Текст книги "Burning Blood"

Автор книги: Pepper winters

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 22 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

Chapter Fifty-Four

LUCIEN TURNED MURDEROUS. “WAS THAT something else her parents asked you to monitor? To make sure she never took the necklace off?”

I waited for Dillon to deny it.

For him to remain trustworthy and safe but...

His eyes clouded over as he shifted awkwardly.

“Whisper,” Lucien murmured.

The panther instantly shot to his paws, tail going dart-straight.

Dillon flinched and shot me a guilty look. “I did know you could never take it off. That it was a matter of life or death that you kept it on.”

“Why?” I asked, cutting Lucien off before he could blow the office apart.

“Do you remember about six years ago when you did your typical vanishing act, and I found you in the Maldives?”

I frowned; all my travels were a blur. A never-ending mess of pain and nausea as I searched the world for peace. “Vaguely.” I shrugged. “You were there when I woke one morning, fast asleep on the love seat.”

“I was asleep because for thirty-six hours you wouldn’t wake. I thought you were going to die on me.”

“What? Why?”

Lucien’s death grip on me tightened.

“You were on an island with thirty-five Celsius heat, yet...when I finally found you and knocked on your villa door, the windows were frosted—from the inside.”

Lucien’s heart hitched against my back.

“I showed my credentials at the front desk, they gave me a key, and when I went inside...it looked more like an igloo than a tropical suite.” Shaking his head, his voice turned quiet. “I’m talking literal walls covered in ice. The air so dry and cold, it threatened to stick my lungs together. And there you were, completely blue and not moving on the floor. I honestly thought you were dead.”

Lucien’s arm slid fully around my waist, anchoring me tight.

Why didn’t I remember this?

“I carried you out,” Dillon continued. “You were so cold, you gave me frostbite. Luckily, everyone was asleep and I carried you straight into the sea. The ocean was at least twenty-five degrees Celsius, but even that couldn’t thaw you.” He sniffed. “And then I noticed your necklace was missing and I remembered your mother telling me that you must never take it off. She never told me why, but...she was so insistent about it, she even wrote it into my contract.”

Lucien’s voice was low and dangerous. “What happened next?”

“I took her back inside and found the chain had snagged on the dress she’d been in the process of removing. The raindrop charm was under the bed.” Catching my eyes, he spoke to me, “I tried placing it on you without the chain and it did help. But the moment you started to come round, you’d roll over, knock it off, and start freezing all over again. I went to the hotel gift shop the second it opened and bought the strongest silver necklace they had. I fastened it back into place, waited almost an entire day for you to rouse, then passed out. When I woke, you were already gone.”

“I...I had no idea,” I whispered. “I don’t remember any of that.”

“Why would you?” Dillon said softly. “You were unconscious. And it’s not like I wanted to tell you. You didn’t seem to know what would happen if you stopped wearing that charm.”

“So that’s why you don’t seem shocked about all of this,” Lucien muttered. “You’ve already seen what she can do.”

“Seen, yes. But I’m not comfortable.” Looking around as if afraid the walls had ears, he lowered his voice. “I...might’ve seen a few things in the labs when Rook was younger. Heard stories from other guards who didn’t last long after asking questions. Like I said, you don’t mess with what you don’t know and the less I knew the better.”

Lucien stared at him for a long time.

It grew awkward again and Whisper got up to prowl around Dillon’s chair.

“So you put the necklace back on her,” Lucien said coldly. “You sound quite proud about that fact.”

“Proud? No. I was just grateful I was able to help her.”

“But what if you didn’t?” Lucien needled. “What if you condemned her to yet more pain, nausea, and blackouts?”

“How could that be?” Genuine unhappiness filled Dillon’s face. “What’s he on about, Rook?”

I sighed with a wince. “It’s fine, Dil. I didn’t even know it myself until recently.”

“Know what?”

“That her necklace was the reason she was so sick,” Lucien so helpfully advised. “It wasn’t whatever disorder she called it—it was the pendant and some sort of frequency keeping her trapped. Her emotions became weapons against her.”

“But...when I found her that night, she was on the brink of death.” Dillon frowned. “She was hardly breathing. The necklace saved her.”

