Beautiful Eternity (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 3)

by Alicia Deters

  I turned to glare at Max as an explosion of heat flared dangerously close to my back. Luckily, my black leather jacket withstood the flames. I came to my feet. Allison rushed past me as I stepped back into the moonlight. The sound of gurgling and moaning ended. Behind me, another flare of heat tossed my loose tresses around my face.

  “Ow, that’s really hot.” Allison’s complaint interrupted the other scuffling sounds around me, but I continued my standoff with Max.

  He dropped the offending crossbow and punched his current attacker. Brody pounced from behind to continue where Max left off.

  Max noticed my evil eye, and I crossed my arms over my chest, shifting my weight to one leg and popping out my hip to give him the full effect of my annoyance.

  “What?” he asked, all innocent and unrepentant.

  “Don’t what me. Have you been practicing with that thing at all?”

  “Oh, that? Yeah, sorry about that, Luce. But hey, I see you’ve gotten better at dodging them.”

  “I’m a fast learner where pain is involved. Those things sting like a bitch. Being hit once by them is enough for one lifetime. Do me a favor next time and don’t close your eyes!”

  “Hey, it all worked out in the end, right?”

  “Lucy, what the hell? I had that one back there. You’re not supposed to take all our kills.”

  “Nick, if you had that one, he wouldn’t have been sneaking up behind me. Sorry I didn’t let him kill me so you could take your sweet time getting there.”

  He cradled his left forearm when he wasn’t under attack, reminding me they didn’t have the same nifty ability to heal instantly like me.

  “Burrrrrnnnn,” Brody mocked as he swiped a leg at the remaining male vampire’s ankles.

  The vampire jumped, avoiding the takedown. When his fangs came within an inch of Brody’s neck, I intervened, yanking him back by his collar.

  “Hey, Lucy, I really do have this one,” Brody complained.

  The female vampire, with hair blacker than her demon eyes, shoved me from the side. And back into the shadows I flew. Two strong arms banded around my waist midair, spinning us both in a circle. My feet hit the ground, but the arms remained tightly wound around my midsection, not that I was complaining.

  Spying Brody over the three on one skirmish with the female vampire, I watched him drive a stake through the male vampire’s heart. “Sorry, Brody. Clearly, you had that one.”

  The smooth voice came from behind me, speaking for the first time during the battle. “She can’t help herself sometimes. At least she’s actually working with others now. There was a time when she would have rather let a group of vampires take turns stabbing her than ask for anyone’s help.”

  I whipped around so fast, the arms around me were forced to loosen, but his strong hands never left my body. They settled over my hips, underneath my jacket where they branded me through my grey burnout t-shirt. Even though it was the barest of touches, it was possessive and utterly distracting.

  When I met those smug crystal blue eyes, I narrowed my gaze as the insult returned. “I wasn’t that bad. I did ask for your help, as I recall. Eventually.”

  One corner of his mouth stretched higher and he ducked his head into my personal space. “That’s only because you thought I was sexy.”

  I failed miserably at hiding my smile. “Is there a better reason?”

  Allison stopped engaging the female vampire long enough to add her two cents. “Would have been reason enough for me.”

  Normally, my jealousy would have ran hot through my veins, but I knew she no longer had any interest in Gavin, or any vampire, in a romantic capacity. She was making an effort to accept him, and me as well, so I couldn’t be mad about it.

  Behind her, I beamed at Max’s flawless execution of a kill move. As the vampire swung a back hand toward him, he ducked as he withdrew his most coveted weapon, the push dagger. Snaking his arm under hers, he thrust the dagger up into her chest cavity with lightning speed.

  It was done with such precision and focus, I felt like a proud momma, beaming at her baby’s first steps. Wade would have been impressed with his student.

  I rushed over to hug him as I whispered that into his ear.

  “Thanks, Luce.” He pulled back but couldn’t hide the sheen in his espresso eyes.

