Chapter 7

CHRISSY'S EYES DARTED nervously between Keri and Joshua. "Anatol's rooms are through that door," she whispered, pointing to an ornate entryway in the corner of the harem. "But it's warded and locked. You can't just walk in."

Joshua's lips curled into a predatory smile, his fangs glinting in the dim light. "Then we won't use the door," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down Keri's spine. There was something both terrifying and thrilling about the casual way he approached their seemingly impossible task.

Keri squeezed Chrissy's hand, feeling the tremors that ran through her friend's body. "Get everyone out of here," she said. "As soon as we break into Anatol's sanctum, gather the others and run. Don't look back, no matter what you hear."

Chrissy nodded, her eyes wide with fear and a flicker of hope. "What about you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We'll be right behind you," Keri assured her, though she wasn't entirely convinced of that.

As if sensing her uncertainty, Joshua placed a hand on Keri's shoulder. The touch was brief, but it sent a jolt of electricity through her body, reminding her of the bond they now shared. "We finish this," he said simply, his dark eyes meeting hers with an intensity that left no room for argument.

Back in the hallway, Joshua eyed the wall separating them from Anatol's chambers. The wallpaper was a rich burgundy, adorned with intricate gold patterns that seemed to shift and dance in the flickering candlelight. "Ready to make some noise?" he asked Keri, his voice low and dangerous, a predator ready to pounce.

Keri flexed her fingers, marveling at the strength coursing through her veins. It was still strange to her, this newfound power that hummed just beneath her skin. "Let's bring this place down," she replied, a fierce grin spreading across her face.

They attacked the wall with inhuman force, their fists moving in perfect synchronization. Plaster cracked and splintered beneath their onslaught, wood beams groaning in protest. The sound of their destruction seemed to shake the very foundation of the Vasile stronghold.

As they continued their assault, she felt in tune with Joshua. Every move, every breath was perfectly coordinated, as if they were two parts of a single, unstoppable force. It was exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

The wall began to give way, chunks of plaster and wood falling around them in a dusty avalanche. Through the growing hole, Keri caught glimpses of Anatol's chambers—a riot of luxury that made the harem look austere by comparison.

Just as they broke through, the thunder of footsteps announced the arrival of the Vasiles’ remaining soldiers. They poured up the stairs, a tide of snarling vampires with eyes gleaming with bloodlust and fangs bared.

"Let’s get to Anatol," Joshua said.

They dove through the hole together into Anatol’s chambers.

Once inside, Joshua launched himself at the oncoming horde. He moved like a blur, his movements so fast that Keri's enhanced vision could barely keep up. The first vampire to reach him went down in a spray of blood, Joshua's hand punching clean through its chest.

Two more rushed him from either side, but Joshua was ready. He grabbed one by the throat, using the vampire's momentum to swing him into his companion. The impact sent both smashing into the wall with bone-crushing force.

“Bravo.” A vampire reclined on a velvet chaise, looking for all the world, like a bored monarch observing a mildly interesting play. His casual posture was at odds with the opulence surrounding him—priceless artworks adorned the walls, and a chandelier dripping with diamonds cast prismatic light across the room. “Keri, tell your mate to cease fighting my guards.”

It was as if she had no control over her voice. “Mate, cease fighting the guards.”

Luckily, Joshua wasn’t compelled to listen to her and continued whittling down any of the guards before they could get to her.

“Why isn’t he listening? I can sense you are bonded.”

Keri felt a sickening pressure building in her mind as Anatol's gaze locked onto hers. His voice slithered through her thoughts like an oily serpent. "Come to me, my dear. Let's trap the assassin again into doing our bidding. After all, isn't that what you truly want? To be free of this burden, to return to your simple human life?"

The compulsion was overwhelming, each word driving into Keri's mind like a spike. She took an involuntary step forward, her body betraying her even as her mind screamed in resistance.

"That's it," Anatol cooed, rising from his chaise with preternatural grace. "You see? It's so much easier to just give in. Why fight what you truly desire?"

Keri gritted her teeth, every muscle in her body straining against Anatol's mental assault. "What I desire," she ground out, "is to see Joshua snap your neck and rip out your withered black heart."

