Page 168 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

And then Sabine appeared at our side, not a hair out of place, her face as unimpressed as ever and a sword in her hand. “Selah.” She made the name sound like a curse. “I suspected you were the one behind the attempt on my daughter’s life.”

“Daughter?” Selah laughed as she repeated the word. “I told the others that you sympathized with her.”

Wait, does she mean me?

I think she does.

I swept the rest of the room while they argued and nearly collapsed with relief as I became aware of the others. Of Lysander snaking his way toward us, along the wall, Aurelia at his back. Of Mariana and Zina whispering frantically. Of Jacqueline urging Camila back out the door. Of the masked vampire that blocked their path.

Sebastian had gone for help. The rest of our family would arrive soon. Even a death-God was no match for the Rousseauxs.

Sabine pivoted, drawing my attention to her as she turned that detached look on the demon. “Is that the creature that’s been terrorizing the poor Switches? The one the Mordicum fears?” She shrugged. “It isn’t much.”

“Only you could be unimpressed by a ten thousand year old death-God, Sabine,” Selah scoffed. “Perhaps, I’ll let it eat you next.”

Sabine’s head tilted to her, a bemused smile turning up her lips. “Oh, I think not.”

“You think you can stand against?” Selah swept her hand toward her monster. “Be my guest.”

Sabine didn’t move. “That’s always been your problem. You think too highly of yourself, of your pure blood. I know exactly what I’m capable of. I can’t stop it, but it can’t stand against the power of three Queens—not in their throne room.”

She slashed a look of warning at Julian. Then nodded to me.

I took a step toward the demon, and his grip slackened and fell away. Fear washed through me. Not mine. His. My whole being screamed at me to turn to him, reassure him, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. Not until the beast was gone. My sister-queens moving closer. Selah’s mouth opened, managing a single Latin word before her voice cut off. She gripped her throat, wild eyes turning on every soul in the room, looking for who had magically muted her.

I didn’t care whose magic it was. It had been enough to stop her unleashing the death-God.

Mariana held out an arm to me. The other to Zina. “Call to the magic,” she told us, “it will send this thing back to hell.”

The death-God rose to its feet as we approached, bellowing, its blood-soaked wings flapping as if it might dare escape. But it didn’t move—couldn’t move thanks to Selah’s command. Power wound through the air with a mighty wind that cut off its protests, beat against it, forcing its wings down. The beast began to fight, its instinct for survival overcoming its leash. I focused my magic around it, plucking at the notes of the world to construct a cage of blinding light around it. A rush of water rose from the stones.

Selah ran toward us, but Sabine caught her.

“Watch,” Sabine hissed to the mute traitor.

I blocked them out, concentrating on the cage I’d built.

The air howled as our magic gathered and combined, and it battered into each of us. I fought to stay on my feet, fought to keep my eyes on the death-God, even as exhaustion threatened to overcome me. Mariana reached for my hand, Zina taking her other, and magic flowed between us like a conduit.

Next to me, Mariana chanted an incantation and a pit yawned open at the demon’s hooves and sucked its legs into the abyss. Four spindly arms shot forward, grappling for purchase and found none. Its howl shattered through the room as hell reclaimed it. The beast’s arms scrambled against the stone as the pit dragged it down, its great wings flapping. But it was no use. With one final bellow of rage, the underworld swallowed it.

The room instantly calmed, our magic fading. I stumbled a step and Julian was instantly at my side, his breath ragged as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“What are we going to do about them?” All I could manage was a single nod toward Selah and her cronies.

“Leave that to me.” Sabine faced Selah and lifted her weapon. “Any last words?”

A choked protest spilled from Selah’s mouth, her voice returned to her but incoherent. I searched for a reason to put a stop to this, but I didn’t know if I lacked the energy or the mercy. Maybe I didn’t care.

No one intervened.

“It appears we’re all in agreement.” Sabine’s sword swung and Selah’s head toppled to the floor. My mother flicked the blood from her blade and looked to the two male Council members, frozen in open-mouthed shock.

“Tell the Council that if they have a complaint about my family, they should direct it toward me.” She pointed the sword at them. “Now, do you have a complaint?”

They trembled, backing away, shaking their heads.

She pursed her lips. “Get out of my sight. That’s one problem down.” But her face remained grim as she looked to the door—and the male filling it. “Now, what are we going to do about you, Willem?”

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