Zach gave her a sympathetic look. “This is what he wants, Ryssariel.”
“What? Why would he possibly want this?” She turned disbelieving eyes to David and slapped his cheeks, pulling him back from that lovely void. If this was death, it wasn’t so bad. It was a hell of a lot easier than living with the pain of grief and loss and loneliness.
“Tell him, David. Tell him you don’t want this, that it was all a stupid mistake.”
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I never told you that.”
Crystalline tears flowed over her lashes, dropping on his face. They felt so warm. “Shut up about that shit, will you?” she said.
“It’s okay, Ryssa. You can be free now.”
Ryssa, now straddling his body, grabbed his face with both hands. “Stay with me, David! What are you talking about?”
“Giving ... for you...”
* * *
Realization dawned as she looked around at those gathered. She hadn’t noticed them before, other than a passing glance. She’d been too concerned with the man dying in front of her. Her gaze went directly to the dark vamp radiating tremendous power. The one now pulsing with David’s life blood.
“Don’t just stand there. Do something!”
“What would you have me do?” Vlane asked calmly. Too calmly. She wanted to grab him around the throat and throttle him, demand that he fix this. Power began to seep from Ryssa’s skin, setting her pearly skin aglow.
David’s breaths were shallow now; his heartbeat had slowed, the sound far too small, too weak for such a large, vital man. He didn't have much time. If somebody didn’t do something fast, he would be gone. Zach would take him away. She couldn’t let that happen. It wasn’t his time.
“David. Gilligan! Listen to me, goddamn it!”
David’s eyes fluttered open, the hint of a smile on his face. “I love your sassy mouth,” he said, the words slurred.
“Do you want this? Do you want to die?”
“Want... you...” he said before falling back into unconsciousness.
What the hell did that mean? He wanted her? He hated her, didn’t he? Yet he’d said something about giving, for her. Giving what? And why? None of it made sense. She wished she had time to sit back and figure it all out, but she didn’t. David’s soul was already trying to separate from his body. She draped herself over him, trapping it between them as it struggled to break free.
“Turn him.” She spoke to the master vamp. Approval flared in his eyes, but he made no move to do anything.
“You will assume responsibility for his soul, then?”
“Yes!” she said without hesitation. “Yes! Do it! Turn him before it is too late, you fanged motherfucker!”
In less than a heartbeat, Vlane was there, pressing his wrist to David’s lips. Seconds ticked by in silence, but nothing happened.
“Why isn’t it working?” Ryssa demanded. “Drink, David! Swallow, damn you!”
Ana was suddenly there, shoving her bloody finger into Ryssa’s face. “Wish it!” she commanded urgently.
Ryssa recoiled, her mind too jumbled to process the familiar face before her, the one she hadn’t seen in centuries. The taste of something sweet flowed across her tongue as Ana pushed her finger into Ryssa’s mouth anyway.
“Wish it!” Ana urged. “What do you want most, Ryssa!”
“David! I want David to live!” she cried through tears she hadn’t even realized were streaking down her face.
Ryssa felt a ripple of energy travel out through her and into David. She saw him swallow – once, twice. Then two hands suddenly gripped Vlane’s arm and greedily demanded more.
“That is enough, I think,” Vlane said quietly after several long moments. He laid one hand on David’s forehead and reclaimed his arm. He flicked his tongue over his wrist, sealing the self-inflicted punctures. David’s features eased as he slipped into a peaceful, transitional slumber.
“He’s not breathing,” Ryssa said, pushing a lock of hair away from David’s face. “His heart is not beating.”
“No,” agreed Vlane. “He is vampire. He will not pass over now.”
Ryssa looked behind her. Zach flashed her a knowing smile and then vanished. But she saw another familiar face, too. Jax.
“You’re Vlane Masterson, aren’t you?” Ryssa asked, putting the pieces together.
Vlane nodded. “Come. We must get him back to the estate.”
Ryssa bit her lip and looked back down the hill. “I can’t. I have to go back.”