  Although it hadn’t been the successful practice they hoped for, it was a bonding experience that brought us closer together. It had the desired effect of renewing everyone’s sense of purpose, reminding them all of their reasons for being Keepers.

  †

  My phone buzzed with an incoming text, and I scanned the message that flashed briefly before going as dark as the night around us. “That was Max. They’re done at the hospital. Nick’s fine. It’s just a hairline ulnar fracture.”

  “That’s good news.” Gavin shifted next to me so that his knee brushed against mine. We both sat cross legged with our hands spread behind us for support. My fingers interlaced with his as we absorbed our spectacular view.

  Perched on top of an upper section of wall above one of the most well-known buildings on the planet, we watched the beginning of dawn creep into the night sky. The Colosseum was truly a masterpiece of architecture. When I couldn’t even tear my eyes away to stare at the first and only wonder of my world sitting next to me, that said something about its awesomeness.

  It took a conscious effort to turn my head, and once I did, my eyes locked onto the slight cleft in his chin and chiseled jawline as he stargazed. My heart got stuck somewhere in my larynx. I still had trouble believing this man was mine.

  “I love you.”

  His mouth curved into a smirk. “Did you just tell my chin you love it?”

  “Well, I love you too, but damn, Mr. West, your face belongs in one of those museums down there.”

  He laughed and it was a hearty and rich sound I don’t hear often enough. “I love you too, Ms. Masters.” His eyes found mine in the dark and glittered with faint moonlight and tenderness.

  I wasn’t sure who moved first, but we were now only an inch away from each other. His lips sought mine, soft and slow, like we had all the time in the world. His hand cupped my face as his fingers splayed around my ear, getting lost in my hair. My mouth melded with his, and he parted the seam easily, his tongue in search of mine.

  I met him in a sensual dance, every nerve ending sparking to life under his sure touch. When I needed more, his hand left my face to tug my lower back toward him. I slid down to my elbows, then my back. He hovered half above me while supporting his other half with his elbow. His hand stayed at my hip while his thumb skated under my t-shirt and his fingers sought the skin under my waistband. He slowed the kiss and took his sweet time pulling back.

  I gasped when I saw the love shining down at me from his full and open eyes. I felt it down to my soul, and I was sure he could feel my love in return.

  “This probably isn’t the best place to start something,” he said.

  “But it is pretty romantic.”

  “That it is.” He leaned down to give me a tender kiss before pulling me back up into a sitting position.

  I straightened my clothes as he got his breathing under control. I knew this was still difficult for him to be intimate, but he was an incredibly disciplined man. I saw how hard he fought to check himself, and I loved him even more for trying.

  “I reached out to an old friend of yours, who recommended we talk to Cardinal Trevisani. I’ve arranged the meeting early, before the public has access to the Cathedral.”

  “My friend?” My mind raced but there were few possibilities, and of those, much fewer possibilities that had ties with the Vatican. “You spoke with Father Thomas?”

  He nodded. “I had a very long chat with him about many things. One being the lasting impression you made on him.”

  “Really? Anything else?” I prodded, my thoughts returning to the favor I asked of him only days ago.

  “Yes. I donated enough money to keep the church
going and to fix it up, as well as enough to open up a soup kitchen for the community. His only condition for accepting such a generous offer was that he gets to see our faces around every once in a while.”

  I felt the smile spreading widely across my face. “Done.” I couldn’t hold back my enthusiasm and launched myself at Gavin, leaping into his lap and tackling him to the ground. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

  He laughed a deep belly laugh that rumbled through me. His smiling eyes met mine. “Anything to see you this happy, Lucy.”

  We sat up, but I didn’t leave his lap. My hands gripped his shoulders, and the space between us grew thick with renewed heat. I wanted to help him in some way so he didn’t have to struggle so much. I thought about my friends and how talking it out seemed to help build bridges with them.

  “Gavin, will you tell me about your past? The darker times?”

