Bound in Blood (Broken Bloodlines Book 3)
Bound in Blood: Chapter 2

Never in my life have I been one for sentimentality, but as we stand on the porch of our house, the place that’s been our home for decades, I can’t believe this is goodbye. Because even though we’ll come back, it won’t be the same. He won’t be here. And he is the only thing worth coming back for.

Axl shrugs his bag onto his shoulder. Giorgios told us to pack light and gave us a few minutes to throw some stuff into a backpack while he went over the logistics of the spell with Enora. “Giorgios said he’ll speak to Eugene about looking after the Ruby Dragons while we’re gone.”

I shrug. “Seems kinda pointless if we’re all headed for some epic fucking battle with Lucian.”

“Yeah, one we’re gonna win, so everything has to keep running as it was,” he retorts. “We figure out how to bring Alexandros back, then we kill his evil fucking spawn, and then we go back to normal.”

I turn and give him my full attention now. “You really fucking believe any of that?”

His dark-brown eyes fill with sadness. “I have to, Xavier, because if I don’t, then I’ll …” He swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “I can’t think about any of that not being true, or I’ll fucking stop. And if I stop … Tell me you believe it too.”

Fuck, I wish I believed it. I wish I could stop feeling like my entire world fucking imploded around me. Like I’m not staring into a future filled with nothing but darkness and pain. Maybe then I could fucking breathe. With my hand on the back of his neck, I pull him toward me and rest my lips on his forehead. “Yeah, I believe it.” I lie with ease to give him an iota of comfort and wonder when the fuck I became this person.

Right then, the very reason I’ve become this sentimental asshole—the guy who does what he can to make the people he cares about feel better—comes walking down the stairs, holding onto Malachi’s hand. She’s changed from her usual uniform of miniskirt and tank top to jeans and a hoodie. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, her dark roots peeking through.

“Did you get everything you need, Cupcake?”

She bites down on her bottom lip and nods.

Axl clears his throat. “Giorgios is waiting outside. He said we should go to the mouth of the river, near the ancient pagan ruins because magic is stronger there.”

“And then what?” Malachi asks.

Ophelia reaches the bottom of the stairs and slips her hand out of Malachi’s and into mine. “From what I gather, he’ll be able to transport two of us at a time to his fortress in Tibet.”

“I don’t think I like the idea of splitting up,” Axl says, a distinct snarl in his tone.

“Me neither,” I agree.

“From what I overheard, there’s too great a risk of transporting too many people at once,” Ophelia says. “Like our atoms could tear apart or something.”

I can’t say I love the thought of my cells being strewn about the earth like some kind of vampire confetti, but I still don’t want us separating.

Malachi slides his arm around Ophelia’s waist. “Transportation fucks with your body’s molecules as it is. As much as I’d prefer to all go together, best not to fuck with the science too much.”

“And I should definitely go last,” Ophelia declares.

“Why, so you can make sure one of us doesn’t get torn to pieces before you risk it?” I can’t resist teasing her despite—or maybe because of—the heavy cloud that’s still looming over us all.

“No!” She bumps her arm against mine. “But …” She chews on her lip, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

And now I feel uneasy again too. Her presence allows a little light back into my world, but not enough to banish the darkness. “But what, Cupcake?”

“I don’t want to risk Giorgios not coming back for you all. I’m not saying he’d do that, but what if something went wrong and he didn’t want to try the group teleportation thing again? He’s more likely to risk it to come back for me than for two of you.” She whispers the last few words, her cheeks turning pink like she’s embarrassed to be more important than us, even though it’s an obvious fact of life.

Axl tips his face up to the ceiling and sighs. “Girl has a point.”

Yeah, she does. I wouldn’t put it past Giorgios to pull a stunt like that either. It would be so much easier for him to only have one of us with Ophelia. Unlike our girl, we’re dispensable to him. But it doesn’t matter if I trust him. Right now, he looks like our best option for keeping Ophelia from Lucian. “You and Kai go ahead then, and I’ll wait with Ophelia.”

Malachi glares at me. “Why do you get to wait with Ophelia?”

“Because I said it first, numbnuts.”

“Boys.” Ophelia shakes her head. “We’ll be apart for like a minute. I believe the actual teleportation takes a matter of seconds.”

“It’s as good an idea as any,” Axl says. “None of us want to be apart from each other, but we also don’t want to be torn to shreds. So let’s just suck it up and make the best of it.”

“And once we get to Giorgios’s fortress, we start working on bringing Alexandros back.” Ophelia’s eyes are alight with hope. A hope I cannot bring myself to dash despite being painfully aware that people cannot be brought back. If it were possible, Alexandros would have brought his mom and his wife and kids back. Some clever fuck would have brought the elementai back. But they didn’t.

“I will be back for you both before you have time to notice we are gone,” Giorgios says.

He clasps Axl’s and Malachi’s hands in his. “Are you both ready?”

They cast a final look at Ophelia and me before nodding. Before we can say another word, they disappear into nothing. No puff of smoke, no crack in the air. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t nothing. It wasn’t three people disappearing without a trace. I stare at the spot on the ground where their feet just were and pray to all the demons in hell that they got there safely.

