Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(96)

"Curo!" The spell reformed Gabriel's battered face in seconds. "Try again, vampire!" he snarled. He launched a table from across the room at Christian who leapt over it like a cat, his supernatural reflexes blinding as he soared toward the wall and grabbed one of the plaques as he flew by, fireballs bursting into the ground behind him. Grasping one of the swords from the plaque, Christian rolled toward Gabriel, deflecting the energy bolts flying his way with the blade of the weapon.

Gabriel lunged and teleported as the sword swung in a low arc, its tip drawing blue sparks as it crashed into the floor right where Gabriel had been. In that instant Gabriel reappeared behind him with the second sword from the plaque moving toward Christian's neck. Christian's senses tingled. With an unearthly impulse born from generations of vampires before him, he tilted his sword backward, grasping the hilt with both hands, and thrust it in violent precision behind him. The blade slid into something thick and heavy.

Gabriel stumbled backwards, the trajectory of his own sword shifting as his blade sliced wetly through shoulder bone and tissue, tearing a fiery path down Christian's back, just missing his vulnerable neck. Christian rolled to the side, the pain all-consuming as his body fought to repair the wound.

He could feel his strength waning but he would never give up, not while he had an ounce of fight left in him and not while Victoria was still locked defenseless in that room. With effort, he stood, watching as Gabriel weaved unsteadily on his feet. The gash on his own back struggled to close, his healing impeded by his hunger and the lack of blood to repair his injuries.

Gabriel's face contorted into a grimace as he inched the sword out of his stomach. Like Christian's strength, his magic was also becoming weaker. He had already tapped into the reserves of the sapphire ring on his finger.

"Curo," he gasped, trying to heal himself.

Everything would have been so different if Victoria had only seen reason. Her limitless power would have been his, and he could have ended this in an instant. Her stupid infatuation with this animal had been the sole reason that they weren't together. Gabriel's eyes glittered as if struck by a moment of genius. He knew exactly how to bring the vampire down.

"You'll never be good enough for her, you know," he said. He was unprepared for the soft response. "I know."

"You know?" Gabriel repeated. "If you know, why don't you leave? You don't belong in her world, just like she doesn't belong in yours. What you're doing is a disgrace to her."

"That's her choice," Christian said.

"So what do you intend to give her, vampire? Death? Exile? No family, no children?" he said. Christian didn't answer, but Gabriel saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"Is that what you want her for?" Christian asked. Gabriel smiled a cold, evil smile.

"Of course I want her for other things as well, like her delectable body for one," he said, watching Christian's increasing rigidity. "But when I'm done with her, there will be others."

"You will destroy everything that she is just to punish me?" Christian asked. Gabriel's eyes were black and icy. Hearing the unbridled emotion in the vampire's voice made him shake with rage.

"Not just you," he said, "her too."

Gabriel flicked his wrist, and in the space of a second Victoria magically appeared next to Gabriel, her arms bound at her side. Christian lurched painfully to his feet.

"Try anything and she dies," Gabriel said, as he hauled her roughly against his side, his fingers pressed against her throat. Victoria gasped at his rough stranglehold and Christian started visibly.

"Is this what you want, vampire?" Gabriel asked, kissing her temple and running his face along her cheek. "Or how about this?" He tilted her neck to the side and kissed it roughly.

Ignoring Gabriel's taunts, Christian stared at Victoria, searching for any signs that she'd been hurt. She seemed fine although there was something about her eyes that didn't seem right, almost like she was confused. Had Gabriel put some sort of control spell on her? Her smell was off too, but that could also be because of the wards. He'd barely been able to smell her blood earlier.

Gabriel drew his attention again as he turned Victoria in his arms and kissed her passionately on the mouth. Christian expected her to at least try to fight him like the last time, but when he saw that she was actually kissing the warlock back, it almost drove him to his knees. She had to be under some sort of spell, she had to be!

He watched as Gabriel murmured something to her, caressing the side of her face, and she lifted her luminous green eyes to Christian's. They were filled with naked pleading.

"Christian, if you truly love me, you'll let me go. I don't belong with you," she said. "Please, just let me go. I want you to let me go." She stared at him head on. "I don't love you. I could never love you."

"You've bewitched her, Gabriel. I know that that's not her talking," Christian whispered. "She would never want that. She would never say that!"

Something about the eyes ...

"Well, then you leave me little choice, because I'll never let her go to you," Gabriel said.

In horrifying slow motion, before Christian could even guess at Gabriel's intent, Gabriel's fingers pressed against Victoria's soft smooth throat. Her eyes widened as she stared at Gabriel in betrayed shock followed by sorrowful understanding, a slight smile curving her perfect lips. Brief remorse etched his face but there was nothing she could do, captive as she was to him, as his fingers tightened and the life slowly drained from her body.