“Yes, you can. You are free now, Ryssa. And David needs you.”
“Free?” she blinked. “I’m...free?”
Chapter 11 – Day of Reckoning
“You really are a stupid bastard, Gilligan,” Ryssa mumbled as she held David’s hand, but there was no bite in her tone. She stroked his face, paler than the last time she had seen him, but baby smooth and free of imperfections. “But you’re my stupid bastard now.”
Beyond the beveled windows of the guest suite, the sun was making its final descent. Ryssa had been sitting by his side all day, trying to wrap her mind around everything that had happened.
Ana, the young Fae she had saved – her half-sister, lived right here in Mythic. She was happily soul-bound to a master vampire. Ana did not remember her, but that was okay; that meant the memory block placed on her all those years ago was still holding. It had been Ryssa’s only request of the demon that had taken her. As a condition of her continued willing service, all recollections of her and what had happened would be removed for Ana’s peace of mind. The Fae was such a sensitive soul, Ryssa knew that the events of that day would cause her untold anguish if allowed to remain.
Given what she had seen of Ana, Ryssa knew she’d made the right decision. Without the pain of those memories, Ana was still the warm, gentle, loving creature she had been. It would have been such a tragedy if she had lost that. Maybe someday Ryssa would tell her the truth, but for now, she would be happy if she could get to know her again. Fate had seen fit to cross their paths, and who was she to argue with Fate?
As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, David Corrigan had sacrificed himself. For her.
It made no sense. Why would he do that? How did he even know to do that? Only Jax knew her deepest secrets, and even then, he didn’t know all of them. Besides, Jax would never betray her by revealing any of that, just as she would never betray him. They’d vowed their loyalty to one another years earlier, sealed into silence by a sharing of their immortal blood.
One thing was for sure, though. She would find out, and when she did she was going to rip whoever was responsible a new one. As happy as she was to be free, too many things might have gone wrong. She’d never be able to live with herself if David had...
No, she pulled a wall down on those thoughts. They were moot. David was going to be fine. He was going to rise soon, and he was going to give her answers, damn it.
“Is he awake yet?” Jax asked from the doorway.
“No, not yet.” She turned hopeful gray eyes to her longtime friend. “Will he be okay, Jax?” Despite the mental pep talk she’d just given herself, she had to hear it from Jax. He would never lie to her.
“Better than okay. He’s got a master vamp as a sire, and an angel for a soul mate.”
She sighed. “I’m not so sure about this soul mate stuff, Jax.”
He grinned at her. “Really? He gave up his mortal life so you could be free, Ryss. And what you wanted most was for him to rise and spend eternity with you. Sounds like soul-mate material to me.”
Ryssa ignored the part about her wish and concentrated on David’s bizarre behavior. “Explain that to me, will you? Because last I checked, he wasn’t my biggest fan.”
“Apparently he had a change of heart. He was looking for you, Ryss. Hired a private investigator and everything. When Gunther refused to let him into Seven Circles again, he went back to our old place. Lenny told him to find me.”
“Lenny?” Ryssa
asked, bemused. “The weasel shifter?”
“Yeah. No surprise there,” Jax smirked. “Lenny isn’t happy that you moved out. That’s weasel-puppy love for you.”
Ryssa knew that Lenny had a crush on her, but chalked that up to the fact that she was one of the few who were actually kind to him. Once things got settled here, she was going to have to pay him a visit and bring him some of those fast-food burgers he loved so much. In the meantime, she waved her hand in a circular motion to get Jax to move on.
“Corrigan tracked me here and requested a meeting with Vlane.” He smirked. “Imagine my surprise when I was summoned into the Master’s office and saw him sitting there.”
The corners of Ryssa’s mouth quirked, knowing how Jax felt about David Corrigan. “I’m surprised you didn’t take a bite out of him right then and there.”
Jax had the good sense to look sheepish. “I almost did. Vlane stopped me.”
“And now?”
