CHAPTER 19
Luca stood in the shadows of Michael’s bedroom, watching him sleep.
Fury raged within him. He could barely contain it.
“Are you trying to decide whether or not to kill me?”
Michael’s voice caught him by surprise. Luca watched his eyes snap open. He sat up in bed and stared directly at him, knowing exactly his position, even though he was positioned out of sight, in the shadows.
Curse the all-knowing bastard.
“Well?” Michael pressed.
“No,” Luca said. “We are beyond the black and white of that, are we not?”
“That would be an understatement after our telepathic conversation earlier. It would have been less taxing if you had a phone. I trust that you understand now what I was saying the other night during our confrontation with the princess and her wolf?”
Luca stepped from the shadows. “Yes. And, remember what I told you? The pureblood wolf is dead. I killed him.”
Michael smiled with amusement and shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”
“What? I was there, Michael. I know what I did. I know what I saw.”
“The wound was fatal, yes. But he still lives.”
“Impossible.”
“Her blood has made the impossible possible, Luca.”
“You’re saying that Cora saved him, brought him back from death?”
“Near-death. But, yes. And now he knows that you can actually kill him. The secret is out, Luca! I gave you the power to transcend your inability to kill your blood kin, thinking you would use it responsibly and actually get the deed done when the opportunity presented itself!”
“He would have died, if she hadn’t interfered!”
“You should have taken her, instead of walking away!”
“I couldn’t. Her magic… it’s getting stronger.” He lifted his shirt. “See? This is her doing.”
Michael failed to stifle a gasp as he studied the wound in the center of Luca’s chest. Luca wasn’t surprised. It was disturbing to look at. It was six inches wide, a deep, gaping hole that was oozing blood and… something else. He knew it couldn’t be puss, because vampires couldn’t become infected with anything. They were technically dead, after all.
“I came here, because I need you to heal me,” Luca said. “It’s been several days and it’s the same. It won’t close. And it’s glistening with silver magic.”
“I can see that. Hmm… it looks painful.”
“It is!”
“Have you been feeding?”
“Of course.”
“Then this magic is extremely powerful.” Michael swept his hand over the wound.
A shimmering, black glow emanated from his palm and spread to the wound. Luca growled in agony. As Michael brought up his other palm to assist, Luca collapsed to his knees, grunting.
Michael pulled back and shook his head with disbelief. “It’s not working.”
“What?”
“I can’t heal you. Her magic is too strong. I can’t breach it. You’ll have to let it heal in time. Give it another few days.”
More time? Absolutely not. “Try something else. I can’t go another few days in this much agony, Michael!”
“You have no choice. There is nothing else that I can do.”
Curses! Luca snarled and struggled back to his feet.
“When you are healed, you need to bring her to me. We can’t allow her power to grow beyond what it already has.”
“She has returned to the wolf compound. I can’t breach it. No vampire can. It’s invitation only.”
“Draw Ryan out. Do that and she will follow. She is his mate. It is in her nature to stand by his side. You saw that for yourself a few nights ago.”
“I will take her first, Michael.”
Michael released an exasperated sigh. “Luca, let it go.”
“Let it go? I will make Ryan pay for his father’s actions. It’s because of his father’s treason that I am burdened with a brother that is wolf. Wolf! I am a laughing stock because of it. Banished to this human realm, as a result, so my father doesn’t have to be tainted by the same shame as I. I will take her, Michael.”
“Fine. Just make it quick. I need to drain her power, before she gets much stronger and it becomes impossible. If I fail, we both lose. If I can’t draw her power into myself, then we won’t have the means to attack the Dark Realm and unseat your father. Don’t you want to be king?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Then hurry the hell up and take the whore already! Soon, Luca!”