Flesh And Blood: House of Comarre: Book Two (House of Comarre 2) by Painter, Kristen (best books for 20 year olds .txt) 📕

now flesh and blood, fell limply to the ground, coughing and gulping air in great gasps. ‘Ma,’ she whispered hoarsely.

Aliza gathered her child in her arms, tears streaming down her white skin. ‘Evie, Evie, Evie,’ she chanted over and over.

Bitter regret washed through Tatiana. There had been no saving her child. No magic words or sacred blood or second chances.

She straightened and took stock of the situation while the rest looked on in shock. Malkolm was unscathed, but in saving himself, he’d done her an enormous favor.

Ivan was out of the picture in a way she could never have even hoped for. She walked toward the statue of her Dominus. Aliza had brought her daughter out of it, which meant there was hope for Ivan yet.

That could not be. Ivan was all that stood between her and the next position of power she so desperately craved. The rest of the House of Tepes would have no choice but to side with her when she held the title of Dominus.

Hope had to be eliminated.

She forged her hand into a sledgehammer and with a cry that shook the house to its foundations, swung it round her body with the strength of centuries and slammed it into Ivan’s stone form.

The stone cracked slowly like ice, fractures webbing across his body. His pinky fell first. Then an arm. More chunks followed until rubble covered the floor.

She scooped up the largest remaining piece of his face and tucked it and a handful of smaller shards into her coat pocket. The council would want proof. And she wanted a souvenir of her latest victory.

‘Tatiana.’

She spun. Octavian’s face was awash in panic. The knife he held to the comarré’s throat trembled. ‘Don’t fear, my love. Malkolm has done us a great favor.’

‘No.’ He shook his head and pointed past the weeping witch and her daughter, toward the porch windows. ‘Look.’

And she did. Orange edged the horizon line.

Dawn had snuck up on them.

Chapter Thirty-four

With her hands behind her back and the distraction of dawn’s approach, Chrysabelle had managed to extract her Golgotha steel and saw through the electric cords binding her hands. She’d almost dropped the blade when Tatiana smashed Ivan to bits, but she’d hung on, just like she clung to the hope she might yet slip the blade into Tatiana’s chest.

She was about to yell for Mal and Dominic to get out while they still could when Tatiana grabbed her tunic front and hauled her to her feet. ‘I will come for you tomorrow and you will give me the ring.’ She tore off a piece of Chrysabelle’s tunic and stuffed it into her pocket. ‘There’s no point in running.’

Tatiana dropped Chrysabelle. Pain shot through her shoulder. Tatiana snapped her fingers at her companion and yelled, ‘Scatter.’ A moment later, a swarm of insects buzzed out of Aliza’s house and back into the swamp.

Mal was at her side instantly. He broke the rest of her bindings. ‘Are you all right?’

She nodded, gently rolling her shoulder. ‘Yes, but I don’t think Creek is.’ He’d worked his thigh free of the bolt pinning it, but his shoulder was still stuck fast.

Mal didn’t bother looking. ‘How are you?’

‘You need to leave,’ she told him. ‘Dawn is coming.’

‘Not without you or Doc.’ Mal turned as if to grab his friend, but Dominic snatched the weapon Octavian had discarded and jumped on top of Doc, pressing the blade into his throat. ‘Daybreak or not, this isn’t over. There is still the matter of the blood I’m owed.’

‘You would die over the matter of a little blood?’ Doc snarled.

‘If need be, yes.’

‘Then go to ash.’ Doc stared at Aliza. ‘Forget his blood. You got what you wanted. You owe Fi help.’

Aliza nodded. ‘So I do.’ She kissed Evie’s head as she got to her feet. She dug in her pocket and produced a small bundle wrapped in white paper. She held it up so Doc could see it before tossing it in his direction. ‘Burn that and get her to pass through the smoke. Your Fi will be restored.’

Doc reached for the bundle but Dominic pressed the blade harder. Blood welled up around the metal. ‘The remainder of my blood, witch. Return it now. Or I will kill Maddoc.’

Aliza shook her head. ‘What do I care if the shifter lives or dies? The blood was my price for what he required. All of it. I’m not returning any of it.’

‘Then he dies.’ Dominic lifted slightly, as if prepping for the killing blow.

‘No!’ Chrysabelle shouted. ‘Don’t you dare!’

Mal held her back, but he was seething. ‘You kill him and Katsumi dies. I promise you that.’

‘Both of you stay out of this,’ Dominic warned. ‘This is between Maddoc and me.’

Chrysabelle shook her head, angry tears burning her eyes. ‘I wish Maris were alive to see how right she was.’

Dominic stayed his hand. ‘How right she was about what?’

‘She wrote in her journals that leaving you was the hardest decision of her life, but she knew you’d never give up the dark power being vampire gave you. She couldn’t be with you because loving her wasn’t enough for you.’ She swallowed down the hurt knotting her throat. ‘Look at you. She was right. You’re so caught up in your own sense of justice.’ She looked away for a second, blinking hard to clear her vision. ‘If you kill Doc, you and I are through. Your last link to Maris will be gone completely.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Dominic said. ‘There is power in a vampire’s blood. Power I cannot allow the witch to have. This isn’t about justice – it’s about self-preservation. Maris would understand that.’

‘The woman who gave her life to save mine? No.’ Chrysabelle shook her head. ‘I don’t think she would.’

Aliza pulled a subdued Evie to her feet and held her close. ‘This is all very touching, but I’m not giving up the blood, no matter who dies, so stop asking. The deal’s done. It’s mine.’

Mal stood and