Page 141 of Fated In Blood

“You…bitch.”

Two steps.

Two steps and I swung that blade with every ounce of strength I had.

Straight into the front of Bosch’s throat. Blood misted the air as the blade passed cleanly through, so little resistance I wasn’t even sure my blow had struck true until his body hit the floor, his head bouncing off into the shadows.

I hadn’t drawn my first shaky breath when Blake rematerialized, eyes widening when he took in the scene. “He’s been down here less than ten seconds. That has to be some kind of record.”

“You told me to be ready.” I waved the curved death sword in his face. “I was ready.”

“Holy shit.” Blake blanched when he took a good look around. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was where we landed.” He pointed to the tables. “Drop that fucking knife, Evie. We have to get the fuck out of?—”

“Blake Marten.”

The tall vampire who strolled out of the shadows and casually stepped over the widening pool of Bosch’s blood might have issued straight from my nightmares.

His hairless body had never seen the sun, his skin more deathly gray than white, his face bisected by so many scars, the blackened, sewn-together edges created a patchwork effect. He had no nose, no eyebrows, and one ear was barely a stub of flesh. He was lean and strong, moving with that same gliding smoothness as Laurent Tyrell.

But the eyes that stared out of that hideous face were pale as the belly of a fish, his pupils the tiniest pinpricks, a faint silvery glow highlighting his sunken cheekbones.

“It has been a long time since you’ve visited me.” Those hungry eyes turned on me, and my breath went away. “And you brought a little friend.” He tilted his head as he scented the air. “She’s quite new.”

Run, Evie.Blake’s voice quaked with pure fear.There’s a door right behind you. When you reach the end of the hall, turn right. I’ll buy you time to get a head start. Don’t stop until you reach Crimson House, then get out of town.

“Fuck off, Valaine,” Blake growled. “I see you haven’t gotten any prettier.”

My fingers tightened around the handle of my weapon, horror prickling through me. This was the vampire Tyrell had threatened to give me to, and he was every inch the monster they’d described.

There was no warning, not even a thought inside my head before Blake launched himself at Valaine. The pale creature moved impossibly fast, dodging to the left, going for that row of weapons.

One strike from those blades and Blake would be dead.

I threw my own weapon as Valaine’s fingers brushed across the handles, Blake still a good five feet away. That curved blade tumbled over and over through the air, landing an inch short of impaling Valaine’s head like I’d intended.

But he pulled up short, giving Blake the opening to snag him out of midair and slam him to the ground.

Inhuman snarls rent the air and clawed hands shredded and tore, moving faster than I could see, blood splattering across one of the metal tables.

Shadows snarled in the air, the strong scent of ozone turned choking as Blake’s magic grew and grew, filling the entire room.

I’d seen Blake fight before, but this was different. Blake was fighting to kill, and he didn’t care if taking Valaine out meant sacrificing himself.

Get the fuck out of here, Evie. Now.

Like hell I’m leaving you…

Fuck that. One second I was heading for Blake, knife in hand, ready to sever Valaine’s spine.

The next, a wave of frozen cold snagged me out of nowhere, ripping both me and my scream of fury through the air, dragging me away from Blake like a sack of fucking potatoes.

We hadn’t even fully materializedand I’d plunged my knife into Malachi’s shoulder with a roar of frustration, hand still wrapped around the hilt as he glared down at me, eyes filled with frustration instead of pain.

“Take me back. Right the fuck now.”

“I should have known you’d be eternally ungrateful for me saving your misguided soul, Vicious.”

“You fucking asshole. You left Blake alone fighting that monster.”

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