The Blood Boss by Davidson King

Chapter Thirty

Jayce

Iwatched as all the vampires dispersed, many glaring at Sibell, but that much was to be expected. She wore a small smile on her face.

“Well, I’m still alive, so I guess that’s good.”

“Just be careful.” I gave her a suffocating hug before she left with Petru, who was driving her to the tunnels.

I would ride with Cain as far as I could, but the whole point of this was to make Rogos and Sable think I was surrendering. Make them believe I couldn’t take their carnage anymore and that my sacrifice would be the thing that ended it.

Emil patted my shoulder on his way out the door. The staff were all to stay at the estate to guard it. Marguerite embraced me and whispered, “Be safe, Jayce. I like you.”

“I like you too and I plan to be safe so I can beat you at poker.”

She chuckled. “No one ever has.”

Lance held the car door open for Cain and me and as soon as we were seated, Cain pressed the button for privacy.

“Jayce, don’t do anything stupid, follow the script and—”

“Do you seriously want to spend our last minutes fighting?”

He jerked in surprise. “Fighting, who’s fighting?”

“You, when you say things like ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ you’re not opening it up for a positive conversation.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m worried. I’m allowed to be.”

I was scared, and if the connection I had with Cain was any indication of how things would be, I knew he was aware of that.

“I won’t be dumb, Cain, I promise. I know what I have to do. As long as everyone follows the rules and does what they are there to do, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

We were silent as the car rounded the bend, and I knew we only had maybe another mile or two before I’d have to get out and walk. I gripped Cain’s hand in mine and immediately and swiftly, he scooped me up and onto his lap. Pressing my nose against his neck, I inhaled his scent, memorizing this moment.

“I need you to promise me something, Cain.”

“What’s that?” He caressed my spine as I nuzzled close to his ear.

“You can’t do anything stupid, either.”

He pulled me away to look in my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean? Who’s starting fights now?”

“No, I’m serious. Do not make my life be the reason many vampires die. If this does go south, let it be, please.”

Cain huffed and sat back, his fingers brushing gently over my thighs. “Did you say good-bye to anyone? Your folks?”

I shook my head. Where was he going with this?

“Then you live. Understand?”

“That’s obviously the plan, Cain, but if—”

“I love you, Jayce.”

Silence. Just the sound of the wheels on the pavement could be heard. I mean, sure, I felt the love he had for me but to hear him, The Blood Boss, Cain, the first vampire, say that to me? It was…incredible.

“You love me?”

“You know I do, like I know you love me.”

“I do love you.”

The side of his lip curled, and his ruby eyes twinkled. “You wouldn’t let me die any more than I’d let you. So, let’s do each other a favor, and stop this ‘don’t be stupid’ talk.”

The car slowed and then stopped. “I have to go.”

Cain gently cupped my face and brought my mouth down on his. Since the feeding, every emotion was like a wave through me. Even his taste was stronger. His kiss was full of a fiery passion, of love completely unbreakable. I only hoped he felt that in return.

When we broke apart, I saw Lance standing beside the car.

“I do love you, Jayce.”

“And I you.”

I knocked on the window and Lance opened the door. With one last glance, I got out.

“Be safe,” Lance said before walking over to the driver’s side and getting in.

I stood there until I couldn’t see the car anymore, took a deep breath, and headed in the direction I was instructed to go.

As I walked I kept my ears open, knowing the closer I got to the ocean, the easier it would be for Rogos and Sable to feel my presence. I just had to hope I made it to the tunnels before any merfolk popped out and tried to murder me.

I was panting by the time I reached my destination, and I wished I had taken some water with me. I supposed the whole exhaustion thing worked well and would convince them I was desperate. There was a large rock covered in moss I went to go sit on.

With head in hands, I started talking. “I can’t take this anymore. I’m one living thing that is no better or worse than another. Yet, you’re tearing it all apart. Burt was my friend, and now he’s dead because of what? Me? Well, here I am, take me, just please stop hurting the people I care about.”

Without lifting my head, I listened, but there was no sound. Fuck, I really hoped this worked.

“Do you hear me, Rogos, Sable? I’m fucking here! If you want to end it all, this is your only time. No way Cain will let me out again after he’s learned I came to give up.”

A scraping noise caught my attention, and I looked up. As I watched the tunnels, I could hear more and more sounds. They definitely weren’t alone, and I didn’t expect them to be.

I tried to control my heartbeats so Cain wouldn’t worry, but one by one, as Tritons and Sirens stepped out of the tunnels, more panic set in. There wasn’t one or two with them, there were many more. One after another after another stepped out. None speaking, just staring at me…waiting.

The entourage ended when Rogos and Sable were the last to exit. Sable, snarling and as hateful as ever. Rogos, with his blue hues and long silver hair, had a smirk, one that reeked of smugness.

“I will say this for you, you’re braver than your mother ever was.” Rogos stood a few feet from me, arms over his chest. “She took her own life like a coward. But not you.” He laughed breathlessly. “You face your fate head on…admirable.”

“I can’t deal with the guilt. No one should die because of me.”

“And you have my word no more vampires or humans will suffer, thanks to your surrender here today.” Rogos kneeled and lifted my chin with his finger. “So brave, little healer.”

“Why do you call me that?”

Rogos’s eyes were endless pits of darkness, and it was unsettling when his attention was fully on me. He cocked his head to the side and smiled.

“The witch has not told you the whole story. Interesting.” He dropped his hand but didn’t rise. “I wonder if you knew, if you’d be here right now.”

“What…? I don’t understand.”

Rogos chuckled as did a few others. “You believe your death is because we see you as an abomination. That your power is so endless and unstable that we must destroy you now before you let loose and kill us all, something like that?”

I shrugged, unable to speak. My tongue felt like it was swelling.

“Not so. I mean yes, your powers are devastating. But, to us.” He gestured toward the other merfolk.

I opened my mouth, daring to talk, when Rogos covered it with his hand. “I think for the next part of this story, we’ll cover your mouth.”

A large soldier came over with what appeared to be seaweed and shoved it into my mouth, and then wrapped some around my head. This part wasn’t planned.

“There.” Rogos clapped once. “When Asherah died, she went over the top with you. An ultimate sacrifice, a selfless act. But one thing even she didn’t count on was what Rigil’s death would do.”

The way I knew it, the star gods turned their backs, didn’t help him. Now, as I listened to Rogos, I realized that wasn’t true at all.

“The son of a queen, the son of a god, no one could ignore that…not even the stars. And so, when your father died, they gave you everything he was, all his essence. And he was far more than even she knew.” He chuckled, a humorless sound, his obsidian gaze rippling fear over me as he gripped my chin painfully.

“He was also a son to a queen and to a king. And the death of their child was something they couldn’t ignore. So, to protect you from those who sought to destroy you, they gifted you the strength of the moon.” He narrowed his eyes. So much anger vibrated through him, it was visible. “The moon controls the tide, Jayce. And the only way to destroy us is to heal our destruction. You have immeasurable power, little healer. But not anymore, no.” He tapped my cheek. “Now it all ends.”

As he stepped away, it felt as if my heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

What have I done?