Tyrant (Scars of the Wraiths #2)(109)

His head jerked to the right and he laughed a high-pitched tone. “Your daughter is mine.”

He lowered his head and his fangs pierced my throat.

I heard a loud wail as I struggled to get free. Then my eyes hazed over and everything went black.





“NOOOO, RAYNE.” I WAS too far away to get to her, but Waleron saw what was happening and Traced in front of Rayne and Liam.

It was like fighting in quicksand as I tried to get to her and every single body, table, and enemy was purposely in my way trying to block me.

A cold chill went through me as I leapt over the overturned couch and Liam grinned at Waleron before sinking his fangs into Rayne’s neck. “No!”

I threw a table out of my way then snapped a Worm’s neck and decapitated him.

Another came at me, but my eyes were on Waleron and Rayne. He knocked me off my feet and I was stunned for a second.

“Waleron, blast the f*cker.” Jesus Christ, why wasn’t he stopping him?

“She’s too close. I’ll hit her,” Waleron replied.

“She’ll die if you don’t.”

Waleron never hesitated in a fight. He reacted without emotion. He was our Taldeburu because he didn’t hesitate even if there was a chance of harming one of his own.

Waleron knew the consequences for indecision. We all did.

But I knew the problem. He had never had another soul in his life that was his own blood. No kin. No wife. Not even a home that we knew about. But now he had a daughter.

I drove my fist into the Worm’s chest, yanked out his heart, and then whirled, slicing his head off with my knife. I leapt over a chair and past Jedrik and Tye fighting the last vampire.

Ten feet away.

Nine feet.

Eight feet.

“Now,” I shouted at Waleron.

He raised his hand and a bolt of energy sideswiped Rayne’s arm and hit Liam in the side. His teeth ripped from her neck as he staggered back from the blast of energy.

Rayne collapsed limply to the floor.

I crashed into Liam, the energy from Waleron’s blast still vibrating through him and sinking into me. But he was stunned for a second, and it was a second I needed.

I plunged my knife into his heart then snapped his neck. Shoving him away from me, his body landed with a heavy thud on the floor. It wasn’t enough to kill him permanently.

I looked at Waleron who was crouched beside Rayne, hands cradling her head. “Finish him?”

Waleron nodded and stood.

I fell to my knees beside Rayne and dragged her limp body onto my lap, hand covering the wound in her neck. But it wasn’t the only blood. I slid my hand down her lower back. Shit. She had a wound in her back, too. Fuck, she was losing too much blood.

“We need Anstice here ASAP,” I said to everyone.

I applied pressure to the wounds. But her heartbeat slowed. I watched for an inhale. Exhale. Fuckin’ anything.

My guts twisted.

She wasn’t f*ckin’ breathing.

“Someone, get Anstice,” I shouted. “You do not get to die on me, damn it. Do you hear me?”

The smell of singed flesh wafted into the air and I knew it was Waleron destroying Liam’s body.

“Waleron.” I lifted my head as he approached. “Can you Trace her to Anstice?”

“He can’t do that.” Delara jogged up beside me and knelt on the floor on the opposite side of Rayne. “He can only Trace with me.”

“I need a goddamn Healer. Now.”

“I can Trace Anstice here,” Edan said.

He put his hand on Delara’s shoulder and squeezed. I realized why the Wraith was here—he came to protect Delara. He swirled in a cloud of red dust and disappeared.

Delara slipped her hand in Rayne’s as tears rolled down her cheeks. Waleron hovered close. The CWOs were dead and had disintegrated to return into their insect form. Jedrik, Keir, and Tye chopped heads off dead vampires.

Within ten seconds, Edan was back with Anstice, who looked unsteady from the Tracing as she stood frozen for a second. Then her eyes landed on Rayne.

There was no hesitation as she skidded to the floor on the opposite side of me. She glanced at Delara. “Your emotions are too distressing and will leak into her. She’s a Reflector, Delara. You can’t be near her right now.”

Anstice looked at me, and I raised my brows, daring her to tell me the same thing. I had my emotions locked down and there wasn’t a chance I was letting Rayne go.

Delara stumbled to her feet and backed away, her hand to her mouth. Then she turned and walked away. Edan’s eyes landed on Waleron. Neither moved nor said a word for a second. Then Edan swirled into red dust and vanished.

Anstice lowered her hands to her chest first, and within seconds, Rayne’s chest rose and fell.

“Kilter,” Anstice said. “I have to heal her throat and wound, and—”

“I’m not letting her go,” I said with a fierce scowl. Not a chance in hell.

She nodded. “Fine. Turn her on her side.”

I gently lowered Rayne off my lap to the floor and steadied her with my hands on her hips while Anstice put her hands on the stab wound on her lower back.

I clenched my jaw as the pain from the stab wound hit me and Anstice gasped. Fuckin’ Healers had one shit job feeling everyone’s pain as they healed them.