“Hey! Why did you bite me?”
What a strange question. “Darling, my mouth is up here. I don’t have fangs anywhere else.”
He noticed the frown on her face as she rubbed her palm. There didn’t seem to be any sign of injury.
“What sign did you draw?”
Now was the tricky part. “A sign I’ve seen. But if you don’t know what it means, it’s okay.”
It was clear he was tickling her pride in testing her again. It could have been a coincidence, but Finn knew better.
“Do it again, but this time, no tricks.”
He did, and once more, she jerked. “It burns now.”
She checked her hand, although he knew her eyes still saw nothing but blackness. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times before she exploded. “You fucking jerk. You drew one of the symbols you found in that basement.”
Violet moved fast and got to her knees before using the wall to stand. It was easy to hear the sudden pounding of her heart and her shallow breathing. “Why did you do that? You know how much I suffered there, why would you do that to me?”
Finn wanted to slap himself for pushing her into that state, but it was obvious he wouldn’t achieve or solve anything without forcing a breakthrough. Finn pulled her into his arms, even though she fought him.
“I don’t want you to touch me! Get lost!”
That was one order he wouldn’t obey. Couldn’t, to be more exact and he tightened his embrace. “Breathe, darling. I know you suffered, and I’ll skin each and every one the monsters who did that to you alive, but I also believe that you were deeply influenced by what happened in that room.
“What if you’re under a dark spell that prevents you from using your powers? Wouldn’t you want to find out what it is and break it? You told me the power of symbols, and they covered the walls around you.
“You said that they tortured you, yet there isn’t a mark on your skin. What if they drew those symbols on you, tortured you with them, and somehow, they altered your magic? I want you to break free from all that, love. The last thing I want is to bring you pain. If I could, I’d take that pain for you.”
His words tumbled with the sincerity inside him. He was telling the truth when he said he would rather take her suffering, all her pain, and make it his own. He had lived centuries and had experienced it again and again and knew he could endure. For her. Only for her.
Ever so slowly, her arms came around him and returned his hug. In a voice muffled in his chest, he almost didn’t hear her whisper. “I’m scared.”
As much he wanted to reassure her and tell her that everything would be all right, he wouldn’t lie; this world was cruel and brought little peace and solace. The only way to survive was to fight.
Her small hands started to rub his back until she moved and followed the line of his body to find his face.
Finn was caught in the magic that was Violet Shaughnessy—composed of a wealth of wine-red hair, enticing curves, and a spellbinding mouth. And that mouth brought him the most delicious pleasure when it took his lips.
He was stunned by how quickly the first tender licks turned into an all-consuming kiss. Blood hunger could be raw and violent, but what he felt for the witch dimmed even that. He was starving and would only find respite if he could taste her, take her flesh, make her moan, and render her as delirious as he was.
Pushing her against the wall, his hands cupped her breasts, and her gasp made his balls tighten. Her hands searched his skin, stoked his cock through the fabric of his pants, threatening to make him lose his head. Too soon, her agile hands abandoned his body to cup his face, and in her haste, she nicked her lips against his exposed fangs.
The taste of her blood exploded in his mouth. The beast inside him roared, ready to plunder her until Violet gasped.
It took an extra second for Finn to rein in his lust and notice it too.
Light enveloped them.
Chapter 15
It was a flickering glow at first, but soon it became more apparent where it was coming from. Down each wall, a block of stone moved outward, and from it, light beamed. The cast was soft but offered a perfect illumination to see into the distance. Violet was stunned at what had just happened, and so was Finn who hadn’t lessened his hold on her. However, this time, it was more of a protective stance.
Each indent was about ten feet apart and the blocks of stone were almost silent as they slid out. Once it was done, silence returned, more deafening than ever.
“What just happened?”
Violet was damned if she knew the answer to his question. Untangling herself from Finn she approached the light and lifted her hand. “It’s cold. It’s a cold source of light, definitely magic.”
“And why now? Why did it appear?”
She was about to list potential hypotheses when a sound similar to grinding stones resonated in the distance. Due to the echo, it was difficult to pinpoint if it was coming from in front or behind them, but it confirmed one thing; they weren’t alone anymore.
Violet cursed the fact that she was powerless, not that she didn’t trust Finn, but this threat was unknown. What if it was a magical being or more than one? Vampires were powerful but not invincible.
Finn reached for her hand but kept his gaze
