile as he returns, holding out a tall glass of water. He looks a lot like a tall drink of water himself.

"Drink it all," he says firmly, then pauses as a sound pings from somewhere nearby. He turns back to me as if about to disregard it, but it pings again three more times in quick succession.

"Is that your phone?" I frown, taking a large gulp of water.

He nods, moving from the bed and bending down to retrieve his jeans.

"Vampires have cell phones?" I raise an eyebrow.

The phone pings again. "Yes, we do." He winks at me. "What? You think I was born in the Dark Ages or something?"

I giggle again, feeling more girlish than I ever have. "Actually, I thought you were a lot older."

"And you'd be right." He settles back on the bed beside me, our arms brushing. I like how he feels against me. "Finish the glass."

There's another ping.

"You gonna get that? Sounds important." I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

He pulls a face. "Guess I'd better. Or we're never going to get back to—"

"Don't say it!" I'm giggling yet again.

"Are you shy?" He brushes a kiss across my shoulder. "Because just a moment ago…"

"Stop!" I laugh. "Just see what they want."

"Fine, fine," he grumbles, tugging the device from his jeans pocket and swiping the screen. Suddenly, he goes still.

"What's up?" I set my glass down on the nightstand.

"It's…" He doesn't go on. His thumb is moving, the light glowing up on his face. I can't help myself; curiosity is eating at me. I peer past his arm to look at the screen.

And my heart stops.

The eyes staring up from the image on his phone are…my own. Or pretty damn close. Dark green. Tormented.

"Mia!" I choke out, horror washing over me. Darick whips his head around to look at me. Before he can react, I snatch the phone from him, staring at the text message attached to the image.

This one might be more to your taste, my friend, it reads.

I drop the phone as if it's burned me.

"Rowan," he starts, but I'm scrambling away from him, grabbing at the bedsheet to cover myself as I put distance between us.

"That's Mia!" I choke out.

Oh God! Oh, my God!

"You don't understand—"

"Understand?" I'm on my feet now, backing up against the wall.

"Please, Rowan…" Something in his expression tugs at me, but I won't let him get to me.

"That's my sister." The words are torn from me. "You have my sister!" My voice pitches up.

He rises from the bed, coming toward me. "No. It's not like that. I—"

"Stop!" I cut him off. I don't need his explanations. I don't need more fucking vampire charm. The cold horror inside me is beginning to be replaced by something warmer. Not just warmer. Hot rage starts to suffuse me.

I can't listen to Darick's words. They're meaningless, a buzzing in my ears drowned out by the roaring of my own blood.

How could I have been so stupid? So blind?

The man I just gave myself to…he's the one who took Mia. I should have known it from the start. He's been in my head now. Maybe he was in my head then. Maybe I led him to her. And now he's back for me. For the rest of us.

"Rowan, please, let me explain—" Darick starts, but I cut him off.

"Shut up!" I scream, my voice raw with pain and fury. "Just shut up!"

The rage inside me is building, a pressure that needs release. I feel it tingling in my fingertips, a sensation I've never experienced before. It's like my magic has taken on a life of its own, fueled by my anger and betrayal.

Darick takes a step towards me, his hands raised in a soothing gesture. "Rowan, listen to me—"

But I'm beyond listening. The tingling in my hands intensifies, becoming a searing heat. I look down in shock to see my palms glowing with an inner fire. It doesn't hurt; instead, it feels right, like an extension of my fury.

Without conscious thought, I raise my hands toward Darick in an abrupt swirling gesture. His eyes widen in alarm, but it's too late. A burst of blinding sunlight erupts from my palms, engulfing him in its radiance.

"Rowan!" he gasps. If he says anything else, the sound is drowned out.

The last thing I see is Darick's perfect form consumed by flames, his face a mask of shock and pain. Then the light becomes too intense, and I have to shield my eyes.

When I open them again, he's not there. All that remains is a smoldering pile of ash where he'd been standing.

He's gone.