Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea (20 page)

She shuffled into a more comfortable position, using his upper arm as a pillow, and sighed when she breathed him in.

It was so good to have him back again.

There was so much to tell him.

There was so much that they had to do.

He placed his hand over hers and interlocked fingers with her. She raised his hand and pressed a kiss to it.

First, she was going to sleep.

Then they’d save the world.

Valentine’s eyes fluttered open and he stared at the ceiling. He breathed heavily, telling himself that the vision of pain and torture he’d just awoken from had been nothing more than a nightmare. He was free now. She had freed him. He looked across at Prophecy where she was still curled up next to him. She was beautiful when she was asleep. She was beautiful when she was awake too. He sighed and extricated his arm from underneath her. It was still an hour or so until the sun set. She wouldn’t wake for a while. Rolling onto his side, he ran his fingers lightly through her hair and watched her sleeping. It had taken so much energy for her to rescue and then heal him. He’d felt a little jealous when he’d watched her come in with the man, but he knew in his heart that she had done it for his sake. She loved him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then got to his feet.

Looking at the body, he realised it would probably be a good time to hide it. He stretched, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers. It was amazing how she was able to completely heal his body with her magic. It had been more painful this time, but the vision she’d fed him had gone some way to alleviate the hurt. A part of him had wanted to fulfil that vision the moment she’d pushed away from him, but she’d looked so tired and on the verge of collapse that it would have been a bad idea. Besides, there were better places to make love than a dank crypt. He could think of a million.

He shook his head, pushing away the romantic notions and focusing on the task at hand.

Disposing of the body.

The man hadn’t been bad looking. He wondered where Prophecy had found him. She had been quick to find a victim but that hadn’t surprised him. A pretty woman like her could easily hunt, just like he found it easy. Good looks were a distinct advantage to a vampire. Luring your victim was much easier than having to attack one. Humans were so gullible.

He shuddered when he remembered the taste of the man on her neck and told himself that she had probably hated the man doing that to her as much as he did. Her neck belonged to him. She was his.

Grabbing the dead man by the ankle, he dragged him towards one of the stone boxes that housed the inhabitants of the crypt. He pushed the heavy lid off and dumped the body on top of the bones inside. Lifting the lid again, he placed it back on and made sure it was square before dusting his hands off.

“What are you doing?” A sleepy voice drifted across to him.

“Tidying up,” he said with a smile when he saw her watching him.

She got to her feet and walked over to him. Her small hands pushed aside his jacket and ran over his bare chest. She frowned as though inspecting him.

“How are you?” she said, looking concerned.

“One hundred percent better.” He caught hold of her roaming hands and narrowed his eyes on hers. “I…”

A smile teased her lips when he stumbled on the words he wanted to say. She wrapped her arms about his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest.

“I missed you too,” she whispered. “You don’t have to say it for me to know.”

His arms encircled her shoulders and he pressed a kiss to her hair. He couldn’t believe how much she’d changed him. When Lucya had deserted him, he’d sworn never to feel this way again, but the moment he’d met Prophecy he’d found himself falling again, only this time it was worse. He’d told himself so many times that he shouldn’t be acting this way, he shouldn’t be losing his calm façade by wanting to hold her and kiss her, regardless of their company. When it came to her, all of his rules flew out of the window and he acted on instinct. In the car on the way to the Tenebrae castle, he’d practically kissed her in front of Dmitri and Mia. In Paris, he’d intentionally lured the hunter, Caden, out of hiding so he could teach him a lesson for having the audacity to hurt her.

Years of training disappeared and he was acting like a rash youngling again. Mathias had noticed it and had even mentioned it. Valentine had denied it at the time, but looking back, he had to admit that his friend had been right.

He sighed and held her a little tighter. He’d even promised her eternity. If her human side meant she was aging, there was a chance she would grow old. He’d sworn that he wouldn’t let it happen and he’d meant it. Selfish as it sounded, he wanted her to always look as she did now.

Drawing back, he held her at arms length and looked at her. She frowned, clearly confused about what he was doing.

