Page 45 of Fated In Blood

Not yet.

Not when Collum’s body went limp beneath me, his hands splayed out, no longer resisting my grasp. I opened my eyes. We were both drenched in his blood, painted red from head to toe. God, the entire basement looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Weeping humans were flattened around the perimeter walls, Vincent blanching when I met his gaze and licked my lips.

“Are we even now, boss?”

Vincent whimpered, his breaths sobbing. I was drunk on all this power, high from taking too much of Collum’s blood too fast. With every blink, sparks flashed on the backs of my eyelids, my sensitive skin burning beneath the fluorescent lighting.

“Say we’re done, Vincent, and we’ll go our separate ways.” I grinned through a mask of blood. “Or try to stop me and see how that goes. I offered to walk away, so all of this is on you.”

“We’re done,” he whispered, his voice hollowed out by fear.

“Speak up so everyone in the room can hear you. Call me jaded, but I don’t trust your slimy ass.”

“We’re finished, Evie. You never have to fight for me again. Ever.”

“Good, because I’d hate to have to come back here, Vincent. I’d really hate it.”

I ran my finger down through the blood coating Collum’s throat, the smell so overwhelming I sucked in a deep inhale. I wanted more. Needed more.

My hunger demanded I drink every drop from Collum, and fresh blood flowed from the wounds, practically begging me to dip my head and take what I wanted.

I lifted my head and a feral growl rumbled in my chest as I raked my gaze over the humans stampeding toward the steps.

Nobody here could stop me.

So I dropped my head and took what I wanted.

22

RIORDAN

Iwas dealing with tedious matters of state when one of my informants materialized into my office, a young vampire Blake and I planted in town to feed us reports of any out of the ordinary happenings in the human world.

Tyrell had his spies, and I had mine.

Unfortunately, his were better equipped and more numerous, while mine were…barely twenty and balked at the sight of a knife. Still, I had Blake for that sort of thing.

Information was more important than ruling by fear, anyway, even if that approach was still working for Tyrell four hundred years after he’d arrived on these shores.

“There’s a fight going down at Valentine’s.”

I didn’t bother lifting my head. “There’s always a fight at Valentine’s. That’s what he does. Exploits the locals and pads his pockets with his lucrative side gigs. Not our problem.”

“It is when Collum is in town and slated to step into the ring in a few minutes. He’s favored forty to one right now. Almost bet on him myself. I could use the money.”

This time, I did look up. “Collum knows if he sets one foot in Nocturne territory, he’s a dead male. He’d never defy Tyrell; he wouldn’t take the risk.”

Because, of course, Tyrell was the one to banish him from the kingdom, not me.

“Maybe, but he’s fighting…” He pulled out his phone and scrolled. “Right now, my king.”

Zachary was a good kid, his family was loyal to the throne, not Tyrell, and he was earnest in the wide-eyed way the young were earnest when they believed there was still good in the world. I hoped he lived long enough to become old and jaded like Blake and me.

“You saw him?”

Zack nodded. “With my own eyes. He looked strong and well fed and out for blood. Fighting some blond chick tonight. Last minute thing Vincent set up, from what I heard.”

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