“What now?” Cadence breaks the eerie silence.

“Giorgios will be back in a moment and then …” Enora sniffs and wipes her cheeks with the backs of her hands.

Ophelia lets go of my hand and launches herself at the two women. “I’m going to miss you both so much. Can you say goodbye to Sienna for me? Tell her I’m sorry I didn’t have time to …” She sniffs.

The three of them embrace. “We will tell her. And I will miss you too, sweet child,” Enora says, while Cadence sobs quietly. The professor looks at me over Ophelia’s shoulder. “You will take care of her, yes?”

I nod. “With everything I have.”

She blinks away another tear and buries her face in Ophelia’s neck. In all my years at this university, I’ve never seen such an overt display of emotion from Professor Green. But then, Ophelia has a habit of bringing out people’s sentimental side.

Giorgios’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “We must leave.”

“You’re back already?” Ophelia disentangles herself from the two witches.

“I told you it would take but a few moments. I would have been back sooner had Malachi not asked me half a dozen questions as soon as we arrived.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth in spite of all the awful shit that’s happened in the past twelve hours. That sounds exactly like the kind of thing Malachi would do, so I guess they arrived safely, and that’s something.

“And the boys are okay?” Ophelia asks.

With a nod, he holds out his hand and beckons her to him. “Yes, and they are anxious for your arrival.”

Ophelia comes to me first and snakes her slender fingers through mine before she allows Giorgios to take her hand. Only after she has does he take hold of mine too. His palms are smooth and soft, no rough patches like the professor had. A fresh wave of sadness hits me, and I mentally shake it off. Ophelia needs me. I squeeze her fingers in mine.

“Does it hurt?” she whispers to Giorgios.

I look to him, waiting for his answer. Not that I care about me—vampires can feel physical pain, but we experience it much differently than humans. Certainly we have a much higher tolerance.

“I am told it is akin to walking through a little static electricity,” Giorgios replies. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

“You’ll call me, won’t you?” Cadence says, tears dripping from her face onto the winter-brown grass.

“Every day,” my girl replies.

“And you will warn us if you hear any reports of Lucian?” Enora asks.

“Of course,” Giorgios says. “The cell service is very limited; however, we shall remain in regular contact in the coming weeks. But now, the spell please.”

Once again, Enora chants the incantation that allows Giorgios to tap into Ophelia’s power and enhance his own abilities. There’s a strange whooshing in my ears, like I’m being pulled underwater. A second later, my hands are still clasped in Ophelia’s and Giorgios’s, but we’re no longer surrounded by the cool night air of Havenwood. The air in the dimly lit room is warm and heavy with the scent of sandalwood.

“They’re here!” Malachi’s relieved voice greets us, and before I can blink or ask him why he’s surprised, Ophelia and I are wrapped up in his arms as Giorgios tactfully steps aside. Axl comes running into the room not a second later, and the four of us take a moment to enjoy being reunited. We were apart for less than a minute, but it felt like so much more.

“Are you okay, princess?” Axl asks. Her usually flushed cheeks are much paler than normal.

She presses one palm to the side of her face. “I feel a little lightheaded.”

“Here, sit down.” Axl drags over a chair, and I take the opportunity to survey my surroundings. Six arched windows line two walls of the large dining room, but all that can be seen through them right now is pitch-black darkness. A massive chandelier hangs above the long dining table, its bulbs emitting a soft orange glow.

The fireplace, complete with blazing, crackling logs, occupies the far wall, and a worn leather armchair sits beside it, a pile of leatherbound books nestled at its base.

When I look back to Ophelia, she’s blinking fast. I drop to a crouch and feel her forehead, noting her clammy skin. “What’s wrong, Cupcake?”

Her bright-blue eyes focus on mine. “I feel a little, I don’t know … weak.”

I look to Giorgios. “Is that a side effect of the transportation?”

He shrugs, coming closer to her. “Perhaps. Or maybe the thin mountain air is making her feel out of sorts. You will get used to it in a day or two.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I feel weak—like my powers. They don’t feel the same.”

“Oh.” Giorgios purses his lips and glances at the fireplace.

My hackles rise and a growl rumbles in my throat, similarly to Malachi and Axl. Something’s wrong. Every one of my senses is hyperalert, and I’m about ready to pounce on Giorgios and tear out his heart. “What do you mean, oh?”

He shakes his head and sucks air through his teeth, appearing both contrite and annoyingly smug at the same time. “I assure you I simply did not think,” he offers.

I advance toward him, hands balled into fists and teeth bared. The fragile hold I’ve had on my temper since the moment we lost him threatens to boil over. “Didn’t think about what?”

“Just because I swore an oath to your sire to look out for you does not mean I will not take your head for your insolence, Xavier.” Giorgios bares his fangs. “Do not forget who I am.”

“Giorgios, please?” Ophelia says, and that’s enough to direct his attention from me to her. “Xavier is only protecting me. Tell me why my powers are weakened.” There’s a tremor in her voice that I hate to hear. We’ve made a grave mistake in coming here.

