My heart thudded in my ears. The energy I’d absorbed earlier writhed in my midsection, eager to be unleashed. But the more it built, the shakier I felt. There was only so much power I could stockpile before it overpowered me.
Eventually, Cain led our procession to a chamber at the end of a corridor. The room appeared to be an ancient chapel once used by those who dug the catacombs. Time hadn’t been kind to the structural elements. The stone altar was pitted and large chunks were missing.
In the small, dark space, Cain’s brilliant red hair flashed like a siren. But it was the other redheads waiting for us that made cold sweat cover my chest.
Behind the altar, in a niche, Persephone was bound and gagged, her body folded painfully into the tight space. Damiano stood next to her stone prison.
“Master! I am so relieved by your triumphant return.”
“Silence,” Cain said, his voice low and menacing.
Damiano’s eyes flicked back to the Domina nervously, but his shoulders slumped in submission to Cain.
I wanted to interrogate Damiano, find out why he’d turned against Persephone and Chiara.
Wait a second, I thought. “Where’s Chiara?”
Cain smiled. “She proved… superfluous.”
I closed my eyes and crunched my face together to hold in the impotent rage. Keep it together, I thought. Stay calm and you might just survive.
When I opened them again, I looked at Persephone. Her eyes were open and her gaze was pitiful. Full of regret that arrived about twenty-four hours too late. “I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
She looked down at the dirt floor.
“Look at me,” I demanded. She looked up again, her gaze hardened. “If he succeeds, you are to blame.”
Cain tilted his head and smiled at me. “Your audacity is charming, dearest. There is no if—I will succeed.”
“What’s your plan?”
Cain raised a carmine brow. “You know what I want.”
“This again?” I taunted. “No means no, Cain. I won’t take you to Irkalla so you can beg Lilith to take you back.” I was dragging this out, taunting him. Maybe if I shook his composure he’d be easier to outsmart. I leaned forward. “If you ask me, this whole psycho-ex-boyfriend thing is coming off as kind of creepy and desperate.”
His lips twitched, like he was enjoying a private joke. “Perhaps I can change your mind.” He jerked his chin at Damiano. “Bring her.”
The vampire hesitated, but a threatening look from Cain had him hustling toward the niche and Persephone. He dragged the trussed Domina out like a sack of flour. She hit the ground with a groan.
“Scusi, Domina,” Damiano whispered.
Cain cleared his throat menacingly. Damiano shot him a guilty look; then he jerked Persephone to her feet. She glared at him with eyes fairly glowing with hatred.
The ancient human approached the ancient vampire. Most humans would be idiots to get so close to a vampire, much less one who was older than most civilizations. But Cain was the oldest being alive and had the added benefit of being de facto immortal thanks to a major loophole from the mortal deity.
He ran a thumb down her cheek and whispered, “You were wonderful last night.”
A shudder wracked Persephone’s body, but her chin came up. He may have violated her body, but he hadn’t taken her spirit.
I, on the other hand, wanted to vomit. I’d had my share of anger toward the Dominae over the years, but no one deserved that kind of violation.
“Sabina, are you prepared to take me to Irkalla?” Cain asked, his hand stroking up and down the ivory of Persephone’s arm. Even in the dim light, I could see the way her skin crawled at his touch.
I looked up and put every ounce of hatred I had for him in my glare. “You are an abomination.” I spit at his feet. “I curse the mortal deity who protects you.”
“Your stalling tactics have grown tiresome,” Cain said wearily. “I see we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”
One instant his posture was loose and casual; the next he struck like a snake. A flash of silver slashed through the air, followed by a spray of red. Persephone’s mouth worked open and closed like a carp’s. The whites of her eyes overwhelmed her face. Air whistled through the gash on her throat. And the blood. So much blood. Her trembling hands rose to staunch the flow.
Her knees gave out and she sank to the packed earthen floor. Left as she was, her vampire cells should have begun to knit themselves back together.
But Cain had other plans. He retrieved a syringe from his pocket. Held it up to the torchlight. Golden liquid inside flashed in the meager light. He stuck out his tongue and caught the spray. “Mmm,” he said, smacking his lips. “Sweet.”
Before I could recover from my shock and intervene, he stabbed the needle into Persephone’s throat. Punching the plunger, he injected the vampire with a dose of the forbidden fruit.
“No!” I yelled. I ran to Persephone. Knelt down next to her with my ear close to her lips so she wouldn’t have to struggle.
Blood gurgled from the Domina’s blue lips. I grabbed her icy hand, trying to lend comfort. Persephone’s advanced age drew out the process of death as her ancient blood struggled in vain to repair the damage.
