Blood Flame (Flame 1)

“And whatever Evan thinks, you don’t deserve this. I know you tried to find his wife and I know how much it hurt you to give up the search. Of all the women I know, have ever known, you deserve to live.”

He felt movement in the dark spell above him. He shifted his gaze and watched a pair of heavy boots emerge, then a long leather coat, and finally the rest of Evan, who held a short-sword in his hand.

Seraphina followed, her red hair floating as she descended. Once they were both standing on the floor, Evan slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Evan was insane. Connor knew there would be no discussion, no trying to reason with him. It was also possible Seraphina had enthralled him with a spell and he was under her control. Although, Connor suspected a spell wasn’t necessary.

These two were like minds, a full representation of the darkest parts of his world. And he was sick of the whole damn thing. Except for Iris. She had a chance at a real life. She was a good woman and deserved to live.

“Lovely words you just spoke to Iris.” Evan swiped his sword through the air. “Weren’t they, my sweet?”

Seraphina turned into him and caught his cheeks with both hands. Shaping his lips, she kissed him. “Tender and beautiful. But how did you know they would fall in love?” She lowered her hand to his chest and kept it there.

“I didn’t. It came as the best surprise. I wanted each of them dead and wouldn’t have minded if the bridge had taken them out. But this is so much better, isn’t it? A real gift.”

Seraphina turned her gaze toward Connor, her eyes at half-mast. “Oh, yes, a thousand times better.” She closed her eyes, her lids fluttering. “To feel their impending loss is absolutely exquisite.” She kissed Evan again, only this time, her lips lingered.

Connor had to look away from so much insanity.

And he had to think.

First things first. He slowly shifted a still unconscious Iris off his lap, lowering her back to the cement. He arranged her on her side, facing away from Evan and his witch. He rose to his feet and moved to stand in front of them.

The couple was still lip-locked.

“Evan,” he called out.

The vampire drew back from the impassioned kiss, brows lifted. “Does my prisoner want something?”

“I do. I want you to let Iris go. She’s the true innocent here.”

“No one is innocent, Connor. She gave up on my wife and shortly afterward, you killed Heather. And tonight, you’re both going to pay for what you did.”

“You’ve got me and you can do whatever the hell you want to me. I won’t even battle you. I’ll lay it all down right now. Just let Iris go.”

Evan held his gaze, but his face hardened. “And you think this will do what for me? My wife will still be dead. I can’t even get one of the dead-talkers to make contact with her and lord knows I’ve tried. I probably killed eight or nine of them in the process.”

Until this moment, Connor had thought he understood the level of Evan’s madness. But he hadn’t. “You killed dead-talkers, who are mostly passive and kind? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Evan, his arm still hanging loose about his woman’s shoulders, smiled. “Did you hear that, my love? Connor thinks there’s something wrong with me.”

Seraphina started to laugh and Evan joined her.

Connor turned to glance down at Iris. She lay prone, but something had changed. He was pretty sure she was waking up.

The time had come. He had to figure out some way to get her to safety.

~ ~ ~

Iris faced a cement wall, torchlight hurting her eyes, probably because of the drug she’d been given. Tears rolled down the side of her face. She’d awakened in time to hear Connor confess how he’d fallen in love with her. And it was pretty much the same reason she’d lost her heart to him. She’d seen his grief over the two children who’d died while caught in the violence of the alter, and her heart had been leaning toward him since.

Now they were both held captive by two psychopaths who’d gained power through their coupling.

The cement walls suddenly vibrated with information. She let it come, but the reality hurt her deeply. Violet had died here, in this place along with a lot of other witches. And Connor had been beaten to the point of death. Evan and Seraphina had brought them both back to the scene of the crime.

She heard Seraphina say, “Looks like your girlfriend is waking up.”

Iris didn’t move, however, but remained on her side staring at the cement wall. She needed to think. She had to formulate some kind of plan.