Page 98 of Depths of Desire
Renzo pauses but nods and slashes his palm without any additional hesitation. “We take the risk. You did it for us, now it’s our turn to do it for you. Brothers always.”
One after the other, my brothers draw blood, letting it drip and mingle with the blood pouring from Luna’s body. I cut my hand and do the same. It sizzles slightly on contact. The air grows thick with power, dense and electric.
“Come back to me,” I whisper, voice shaking. “I need you. I love you.” I hold her tight and pray. I cannot lose her. I simply can’t exist without her.
Luca squeezes my shoulder and then glances at Renzo. I know he’s thinking that maybe we were too late. I am wondering too. Did I wait too long? Have I lost her? Pain spreads across my chest.
Luna makes a sound. A small moan. Then her body twitches, and her wound starts to heal. The skin closes and mends itself.
“Luna?”
No response.
“Luna,vita mia, can you hear me?”
She moans again, softly. “Yes. Everything…hurts.”
“I know, my life. You just rest.” I scoop her up and get to my feet, turning to carry her inside when suddenly my father is standing before me, along with Esme and Morwenna.
“Tell me you didn’t,” my father demands.
“Of course I did,” I snarl. “I will do anything to save her. Anything. She is my life.”
My father closes his eyes as if in pain. “You have sealed our fate.”
“We all did, Father.” Renzo stands at my elbow.
Luca flanks me on my other side. “He helped us when we needed it. We would never refuse to help him.”
“No empire is worth losing family,” Renzo adds.
My father suddenly looks much closer to his eight hundred-plus years. His skin has gone pale. His shoulders sag. “I understand why, but…I’m not sure you understand what you’ve done.”
Morwenna touches my father’s arm. “Leonardo, it was fated. They could not have done anything differently. It would have happened anyway. Nerezza saw to that before she died.”
My father nods. “I guess.” He glances at Luna. “Is she okay?”
I hesitate. “I’m not sure.”
Morwenna steps in front of my father and touches Luna’s cheek with her hand. “Let’s get her inside.”
I move past my father and carry Luna up to our bedroom. I lay her down gently on the bed. Esme pushes me out of the way. “Let me and Morwenna work on her. You need to rest as well. Go downstairs with your brothers.”
I refuse to move.
“I promise we’ll take care of her. Go.” Esme pushes me none too gently, but I still resist.
“Stop being a child,” Morwenna scoffs. “You need to talk to your father and brothers. We need to work on Luna. She lost a lot of blood. There’s nothing you can do for her now. Go.”
I reluctantly turn and walk out of the room. Every fiber in my being screams for me to stay by Luna’s side, but if Morwenna and Esme want me to go, then I have to assume there’s a reason. Morwenna is right. There’s nothing I can do, but they can, and I must respect that.
I walk into my office, where Renzo hands me a glass of whiskey. I take a sip and then sit heavily in one of my guest chairs. My father is behind my desk, and Luca is in the other chair. Renzo leans against the wall, sipping his drink.
“Do you think the vampire kings will care about Malrick’s death?” Luca asks.
My father shakes his head. He’s regained some of his color, but he still looks much older than he did before. “Malrick was an underling at best. I cannot remember which clan he was even a part of. No one will care.”
Luca shakes his head. “I still can’t believe that it was Mother, not her enemies, that put the curse on us. Knowing her, I guess I can, but it’s still…”