Anatol's expression darkened, the facade of civility cracking. "You ungrateful child," he hissed. "I've given you power beyond your wildest dreams, and this is how you repay me?"

"You've given me nothing but nightmares," Keri spat back, finding strength in her anger. "You made me fuck a stranger. You used me like a puppet."

"And what a marvelous puppet you've been," Anatol sneered. "Do you have any idea how many of your kind I've had to go through to create something like you? Hundreds, my dear. Hundreds of pathetic humans, all failures until you came along."

Hundreds of lives snuffed out in Anatol's twisted experiments. It made Keri’s stomach churn, but it also fueled her determination. She wouldn't let their deaths be in vain.

"You're a monster," she said, her voice trembling with rage.

Anatol laughed, the sound like shards of glass scraping against stone. "Monster? I'm a visionary! I'm creating the future of our kind. And you, my dear, are the prototype to everything I've been working towards." He raised a hand, his fingers splayed towards Keri. "Now sleep, my dear. Sleep and forget all this foolish resistance."

The command slammed into Keri's mind like a tidal wave. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her limbs suddenly felt weighed down as if made of lead. She stumbled, fighting to stay upright as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her.

"That's it," Anatol crooned, taking a step closer. "Just give in. When you wake, all of this unpleasantness will be forgotten."

Keri's vision blurred, the world around her growing dim. It would be nice to have a nap. And if this could all go away like a bad dream, isn’t that what she really wanted?

But just then, one of the vampire guards got in a lucky shot on Joshua. He let out a snarl of pain, and at the sight of his blood, Keri gained the strength she needed to push back against Anatol's mental assault. "Get... fucked..." she managed to growl just before a massive yawn threatened to crack her jaw.

Anatol's expression contorted with rage. "Insolent brat!" he snarled. "Fine, if you insist on being difficult, I'll just cut my losses and drain you dry. I'll use your blood to enhance the serum and laugh while Nicolau dies a painful death."

With a gesture, he sent a wave of force slamming into her. She flew across the room, landing hard on an antique armoire. Wood splintered beneath the impact, and pain exploded across her back.

"Keri!" Joshua's voice cut through the haze of pain. She looked up to see him locked in combat with three of Anatol's guards.

One guard lunged at Joshua with a wickedly curved blade, but the assassin was quicker. He caught the vampire's wrist, twisting until bone snapped with an audible crack. In the same fluid motion, Joshua used the guard's own momentum to impale him on his companion's outstretched claws.

The third guard, seeing an opening, drove a stake deep into Joshua's side. Joshua roared in pain, his fangs fully extended as he whirled on his attacker. With inhuman speed, he grabbed the guard by the throat and literally tore his head from his shoulders.

But the damage was done. Dark blood oozed from Joshua's wound, and Keri could see the pain etched in the lines of his face. The stake was still embedded in his flesh, preventing the wound from healing.

Anatol laughed, the sound grating against Keri's nerves. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen," he taunted. "The great Joshua Nicolau, brought low by my foot soldiers. Tell me, assassin, how does it feel to know you've failed? That everything you've fought for ends here?"

Joshua's response was a snarl of pure fury. He launched himself at Anatol, but Anatol was ready for him. With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent Joshua flying across the room. The assassin slammed into the wall with bone-crushing force, leaving a crater in the expensive paneling.

"Joshua!" Keri screamed, her heart seizing with fear as she watched him crumple to the floor. He tried to rise, but his movements were sluggish, hampered by the stake still protruding from his side.

Anatol turned back to Keri, his eyes glowing with an unholy light. "Now, where were we?" he purred, advancing on her with predatory grace. "Ah yes, I believe I was about to drain you dry."

Keri scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain that lanced through her body. She could feel her connection to Joshua weakening, their bond stretched thin by his injuries. But that bond had given her strength before, and she called upon it now.

With a primal scream of rage, Keri charged at Anatol. The vampire lord's eyes widened in genuine surprise as she closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Anatol's centuries of experience clashed against Keri's primal fury and the raw power of her bond with Joshua. Every punch Keri threw was met with a counter, and every kick was blocked with frustrating ease. But she refused to give up, refused to let Anatol win.

"You can't beat me, child," Anatol taunted as he danced away from another of Keri's attacks. "I've lived for centuries, seen empires rise and fall. What hope do you have?"

