Page 73 of Fated In Blood

My sire was all about purity and bloodlines and keeping the clan free from anyone he considered “undesirable,” which was pretty much everyone except for him and Tyrell.

But he was my sire, and I was his son, and because of antiquated, bullshit laws drawn up two thousand years ago, I ended up on the Nocturne Clan’s throne.

Not Tyrell or whomever he chose as his puppet.

From how butt hurt Collum was acting right now, I’d bet good money that puppet was him.

“A blood oath,” I repeated. “You so much as poke me with a butterknife and Tyrell will gut you. I’m untouchable, so whatever promises he made you regarding the throne, you might want to get in writing.”

“Only until I break the oath,” Tyrell hissed, and my blood slowed down, my heart seizing until I reminded myself that was impossible.

Breaking a blood oath between two living souls required a witch, an alder tree, and a shit ton of dark magic. Breaking an oath between souls trapped in different realms—including say, the afterlife—couldn’t be done.

“Let’s talk about Malachi,” I abruptly changed the subject. “What the fuck are you thinking, Laurent? He’s a monster of the worst kind. Inviting him here…I’ll have to lock down the entire clan and clear out the town until he’s gone.”

“We need to feed.” Laurent’s yellowed teeth ground together. “We rely on those humans down there.”

“You bring Malachi to Thorndale and I will empty that town out so fast all you’ll see is their backs as they flee to the city. Don’t fucking test me, Laurent.”

“Malachi is already on his way, and I have no means of stopping him. My advice to you would be to say there’s a virus. Humans hate those things. Always have. Pick something virulent enough nobody chances it. We’ll go outside the city to hunt our prey.”

My skin crawled at Tyrell’s creeping smile and the anticipatory glance he and Collum exchanged. As if they’d expected this.

“Your laws don’t extend outside Nocturne territory,” Tyrell said slowly. “Which means we don’t have to show our usual restraint. We can hunt at will, men, women, and children.” Horror spun through me like a poison as I realized my mistake.

Trust Collum to put all my fears into words. “Congratulation, Riordan Graves, you just doomed half of New York state to an early grave.”

Fuck me, but that would never happen, not onmywatch. “Enjoy your visit with that sociopath. Thorndale will be empty by tomorrow afternoon, so plan accordingly. I hope the lot of you starve.”

Come on you bastard, get moving. We have to get out of here.

The second Blake’s hand reached up and grasped mine, I disappeared, pulling his half-conscious, considerable weight toward Crimson House, already calling for the closest healer to meet us when we arrived.

I closed my eyes against the onslaught of rushing cold as I dragged my friend through shadow and light, praying he didn’t bleed out along the way. Silver was almost home; she might even beat us there.

We were running out of time and everything—fucking every single one of my hopes—was pinned on that girl being the key to Tyrell’s demise. As long as he was alive, the Nocturne Clan would never change. My life would never change.

Laurent had never spoken openly of the oath he swore to my sire before, never brought up the fact that the only reason me, Blake, and our allies were still alive was because we were protected by blood magic. He’d revealed the truth in front of Collum, clearly his chosen heir now that Spencer was gone.

Which meant Tyrell was close to breaking the blood oath, and when he did, Blake, me, and everyone loyal to our cause would die.

Badly. Painfully, now that Collum was out for blood and had everything to gain.

We were racing against time.

The moment Blake was healed, he’d start Silver’s training, and I fucking hoped she was up to the challenge, because I couldn’t allow her to fail.

The stakes were all or nothing and we had no choice but to win.

32

EVANGELINE

One thing became crystal clear on my run back to Crimson House.

This was definitely an ‘every vampire for themselves’ situation.

Riordan might be feeding me, but only because he was planning on using me in his vendetta against Tyrell, though after what I’d just witnessed, I could hardly blame him.

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