Revelation of Blood (37 page)

Archer’s arms wrapped around me as he pulled
me to my feet. “She’s still too raw,
cion
,” he said, pulling
me away from her. I wanted to fight his hold but knew it would only
upset Nikki more. “Now is not the best time to talk to her, I’m
afraid.”

Dean appeared in his human form naked and
covered in blood as well, and dropped down to his knees as he
pulled Nikki’s tearful face to his bare chest. He whispered
reassuring words to her before he glanced over at me with
apologetic brown eyes. “I’ll take her home with me,” he said
gently. “She just needs a few days, toots.”

I nodded my head reluctantly as four black
vans turned the corner and drove onto the airfield. Dean lifted
Nikki in his arms and walked her over to one of them, gently
setting her inside before closing the door behind her. Archer held
me tighter as a tortured sob escaped me. My own best friend
couldn’t stand to be near me and it crushed my soul. Nikki meant
the world to me and if I lost her because of this, I’d lose a part
of myself as well.

Dean walked over to me and held his hands
out. I let go of Archer and wrapped my arms around Dean, hugging
him for all I was worth. Nikki’s scent still clung to his bare skin
and I took a deep breath in, savoring it just in case she never
wanted to see me again.

“I’ll talk to her,” he whispered reassuringly
as he lifted my tearstained face to his. “I promise, babe.”

“Our house burned down,” I sniffled as he
wiped my tearstained cheeks with his thumbs. “She has no home to go
to. I had planned on her coming to Archer’s with me, but she wants
nothing to do with me.”

“Archer told me about the fire earlier,” Dean
said, shushing me. “Nikki can stay with me for as long as she
wants. I’ll do everything in my power to take care of her, Skye. I
promise.”

“I’ll send Trey over to Tricky Dic’s with
some money tomorrow. She’s going to need clothes and-”

“Don’t worry about any of that. I’ll take
care of it.”

“No,” I insisted with a slight growl. “She’s
my responsibility and if she won’t let me take care of her, the
least I can do is pay for needs. Don’t argue with me about this,
Dean. I need to do this, dammit.”

“Okay, babe, okay,” he said gently as he
pulled me to his chest again and hugged me tight. “You take care of
my girl, bloodsucker,” he addressed Archer as he let me go. “I’m
going to take Nikki back to my house. I’m leaving you guys one of
the vans and I’ll have someone pick it up from The Mausoleum
tomorrow.” He turned his eyes to me and they softened considerably.
“She’ll come around, toots. She just needs some time. I’ll explain
everything to her and call you soon. You take care of yourself,
okay?”

With a final squeeze, he let me go and
turned, motioning for his wolves to get in the three vans. Archer
took my hand and led us over to the Audi where my vampire family
was gathered. Lochlan put a hand on my shoulder and patted it a few
times, trying in his own way to comfort me, as Trigger walked
up.

“Thanks for healing me earlier,” he said,
rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “One of those Dark
fuckers messed me up pretty bad.”

“It was nothing,” I said, shaking my head.
“It’s the least I could do. There’s no way we could have handled
over two hundred Dark Ones without you guys, so thanks for all your
help Trigger. And please thank the rest of the pack for me when you
get a chance. I need them to know how grateful we are.”

“You got it,” he winked at me, then turned
and spoke over his shoulder. “Just so you know, I’d fight with you
any day, vamper.”

“Ditto, Trig,” I replied, managing a small,
genuine smile.

I watched as Trigger got in the van and the
three of them pulled out. We were all silent until the last
taillight finally faded around the corner.

Turning to the guys, I motioned to the
carnage left behind as I spoke. “So, what do we do with all the
bodies?”

“We burn them,” Pádraig answered, jumping
into action.

I watched as he began stacking body parts in
one big pile and I sighed as I joined in. Soon, with everyone’s
help, we had one massive pile ready to burn. Lochlan turned to me
and nodded with his head. “
Burn the fuckers
,” he said
silently.

Taking a deep breath, I put my hands out and
pushed hard at the energy I’d gathered. Hot light burst from my
palms and the bodies it touched immediately caught fire. Soon, the
whole pyramid was one massive blaze.

“Youngblood,” Archer called out to Jameson,
“call the clean-up crew. Have them scrap the Dark One’s SUV then
tow the Audi to the house after they’re finished.”

