Page 118 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

Well, fuck it. May as well have a conversation with himself. What else was he going to do in here besides try to catch mythical blood?

Where are you?he countered.

The penthouse in the Charter District.

He paused at that because why would he conjure that type of response?

Axel?the voice came again.

You’re at the penthouse?

Yes! Yes, I am. Where are you?

He reached out, trying to dip his fingers into the blood again, the puddle instantly disappearing as he scraped his nails against the floor. Another hallucination. That was all this was. Because if it was really her, she would be able to?—

What’s your name?he demanded.What do I call you?

There was a pause that had him smiling to himself. He wasn’t falling for all these mind tricks of the bloodlust. He could still spot?—

You call me kitten,the voice answered.

That seemed even more far-fetched. Why would he call her that?

And why was this door unlocked?

Wait. Better question. When had he gotten up and walked across the room?

He looked over his shoulder. The blood on the floor and the walls was gone. In fact, he was thinking clearer than he had in weeks.

Cautiously pulling the door open, Axel peered into the hall, finding it empty. Which was perfect. Because she was nearby. He could practically feel her. And if she was nearby, then he could finally—finally—have her.

He paid no attention to his surroundings. His entire being was narrowed in on finding her. Seeing her. Tasting her. Having her. His. She was his and no one else’s. If anyone tried to stop him, he’d simply end them. He just had to get outside of these walls.

He continued wandering, taking several staircases down. Surely he must need to go down to find his way out. That was logical. He was already underground. How much deeper could he go? Okay, that was a silly notion. Obviously they could go deeper into the ground. There were earth Fae down here, but?—

He went still when he entered a large room and found Bree lounging on a settee along one wall. She wore her usual red dress, her legs crossed and arms spread across the back of the furniture. He relaxed a fraction when she smiled at him.

“My room was unlocked,” he said, suddenly wondering how he was standing. His legs were weak, and he could feel himself trembling.

“I know,” Bree said. “I’m the one who unlocked it.”

“Why?” he rasped out.

Slowly, she got to her feet, closing the distance between them. She reached up, brushing a lock of hair from his brow. “I told you I’d find her for you, didn’t I?’

His brows pinched together. “You found her? Where is she?”

“Somewhere only you can go,” Bree replied.

“And you’re just…going to let me go? I won’t come back.”

She patted his chest before smoothing down his shirt. Then she stepped back from him. “I trust you’ll find yourself exactly where you need to be. Fate is funny like that.”

Then he watched her saunter off down a hall, leaving him standing in the middle of the foyer.

He wouldn’t be coming back. Not if he truly was about to find her.

He’d find her and take and have and all would be well in the world again. His power at his fingertips. Back with his family. No more godsdamn hallucinations. No more mania.

---