Page 110 of Bound in Blood

Good girl. We will be with you soon.

“Ophelia!” Her voice is such a welcome sound.

Cadence! I spin around and see her running toward me, her auburn hair whipping around her face as she dodges a vampire. “Head for Anikêtos and Elpis,” I call. “They’ll protect you.”

She glances in their direction. “Then let’s go.”

“I’ll meet you soon. Go,” I plead as she continues her path toward me.

Her eyes go wide, and I spin around to see the hooded figure of a warlock directly behind me, a silver axe held above hishead as he prepares to bring it down. Lightning sparks from my fingertips, but before I can act, I’m shoved to the ground.

When I sit up, Cadence’s severed head rolls toward me, coming to a stop a few feet away from me. Her beautiful face forever frozen in terror. My wonderful, loyal friend.

Rage lights up my insides, and I direct it all at the warlock in front of me as he raises his axe once more. His body jerks, his limbs forking at unnatural angles. “She was my best fucking friend!” I bellow. “She was—” A sob steals the rest of my words, but he cannot hear me anyway. He cries out a counterspell, but there is no spell in the known universe that could stop me.

And when the shadowy forms of his undead comrades come to his aid, the lightning energy coming from my fingertips flows through them too. They fall to the ground, and so do I.

I cradle Cadence’s headless body in my arms and let a river of silent tears drip onto her shirt. What is the point of all this power if I cannot use it to save the people I love?

“I’m so sorry, Cadence.” I lower her body to the ground. I couldn’t save her, but I will sure as hell save everyone else.

I call out for Sienna with my mind, and she answers me quickly. Last time I caught a glimpse of her, she was battling a swarm of enemy vampires with a group of allies who stayed behind to fight.Get everyone to the dragons. None of these creatures can cross the ring of Dragonfyre. You’ll all be safe there.

And what about you?

I take off in the direction of the river.I’m going to close the tear in the veil.

Be safe, girl.

Always,I promise. And I wish I could mean it. Of course I’d be safe if I could, but all signs point to me being responsible for the tear in the veil by bringing the dragons back.

And now I am the only thing standing between the wraith and the end of the world as we know it.

Chapter

Fifty-Five

ALEXANDROS

26 MINUTES BEFORE THE LIGHT GOES OUT

Giorgios’s words return to haunt me. Anikêtos and Elpis returned through the veil, weakening it and allowing the wraith to crack it open. Had he bonded with Ophelia, then he and the Skotádi would have had the power they desired. The wraith would not have slipped back into the mortal realm, and we would not have armies of the undead storming the campus.

Now I see how we brought about our own downfall, but I am self-aware enough to admit that I would do it all again if it meant preventing him from taking her from me. I am no protector of man. I amherprotector, and hers alone.

Alexandros!Her voice rings out in my head now. She calls for the boys too, but Malachi and Axl allow me to answer.

They are alive, Ophelia. Stay with Anikêtos and Elpis within the ring of Dragonfyre. They will keep it alight as long as they need to. You must stay there and wait for us. We will not be long.

I love you.

That does not sound like an agreement.Ophelia! Do as I say. This is not a request, agápi mou.

I know. I heard you.

That is more like it.Good girl. We will be with you soon.As soon as Lucian is healed enough to walk, I will carry Axl, Xavier, and Malachi to her if I must.

“Why isn’t Xavier waking up, Professor? If Giorgios is dead, shouldn’t the magic die with him?” Malachi’s concern saturates the dank cellar and snaps me back into action.

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