Page 96 of Vows Forged in Blood

Elias sighs quietly, visibly relaxing just before the door opens. I know who will step through before she does, and want to laugh—was I so obvious in my affection for my mate as he is? Her eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, but she strides forward with her shoulders back and chin up.

“I want to sit with my sister,” she says, voice strong with only the tiniest tremor beneath the surface. Elias tenses, knowing how fiercely a vampire guards his mate, but I try to think logically around the din of instinctual, feral possession. Dahlia loves her sister more than almost anyone else on this earth. She would not want me to deny Enid a chance to be with her now. In fact, it may help to bring her back, to coax her from the brink and back towards the light.

“Come, Alaric,” Elias says quietly, “you need to drink, and Sebastian will be here any moment, I’m sure. It’s only been two days.” My head jerks at that. It feels like it’s been an eternity. “You know the turning usually takes at least four, maybe even five or six when injuries are…severe,” he adds carefully. I clench my jaw but somehow nod and force myself to slide out frombehind Dahlia and lay her gently down on the pillow. Every cell in my body protests as our bodies pull apart, but I know this is right. I move to pull the blanket around her only to realize that she’s still in her blood-soaked clothing. I stare at her wound, the deep gouges in her flesh where Kilgren’s claws ripped her apart. I see flashes of bone and gnash my teeth, fangs and claws snapping out as rage engulfs my body, but a gentle hand settles on my arm.

I blink and force the red from my vision, looking down to realize that Enid has stepped up beside me.

“I’ll get her changed and cleaned up. She’ll be cross as an alley cat if she wakes still covered in dirt and blood.” She forces a watery smile and I exhale roughly, so thankful for this human in this moment that I can barely even comprehend it. I nod at her and step away. Elias stands beside me and claps me on the shoulder and, as hard as it is, I walk away from the bed. Elias plants a soft kiss on Enid’s temple and her eyes slide closed for a moment, looking for a heartbeat as if all is right in the world. He strides towards me and we leave the room as Livia and Vernon bring over a steaming basin of water, rags, and clean clothes.

When the door closes behind us, I lean against the wall, nearly collapsing as I try to breathe around the knot in my chest. I feel like my chest is shrinking, like my ribs are collapsing inward and squeezing, squeezing, squeezing…

I can’t breathe. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t?—

Elias is there then, pulling me tight into his chest and holding me up.

“She’ll do it, Alaric. I know it. She’s the strongest fucking person I’ve ever met. She’ll turn beautifully and become the most fearsome little vampire in all of Braxhelm. Breathe, Alaric,” he adds quietly and I can hear the strain in his voice. “Breathe with me, brother.”

Slowly, the tightening in my chest eases and I suck in deep, gasping breaths. Eventually, they calm and I find the strength to pull away from Elias, standing on my own once more. He slaps my cheek gently and smiles, though it isn’t nearly as bright as usual.

“There now. Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”

He says it nonchalantly but I know that I’m covered in Dahlia’s blood and the reminder of how badly she was injured is like a knife in both of our sides. Though everything goes by in a blur and I don’t quite remember actually showering or changing clothes, or even drinking deeply from the flask of Dahlia’s blood that Elias holds out to me, soon enough I’m fed and in a clean tunic and pants, hair wet and dripping down my neck.

“What happened? Is she alright??” Sebastian demands as he flies through the doors of my study, Fi right on his heels looking distraught. Elias quickly fills them both in on what happened, how we were betrayed and Dahlia was taken, how she killed Kilgren and found that peace could be had with the Revenants, how she was injured and I’d attempted the turning.

Fiona storms up to me, fire in her eyes and clasps my face between her small hands.

“Shewillwake, Alaric,” she says sternly, as if she’s commanding it to be so. I give her a nod and she leans in to kiss me on the forehead.

“So…the war is…over?” Sebastian asks, incredulous.

“It appears so,” I say, voice low and rough. Sebastian begins to pepper us with questions and after the twentieth one, a low growl tears from my chest. I’m anxious to get back to Dahlia’s side, and am trying extremely hard not to rip my brother’s throat out. Fi seems to realize how close I am to doing just that, and steps between the two of us.

“I think you should return to your mate,” she says and looks pointedly at Sebastian, as if to saystop talking, you idiot, he’s about to kill you.

“Of course, brother. Of course,” Sebastian says quickly.

Elias catches my eye. “Go. I’ll finish up here.”

I nod in thanks and without thought, I’m beside our bed once more. Enid screams and throws herself protectively over her sister. The gesture will warm my heart later, but right now, all I can see or hear or focus on is Dahlia, still and cold and…anddeadon the mattress before me.

“Fucking hells,” Enid pants, clutching at her chest.

“Apologies,” I somehow manage to grate.

“It’s alright. There’s been no change…which I know you know, but…I don’t know what else to say,” she says quietly. “I’ll go.” She kisses Dahlia on the forehead, tugging playfully on the end braid that she must have plaited as she stood vigil over her sister. “I’ll see you soon, you little leech,” she whispers and against all odds, I huff out a strangled laugh. Enid meets my gaze and gives me a small smile. She slides off the bed and as she passes me, places a gentle hand on my forearm. She squeezes reassuringly and II squeeze back, a silent communication passing between us. She nods and leaves us. I settle onto the bed beside Dahlia and take her hand in mine. I ignore how lifeless and cold it is, focus only on how perfectly it fits within my own.

I don’t know what else to do, so I start to talk to her. I tell her all the things I’ve never told anyone. I tell her the things I’m afraid of and the ones I’m ashamed of. I tell her about my mother and my childhood and why Ahmed can go fuck himself. I tell her of training and battles and recall how I got every scar I can remember. I tell her of my friendships, of the people I’ve loved and the ones I’ve lost. Hours pass, so many that one day turns into another. Elias and the others check in periodically, but then they leave us.

I don’t stop talking. I tell her how beautiful she is. I tell her how much I was dreading the Choosing but how I heard them talking in the dressing room from behind the wall and was already lost for her. I tell her how badly I wanted her since the first moment I saw her and how crazy she drove me all those months when I tried to keep her at arm’s length.

“I had to run clear into the mountains the first time I heard you pleasuring yourself in your bed, Keeva,” I say in a low voice, desperate for her to react. “It drove me so mad that I nearly lost all control. I almost stormed into that room and took you right there and then, hard and fast, damning all the consequences.”

I freeze.

Was that…a twitch? I would swear I felt her finger move…

I wait, breath held and body taut as a bowstring, to see if my reason for living is going to return to me.

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