“Aye,
athair
,” Jameson said and
whipped his phone out.

I turned back to Archer and filled him in on
what I’d discovered. “Stanus Octavius’ body was not among the dead.
That means he was the one that got away on the plane.”

“Fuck,” Archer swore as he crossed his arms
over his chest. “I was hoping one of us had killed him.”

“I tried, but that’s when Weston got me,” I
shook my head then shrugged a shoulder.

“Yes, about Weston,” Archer said, turning to
Lochlan, “good call on the Divine Power sharing, son. It came in
handy. I watched my mate set fire to him, too.”

Lochlan bowed his head respectfully then met
my eyes with a smile. “I didn’t teach her to be a little flame
trower, though. She did dat all on her own.”

“So did anyone find out why they wanted Skye
in the first place?” Quinn asked as he crossed his arms over his
chest and leaned up against the hood of the Audi. “I was too busy
ripping heads off to stop and ask.”

I swallowed hard and looked up into Archer’s
eyes as I answered. “It wasn’t Atticus Frost. I think my dad put
them up to it.” I told them the whole story Stanus fed me and by
the end of it, everyone was as pissed as I was.

“He had them burn down your house?” Jameson
asked, clenching his fists in anger.

“That’s what Stanus said,” I replied, looking
down at my bloodstained hands.

“Do you believe him?” Hagan asked
gruffly.

I nodded my head and met his eyes. “Yeah…I
do. My dad called me not ten minutes before I had the meeting with
Weston at The Mausoleum and he wanted to know why I wouldn’t join
the Dark Ones. During the conversation, I mentioned that my house
was one of the many reasons why I wouldn’t.”

“That scheming bastard,” Hunter growled as
his eyes began to fade with his anger. He turned to me and the
anger melted off his face, replacing it with a look of sorrow. “I’m
sorry your father did that to you. You don’t deserve the hate that
man brought upon you. I could kill him for the shit storm he
caused.”

“I could too,” Archer growled, pulling me to
him and wrapping his arms tightly around me. “I’m so sorry he hurt
you,
cion
.”

“How do we know Stanus and Weston were
telling the truth about everything?” Pádraig asked, playing devil’s
advocate.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Hagan
answered with an eager cock of his brow.

“You’re not suggesting she contact him, are
you?” Jameson asked incredulously.

“How else would we learn the truth?” he
replied.

I turned in Archer’s arms and leaned back
against his chest as I addressed my brothers. “I don’t know if I
can talk to him right now,” I admitted, as I tried to hold back my
tears. “Hearing that he started all this just because he wanted to
move up the Dark ranks…I’m sad to say it hurts. My father told me
he loved me…he told me a lot of things and I actually believed him.
I need a few days to work everything out in my head before I try
any form of contact.”

“I think talking to Atticus first might be
our best move,” Archer said gently.

“No,” I shook my head as I stepped out of his
arms and turned to him. “I don’t want you guys involved in this any
further. A Dark One almost killed Hunter tonight. I’m not risking
your lives again.”

“You’re not doing this alone,” Archer argued,
crossing his arms defiantly over his chest. “You are my mate and I
will not allow it. We stay by each other’s side and endure
hardships together. It is the way things are done.”

“We fight as a family,” Jameson growled,
stepping toward me. “We always have and always will.”

“Aye,” Quinn, Hunter, Hagan, Pádraig, and
Lochlan agreed.

“This is my fight,” I shook my head, pleading
with my eyes.

“It’s our fight, baby,” Archer said, pulling
me back into his arms and kissing the top of my head. “You belong
to us now and we take care of what’s ours. We’ll make Stanus and
Lucian pay for what they did to you and Nikki. I promise.”

I wrapped my arms around Archer’s waist and
took a deep breath in, savoring his unique, comforting scent. Now
was not the time to argue and I wisely put the subject on the
backburner.

“Take me home, baby,” I whispered, peering up
into his breathtaking ice blue eyes.

“With pleasure, my love,” he answered as he
leaned his head down and softly kissed my lips.

Skye’s story will continue in Retaliation of
Sins (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #6). Look for it in late 2013
after the release of the highly anticipated spin-off novella
featuring series favorites Dean and Nikki.

