Page 93 of Nocturnal Desires

“Thank you,” I manage to croak out, my voice hoarse and throat dry. I guess I was screaming more than I thought.

“You’re welcome, sweetling. But promise me you willnevergive in to temptation again. Thanks to my granddaughter, you didn’t hurt anyonethis time. If she wasn’t here…”

I nod my head.

“I don’t understand. What just happened?” Loukas says, stepping up behind Rayne and helping her up while Artemis slowly lifts my back off the hard ground, sitting me up.

“I depleted my magic saving Sky after we got him free, and I passed out.”

“What?” Loukas demands, moving forward and pulling me up into his arms.

I ignore his question and keep going because the reality of what I did, of what I witnessed. Of what I allowed to—asked to—happen here begins to set in.

“I woke to Skarlyt telling me that you were going to trade yourself to Antonia and I knew I couldn’t let that happen, so I drank from Breanne.”

His brows furrow. “I don’t understand. Why is that a bad thing? Vampire blood has healing properties, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t it have helped?” he asks, looking around.

Luckily, Artemis takes pity and answers for me.

“In all supernaturals and humans, yes, that’s correct. A drop of vampire blood can speed up the healing process, even help magic manifest faster, well all supernaturals except sea nymphs.” Loukas looks at me, pulling me into his chest. “Because sea nymphs, in their natural form, are blood drinkers already, eating fresh, uncooked meat directly from the source, vampire blood has a different reaction…”

“It causes a bloodlust?” Rayne asks.

“Of a sort,” Her grandmother answers, coming over and running her hand over my hair, pulling it off my face where it’s sticking from the sweat. “When they initially drink, they’re fine. Better than fine. They’re stronger, faster, and their magic replenishes quickly. But once their magic well is full once more, it tries to get rid of the invading blood, creating a war of sorts inside their bodies.”

“What?” Rayne asks in horror, looking at me. I try to plead with my eyes that I didn’t know. “But Pearl said it was just addictive.”

Artemis nods. “It is. Because her magic and the vampire blood were at war with one another inside her body, it depleted both just as quickly as she received it and the only way her body knew how to replace it quickly was to get more. The more she ingested, the more she would need the next time and the next time. Always searching for her next meal. Becoming the vampires of legends that destroyed entire villages in a singlenight. Always thirsty and never satisfied, much like a human with an addiction, always chasing a high.”

“Oh shit,” Skarlyt says.

“My sentiments exactly. Fortunately, I was able to burn all of the toxins from Pearl’s blood. She will be weak for a few days and sleep a lot, but she will recover.”

“What about the addictiveness?” Loukas asks.

“She shouldn’t crave any vampire blood now. But it might be best to keep Bree and the kids away from her for a little while.” Artemis gives me a look of sympathy.

A sob breaks free from my throat at the knowledge that I could possibly hurt any of them. “I just want to go home.” I cry into Loukas’ chest not wanting to hear any more.

“You’ll be okay, sweetling. I’ll come to check on you in a couple of days,” Artemis says, placing a soft kiss on my head, and the next thing I know I’m laying on something soft with Loukas’ strong arms surrounding me.

“I’m so sorry,” I cry, all the walls I built up over the last five years crumbling to the ground with a bang as I let in the visions of what happened while I had Breanne’s blood running through my veins.

Antonia lying on the ground, covering her throat with her hands, thick red blood pouring out from between her fingers.

Looking at Rayne and encouraging her to kill Anthony.

Watching with a satisfied feeling as he falls to his knees, blood pooling on the ground beneath him as he reaches for his sister, falling just short of touching her.

Attacking Rayne. Wanting nothing more than to drain her dry.

I cry on Loukas’ chest until I fall asleep, and even then, the visions haunt me.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Loukas

This is not how I thought tonight was going to go.

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