“Oh God,” I gasped. “That...actually makes sense.”

“How?” Dillon asked. “What makes sense?”

“It didn’t save me, it...” I gulped, my mind racing with the past. “It might’ve been prolonging my death for as long as possible.”

Everything suddenly made horrific sense. Lucien’s vitalsync core, my necklace. Yes, they were traps but...without them, we would’ve been dead years ago.

Dillon stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“My parents’ experiments.” I dug through foggy memories, fighting to see if I was right. “The only animals that lasted any length of time were the ones they blocked from ascending, remember? They wore a frequency collar to stop the effects from accelerating too fast. It...stopped their bodies from breaking down.”

My heart sprinted as I turned to look at Lucien. “Remember what I told you? That the lab animals always died on the brink of evolution? What if that was us? What if the frequency wasn’t just designed to trap us but to hold us in stasis? You almost died when you reached critical level in the cave on your own. I almost died when I wasn’t wearing my necklace. But together...we were okay. We pulled through. What if we’re the reason we were able to survive the transition?”

Dillon squeezed the back of his nape. “See? This is why I don’t want to know. This is way above my paygrade.”

Lucien and I ignored him. “Could that be possible?” His eyes flared wide. “Are you saying if you hadn’t been with me when I defibbed the vitalsync core, I would’ve died when I burned up the first time?”

“Every single one of the animals my parents tested on never survived. Biological matter can’t withstand the kind of rewrite they were trying to achieve.”

Lucien’s fingers tightened on my hip. “Rewrite?”

“Cells aren’t built to last forever. They’re meant to replicate and decay. They’re literally programmed to die so new cells can take their place.” My throat tightened, remembering my mother’s teachings. “The fire inside you killed off the old cells in order to take their place but...human organs can’t cope with that level of power. The body goes into systemic collapse.”

“This is all based on the theory that we were tampered with.”

I sagged a little. “It is. But...it’s kind of proven now.”

“But if we helped each other...” Lucien frowned. “What does that mean?”

“No idea.” I exhaled heavily. “It’s all guesswork. I’m just...thinking aloud.”

“Well, think louder.” Lucien didn’t blink. “Are you telling me we’ll die if we don’t have the other? Are we locked in some sort of curse that only functions if we’re together?”

“I...” Had no reply to that. Another question made me sit straight as an arrow. “Dil...have you ever heard of the R gene? Have you ever read a file that might suggest my parents had something to do with Lucien...as well as me? Any paperwork with the name Ashfall or Furnace Heart?”

Dillon frowned. “I don’t think so.”

My shoulders deflated.

“Actually...”

I winced. “Actually?”

“Now that you mention it...I might have heard the name Ashfall at some point.”

Lucien went absolutely, lethally still.

I waited for him to lose it, but...he merely swallowed hard and changed the subject. “Tell me, Dillon. Knowing what you do now—knowing that the necklace is the reason Rook spent her entire life in misery...would you put the pendant back on her?”

“What sort of question is that?” Dillon glowered. “Of course I wouldn’t if it hurt her, but...if what you just said is true and it was the only thing keeping her alive...what choice did I have?”

“And if I’m the one keeping her alive now...will you try to take her away from me?”

Dillon eyed us before shaking his head. “No. If she’s happy and safe and no longer in pain, then I’m happy for her. I don’t need to know anything else.”

“If Snowflake Corp orders you to bring her back—if they command you to sedate her and drag her back in chains, what would you do?”

“Okay, now you’re just getting on my nerves.” Dillon sat taller. “As far as I’m concerned Rook is Snowflake Corp. She’s in charge. I’m loyal only to her. And she wouldn’t exactly order me to hurt herself now, would she?”

“What if governments find out? What if people in very high places try to harm her...then what?”

“Then I guess I’ll be very unpopular in multiple countries.”

“You’re prepared to die to protect her?”

“I was prepared to do that well before she met you, you asshole.”

“Fine.” Grabbing me in his strong arms, Lucien suddenly swooped to his feet.

I squeaked as his hands deliberately skated over my body before placing me carefully on my feet.

