Page 20 of Bound in Blood

“I can’t believe you’re considering this.” Xavier snarls. “Never mind that we don’t want him to be our sire.”

I glare at them. “She’s only considering it to save our fucking lives, you pair of fuck-knuckles.” I don’t want her to do this either, but she’s clearly struggling here.

Sufficiently chastened, my brothers cross the room and kneel in front of us. Axl rests his forehead on her knees. Xavier takes his hands in hers. “I’m sorry, Cupcake, but you don’t have to do this. We’ll find another way.”

She strokes his cheek, and I keep my arms banded tightly around her. “But what if there is no other way? I cannot bear the thought of bonding with Giorgios. Or of replacing Alexandros in any way, even if he will never be replaced in my heart. But I cannot bear the thought of losing all of you even more.”

I press my lips against the skin of her neck. “You will never lose us, sweet girl. I will cling to this life for eternity for you. I will make all the bargains I am able to with Death himself before I leave you alone.”

Axl presses a kiss on the inside of her wrist. “Me too, princess.”

Xavier stands and scoops her up into his arms. “You’re never gonna lose us, Cupcake. If there’s one way to stop this thing, there must be another. You’re stuck with us forever. I promise. Now let’s get the fuck out of here and go to bed, huh?”

She offers him the faintest of smiles, and together, we head to our room. The place where we can be together in one mass of beating hearts and tangled limbs. Where we can try to forget we’re facing an uncertain future without him in it.

Chapter

Eight

OPHELIA

“You can do this, Ophelia,” Giorgios says in a commanding voice that sounds a little too much like his brother’s to not cause me pain. “Your powers are severely weakened, but they remain.”

I flick my wrist again, and tiny sparks flicker across the fallen tree branch in front of me, but that’s all I’m able to summon. Raindrops fall onto my face, and I blink the moisture from my heavy lashes.

“It is raining, Ophelia. The sky was cloudless not a moment ago, therefore you are not in control of your powers. You must focus!”

Thunder rolls above. A swirling tornado of emotion rages inside me, and I glare at him. How am I supposed to control my powers when I cannotfeelthem? He blinks at me expectantly, seemingly unaware of my inner tirade, which I’m thankful for. I keep my walls up around him at all times, and at least those powers still work.

After his ludicrous suggestion that I bond with him—ludicrous yet still not completely ruled out—I asked if he could at least help me with something practical. And that is learningto control my powers, which he said I could still do even while they’re diminished. I expected him to give me some tips I could use with the guys, not instruct me himself. But I suppose he is doing the best he can under the circumstances, as we all are.

Closing my eyes, I focus on the orb of white light in my center and take a brief second to bask in its warmth. It makes me feel deeply connected to Alexandros because he’s the one who helped me discover it. He’s the one who unlocked all of this, and yet he’s not here to help me control it. It feels so impossible without him. A sob wells up in my throat.

“Focus, Ophelia. Stop the storm.” Giorgios’s calm voice cuts through my turmoil. I reconcentrate on my light and imagine the sun shining in the clear blue sky. The rain stops as quickly as it started, and when I reopen my eyes, the sun is casting Giorgios’s shadow in front of me.

“Well done, Ophelia.” He places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “But I sense you are tired, and I must continue my search for Lucian. We will resume your lessons tomorrow.”

With a polite farewell, Giorgios leaves me in the courtyard, and Xavier and Malachi, who have been watching from the sidelines, join me.

I slump down against the thick tree trunk. “I hate not being able to use my powers properly. I feel so useless sitting here, waiting for Lucian to show up and take me.” I swipe away the tear rolling down my cheek, annoyed with myself for being so emotional. Alexandros would figure out a way around this hallowed ground issue. He’d think of something.

“I know he would, Cupcake, but he’s not here,” Xavier says, his voice sad as he sits down beside me.

Malachi sits on my other side. “And we won’t let Lucian take you, baby.”

“I didn’t mean to think that aloud. I know you’re all doing the best you can. I just miss him so much.” The tears flow fasternow, and the weight of guilt and despair and utter helplessness threatens to overwhelm me. This is why I try not to cry—once I start, I can’t seem to stop. I’ve gotten through the last three weeks running on optimism and determination, but now those are in short supply, slowly being replaced with absolute hopelessness.

Malachi wraps a comforting arm around my shoulder, and Xavier rests his hand on my thigh, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “We know, Cupcake, we miss him too. And the truth is, he would know what to do.” He plucks a few blades of grass before tossing them aside. “And I feel completely fucking useless in this place. We’re trapped here, and I don’t know what the fuck to do about it.” We’re surrounded by snow-topped mountains, clear blue skies, and some of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen. But a beautiful prison is still a prison.

If only I could figure out how to make these stupid powers work better. Or if they were strong enough that I could do something. Anything.

What if we just walked through the fucking gate and kept going?It’s Axl’s voice in our heads now, and I smile at the familiar sound. Despite my powers being lessened here, our bond is as strong as ever, if not stronger. Unfortunately, though, the boys aren’t strong enough to fight off Giorgios’s guards if they tried to stop us from leaving, and without my powers, neither am I.

How are you feeling?I ask him. He was extra tired this morning, so we left him sleeping in bed.

I’m so exhausted. I feel like I’ve been awake for two centuries.He laughs softly.But I’m good. I’ll take a shower and then come join you all.

Axl’s voice disappears, but I still feel him. His sadness and his fear. His guilt at not being strong enough to fix this mess we’ve found ourselves in. “Do you think it’s strange my powersare lessened, but I can still hear and feel you all as much as I ever have?”

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