44. Amber

Cassandra screamsas Yannick turns to a pile of ash, a sound of raw agony and rage, and launches herself toward the vampire responsible.

I’ve never seen her move so fast.

The vampire dodges her sword just in time, his own weapon drawn in a clashing dance of metal and magic.

I could move to help.

But I can’t let Abigail out of my sight. One wrong move, and Lucas can order to have her killed, too. As it is, the guard assigned to her is already by her side, his dagger ready to pierce her chest at a moment’s notice.

Lucas merely watches Cassandra and his guard with a twisted interest, as if he’s enjoying a gladiator match rather than a battle that might result in his clan mate’s death.

Meanwhile, Cassandra and the vampire are a blur of motion, their fight moving them off into the benched seating that goes up from the sunken stage. Their screams and grunts echo in the air, and it’s a dance of death, each strike precise, fueled by years of training and the hunger for vengeance.

The vampire, however, is putting up a good fight.

I refocus on the center of the stage.

Abigail remains slumped in the chair, unconscious. Moonlight reflects off the pile of Yannick’s ashes. Lucas is giving me a satisfied smirk, his head tilted as he waits for my next move.

His message is clear.

If I don’t give him what he wants, Abigail will be next.

I know what I have to do to save her. I hate it, and I can feel the awful sensation of bugs crawling over my skin at the thought of it, disgust twisting in my gut. Not just at the act, but at myself.

Taking a deep breath, I sheathe my dagger back into my boot and raise my hands in surrender.

However, I don’t start making my way down the steps. I can’t risk any sudden moves.

“Do you have something to say?” Lucas asks, his voice somehow carrying over the nearby fight.

I do my best to swallow down the rising sickness about what’s coming next. Because I’m more than just my body. More than the blood that flows inside of it. I’m my heart and my soul, and he can never take that away from me.

“If I let you drink from me, will you let Cassandra take Abigail out of here?” I ask.

His smirk fades into a contemplative look, his gaze flicking to where Cassandra and the guard are locked in their battle.

The hunger that flashes in his eyes is unmistakable.

“Yes,” he agrees, and he licks his lips, as if he’s already tasting me. “If Cassandra can be persuaded to stop trying to kill my clan member, I’ll allow her to leave with Abigail. But only with Abigail.”

“And me?” I ask Lucas. “Will you let me leave… after?”

I don’t know why I’m asking. I plan on fighting Lucas tooth and nail to get out of here after Cassandra and Abigail are safe.

But I want his answer, anyway.

“I’ll ensure you live. But the correct question is—will you want to leave after?” he asks in return, and that sick feeling rises to my throat again at the reminder of the potential bond that might form between us by the time this is over.

“Yes.” I don’t need a second to think about my response. “I’ll want to leave.”

“We’ll see about that.” He runs his eyes up and down my body in the most snakelike way possible, making my every nerve stand on edge.

He pauses for a moment, turning his attention to the vampire hovering above Abigail’s unconscious body. “After I start, you release her and let Cassandra carry her out of here,” he says. “Follow them and stay at the entrance of the island, to keep watch for any shadow souls.”

The guard nods in acknowledgment of his leader’s order.

“Now,” Lucas says to me. “How about you blast your girl with some of that sun magic of yours? Force her to stand down?”

I glance back at where Cassandra and the guard are locked in battle. They’re moving in blurs. Aiming will be… interesting.

I won’t put enough power behind my magic to kill. I don’t even know if I could at this point, thanks to the potion eating it away.

But still, it’s risky.

“You sound pretty confident about my aim,” I tell him.

“Just do what you need to get her attention,” he snarls. “And do it quickly. We don’t have all night here.”

He has an excellent point.

How much longer until the shadow souls track us down and make their way across the highway?

I need to finish this.

Now.

“All right.” I gather what I can of my magic, but hold it in, not releasing it just yet. “Cassandra!” I call out her name instead.

Unsurprisingly, the attempt is futile. I don’t even know if she heard me.

“Come on,” Lucas goads. “Every second she stays in that fight is a second more she might win. And if she kills my man…” He trails off, glances at Abigail, then refocuses on me. “Well, I think you know what’ll happen next.”

“Understood.” I brace myself and study where Cassandra is fighting the guard, jumping from bench to bench. They’re slowing down a bit, both of them continuing to give the other a run for their money.

I can do this.

Abigail’s life depends on it.

And I can’t put it off for any longer. So, I gather my magic, the familiar warmth of it blooming within me.

Zeroing in, I study Cassandra and the guard’s patterns as they fight.

My heart thumps loudly in my chest, the only sound I’m aware of beyond the clash of their blades.

Then, there it is. A moment when Cassandra is fully exposed, her back turned to me as she dodges a swipe from the guard.