“Something wrong?” she said.

He shook his head. “Nothing at all. I just wanted to look at you.”

She ducked her head and smiled. He wanted to kiss her when she looked so awkward. Taking hold of her hand, he led her over to the low sill around the perimeter of the room and sat her down on it. He sat next to her and she turned so she was almost facing him.

“So, besides rescuing me, what has been happening?”

Her eyes lit up. From the look in them, he got the feeling that a lot had happened in his absence.

“I went to see Elena but she denied knowing where you were. She said that Arkalus and Kalinor made her take you. She said she sent you to St. Mark’s.” She frowned and searched his eyes. He nodded. “Well, she wasn’t lying about that then. With nowhere else to turn, I went to see Mathias because he was the only one who might help me.”

“What do you mean, the only one?” He almost laughed when he said the words but the smile that had teased his lips faded once he saw the sadness in her eyes. “What of Mia and Dmitri?”

She dropped her gaze to her hands where they were resting in her lap. Had they been killed? If they hadn’t helped her, something terrible must have happened to them.

She sighed.

“Prophecy?” He caught her under the chin and raised her head. There were tears in her eyes. “What happened? Are they dead?”

“No,” she said.

“Then I don’t understand,” he said and a frown creased his brows.

“Dmitri … you … he refused to come with me.”

His jaw tensed and anger coiled in his stomach. “And Mia?”

She shook her head in the negative. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d been sure when he was taken that Mia and Dmitri would help her find him or at least continue without him. How must Prophecy have felt to not only lose him, but to have the only two people with her at the time turn their backs on her? He took hold of her hands, brushing his thumbs over them while he struggled for control over his anger.

“It was wrong of them to leave you like that.” His voice carried bitterness.

“Dmitri said he wouldn’t lend me his men or his services. He was angry about the fact that I had led his men into an unnecessary battle.” Her voice was quiet and heavy with emotion. He could see the tears shimmering in her eyes.

He hated how obviously hurt she was by Dmitri and Mia’s actions.

“The lord of Tenebrae wasn’t against us,” he said. He remembered calling out to her before he was sucked through the portal, trying to warn her that she was about to make a terrible mistake. “Did you…?”

She nodded. “I did. I couldn’t stop the magic, Valentine. It ignored me. I was so upset about what happened to you and I couldn’t stop myself. When Mia and Dmitri learnt of what had happened, Dmitri refused to help me. Mia promised to keep her ears and eyes open for me, and it was her that reported to me that you were being held in St. Petersburg.”

Letting go of her hands, he grazed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. “Yet you came alone?”

“She reported it, but Dmitri would not allow her to assist me, and he wouldn’t help me himself. I had to come alone. It wasn’t for lack of trying though. I went to see Hyperion—”

“You did what?” he cut her off, his brows rising into an incredulous look.

She smiled. “He saw me, but wouldn’t openly align himself with me. I think he might in time. He helped in his own way. He invited Arkalus and Kalinor to his palace. Ineru must have left by then.”

“Ineru was there?”

She nodded again. “It’s hard to remember that he’s so old when he looks so young.”

He frowned and she grinned. Her amusement showed in her eyes and it relieved him to see the pain gone.

“Don’t be jealous,” she said and lightly touched his hand.

He arched a brow at her words. “I am not jealous. Get back to the story.”

She almost giggled. “I rescued you and here we are. Oh! And I have a book now, my mother’s book. I found it in Budapest. I can’t open it though.”

“Budapest?”

“I had to do something while I couldn’t find you. Come on, I’ll tell you all about it and my new magic skills on the way.”

She stood up and extended her hand to him. He stared at it and then up at her.

“Where are we going?” he said and got to his feet.

The light in her eyes disappeared and was replaced with hardness. “To Dmitri’s bastion. I said I would return once I had rescued you.”

“Why?” He could see there was a reason behind it, and inside he knew what it was, but he wanted her to confirm it for him.

“I want them to see you and explain why they wouldn’t raise a finger to rescue you.”