“My fortress is built upon the ruins of an old monastery, Ophelia. It has never caused an issue for me before, because, of course⁠—”

“Vampire magic is not affected by hallowed grounds,” Malachi finishes for him.

The confusion serves to tamp down my anger at least. “Hallowed grounds?”

“Witch and elementai magic are not as powerful on holy ground. It’s something to do with the sacred energy,” Malachi explains, and I vaguely recall being told that before. I wish I paid more attention to all this stuff when I had the chance.

“And I’m sure there are few places more imbibed with sacred energy than a former Tibetan monastery.” Axl snorts. “Yet you didn’t think to warn us of that before we came here?”

“Because he knows there’s no way we would have brought Ophelia here if we knew,” I snap, wondering what the hell Giorgios’s game plan is here. I already know I don’t trust him.

Giorgios glares at me, his rage palpable, but it has nothing on mine. “That is not true. I did not consider the ramifications of Ophelia being an elementai. Time was of the essence. I simply wanted her where she is safest, and like it or not, that place is here. I promise you I do not intend any of you any harm.”

“You think she’s safest in a place where she can’t use her powers?” Malachi asks.

Giorgios removes his cloak and places it over the back of a dining chair. “They are severely lessened, not entirely useless.” He pulls a chair up next to Ophelia and takes a seat. “I promise you that you can still learn to control your powers, even when they are not at their strongest. In fact, it may be more beneficial to practice when they are weakened.”

Is he seriously trying to convince us this is a good thing? The more time I spend in his company, the less I trust him. “And what if she needs to protect herself? How the fuck is she supposed to do that if her powers are weakened?”

He trains his glare on me again. I seem to be adept at pushing all of his buttons—just like I could with his brother. I swallow down the despair brought to life at the thought of Alexandros.

“Should there be any danger to Ophelia within these walls, I would immediately take her somewhere safe before any harm could befall her. A place where she would be free to access all of her powers. Her safety is my utmost concern. No matter what else you refuse to believe, please believe in that.”

I crouch in front of Ophelia again and take her hands in mine while Malachi and Axl stand on either side of her. Let’s at least give him a chance, she implores us through our bond.

I grind my jaw, stopping myself from yelling out all the things I want to say about how wrong this feels, about not believing we should trust the man simply because he’s Alexandros’s brother. I’m angry and scared and grieving. But for her, I will give him a chance. One chance. You look tired, Cupcake.

She stifles a yawn. I am tired.

I direct my attention back to Giorgios. “Can you show us where we’ll be staying?” We haven’t slept in over a day, and it feels like it’s been a lifetime. It was certainly in a whole different life, at least. A life with him very much a part of it. I should have told him so many things. Even if he wouldn’t have wanted to hear them, I should have told him anyway.

“Imari will show you to your quarters” comes Giorgios’s reply.

“Imari?” Malachi asks.

Giorgios is saved from responding by the arrival of a woman I assume must be Imari. She walks toward us, smiling, her long black ponytail swishing back and forth like a horse’s mane.

“Imari is one of my companions,” he explains.

“Are you her sire?” I ask him.

“I am. She will take care of all of your needs when I am not here. Simply call for her, and she will hear you.”

I scrutinize her carefully. I’d say she was in her late twenties when she was turned, and it is impossible to tell how old, and therefore how powerful, she is as a vampire.

“And will you fetch Ophelia some tea, Imari?” he adds.

My girl shakes her head. “I don’t want tea.”

“This is an old Tibetan recipe, Ophelia,” Imari says, and for some reason, I’m surprised she has an American accent. “It will help with your altitude sickness and the lightheadedness. I’ll sweeten it with some honey. It’s delicious.”

Ophelia tilts her head and acquiesces with a nod. “Thank you.”

Imari smiles again. Everything about her demeanor is warm and friendly, but in contrast, she is tall and angular, with the contours of her muscular arms clearly visible in the tight shirt she wears. She’s a fighter, I have no doubt.

I’m suspicious and on edge. I’ll feel better when I can get my girl alone.

“I’ll show you to your rooms.” Imari gestures for us to follow her.

“Um, room. Singular,” I snap. That shit is not gonna fly. Not here. Not anywhere.

“Yeah, we don’t sleep separately,” Malachi adds.

Imari glances at Giorgios, and he must give some sign of agreement because she nods. “Very well. Follow me.”

I put Ophelia’s backpack over my shoulder with mine, and Malachi scoops our girl into his arms where she nestles herself against his chest. Axl slings his arm around my shoulder and flashes me a what-the-fuck-have-we-gotten-ourselves-into look.

I hope we’ve done the right thing, I tell him.

Alexandros trusted him, he reminds me. And when have you ever known him to be wrong about anything?

He was wrong last night about going to replace Lucian, and it got him fucking killed. A fresh jolt of pain cuts through my bones, and I grit my teeth and feel every second of it. It’s better than having nothing. But I keep my thoughts to myself once more.