  His gaze dropped to where his hands rested on the tops of my legs, fitting perfectly in the crease where they met my hips. His thumbs trailed back and forth across my inner thighs, but it was more of a soothing gesture than playtime. For him, anyway.

  Super distracting for me. Of course my hormones would invade this very unsexy conversation, because they can’t just relax or take a break for a minute while he’s within ten feet of me.

  Focus, Lucy.

  His thoughts were far away, in a different era. “I never killed anyone myself, but I never stopped it from happening.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was constantly at odds with myself. On one hand, I craved the taste of human blood, and the violence of the act, but on the other, my conscience always held me back. It never let me take that last drop from anyone. I felt their fear, and it was like a leash I could never break. It made me resentful. I hated humans for making me feel something, so I turned to torture as a form of payback, not only to them, but to fate for cursing me with a conscience.”

  I kept my grip on his shoulders, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to hear this. This wasn’t about me, though. He needed this to move on. Manning up, I squeezed his muscles gently with encouragement.

  “Go on.”

  “I devised ways to satisfy those dark urges. Violence and cruelty became an outlet. I made it a game to see how far I could push my victims to the brink without killing them. It was more about killing their will to live. I thought it would make it easier to strip them of hope so they’d stop feeling things all together and I wouldn’t have to endure it. It worked for a time.

  “For years, I kept a few humans locked up and would feed off of them, drawing out the pain, breaking them. And my fangs weren’t the only things I used to drain them. I enjoyed blades, savored the feel of skin tearing and the horror filled screams that echoed off the unhearing walls. I’d bring them right to the brink of death, and then I’d release them into the night, knowing what would happen to them on the street, weak and alone.”

  So did I. He fed them to monsters that came out at night. I squeezed my eyes shut against the sudden rush of tears. I could picture it all too clearly. The Gavin I witnessed back in Thunder Bay was a torturer, an oppressor who got off on suffering. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I wouldn’t allow that Gavin to ever resurface. He needed to know I had his back.

  Opening my eyes, I sought his gaze and didn’t release it. “You’re not him anymore. I’ll never let you become him again. I promise you, Gavin. I’m here for you, and I’m not going anywhere. Neither are you,” I vowed, knowing I’d do anything to keep that promise.

  His tortured glacial eyes sought the truth to my words, and I let him see it, wishing I could shove them deep in his soul, so he’d believe them. The tension crept slowly out of his shoulders, and his forehead fell to mine.

  “You’ve always been the one to save me from myself, Lucy.”

  “And I’ll do it over and over again if I have to. Seriously. And I’ll wait for sex until you’re ready. I won’t pressure you or anything.”

  That earned me another chuckle that made me smile. “That statement is a little ironic coming from the virgin.”

  I smacked his chest. “Watch it, West!”

  “Kidding, gorgeous. It will get easier to control in time. It already has, but I think you’re right. You really should keep your eager hands away for now.”

  “Are you looking for a fight right now, because I’m not afraid to hurt you.”

  He laughed again, and I continued to bask in the sound. We were going to be just fine. I’d make sure of it.

  †

  The hotel in the heart of Rome reminded me more of an ornate museum than your average Best Western. Afraid of leaving fingerprints, I avoided contact with anything that looked older than my boyfriend, which happened to be everything.

  We made it back to our room, barely beating the sunrise, and I took a shower before we had to go meet with the Cardinal that Father Thomas suggested. I considered knocking on Sophie’s door to see what kind of progress she’s made with her translations, but even as astute as she was, she never rose before the sun. The others were sound asleep by now, and hopefully, Nick was taking care of his arm.

  No words were spoken as Gavin and I made the trek to Vatican City, the early morning sun slicing through buildings, bringing warm rays of spring. Finally!

  “So, what am I supposed to call him?”

  “What do you mean?” Gavin asked.

  “Well, am I supposed to address him as Your Holiness or something?”

  His soft chuckle drifted through the corridors we darted through at sound barrier speeds. “It’s common courtesy to call him Your Eminence.”