"Hope?" Keri spat, blood and saliva speckling Anatol's immaculate shirt. "I don't need hope. I have rage."

She feinted left, then dropped low, sweeping Anatol's legs out from under him. The vampire lord hit the ground with a satisfying thud, his eyes wide with shock.

Keri pounced, straddling Anatol's chest and raining down blows with all her enhanced strength. Each punch landed with the force of a sledgehammer, cracking bone and pulping flesh.

But Anatol was far from defeated. With a roar of fury, he bucked, throwing Keri off. His hands closed around her throat, squeezing with inhuman strength. "I will enjoy watching the light fade from your eyes," he hissed, his face a mask of hatred.

Spots danced in Keri's vision as she clawed at Anatol's hands. She could feel consciousness slipping away, her lungs burning for air. This was it, she thought. After everything, this was how it would end.

And then, like an avenging angel, Joshua was there. Wounded, bleeding, but filled with a fury that radiated from him in waves, he grabbed Anatol from behind.

"Let. Her. Go," Joshua growled, each word dripping with menace.

Anatol's grip loosened just enough for Keri to gulp in a precious breath. It was all the opening she needed. With the last of her strength, she drove her fist into Anatol's chest. Bone cracked, flesh tore, and her fingers closed around something cold and unbeating.

Anatol's scream cut off abruptly as Keri ripped his heart from his body. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Anatol's eyes, wide with disbelief, met Keri's. Then, Joshua snapped Anatol’s neck.

A wave of dizziness washed over Keri as Anatol's lifeless body hit the luxurious carpet. The heightened senses she'd grown accustomed to suddenly dimmed, colors losing their vibrancy, sounds becoming muffled. A spike of pain hit her like a migraine from hell, and the bond that had hummed in the back of her mind since her joining with Joshua snapped like an overstretched rubber band, leaving a painful emptiness in its wake.

"No," she whispered, stumbling towards Joshua. He had collapsed to the floor, his wounds no longer healing with vampiric speed. Dark blood pooled beneath him, staining the carpet a deep crimson.

Keri gathered him in her arms, her vision blurring with tears. "Don’t you dare die," she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion.

Joshua's eyes fluttered open, a weak smile tugging at his bloodstained lips. "It doesn’t matter. We are no longer bonded. You will not die if I do.”

Keri pressed her forehead against his. "I don’t want you to die.”

“I’ve lost too much blood. It’s all right. Go find Chrissy. Tell the vampires at the safehouse what has happened.”

“No.” She shook her head. “You can drink from me to heal yourself.”

“It’s gone beyond that,” he said. “I’m all right dying. I completed my mission.”

“You’re more than your mission,” she said fiercely.

“We’ve known each other less than twenty-four hours. You know nothing of me or of the horrors I’ve done. It’s over, and I will be at peace for the first time in over a hundred years.” He coughed, and shudders racked his body. “Let me sleep until one of my clan comes to snap my neck and take my heart.”

“But if you drink blood, you could survive.”

Joshua’s eyes closed. “Too much blood would be needed by the time my clan would arrive, and I am not worth the amount of lives it would take to reinstate me.”

“Yes, you are.”

His head rested back on the carpet. “Thank you. For being my mate, even if it was fake.”

“It wasn’t fake. It was just forced on us, but it was real.” She wiped blood from her wounds and painted it across his lips.

Reflexively, he licked them, and his eyes popped open. “Run from me.”

“I won’t. You won’t hurt me.”

“I will drain you dry and leave you a withered husk. I don’t want to do that,” he said with effort.

“Why not?” she asked, but she already knew the answer. The mating bond was gone as if it had never existed, but she still felt a pull towards him, this stranger — her soul mate.

“Because of what could have been.” His head thunked back on the carpet. “I love you,” he said and then went still.

“Oh no, you fucking don’t.” Keri didn’t allow herself to second-guess her decision. She grabbed his hand and raked his claws across her wrist. Then she all but shoved it into his mouth. It took just a moment before his body twitched, and he clamped onto her arm to prevent her from escaping. But she wasn’t going anywhere.

You’re a fool, she heard in her mind.

But she wasn’t sure if it was Joshua’s voice or her own.