“You can sleep in the study. I’ll have Auntie Mei find you a free pavilion tomorrow.” Pointing in Dillon’s face, he added, “I don’t like you. I don’t trust you, but you can stay.” Snatching my hand, his skin burned volcanically hot. “Do your job and protect her. But for tonight, do not leave this room.”

“Fine.” Dillon settled deeper in the chair. Reaching into one of his many jacket pockets, he pulled out a granola bar. “After the past few days I’ve had, sitting still is a luxury.”

Lucien tugged me toward the door. “Come with me.”

“Wait.” I tried slamming on the brakes. “I can’t just leave him. He needs a blanket, pyjamas—”

“Do you want me to throw you over my shoulder? Because I will.”

“Oh.” I stopped fighting.

He dragged me back to his room so fast, it almost felt as if he summoned those smoky wings and flew.

Chapter Fifty-Five

I KICKED THE DOOR CLOSED, RIGHT in Whisper’s face, leaving him outside with the stone lions.

Heat roared through me, growing worse with every heartbeat.

Dillon.

Something ugly tore loose inside me.

I didn’t trust him.

I didn’t trust myself—

Rook backed away from me, her eyes wide. “Lucien...?”

That bastard had had her for years.

I’d only had her for a few weeks.

Jealousy tore through me. Smoke poured out of my back. Cinders floated around us, looking like fiery snowflakes.

I couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t think.

I burned.

I caught her in three strides, imprisoned her cheeks with my hands, and kissed her punishingly hard.

She gasped as I took her.

She moaned as I licked her.

And she knew.

She knew this wasn’t about sex.

This was deeper than territorial jealousy. This was primal and urgent, and I needed her to calm me down. To balance me out. To help me.

Icy air buffeted me as her power answered mine.

Her skin crackled with frost, and I kissed her harder with a grateful groan.

She kissed me back, gripping my hips and pulling me into her.

Marching her backward, kissing her all the way, I didn’t stop until her back hit one of the carved pillars.

She moaned as I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth.

Fire snapped along my teeth and...I bit her. Not by choice but by something far bigger than me. Something colossally powerful that couldn’t contain itself in this feeble human body—not unless it had her.

The taste of her silver-shine blood filled my mouth—sharp as frost and bright as lightning and every smoky, unstable part of me locked onto her.

If she was right that we’d kept each other alive during the crux of our evolution—if we’d somehow become more than mortal the moment our bones had healed and blood had turned metallic, then...that meant we weren’t just lovers but the very key to our existence.

A furnace heart and an ice heart.

A never-ending ouroboros where we nurtured and fed off each other, staying sane beneath gifts we never should have been given.

Our kiss turned reckless and breathless as I sucked her taste right into my soul.

She moaned as I hunted her tongue with mine, fighting me to suck my lip into her mouth...just like I’d done to her.

My eyes flared as she bit me.

Hard.

Hard enough to break the skin and release golden-tinted blood.

Copper and ash tainted our kiss but then...her blood mingled with mine and—

A shockwave tore through us.

That tether around my heart twanged as if she’d hit it with a sledgehammer.

I collapsed against her, trapping her against the pillar as the world stopped. Dust motes literally froze as if heaven itself stopped breathing.

And then, time caught up and imploded.

We turned into frenzied creatures, needing to connect, to join.

Spinning her around, I locked my mouth on her neck as I grabbed handfuls of my mother’s dress, hoisting it up her perfect frost-glittering legs. A huge snowflake spread out like an intricate carpet beneath her feet, lacing outward to crawl up the walls.

Holding onto the pillar, she stepped a little wider, welcoming me to take.

The power inside me opened its eyes and I couldn’t stop the roar of fire as it poured free.

Fumbling with my trousers, I unzipped, unsheathed, and ducked to position myself directly where I needed her.

“If I don’t anchor myself inside you right now, I’m going to burn this mountain down.”

“Do it,” she moaned, resting her forehead against the frozen pillar. Her hips arched as my arm wrapped tight around her waist. My other hand slammed above her head.

She filled my heart to catastrophic levels. She made me hard and jealous, ruthless and afraid, and I didn’t know if I wanted to wrap her in clouds and place her on a pedestal or strip her down and make her bleed.

And when I mounted her—when our bodies became one and she shuddered in my arms—I felt...whole.