Valentine strode towards the castle, ignoring the growls of the werewolves around him. He smoothed his jacket down, preening his appearance while he straightened up. He glanced at Prophecy out of the corner of his eye, watching her walk confidently beside him, her eyes kept forwards at all times. She was so different to how she’d been the last time he’d walked with her into Dmitri’s bastion. The scared little girl had been replaced by a woman who no werewolf in their right mind would dare attack.

His eyes dropped to her hands and he saw the magic idly circling her fingers. It was the only outside sign of her nerves, but it was one only he would recognise.

He didn’t wait for the door to open. He growled and pushed both sides of the heavy door hard enough to make them slam into the wall. Walking down the long corridor to the room where he knew Dmitri would be waiting, he snarled at the werewolves that had the audacity to come near them and found Prophecy doing the same. She had slipped into her vampire guise, her emerald eyes shining mother of pearl as they passed each light.

He led the way into the chamber at the end of the hallway and growled at Dmitri and Mia where they stood beside the throne.

Mia shrank back but Dmitri roared at him.

In a split second, Prophecy had raised her hand and was defending him against any possible attack. Valentine placed a hand on her shoulder, letting her know that he was all right. He would handle this.

“Valentine,” Mia said in a small voice and came forwards. “I know how this must look to you.”

“I believed in both of you.” He stepped past Prophecy. “My one comforting thought throughout my ordeal was that you would help her. How is it supposed to look, Mia?”

“She sent us on a fools errand. I lost many men. Good men. I would not risk them—” Dmitri started.

“I didn’t ask you to risk them!” Prophecy cut him off. Valentine held his hand out, silently showing her that attacking Dmitri wouldn’t solve anything. She clenched her fists. “All I asked was that you help me. You and Mia, not your damn army!”

He was surprised when Dmitri flinched and guilt flickered in his eyes.

“You told me that Hyperion would not help me, but he did. If he hadn’t lured Arkalus and Kalinor away from the house by inviting them to his palace, I would have found it almost impossible to save Valentine alone. All I asked you for was help. I admit I was wrong last time and I know you lost many men, but you turned your back on your friend when he needed you!” she said and he could see that her words were having her desired effect.

Mia dropped her gaze to the floor and Dmitri sighed.

Valentine looked across at Prophecy. “You have said your piece.” He moved his gaze to Dmitri and Mia. They looked a little relieved for a moment before he spoke. “It is my turn now.”

He took a few deep breaths and walked towards them. The werewolves that lined the room, in human and wolf form, all growled when he stepped right up to Dmitri. He snarled at them all, showing them that he was ready to fight them if they dared to move, and then looked deep into Dmitri’s dark eyes and frowned.

“I have no ill feelings towards Mia. She has helped Prophecy even when she was being held back and told not to. But you, old friend, you have greatly disappointed me. I would move heaven and earth to help you. I have done so in the past,” he raised his hand and ran a finger down the scar on his neck, “regardless of the things we have done to each other. She asked you for help when she needed it. I trusted that you would take care of her for me, as a brother would, but you turned your back, and forced Mia to do the same.”

Dmitri went to look away but Valentine grabbed hold of his jaw. He forced Dmitri to face him again, holding him tight while he struggled against him.

“What do you have to say to me? What words could possibly heal this breach between us?” he ground out, barely in control of his anger.

Dmitri swallowed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Valentine could see the shame in them.

“I was angry for my loss. You have helped me many times and I should have remembered this. I offered my army as a friend, but acted an enemy when you needed me most. I have no excuse.” Dmitri held his gaze.

Valentine let go of Dmitri’s jaw and stepped backwards, placing a little distance between them.

“If I was in less of a good mood, I would demand that you fight me.” He stared at him and then shook his head as disappointment engulfed him again. “I have no more to say to you.”

He turned to leave but stopped when Mia spoke.

“Please, Valentine. If we are to move past this, you must not leave. Stay the night. Drink with us. Speak with us,” Mia said in a pleading voice and moved around so she was standing in front of him. He could see the hope in her eyes, and the regret. “It will be good for all of us.”