I shoot my magic across the amphitheater—which, at this point, feels more like an arena. Not at Cassandra directly, but in front of her. It’s a brilliant flare that explodes in the night, bright and blinding, landing exactly where I aimed on the ground.

Cassandra halts mid-motion and whirls around, eyes wide.

The guard pauses, too.

This gives her the opening to push him back with a well-placed kick.

“Cassandra!” I scream across the theater. “I’m letting Lucas drink. His guard will release Abigail when he starts. When he does, you get her out of here immediately. Okay?”

For a heartbeat, there’s silence, Cassandra’s gaze locked on mine as she processes my words.

Lucas’s man stops fighting, too. It’s like he knows to trust his leader—to make sure he does what he wants, or to suffer the punishment for disobedience later.

As he backs away, Cassandra’s expression shifts from confusion to determination.

“You can’t let him drink from you,” she says. “You know the consequences.”

“I’m well-aware of the consequences,” I tell her. “But I’m strong. I can handle it.”

“You’re a child,” she snaps.

“I’m star touched,” I remind her. “And I’m your future queen. I have higher rank than you, and I’m not asking you to do this. I’m telling you.”

Cassandra recoils, looking like she wants to attack me more than she wants to keep fighting the guard who killed Yannick.

However, she stands down.

“Damien won’t be happy with you,” she warns.

“Maybe not,” I say. “But this isn’t Damien’s choice to make. And it’s not yours, either. It’s mine.”

Before she can say another word, I hurry down the steps to where Lucas is standing, flip my hair over my neck, and bare my skin to him.

“Don’t even think about draining me,” I tell him. “I have enough sun magic left to burn you to a crisp if you try.”

It’s not a lie, and I’m sure he can see the seriousness of the threat as I give him a glare that could cut glass.

He leans forward, allowing his fingers to brush over my exposed neck.

My skin crawls at his touch.

“A deal is a deal,” he murmurs, and I brace myself for the pierce of his fangs.

“Release her,” he commands the guard.

And then, he bites.

It’s just like I remember. As chilling as it is violating. As searing as it is hypnotizing.

I stiffen, every muscle in my body screaming to react, to fight him off. But I force myself to stay still. To let him take what he promised, and nothing more.

Thankfully, through the haze, I can make out Cassandra’s words to Abigail as she tells her to come with her, and that she’s safe now. But I don’t hear anything more, because a calming warmth hits me. An assurance that everything’s going to be okay. That I’m not in danger.

No, I tell myself. I will not relax. I will not lose myself to the hold Lucas is trying to win over me.

With those thoughts, I reach inward to my core. Past the murky poison beneath my skin, grasping for the sun magic shimmering deeper within, and holding onto it with everything I have. It’s a shield—a barrier between my soul and his attempts to weave a dark, deceptive bond between us.

Eventually, my head spins from the loss of blood. It’s so tempting to sink into Lucas, to relax and trust him to not let me fall to the ground.

But I don’t.

Instead, I focus my strength and will on keeping my magic strong. On keeping myself separate from him. On drowning out the sickening intimacy of his drinking from me and making my blood his own.

My head’s getting hazy. Too hazy.

I’m floating, and then I’m reaching for Lucas’s arms, digging my nails into them, pulling him closer.

He gasps as he drinks, and it turns into a moan of pleasure.

That’s all I need to yank myself back into reality.

Gathering every ounce of resolve I possess, I push against Lucas, my hands pressing firmly against his chest.

I must catch him by surprise, because he stops drinking.

“That’s enough,” I manage to say, my voice low and raspy, as if I’m just waking up. “The shadow souls will be here soon. We have to go.”

I cast a glance at where Abigail was tied to the chair.

She’s gone. Cassandra is, too. As is the guard who was overseeing Abigail.

The guard who was fighting Cassandra is standing there, watching me and Lucas with a sick fascination.

And Yannick...

I avert my gaze, unable to look at the pile of ashes without bile rising in my throat.

I will not let his death be in vain.

Lucas’s dark eyes linger on mine for a moment too long, searching, probing for something.

I hold my breath, trapped in his gaze.

“No,” he finally says. “I want more.”

He licks his lips and leans forward, but this time, I’m ready. Because the moment I saw Yannick’s ashes again, I gathered what I could of my remaining strength and magic.

The wound on my neck is already healing.

With a swift move, I slip my hand into my boot, drawing one of my concealed daggers. The metal is cool and reassuring in my grasp. A tangible reminder of my ability to fight—to defend myself.

The vengeance that pours through me is more than desire. It’s a necessity. Lucas has taken from me—violated me. He, Viktor, and the rest of the downtown vampires have threatened my friends and killed my clan members.

It ends tonight.

No matter what it takes, I’ll make sure of it.