  “No shit. That’s awesome. I want to be called Your Eminence.”

  “There might be a few qualifications you don’t meet for that title, gorgeous. Sorry.”

  “Hmm, will I get in trouble if I call him by something else?”

  “Well, you could always go with Cardinal Trevisani.”

  “That’s not as fun.”

  Gavin’s laugh rang through the streets but was sharply cut off with a grunt of pain.

  “What’s wrong?” I came to a full stop next to him.

  “Nothing. We’re here.”

  I glanced up and did a double take, momentarily forgetting Gavin’s discomfort. We stood at the end of a well-traveled street. Traffic buzzed by on either side of us, and the wide roadway was highlighted by Hulk-sized lampposts made of concrete. These things were at least three times taller than the actual stoplights and marked the way to the Vatican like runway lights. At the end stood an even grander structure.

  “St. Peter’s Basilica,” Gavin said, breaking my trance. “That’s where you’ll be meeting the Cardinal.”

  “Wait, don’t you mean we?”

  “Lucy, it appears that I can’t actually enter into the Vatican without some severe discomfort. I wasn’t sure how the Shadowmarked blood in me would react to such a high concentration of Holy artifacts. This place is saturated in religion, and apparently, my darkness recognizes its antithesis.”

  “Well… crap.” I tuned into all my senses, reaching out to feel my surroundings, and then I felt it. It was the slightest irritation, scratching at the very edge of my misplaced soul. Uneasiness, tinged with the slightest bit of unwelcome houseguest syndrome, crept through me.

  “You’ll be fine, Lucy. He’s expecting you so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting inside.”

  He kissed me quickly and ushered me forward. “I’ll be waiting for you when you’re finished. You’ll find me.”

  I could only nod my head as I turned from him and started forward, feeling more like I was the idiot in a horror movie stepping into the dark, abandoned house alone. I wasn’t sure what I expected since it wasn’t open to the public yet, but there were people who milled about everywhere, some tourists already out with their cameras and others who bustled around with purpose like they belonged here.

  I came to an expansive square, pierced through the center with what looked like a miniat
ure Washington Monument, only with a cross on top. Bypassing that, I came to the main entrance of the Basilica, where it was partitioned off to guide tourists, and paused. Was I supposed to knock or something?

  Just when I moved forward to sneak in the Lucy way, a group of robed priests approached. Maybe I wouldn’t have to break in.

  “Buongiorno!” the first one who caught my eye exclaimed.

  “Hi. Sorry, I don’t speak Italian, but I’m supposed to meet someone.”

  A priest in the back with white hair stepped forward. “I speak English. We can assist you. Who are you here to see?”

  “Cardinal Trevisani.”

  He looked at me with a question in his cloudy eyes, but recognition sparked in the third priest’s eyes. “Ah, si.”

  He conversed in Italian with the white haired man, and the priest turned to me with a renewed smile.

  “Follow us, ma’am. We will go in search of him with you.”

  “Thank you, Father…” I fished for a name to use.

  “Martine.”

  “Father Martine,” I finished.

  “This is Father Cornelius.” He gestured to the first man before turning to the one who knew of Cardinal Trevisani. “And this is Father Francisco.”

  They gave me warm smiles at the sound of their introductions and I returned them. They led me through the entrance, and when we made it to the Nave, as Father Martine called it, my jaw dropped for the second time.

  “Wow.” My voice echoed through the enormous space, and I turned to the priests. “Sorry,” I whispered.

  “This way, miss,” said Father Martine warmly as he extended an arm down the vast corridor ahead.

  We glided softly down the aisle as my eyes absorbed every ornate detail in the sprawling arches above, as well as in the arched ceiling, and every etched Latin word inlaid throughout the walls. Not that I understood them, but it gave me chills to be standing in a place filled with such a rich history, just like the Colosseum had done mere hours ago. Two smaller corridors ran parallel to us as we drew closer to an impressive altar.