Page 14 of Always Eros

“Noooo,” the vampire moans, attempting to hold on.

“Shh,” I say, kneeling to help Bowie. “We just want to help.”

“Do-don’t take him from me.”

Bowie’s concerned gaze meets mine and I nod.

“What is your name, vampire?” I ask.

“Hale.”

“And your friend here?”

“Nathan.”

“Okay. Bowie is going to take Nathan to see if we can help.”

The pained groan from Hale’s lips tears at my own heart. It’s obvious Nathan is dead, but Hale doesn’t seem ready to accept that. Bowie and I lift Nathan’s body and carry him away. We lay him on the hood of Thorn’s car under the light post, and I study his injuries.

The ripped flesh around his throat suggests a man-made weapon of some kind, perhaps a dagger, but whoever did it was going for optimal damage. This isn’t a cleanly sliced throat. It’s savage. Nathan’s hands are covered in defensive wounds, suggesting he tried to fight off his attackers, and two small bloody dots on the side of his neck are still visible. Vampire bite. I get the sense that Hale and Nathan were lovers caught unaware.

“How was he killed?” Raphael asks, appearing beside me.

“Human. Savagely. Like they wanted to cut his head from his neck.” I look over my shoulder. “Will Hale live?”

“Don’t know, but Viv said bring him back. She’ll try. Yves says there’s a chance. If the wound were effective he’d be dead already.”

“Excellent point. What should we do with Nathan?”

“Bring him with us,” Tru says from behind me. “Hale needs to say goodbye once he’s better.”

“Very compassionate,” I answer with a smile. “It seems you bloodlings are reminding us of our lingering humanity.”

Tru simply smiles.

“Let’s put him in the SUV with Hale,” Raph suggests.

I lift Nathan’s dead body and carry him to Yves’s vehicle, laying him down carefully as Syn carries Hale and lays him down on the third seat in the back.

“Meet back at the house,” Yves says as he heads for the driver’s seat.

I rejoin Thorn, Midnight, and Tru. While Thorn drives us back home, I gaze out the window. The little bit of excitement took my mind off Justice for a bit, but those thoughts return as soon as they have a chance. I have to find Justice again and learn more about his story. I don’t know why yet, but my intuition tells me he’s going to need me again.

And if he needs me, I’m going to be there.

Chapter Four

JUSTICE

I have my own room. And my own bed! In almost thirty years of life, I’ve never slept all by myself. I showered in a bathroom alone, dressed in pajamas in private, and now I’m spread out on a queen size bed. It’s so surreal I pinch my arm to make sure I’m not dreaming or dead. Nope. I felt that.

I can’t believe I did it. I got away. Tears sting my eyes as the reality sinks in. I really did it. I know none of this is going to be easy, but it has to be better than what was coming for me back at the commune. With only two months left before my thirtieth birthday, I made it out just in time. There was no way I was letting them do to me what had been done to so many others before.

My thoughts shift to Frank and Moses, my two friends growing up who turned thirty before me. I’ve wondered where they are every night since they were sent away to the Vessel. None of us know what happens there, but it’s enough for me that no one who goes there is ever seen again.

My dad told me it’s an honor and the time when a boy steps into his power as a man. He never had to go since he was over thirty when he joined Nightsky, so he also couldn’t tell me specifics. Like many things within the compound, it was kept shrouded in mystery.

Now that the adrenaline is dying down, exhaustion starts to set in. My limbs feel heavy as I sink into the soft mattress. I close my eyes, wishing for sleep, but I’m met with visions of an angel rescuing me from harm instead. I’d rather dream of an angel anyway.

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