Complete.

Our pulses synchronised.

Our hearts fell into fated balance.

Looking over her shoulder, her gaze locked on my mouth. I lowered my head and captured her lips, kissing her deep and slow as my hips rocked into hers.

“If anyone ever tries to take you away from me,” I growled into our kiss. “I’ll burn the world to ash.”

Her lips twitched into a smile. “Then don’t let them take me.”

I kissed her like I was trying to devour her. I fucked her like I was trying to trap an angel in my hell. Raw, unbridled fury poured through me; the room vanished with black smoke.

Her coldness soaked into my burning marrow, her skin like winter, and that inescapable bond solidified and strengthened—adding yet another layer, another unbreakable vow.

Arching her hips, she impaled herself deeper onto me and I lost myself entirely.

We set a rhythm that threatened to break us into pieces.

And when she came, I fell off that cliff with her.

Only to burn all over again.

* * * * *

We turned ravenous that night.

Each time we collapsed, we had mere moments before reaching for each other again.

I forgot that I’d locked Whisper outside and couldn’t think of a single thing apart from her.

It was the best fucking night of my life.

Chapter Fifty-Six

“LUCIEN? YOU AWAKE?” Something sharp pinched my side.

My arms wrapped tightly around Rook as she struggled to get free. “Stop that.”

“We can’t spend another day in bed.” She pinched me again. “The sun is up.”

“Are you seriously saying you got enough sleep?” Cracking open my eyes, I squinted at the blazing sun doing its best to incinerate my bedroom. “I’m exhausted.”

“But wasn’t it the best?” She pressed snowy kisses along my shoulder, making a delicious shiver shoot down my back. She snuggled against me again, and every corner of my heart collapsed.

She was the only one.

The only one who would ever tame me.

I would do fucking anything to protect her.

My hands balled as my thoughts grew dark.

If my enemies so much as looked at her, I wouldn’t just kill them—I would pull out their tendons, smash apart their bones, flay off their skin, and eat their hearts raw.

“You’re smoking and random images of bloody hearts are popping into my head.” She frowned as she shifted away. “Whatever you’re thinking...stop it.”

I chuckled and shoved away my bloodlust.

Whisper grunted as if he agreed.

At some point, after we’d destroyed each other for the sixth or seventh time, we’d let Whisper inside, apologised profusely to the grumpy panther, then all piled into bed together.

Smacking a kiss on my cheek, she said, “I’m going to take a shower and find Dillon.”

That woke me up.

Rolling onto my back, I dragged her with me, bare skin to bare skin, hot to cold.

Her fingers strayed down my belly, toying with the hair leading straight south.

I held my breath as her fingers kept walking but then she froze with a sharp little breath. “Shit.”

“Shit?” I locked gazes with her even as I grew hard just from the anticipation of her touching me. Seemed I was making up for all those celibate years where I refused to touch a woman just in case I made her—

“Fuck.” I shot upright. “How the hell did we not think of this before?”

Because I knew she thought the exact same thing as me. She was probably the reason why the thought popped into my head—picking up on her worries, and fuck me...what was I thinking?

“It’s not...” I squeezed the back of my neck, doing my best to be tactful. “It’s not that I don’t want a future with you, Rook...I just.” I swallowed hard. “I can’t have children. Neither can you. Not until we know what we are.”

She nodded frantically. “Oh, I know. And I one thousand percent agree. After everything that’s happened...we definitely cannot have a child. Not now. Maybe not ever.”

I ignored the faintest pinch in my heart.

I’d spent twenty-nine years abhorrently disgusted with the idea of having any offspring, yet hearing her say never...

“You know...” Rook tapped her finger against her lips. “We just discovered our blood is corrosive separately and regenerative together. We either have a fifty percent chance we would never get pregnant or—”

“A fifty percent chance that you already are,” I cut in. “Do we assume the corrosive blood prevents conception? Or does the whole ‘we create life when combined’ situation suggest strongly that we need to abstain?”

“Abstain?” Her nose wrinkled. “Eh...no. We’re not abstaining, thank you very much.”

I kissed her forehead and climbed out of bed.

Her eyes immediately dropped between my legs.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” She blinked innocently.