The catacombs were silent, as if even the ghosts in this place held their breaths to witness such an important death.
“Sabina,” she wheezed. The light in her eyes was dimming. “Find—” Wheeze, choke. “Find my Nicolette.”
I frowned down at her. “Who is—”
A loud, sudden gasp and Persephone reared up from the ground. She tensed and emitted a death rattle. Then Persephone Delacroix, Domina of the Lilim, collapsed onto the packed earth. As she fell, her soul escaped and the resulting friction caused her body to ignite.
I fell and scrambled back to escape the heat. “Oh my gods,” I whispered in horror.
All of the Dominae were dead. Which meant if I survived Cain’s plans, I’d be next in line. It was almost enough to make me wish he’d succeed. The very idea of continuing Lavinia Kane’s bloody legacy made me want to hurl.
But not more than being within arm’s length of Cain did.
“Well now,” Cain said. “Shall we begin?”
I rounded on him and shouted, “You fucking idiot. I don’t even know how to access Irkalla through the Liminal!”
Cain pursed his lips. “You better hope for your lover’s sake you’re a fast learner. Because if you fail, I will find him and kill him while you watch.”
I clenched my jaw to hide the terror his threat invoked. “How in the hell am I supposed to get you to Irkalla with this godsdamned blade in my back?” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder.
“Sabina, your bravado is breathtaking. It’s really too bad you’re determined for us to be enemies. We would make fierce and beautiful children together.”
I reared back, but the beings behind me shoved my body forward. I fell toward Cain, who caught me and wrapped his arms around me. His touch made my stomach turn. “Don’t touch me!” I yelled, straining away from him.
He clucked his tongue. “Relax. How will you get me to Irkalla if you’re so tense?”
This fucking guy was a lunatic. How the hell was I supposed to relax?
“Besides, you will have to touch me to take me with you to the Liminal.”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “The blade?” I prompted. When he shot me a suspicious look, I tried not to punch him in the face. “If you want me to do magic, you’re gonna have to get rid of the brass.”
He kept his eyes on mine but nodded to the vampire behind me. A strong hand gripped my shoulder for leverage. I sucked a breath in through my nose and braced myself for the inevitable pain. The vampire was not swift or gentle. He twisted the blade roughly to reopen the wound. My skin ripped and wetness dripped down my back. Cold sweat coated my trembling skin. Finally, he slowly pulled the blade free, inch by agonizing inch.
I swallowed the pain and flicked my gaze to Cain’s wrist. “Your brass too.”
Holding my gaze, he removed the cuff and let it drop to the ground. Then he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. I opened my mouth to ask him why he was undressing, but then I saw the brass breastplate his shirt had hidden. For someone who used magical beings as his personal weapons, he was sure worried about becoming a target himself.
He dropped the plate to the dirt. Raised his arms and stretched, flexing his pecs and biceps. “There now.” Cain smiled as if he expected me to swoon over his muscled torso. I barely managed to suppress my gag reflex.
Once his goons collected the brass items and had scooted back a safe distance, Cain held out his arms. “Shall we?”
He clearly wanted me to plaster myself against him. Instead, I used the tips of my fingers to touch his wrist.
I closed my eyes and prayed. Hekate, Torch Bearer, light my way. Great Mother, Lilith, protect me and give me strength for what is to come. Also? Brace yourself. An enemy is at your gate.
I breathed out slowly and rooted my feet in the dirt. All the power I’d absorbed in the catacombs sprang to life and coiled around my solar plexus. It crawled through my arms like thorny vines. My fingertips sizzled and my head pulsed with energy.
An explosion ripped through the tunnels.
One second I was preparing to transport us to the Liminal—where I planned to lose Cain and run like hell—and the next my body slammed into the hard stone altar. In my shock, I lost control of all the power I’d gathered. It rushed from me like a hot stinging wind and flew through the catacombs.
I blinked, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, but the dust cloud and searing heat prevented clear vision. Shouts and the sounds of fighting pounded my ears. I tried to get my feet under me, but a strong hand grabbed my ankle. Cain.
He might be a sadist with a violent streak a mile wide, but in the end, his human strength was no match for an adrenaline-fueled magepire. I kicked off his clinging hand and ran into the veil of dust.
My only goal then was to get as far from Cain as possible. As I ran, I saw bodies moving through the smoke. The sounds of combat echoed through the chamber. I kept going until my body slammed into someone. My hands flew up immediately to ward off a blow. The smoke cleared between us and I saw a stoic but familiar male face.