These are the songs that were featured in the
book or played a role in scene inspiration. Spotify users can
search ‘SMVS Book 5 Soundtrack’ to pull up my complete
playlist.

Sanctified – Nine Inch Nails

The Only Time – Nine Inch Nails

Here Without You – 3 Doors Down

My Immortal – Evanescence

Rest In Pieces – Saliva

She Hates Me – Puddle of Mud

Sin – Nine Inch Nails

Get Down, Make Love – Nine Inch Nails

If I Was Your Vampire – Marilyn Manson

Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls/Busta
Rhymes

Boys Wanna Be Her – Peaches

I Am The Highway – Audioslave

Audioslave (self-titled) Album

Amun:
Father of all vampires; obsessed
with killing off Cináed’s bloodline.

Aodhfin:
(Deceased) The first Day
Walker; blessed by Saint Fionán of Cluain Eraird; reborn in 541A.D.
in Ireland; father to Cináed, grandfather to Archer; great-great
grandfather to Skye.

Aoife:
(Pronounced ee-fa) Works as the
second floor bartender at The Mausoleum; blood child to Archer;
married to Archer for 600 years before they split up in 1899; her
divine power is detecting spoken lies and truths.

Archer Rhys:
Owner of The Mausoleum
located in Austin, Texas; born in 672A.D. in Ireland; reborn as
vampire in 704A.D.; went by Fearchar before modernizing his name;
blood son of Cináed and blood father to Aoife, Hunter, Jameson,
Lochlan, Quinn, Seamus, Trey, and Skye; has the divine ability to
read human and vampire minds.

Atticus Frost:
Current leader of the
Dark Ones; came into power by killing his predecessor Calethwy
Moors in 1913; resides in New York City.

Aziza:
Works as the second floor
bartender at The Mausoleum; blood child to Greyson Mead; Divine
Power and Age unknown.

Cage:
member of Dean’s Kaxaw werewolf
pack; age and pack position unknown.

Calethwy Moors:
(Pronounced
Call-eth-wee) (Deceased) Old leader to the Dark Ones; killed in
1913 by Atticus Frost who usurped his position; blood father to
Stanus Octavius.

Callum:
(Deceased) Blood son of
Treasach; was made vampire a few weeks before Jameson and
ultimately grew up with him; divine power unknown.

Cardinal Bishop Flannigan
: Day Walker;
resides in Massachusetts; priest at
Saint Ailbe’s
church; presided over Skye’s Sacred Vow Ceremony; age and Divine
Power unknown.

Cináed:
(Pronounced KIN-awd)
(Deceased) Blood son of the original Day Walking vampire; blood
father to Archer and Treasach; divine power unknown.

Corvus Frost:
Dark One; youngest and
favorite son of Atticus Frost; next in line to take the Dark
throne; resides in New York City.

Courtney:
Works at The Mausoleum as a
cage dancer; brief object of Martin and Jameson’s attentions.

Dan Kennedy:
Skye’s old boss and
forever friend; owns Drop Kick Dan’s bar in downtown Austin,
Texas.

Dancers:
Cage dancers at The
Mausoleum; known dancers are Courtney, Seth, Staci, Peyton, Brian,
Eden, Rachel, and Alex.

Dark One:
Nickname given by Day
Walkers for vampires who cannot go out in sunlight; once a dark,
depraved, morally corrupt species who are under new leadership.

Day Walker:
Nickname given by Dark
Ones for vampires who can walk in sunlight; first Day Walker was
born in 541 A.D.

Dylan:
Cousin to Dean/Dic Cruz; member
of Dean’s Kaxaw werewolf pack; age and pack position unknown.

Dic/Dean Cruz:
(AKA: Dean Ian Cruz)
Owner of Tricky Dic’s Hookah/Head Shop/Beer Bar; frequent customer
of Skye’s at The Mausoleum; Alpha werewolf to Central Texas’ Kaxaw
Pack.

Drop Kick Dan’s:
Austin, Texas bar
owned by Dan Kennedy; Skye worked here for 4 years while going to
school at UT.

Ducky:
Barback at The Mausoleum; works
the first floor bar.

Emrick:
A member of the elite army of
An Dílis/The Faithful; appointed to Archer as a temporary protector
to him and his family; age and divine power unknown.