Jax shrugged with the elegance of a vampire. “He gave his life for yours. That’s earned him a second chance in my book.”
But why did he do that, Ryssa wanted to know. And how would he feel about her asking Masterson to make him vampire? Or binding him to her in the process? Unfortunately, David was the only person who could answer those questions, and he was still out cold.
“What if he doesn’t like being a vamp? What if he resents me for making that choice for him?”
“What’s not to like? He’ll be stronger and faster. He’ll never have to worry about sickness or disease or aging. And,” he said, flashing a gleaming fang and winking, “he’ll have unmatched sexual stamina and a powerful angel to make good use of it.”
“Shut up, Jax.” A rosy blush bloomed on her cheek as her gaze roamed over David’s transformed body. He had been attractive and fit before, but now he had the physical perfection of a vampire. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he’d risked not just his life but his soul for hers; she certainly couldn’t assume that when he did rise, he would be happy to find himself bound to her.
“Hey, you’re the one who said you’d take responsibility for him. Last I heard, an angel’s vow is unbreakable.” Jax winked. “He’s going to be very hungry – and very, very horny – when he wakes, Ryss. I hope you’re ready.”
The blush deepened as Jax stepped back toward the door and pulled in a small cart loaded with sweets and pastries. In the center was a family-sized box of Count Chocula. “You might want to pound the sugar and do some carb loading while you can.”
Despite her worries, Ryssa laughed. It felt like the first time in forever. She eagerly snatched up a glazed pastry and took a big bite, closing her eyes in the bliss of the sugar rush.
“So how is Karthik taking it?”
Jax’s grin grew. “He’s pretty pissed, as you can imagine. He made a nominal attempt to petition Masterson, arguing that what David did amounted to suicide – a mortal sin – and therefore should have belonged to him as the local Demon Lord, but even he knows it is pointless. David didn’t do it for selfish reasons, and we both know there’s nothing more powerful than a sacrifice for one you love.” He pinned her with a knowing glare.
David began to stir as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. “Well, that’s my cue. Good luck, Ryss.”
Jax disappeared, closing the door behind him. Ryssa turned her full attention back to the man lying on the bed.
His eyes popped open. No longer that frosty green, they now gleamed the deep, dark shade of the vampire he was.
“It’s okay, David. I’m here.”
He blinked several times before he focused on her face. “Ryssa?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Am I dead?”
She smiled at that. “Been there, done that. No more dying for you.”
He frowned, trying to put the pieces together, then searched her eyes. “It worked? You’re free?”
“Well, not exactly.”
David’s face fell, but before he could say anything, she continued. “See, this amazing guy decided to sacrifice himself for me, so I’m kind of soul-bound to him now.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but then doubled in on himself when his body cramped. “David? What is it? Should I call Vlane?”
“No, just... hungry, I think,” he managed through clenched teeth.
Of course he was. Ryssa had lived with a vamp for over seven decades. She climbed up on the bed beside him and guided his head to her neck. “I can help you with that.”
“Are you sure?” he asked doubtfully, licking his lips as his eyes fixed on the pulse beneath her jaw. “Vlane said he’s got donors...”
“I’m sure,” she said firmly. What she didn’t tell him was the thought of him feeding from anyone else resulted in an ugly clawing sensation deep in her chest. She would analyze that later, after she got a few answers. “Besides, better you cut your baby fangs on me than one of Vlane’s willing humans.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. Vampires were powerful creatures, but they were no match for an angel, fallen or otherwise. “You won’t.”
He groaned and nuzzled her neck. “You smell delicious, Ryssa.” He licked her skin, sending shivers up and down her spine. “Do you want this?”
Yes, she really did. In fact, it was a little scary how much she wanted him to bite her. All of those sparks she’d wished for with Jax so long ago were suddenly bursting all around them like a huge, multi-colored fireworks display. Or maybe that was just some of her power seeping out in anticipation.
What she said aloud was, “Least I can do.” She tipped her head back to give him better access.