“Like your abstinence can’t last more than two seconds.”

“I clearly remember saying I didn’t want to abstain.”

“Then I guess we need to come up with a solution. And quickly.” Heading toward the bathroom, I said over my shoulder, “Uncle Wen mentioned Auntie Mei has been studying TCM. She’ll know of some herb or tonic that can act as protection.”

“TCM?”

“Traditional Chinese Medicine.”

“Oh—”

A thundering roar rattled the windowpanes as a machine suddenly flew overhead.

“What on earth?” Rook grabbed the blankets from the bed and darted to the circular outlook that peered down the entire valley. “Oh my God, he wasn’t lying.”

Whisper leapt to his feet, prowling to stand watch with her.

Another helicopter swooped overhead, its rotors loud and battering the sky. A third one joined the cacophony, their engines sending thunder echoing around Ashfall Cliff.

My temper sparked.

Heat coiled under my skin, preparing for violence.

Turning to face me, Rook grinned. “Dillon did say he had reinforcements coming. I guess they’ve arrived.”

Smoke curled from my skin.

Stalking toward the bathroom, I went via the wardrobe.

“Wait. Where are you going?” she called after me.

Opening the huge redwood cabinet, I grabbed a fresh shirt and trousers. “To kill someone, of course.”

“Not Dillon, I hope.”

I didn’t answer her.

Taking my clothes into the bathroom, I closed the door and prepared for war.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

THE DRAGON COURTYARD FELT SO much smaller with fifteen armed men standing in it.

Black uniforms, tactical vests, and stern faces—the same protection detail I’d seen patrolling around Snowflake Corp when I was younger.

Dillon stood before them, back straight and eyes clear, despite his sleep deprivation from chasing after me.

Lucien lurked beside me like a match waiting to be struck. I did my best to cool him down, but Whisper wasn’t helping matters. The panther wouldn’t stop growling, licking his jaws as if each man represented breakfast.

The ice-blue dress I wore—yet another gorgeous gown of Lucien’s mother’s—fluttered around my legs with heavy silk and stitched butterflies.

“Thank you all for coming so quickly.” Dillon linked his hands behind his back like a powerful general. “As you can see, things were resolved before you arrived. I’ll arrange for you to return to Snowflake Corp as soon as—”

“Wait.” Lucien stepped forward, his voice smoky and rich. “You brought these strangers into my home and now you think you can just kick them out of it?”

Dillon scowled. “I thought you didn’t want them here.”

“I don’t.”

“Then...?”

“But they could be useful.” Prowling around Dillon, Lucien never took his eyes off my bodyguard. Whisper went to join him, slinking like a threatening shadow, knowing exactly what I was doing when some of the men shifted warily.

I rolled my eyes.

I could get involved but...the lifetime habit of avoiding stress still lingered. Not because I felt pain anymore but because this wasn’t my fight, and if I wanted the two men in my life to co-exist, they had to figure it out themselves.

“Miss Rook?” A soft voice sounded behind me.

I turned and found Auntie Mei—dressed in a dark grey gown, woollen cardigan, and holding an embroidered silk pouch. “Good morning, Auntie Mei.”

“Good morning.” She beamed as if I’d just complimented her on the delicious dumplings that I hadn’t been allowed to eat, thanks to Lucien dragging me out of his pavilion the moment I’d finished my shower.

Glancing at Dillon and Lucien as they bickered, she took my hand and pressed the pouch into my palm. “Here. This is for you.”

I lifted it and sniffed—earthy, astringent herbs made me sneeze. “What is it? Some sort of tea?”

“Not quite.” She smiled secretively. “It’s for...married matters.”

“Married matters...? Oh!” Understanding slapped me with a blush. “Ah...thank you. I...um...I really appreciate it.”

“It’s us who appreciate you.” She beamed. “We can’t tell you how happy we are that Xiao Lu has found his perfect wife. And of course, you want to enjoy your time together...before welcoming any children into the world.” She grinned and leaned closer. “However, when that day comes, I will be overjoyed to help you raise them.”

I tried to reply but...words dried up.

Should I correct her that we weren’t actually married? That we couldn’t have children...possibly ever?

