Page 59 of Dark Desire
“As like humans, the Gods can change the course of fate with their actions. Veles has already been punished for his role in causing this imbalance in the universe but the imbalance still remains. Her life must be taken,” the third said, its arm lifting once more to reach for the hourglass.
“A life for a life,” I muttered, my heart pounding in my ears as the third fate wrapped its spidery fingers around the handle.
“Zoran,” her husky voice, so hoarse, croaked behind me, and I spun around to see her stumbling into the doorway of the church. Her eyes were glassy, her skin pallid, and a thick layer of sweat glistened on her skin as she lifted her hand to rub her forehead. I raced to her side just before her legs gave way and wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her up.
Brushing her damp hair away from her fevered skin, I cupped her jaw, steadying her head from flopping as I studied her. Her whole body was trembling.
“I don’t feel good,” she mumbled, and I exhaled a ragged, shuddering breath of relief. My venom had taken. She was infected. Most humans writhed in pain for days under its effect before it would slowly leave their system, but if they died during that time, they’d turn.
“It’s okay, beautiful. It’s my venom,” I explained as she rested her head against my chest briefly until her whole body tensed when she saw them. My head whipped around as I watched the third fate holding the hourglass, lifting it above its hood as the tiniest drop of blood seeped through the narrow throat. Its finger tapped the top. The last drop fell. And then it was empty.
“Zor—" she gasped, scarcely making a sound before she collapsed. Limp. Lifeless. Her head fell back over my arm as I cradled her closer.
“Darcie?” My voice cracked. My heart thundered in my ears, making it even harder to listen for hers, even though I already knew what I’d find. Silence. A scream tore through my soul. An intensity so profound and crippling that it brought me to my knees, pressing her still body harder against my chest as if it might keep her here. But she was gone. Her life had ended. And even though I still clung to hope that a new one would begin, the pain, fear, and horror of holding my dead soulmate in my armswas too much to bear. Ambroz unleashed a haunted roar into the night. I glared at The Fates, my chest rising and falling with every loathing breath.
They simply stood there. Watching. No emotion. No words. Nothing. I despised them for it. But I knew that hating them was pointless. They weren’t capable of feeling anything except maintaining the balance of the universe. That’s all they were. Prisoners of fate.
“Are you happy now?” I roared.
No answer.
I pressed my forehead against Darcie’s chest, tears pricking behind my eyes as I squeezed them shut and prayed. I prayed to Veles. Pleaded. Bargained. Promised to be his loyal servant for all eternity, anything, if he would only give her back to me. The seconds dragged on like centuries. Each one twisting my soul with unbearable grief.
“Come on, Darcie,” I whispered against her cold lips, kissing them softly, desperately. “Come back to me.”
A flicker of movement from The Fates made me lift my head. I became transfixed as the third Fate glided as if floating above the ground. It stopped in front of the first figure and held out the hourglass. My eyes widened, and hope filled every crevice of my body when the first Fate took it. The hourglass was lifted and slowly turned upside down, the top chamber now full of blood.
Darcie’s chest suddenly heaved. My world spun again as she took her first breath in my arms. Her eyes snapped open, a shade of violent crimson, and she gasped, drawing in a ragged breath as her hands clutched at my shirt.
“Darcie!" I pulled her into my arms, hugging her tightly, burying my face in her hair and thanking Veles for bringing her back to me. It worked. Thank Veles it worked.
The Fates glided towards us and I shielded her with my body, hissing as my fangs snapped down.
“We do not care what lives or dies,” the first one spoke with nonchalance, its tone as cold as winter. “She gave her life in exchange for yours. A life for a life. The balance is restored.”
The middle one stepped forward. “Her gift has gone. She is of no use to us now.”
“Her soul is free,” the third murmured. And just as fast as they appeared, they vanished.
Relief flooded through my veins at the thought of them letting her stay, but that feeling was short-lived when I sensed how much Darcie was trembling. I looked down at her in my arms as her sharper nails scraped along my chest, ripping at my shirt. Her lips curled back in a snarl, revealing her new fangs as a searing pain tore through her stomach, causing her to hunch in my arms as she cried out. Insatiable hunger.
“It’s okay. I’m going to take care of you,” I soothed, dragging us against a gravestone and positioning her on my lap. She whimpered and cried as she gripped her stomach and thrashed in my arms. I quickly lifted my wrist and bit into it before offering her my blood. “It will make you feel better. Take as much as you need.”
Her dainty hands seized my arm, thrusting it against her mouth, and her fangs sank into my flesh roughly. Her eyes rolled when she took her first taste, and then she melted into my chest as she drank with urgency. I groaned, dropping my head back against the gravestone with a mix of pleasure and pain and watched her with pride. She was so fucking brave. Knowing I came so close to losing her only made having her like this so much sweeter.
In a sudden blur of motion, she spun around on my lap, straddling me. Her scarlet eyes were still full of manic hunger as she stared into mine, but the colour had returned to her skin. I lifted my hand to caress her plump, blood-coated lips, feelingfierce desire threatening to consume me. Darcelle, as a witch, was fucking stunning, but as a vampire…she was unbelievable.
“More,” she breathed, her eyes casting down to the veins protruding in my neck. I smirked, my dick jolting beneath her with aching lust.
I tilted my head to the side, offering her all of me and she lunged forward without hesitation, sinking her fangs into my neck. I winced at the pain of her unpractised bite before I chuckled darkly. I didn’t care that she wasn’t gentle at all. In fact, I quite liked how vicious and demanding she was. So did my dick.
With her hands in my hair, pinning my head back against the stone, her fangs in my throat, I sensed the moment her hunger morphed into desire when her hips bucked over me. I groaned and grabbed handfuls of her ass, helping her to move against my cock.
“Fuck,” I gritted when she moaned into my neck, taking feverish gulps of my blood. Her hand slid between us, opening my jeans. “Are you going to have your wicked way with me, beautiful?”
Her answer was a possessive groan as her hand wrapped around my hard dick and she lifted her hips, sitting down on me in one thrust. I growled from deep in my chest, grabbing her hips to match her rhythm, while she drank and fucked with wild, unrelenting need.
“Good girl,” I panted. “Keep going. Take my blood and every inch of my fucking cock. Use me, Darcie. It’s all yours.”
