On that cryptic note, he vanished in a flash of bright golden light. I had no doubt he would find what he was looking for, I just hoped he would share the information when he discovered it. We might possibly need it to save Gareth and the others. The name of the Angel who placed the curses was exactly what I would use my favor on.
“How long were you in here?” I asked Raquel as I checked my watch for how much of the night was left.
“The entire time,” she admitted.
“You can’t cover your scent.”
“Says who?” she countered.
“Ummm… me?”
“Correct,” she replied with a smirk. “You assumed I couldn’t and never asked me if I could.”
“Color me stupid,” I muttered.
“Nope,” Raquel disagreed. “Color you overprotective. Sooner rather than later, you’ll have to accept that I can take care of myself—been doing it for about five hundred years.” She paused and gently laid her hand on my face. “I love you and your sexy ass, but I will put said ass in a sling if you treat me like a helpless female. You are mated to a Master Vampyre,” she added with an arched brow and a giggle.
“As are you,” I told her. “A Master Vampyre with macho caveman bullshit tendencies.”
“I happen to like those tendencies in the bedroom, but not when you treat me as a lesser in our real life,” she replied softly.
“That’s truly not my intention,” I argued.
Fuck. Was it?
No.
I knew how powerful my mate was. It was part of why I loved her.
Shit, shit, shit. She was right.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It was my inner alpha-hole talking. I will try. I will also fuck up. Bear with me.”
“I accept your apology and I will bear with you till the end of time, Heathcliff. Always.”
Taking her beautiful face in my hands I touched my lips to hers. “We should go,” I whispered.
“Yep, we need to beat them to the Paris palace so I can pretend I’m dead,” Raquel said as she placed her hand in mine.
“Since you were privy to that Hellish scene, do you have a plan in mind?” I asked trying very hard to not be autocratic. Damn it, this was going to be hard.
“Yep. Kill Vlad,” she vowed.
“Works for me,” I said as I pulled her close and raised her eyes to mine. “You’ll be careful?”
“Of course I will. I have everything to live for,” she replied. She wrapped her arms around me and we disappeared in a cloud of peach and gold glitter.
Smiling, I shook my head and laughed as we were hurtled through space and time.
She was correct. We both had everything to live for and today was not my day to die.
Chapter 23
The air in the room was thick with malice and the scent of fresh blood. We were in the great room of Raquel’s home and unfortunately we weren’t alone. I’d taken the lead in the transport and went to the area I was most familiar with… bad move. I should have chosen the bedroom, but as I had never been in there that was an impossibility.
“Well this is certainly interesting,” Vlad said with a barely bridled fury as he attempted to veil his shock. He shoved Juliet away roughly and took a few measured steps forward. “Isn’t it way past your bedtime, Raquel?”
Not exactly the welcome we were expecting.
They stood about twenty feet from where we’d landed. Juliet’s eyes were huge and she sported a few more bloody bruises than when we’d last seen her only about twenty minutes ago. Thankfully, Vlad looked a little worse for the wear as well. That was one sick relationship and I was furious that Jean Paul had to pretend to be Juliet and bear the brunt of the psycho’s violence.
“How did you break the curse?” he demanded. His sparking hands clenched and unclenched at his sides even though his voice stayed eerily calm.
“How did you know about it?” I shot back, stepping in front of Raquel.
Old habits were not dying at the moment. Raquel smacked my back and took her rightful place next to me.
“My bad,” I muttered.
“I should say so,” she replied with an eye roll.
Vlad’s insolent stare was jarring as he took us in and a hideous smile spread across his thin lips. “I wasn’t talking to you, guard. But since you asked so politely, my Juliet told me. However, it appears she left out the important fact that the curse is old news.”
He turned on Juliet with flaming hands and hit her so hard she crumpled to the floor. Raquel’s angry hiss filled the room and Vlad laughed.
“Get up. No time like the present to kill your sister. Do it quickly,” he directed Juliet tonelessly, growing bored with the game.
“That Juliet won’t harm me,” Raquel told him as her hair began to fly about her head and her power began to fill the room.
“She most certainly will,” Vlad spat the words contemptuously as he grabbed Juliet by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “She despises you and likes to keep me happy. You see, I’ve decided if I can’t have you then no one can. Juliet shall end you while I take care of your guard.”
“Good luck,” I threatened softly.
“I missed that,” Vlad lied with a chuckle and a disgusted shake of his head. “Bet you’re regretting that favor to your Prince now, aren’t you?”
“Actually, it’s wasn’t a favor at all.” I shrugged and took Raquel’s hand in mine as Vlad’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You see as a newly mated Vampyre, I refuse to be away from my mate.”