Part 22 (1/2)

Sebastian's tongue lightly followed the contours of my earlobe. A hot spike of delight throbbed between my legs. ”I can't. Not here.”

”I don't know if I can wait,” Sebastian whispered. His teeth nicked my ear again. ”I'm weak.”

He'd never get enough from that tiny pinp.r.i.c.k. I turned around and kissed him hard on the mouth. We usually avoided tongues when his fangs had dropped because they were sharp enough to sever flesh to the bone. So it didn't take much before our mouths filled with blood.

I started to gag, but his arms pulled me tightly to him. Somehow his hands, still ice -cold, found their way under my coat and sweater. My skin raised in gooseflesh. My nipples stiffened as his fingers found the swell of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

All the while, Matyas was two feet away.

I s.h.i.+vered. Sebastian's hands began to warm as he expertly stoked my pa.s.sion.

Then, as a complete mood killer, I heard Matyas moan. It was more of a weak, protesting kind of sound, but still. Meanwhile, Tereza made sucking sounds.

I pulled my lips from Sebastian. ”Okay, this is just too weird.”

Sebastian looked dazed. His eyes were completely dilated, and my blood was on his lips. ”Just a little more,” he said.

I shook my head. ”I'm all for father-son bonding, but this-”

Sebastian plunged his teeth into my neck before I had a chance to finish my sentence. My first panicked thought was: I'm going to die. But even though I'd underestimated how hungry Sebastian was, he apparently still had enough sense and willpower to aim for the muscles of the lower part of my neck. Even so, I wasn't used to being nabbed like this. All I could do was look over his shoulder and hold on tight.

His teeth-all of them-broke my skin. Involuntarily, I gasped. Lilith began to ripple along my nerves. I could feel her strength digging my fingernails deep into Sebastian's back.

But, after the initial bite, the violence of the experience mutated into something much, much more s.e.xy. Sebastian 's tongue probed and tasted tentatively. Meanwhile, his hands stayed busy, keeping me distracted by fondling and stroking my ribs, b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and stomach.

Lilith relaxed slightly, but I could sense her wariness just under the surface. For my part, I still felt strangely paralyzed and could only watch the growing darkness. Stars had begun to appear. I felt a little dreamy, like the pain belonged to someone else. I thought, maybe, I could let go and float up into the sky.

”You're killing her, Papa,” Matyas said drily. ”Not that it matters to me, but you were planning on marrying this particular chew toy.”

Somewhere, far away, I heard Tereza hiss. Then, without further warning, Sebastian and I were pulled apart. Tereza grabbed my arm. The copper tang of blood on her breath as well as her cloying scent of decay choked me. ”Mine,” she said, her fangs bared.

That was all the excuse Lilith needed. I felt my body go all Jackie Chan. I pulled away from her and raised my foot to slam it squarely into her solar plexus. She flew backward into the snow.

”No, child, mine,” I said with Lilith's voice. I crouched, ready for action. My fists were raised slightly in front of me.

”Such a lovely moment,” Matyas said to his father as he helped Tereza to her feet. ”You must feel like the faerie princess the knights fight over.”

”Shut up,” Sebastian said quietly. Then, looking at me, he added, ”Anyway, there's no contest. I've already made my choice.”

”Like a raindrop in the ocean,” Tereza said. She had a steadying hand on Matyas's shoulder. Though, given how pale Matyas's face looked, I wasn't sure who was supporting whom. ”Choices are ripples.”

We all stood silently in the snow for a moment, as though absorbing Tereza's words of wisdom.

Finally, I said, ”Did that make sense?”

”You'll return to true, Von Traum,” Tereza said. ”You always do.”

”Not this time,” he said. ”I've carried your burden long enough. I've buried and reburied you a thousand times. But you're free of death now. Go with my blessings.”

”You think you can dismiss her so easily?” Matyas said with a snarl.

”If only,” I muttered to myself. The moon was coming up on the horizon. My cheeks felt frozen solid. My ear tip began to throb where Sebastian had nibbled at it.

”I'm doing more than dismissing her,” Sebastian said. Despite the dark, when I looked up into his face, I thought I could see a faint golden glow around the circle of his pupils. ”I'm breaking the blood bond.”

Moving with superspeed, Sebastian s.n.a.t.c.hed a fistful of Tereza's hair. She screeched with indignation. Returning to a position some distance from her, their eyes locked.

”What? What are you doing?” Matyas shouted. ”No! You can't!”

”I have to,” Sebastian said sadly. ”Besides,” he added, looking at me, ”she has another Sire. I'm absolutely sure of that now.

Maybe it won't kill her.”

”Maybe?” Matyas repeated. ”Don't.”

He dropped his fangs and bit deeply into his other palm. Blood and hair mixed and, to my surprise, began to smolder. Matyas had said that when Tereza had bitten Sebastian, there'd been a flash. Perhaps their bond, being mostly made of volatile magic, was literally explosive.

Tereza screamed as if pierced by an unseen arrow. She clutched at her heart and fell to her knees. After shooting Sebastian a withering glance, Matyas sank into the snow beside her and threw his arms around her shoulders.

Sebastian started muttering something in Latin . . . or German . . . or Greek. Honestly, I had no idea, but it sounded impressive.

Though I didn't know what the words meant, I could tell the sounds repeated. He was saying the same thing over and over, like a chant or a spell.

”You can't do this,” Matyas begged. ”Are you trying to kill her?”

I glanced up at Sebastian. His face was stern and resolute as he continued to repeat the phrases.

”Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked quietly. Tereza didn't seem to be faring very well. Her skin had started to shrivel.

”Mother, oh G.o.d, no,” Matyas shouted. He stood up, his hands balled into fists. He launched himself at Sebastian. ”Stop! I won't let you kill her!”

I, stupidly, stepped in between them. We all went over into the snow like a football skirmish. I heard Sebastian grunt underneath me when we hit the ground at full force, but he went on with his spell otherwise uninterrupted. Matyas tried to get his arms around his father 's throat. I mostly just tried to untangle myself. Sebastian continued to drone out the magical words. I could hear Tereza whimpering.

”Maybe you should stop,” I said to Sebastian, once I'd freed myself from the various body parts I'd been wedged between. I was on my hands and knees. Sebastian held Matyas's wrists at arm's length. Tereza had curled into a fetal position and appeared to be smoldering.

After the illicit kiss in the woods, I knew Sebastian needed to prove his love for me. But I didn't want him to kill Tereza to do it. The fact that he'd even consider tying to break the bond seemed like proof enough to me. Besides, Matyas would never forgive Sebastian if he killed Tereza.

And Tereza did not look healthy.

”Stop!” I shouted, but no one listened. Matyas continued to grapple with his dad, and Sebastian continued to repeat his measured phrase. I knew that if I called up Lilith, that would be the end of everything. She 'd see all of them as a threat and, instead of a wedding, I'd be attending a funeral. Several of them.

Things were getting desperate, so I called out to Athena again. This time, however, I took little time to prepare. I simply asked for help.

Suddenly, I felt a presence. Looking over at Tereza, I saw Athena standing over her once again. Athena wore full battle armor, including a feather-crested helmet like the one Brad Pitt wore in Troy. She held a spear and a short sword in her muscular hands.