Page 89 of Depths of Desire
“You made it?” I stare. I shouldn’t be shocked, but somehow I am. “But you could have killed us all.”
She shakes her head. “Do you really think so little of me that I wouldn’t plan for that? I made the antidote, of course, and made sure your father got it. It was a calculated risk.”
She had been leaning on the altar but drew herself up to her full height. “It’s time,” she says. “Malrick, please move Nico to the middle of the altar. He needs to be surrounded by the rest. Be careful.”
“Mother,” I start, but I can see she won’t listen to me. Instead, I turn to Esme. “Tell Luna I love her and have since we first met. Tell her…” There are so many things I want to tell her, to show her. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. I want it all. My heart is hurting in my chest as if it’s ripping in two.
“I’ll tell her,” Esme says calmly. “I promise I will make her understand.”
“Thank you, Esme. I am so sorry I dragged you into this.”
My mother snorts. “Blah, blah, blah. Enough with the sniveling. Don’t you know by now that the fates are responsible? This was all written in the stars. You couldn’t have stopped it if you wanted to. Esme is supposed to be here just like you are. But don’t worry, she will live. She will tell the magickal realm what happened. She is my witness.”
Malrick walks onto the altar with three of his goons. He scowls at my mother. “About damn time.” His vampire goons pick me up and unceremoniously drop me in the middle of the altar.
“Careful,” my mother hisses. She quickly goes around and straightens everything.
My head is pounding. The stone altar intensifies the hum until it reverberates in my skull behind my eyes. I stare at my mother as she comes to stand beside the altar and looks down at me. “This is crazy. You can’t do this.”
She offers me an icy smile. “Oh, but I can.” She lifts her right hand. “It is time,” she declares and then starts speaking in Latin.
Per cruorem meum, per animam datam,
Alligo me tenebris sine fine.
Ex sanguine natus, ex nocte formatus,
Potestas vetusta nunc in me renascitur.
In my head, I translate the verse.
Through my blood, through the soul given,
I bind myself to the endless dark.
Born of blood, shaped by night,
Ancient power now is reborn in me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Iburst out of the chamber. Luca, Renzo, and their father are back talking with some of the vampire kings, but I can’t stay. I have to get out of there. I don’t want to see my parents.
Julien approaches me in the hallway. “Are you okay?”
I don’t say a word. I have no words. All I want is Nico. Mia and Pippa would be good too. Anyone who can offer comfort.
Julien takes my arm and pushes open a door, dragging me inside the small room with him. It’s the room we were in earlier. He eases me into a chair and then rests his butt on the table. “I know you’re not okay. That was brutal.”
I just nod because if I start to talk, I won’t be able to stop the sobs building in my throat. This isn’t the moment for that. I may not like my parents much, nor the life I had growing up, but I do know how to keep a stiff upper lip because of it.
I take a deep breath and then exhale before meeting Julien’s gaze. “I’m okay.” He cocks an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m not really, but I will be. Now isn’t the moment. I can break down when I’m home.” I don’t addwherever that is,but it’s a truth that hits me square in the solar plexus. Suddenly, I can’t breathe. Nico left me to find another woman. He didn’t show up for the secondmost important day of my life. There’s no excuse that can make this okay. None. I don’t want to live with him. Even though I’ve admitted to myself that I loved him with all my heart, now that this ordeal over, and I’ve survived it without him, I don’t want to see him again.
“Listen,” Julien starts, “I know you must be very upset that Nico isn’t here. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for him missing this. This is Nico. You know there must be.”
I feel quite sure he added that last bit because he’s also horrified that Nico was a no-show.
“Whatever,” I say, and then stand. “I must find Renzo and Luca so they can get me back to the human world.” I squeeze Julien’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”