Deciding to hold my tongue, I tucked the pouch into the folded wrap of my dress’s bodice. “Lucien mentioned you might have something that could help. However, I wasn’t expecting you to be so quick. I hope we didn’t cause any trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I help the local doctors in the village, so I have most things on hand.” Throwing another look at the men, she smiled secretively. “The cotton root bark and angelica sinensis will prevent any chance of pregnancy.” Patting my arm, she winked. “You’re perfectly safe to...enjoy nightly activities.”

Her blazing temper had been as sharp as a weasel when we’d first arrived, yet now she was as generous and welcoming as a mother hen.

I had to admit, I really, really liked this feisty auntie.

“Boil a teaspoon of it and drink twice daily. When you need more, just ask.” Bowing her head a little as if I was the new mistress of Ashfall Cliff, she bustled away just as Dillon blurted, “Hang on. You expect them to work for you?”

“Yes.” Lucien crossed his arms. Whisper prowled between the fifteen stoic men, his tail high and golden eyes narrowed.

“But they’re not your army,” Dillon snapped.

“No. They’re not.” Lucien took a slow step forward. “But they are here because of you.”

Dillon raised his chin to meet the challenge. “They’re here because you kidnapped the heiress of Snowflake Corp.”

“Rook,” Lucien called without looking away from Dillon. “Come here, please.”

Oh God, here we go.

Padding in the white moccasins I’d found in the wardrobe, I braced myself.

Lucien grabbed me the second I was close.

His fingers burned. Faint steam curled from his collar.

Whispering in my ear, he said, “I need to touch you. I’m doing my best to keep my temper but...it’s hard.”

Sucking in a breath, I slipped into the glacier that’d wrapped itself tightly around my heart. I teased a few tendrils of ice free and pictured them soaking into Lucien. I still didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but it seemed to work as he relaxed a little, shot me a faint smile, then turned back to glower at Dillon. “So you agree that they’re here to protect Rook.”

Dillon sensed a trap but nodded. “That is literally their only job.”

“Good.” Lucien smirked. “In that case, they now work for me, and I expect them to come to Brimstone with me to murder a few people.”

“Say what now?”

“You heard me.” Lucien squeezed my hand. “We’re all going.”

“Ugh, do I have to?” I pouted dramatically. “I don’t want to see another dead body.”

“I’ll turn you into a dead body if you’re not careful.” Lucien pressed a kiss to my hair, making me shiver like an addict—hopelessly hooked on a substance that was dangerous to my health.

Dillon’s lips thinned in disapproval. “Rook? Are you seriously going along with this?”

I didn’t like the thought of more bloodshed, but...I’d promised to stand by Lucien in his revenge. I nodded like the ruler I was supposed to be. “Listen to him. Whatever he commands, just assume it’s my wish too.”

Dillon rolled his eyes at Lucien. “They aren’t your personal assassins, you know.”

“You brought them here, so yes, they are. Uncle Wen?” Looking around, Lucien frowned. “Where the hell did he go? He was literally just—”

“Here I am, Master Luxin.” Uncle Wen appeared by one of the koi ponds, a bag of fish food in his hands. “What can I help you with?”

“Do we have enough pavilions to house fifteen men?”

“Ah, probably not. However...I can find accommodations for them in the village.”

“Fine.” Lucien nodded. “Make sure they’re all fed and rested. Give them what they require.”

“Of course.”

Dillon never took his eyes off me. “You sure this is what you want, Rook?”

My heart swelled with gratitude that my grumpy bodyguard wasn’t my enemy. That I got to keep him. The urge to hug him came strong, but I doubted Lucien would be able to control himself if I did, so I settled with a smile instead. “There are people hunting him which means they’re hunting me. If you can help Lucien defeat those who locked him up, then...we can all go back to Iceland and figure out the rest.”

Dillon raised his hand as if to pat my head like he sometimes did but thought better of it as Lucien tensed beside me. “You’re definitely different but...it suits you.” Sighing, he added, “I’ll go get the men settled then, and—”

“Oh, you’re not leaving,” Lucien cut in. “They’re coming with me. Today. I’m not wasting another minute.”

“Going where?”

“Were you not listening?” Lucien stalked toward the gate. “To kill, of course.”