Page 39 of Bound in Blood

Xavier runs his hand through his hair. “So…?”

“I don’t like this any more than you’re going to, but he says it’s the only way. A dragon is incapable of harming a son of House Drakos, so the only thing we can do is detain him. And the best way to do that without killing everyone here?—”

“I’m not against that,” Xavier says.

“I am. There are at least fifty guards, maybe a hundred, and none of them have ever done anything but follow Giorgios’s orders. We’re not slaughtering them all because of that.”

“Fucking pacifists,” Xavier mutters, but he silences any comeback from her by wrapping his arm around her neck and kissing her forehead.

I roll my eyes at him, but I can’t help but smile. I’ve missed this side of him.

“So what do we do?” Malachi asks.

“Ani is going to take me to Alexandros. He’s sure he knows where he’s being held. And you guys will make sure Giorgios doesn’t leave.”

I suck in a breath. “I mean, I’m all for kicking some ass, princess, but as you pointed out, there’s an entire army here.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” She smirks. “You’re going to have some help.”

We follow her gaze to the sky, and fuck me if there isn’t another goddamn dragon circling overhead. Not quite as big as the black one, but still big enough to decimate a city with a flick of its tail, I reckon.

“Guys, meet Elpis. She’s Ani’s mate. And she’s going to be your ride as soon as Ani and I have Alexandros.”

The dragon swoops lower and, with a single flap of her wings, causes a mini tornado that has Malachi and me holding onto our newly acquired hats. Then she lands and tucks her wings into her side in the same way as Anikêtos. Her scales are green with flecks of amber, and her golden horns shimmer in the moonlight.

I stare at her, enthralled. “She’s fucking beautiful.”

Ophelia giggles. “Ani says she’s his, so don’t get any ideas.”

I glance back at the imposing black dragon still looming over the courtyard, unaware if he’s joking or not despite Ophelia’s laugh. He doesn’t look like he has a joke in him. He looks mean as fuck.

“I’d feel better if one of us could come with you, sweet girl,” Malachi says, and both Xavier and I voice our agreement.

“Ani says he doesn’t know what we’re going to find when we get to Alexandros. Or what kind of magic might be there to disable or harm a vampire. It’s safer if he and I go alone and you travel with Elpis once we have Alexandros.”

I’m not sure I can let her go without me. I never want to let her out of my sight ever again. The thought alone is enough to have me feeling like I can’t fucking breathe.

Her sparkling blue eyes hold my gaze. “I know this is hard, but I know it’s going to work and we’ll all be together again before you know it.” She slides one arm around Malachi’s waist, the other around mine, and we grab Xavier so we’re all in a huddle, our faces pressed close together. “Anikêtos will protect me, and… Well, have you taken a good look at him?”

“Yeah, he’s pretty fucking fearsome, Cupcake, but no one will protect you like we can.”

“I know that, Xavier. But you have to let me protect you all sometimes too. We can be in touch the entire time. He says this is the best way, and I think he’s right.”

I press my forehead against hers, inhaling her familiar intoxicating scent. It’s only been a few days since we fed from her, and already I’m craving the sweet nectar of her blood. What if something goes wrong? What if we lose her? What if…?

“It will be okay. I promise,” she whispers. “Ani is getting impatient. We need to leave.”

She gives each of us an all-too brief kiss, and I reluctantly let her go. She pulls the fur-lined hat onto her head so it rests directly above her dark eyebrows, and that along with the coat that’s two sizes too big makes her look downright fucking adorable and way too vulnerable to be out flying on the back of a dragon all alone.

She glares at Giorgios. “Elpis may not be able to harm you, but she asked me to remind you that she can stand on you to trap you here. And if you try to leave these gates, she’ll burn this fortress to the ground and everyone besides you in it,” she says, her voice full of authority and confidence. I’m so fucking proud of her.

His jaw tics as he glares at her, his hands balled into fists at his sides and his eyes full of impotent rage. Then our girl turns back to us. “Ani and I are going to Peru. He said we should be there by first light if the wind stays behind us.”

Malachi groans. “Peru? That’s over ten thousand miles away.”

“I know.” She pulls on a pair of fur-lined gloves, her face lit up with a smile that’s imploring us to trust her. “But Ani says he’s fast.”

I study the intimidating dragon again. “Maybe that’s what we’re worried about. You traveling at insane speeds on the back of a fucking dragon doesn’t inspire confidence, princess.”

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