She had fed Jax for years, but it had never felt like this. David’s inexperienced rooting, searching out the vein, had an effect on her entire body. Her skin grew heated, her pulse raced. A sudden ache rose in her lower core.
“Ryssa,” he moaned before his fangs sunk deep. He instinctively latched onto her neck and sucked, sending white-hot blades of need and want through her. She arched into him and pulled him closer, cradling his head, willing him to take all that he needed.
When he’d had enough, he licked the wounds in her neck, and sat back. His face was flushed from the blood he’d just ingested; his eyes glittered. Some of that could be attributed to the magick of her angel’s blood, but not all of it. She had felt the hard proof of his arousal against her thigh, knew that he had been just as turned on by the act as she had been.
Ryssa had been around enough vampires to know that feeding could be a very sensual experience, but there was some part of her that wanted to believe David’s reaction was more than just a purely physical response.
“Better?”
“Much. Do all humans taste as good as you?”
“No. And I’m not human.”
He nodded. “You’re an angel.”
“A fallen one, yes,” she confirmed. There was no sense hiding it now. “And you are a vampire.”
David exhaled, running his tongue over a glistening, sharp fang, wincing when he pierced his tongue. “So I am.”
“You’re okay with that?” she asked warily.
He chuckled, looking pointedly at her neck. “No complaints so far.”
“Why, David?”
His smile faded; his expression grew more serious. “Because it was the only way to release you from the demon.”
“But why did you do it? You despise me.”
* * *
Vlane Masterson had given him a crash course in Vamp 101 prior to the turning, so he knew that his heightened senses were probably a direct result of his transformation. But he had never expected her to look quite so beautiful; her pale skin literally glowed with magick. Her gray eyes glistened like multi-faceted smoky diamonds; her hair was ebony silk. And her scent, dear God, her scent made him want to rip off her clothes and taste every exquisite inch.
Yet all of that paled in comparison to the way he felt. He had never bee
n so aware, so connected to another person in his life. When they had talked about invoking a soul-bond, he’d never imagined this. It was as if there were a thousand invisible threads between them, urging him closer. It was attraction, magnified a hundred fold. It was glorious! Warmth and light flowed into him, through him, connecting him to this exquisite creature.
At least that’s what he felt. He had no idea if she was experiencing the same thing.
Was this what Ana Masterson had been trying to tell him? Dare he hope that this was more than a typical reaction to feeding from an angel, that Ryssa actually was his fated soul mate?
He took her hand in his, letting the warmth of her skin flow into him like molten honey. “No, Ryssa, I don’t despise you. Far from it, in fact.”
She eyed him doubtfully. He couldn’t blame her. He had treated her poorly from the very beginning, and she had no idea how drastically he had changed since then. Well, besides the obvious.
He shook his head, wishing there was an easier way to explain it to her without sounding ingenuous. “I didn’t understand, Ryssa. I thought you were like all the others trying to profit on my misery. I’m so sorry.”
She smiled a little. “I guess I can’t blame you. The truth is a little hard to swallow.”
“Yeah.” Truth. He’d learned a lot of truths over the past few weeks. The scruffy girl with the Goth fetish was really an angel in disguise. Demons existed and ran BDSM clubs. Vampires were real. And oh yeah, according to a thousand year old monk-turned-bloodsucker, he was the fated soul mate of a fallen angel, one whose blood now ran through his veins, making him feel like a freaking god. Happy didn’t begin to describe the way that last “truth” made him feel.
Complete. Wanted. Loved.
He didn’t pretend to understand it, but what he did know was that now that he had her, he had no intentions of letting her go. Dark, feral possessive instincts rose up within him. He would eviscerate anything that tried to take her away from him. It was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.
Was she experiencing the same thing? Could she sense the rightness? He had no idea if Ryssa knew about the whole soul-mate thing, and he didn’t quite know how to ask.
Fallen Angel: Mythic Series, Book 2 Page 10
