Twilight's Eternal Embrace (7 page)

His gaze slid over her before he met her eyes. He chuckled.
"
A mere lass.
"
He spoke her language, but with a thick accent.
"
I will taste your blood this night and be stronger for it, my warrior lass.
"
He waved her forward, taunting her. Let him think she was easy prey. It would be his mistake. She waved for him to come to her.

He threw back his head and laughed again. She blocked all thoughts from her mind except for the Draugr in front of her. She would take him down for her mother, for her clan
,
and for Bram, hoping against all that the gore he wore like an adornment was not the Oiche Sith
's,
she
'
d grown fond of.

The Draugr didn
'
t use his flitting abilities, but moved like a daywalker, believing he would take her down with ease.

Her lips slid into a grin as she swung her sword low, slicing into the Draugr
'
s calf, a deep cut that brought the fiend to his knees. He bellowed in surprise and pain as he went down. She moved in for the kill, but his hand swept out, his nails slicing into her thigh. She cried out and stumbled back, her sword falling beside her. Before she could recover, he was upon her, pinning her down.

"
I thought to make this pleasant, but I will make sure you suffer for wounding me. His fangs lengthened and he jabbed them into her neck. The pain shocked her and her vision blurred to black. This was nothing like Bram
'
s bite. The blood drinker meant his words. He would make her suffer, but she wasn
'
t dead yet. Her hand slid to her waist, where she strapped her dagger. Her hand gripped the hilt and she jabbed it with all her strength into the Draugr
'
s back,
then
thrust
upward
. He bellowed as he jerked away, grabbing for the weapon, but unable to reach it.

Adryanna scrambled away. Blood poured from the wound at her neck, but she couldn
'
t stop to worry about it now. She grabbed for her sword. She whirled around as the Draugr came at her. The tip of her sword met his chest. For a moment, his stunned expression met hers, before the light in his eyes faded to black. She pushed at his chest and rolled away before his body fell with a thud next to her. She wanted to lie there and not move, but she knew her wound could prove fatal if she did not stop the flow of blood. She sat up. The pain in her neck radiated to her head with a thudding at her temples. Her vision blurred as she tore at her shirt. She held the cloth to her neck with shaking hands
as she lay on the ground once more
.

In the distance, h
er gaze caught sight of a few Oiche Sith coming to their rescue.
There were only three ways to insure the blood drinkers did not heal and rise again: beheading, fire, and direct sunlight.

She glanced at the Draugr she stabbed. He lay still as death, but she knew he would soon rise again. She tried to sit up, but her strength had left her.

Chapter Twelve

Bram spotted a dozen Draugr break
ing
away from the rest of the fight and work
ing
their way toward the forest path to Coomkeen. He motioned to Camden and Fergal. They followed his gaze. They gathered a few more males and went after the Draugr who had only a few minutes start on them
.
P
recious seconds could mean death to a Lathe Sith.

Even though Camden should be swifter from his change, purpose kept Bram in the lead as they broke through the trees. The fight had already begun with the Lathe Sith clan making their stand. They fought well, worthy of the bards to sing praise.

Bram took down a Draugr with a stab through the heart
, immobilizing him before he made the final blow
. He was about to go after another to the left of him, but his nostrils flared at the familiar scent of wild flowers and sunlight.
Blood
. Adryanna
'
s blood. His head whipped to the right, his gaze landing on a Draugr lunging toward someone sprawled on the ground.
"
Adryanna.
"

He m
ade an attempt
to go to her, but he was blindsided by another Draugr. They grappled on the ground for control, both knowing only one would survive. Bram planned on being the victor. He had to get to Adryanna.

He punched the Draugr in the ribs, hearing them crack beneath his blow. The Draugr grunted then hissed, baring his teeth. They were stained red from feeding. He punched the Draugr again. The Draugr held onto Bram
'
s vest, taking him down, too. Bram landed on top of the Draugr, knocking the wind out of him. Bram took his dagger and drove it into the Draugr
'
s chest before the male could recover. He pressed his blade upward until he saw the light fade from the fiend
'
s eyes. He yanked the dagger out
, made the final cut to the throat,
and leapt to his feet. At a run, he headed for Adryanna.

As he neared, her gaze focus
ed
on him. Her hand was drenched in blood as she tried to stay the flow from the throat wound she
'
d received. He fell to his knees before her, reaching for the cloth.

"
Bram?
"
Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

"
I am here.
"
His eyes focused on her wound, the flesh ragged and torn.

She grabbed his arm. "The Draugr," she rasped.

Understanding her duress, he stood and strode over to
the fiend
that dared to touch
Adryanna
. He yanked the sword from the Draugr's chest. A wound to the heart; Adryanna had been lucky. If she'd hit a lung or anything else, the Draugr would have finished the job he started.

Raising the sword over his head, he brought it down again, forever ending the fiend's life.

Bram
hurried back to Adryanna
.
She was so pale, near death, but he wouldn't let her go. He took her hand, needing to explain his intentions so not to frighten her. She'd been through enough. "
I wish only
to
help you
, if you will allow me
. I need to mix my saliva with your blood to close the wound.
"

She nodded her consent.

He covered her wound with his lips. Her blood filled his mouth, sweet with remembrance, but what he did was not for pleasure. He was closing the wound
to
stop her from bleeding out. One final flick of his tongue and he released her, knowing the wound
had
closed. His eyes met hers, making sure he hadn
'
t been too late.

Her hand moved to his face. She brushed his hair away from his eyes.
"
I am glad you are all right.
"

His lips curved and he let out a soft chuckle of relief.
"
I believe I have fared far better than you, my lass.
"
He leaned near to kiss her lips, but stopped when he realized what he was about to do. His mouth hovered over hers, her breath warm against his flesh. He wanted to indulge and knew she would welcome his caress, but they were forbidden to have such a tryst. They should not know each other so well.

"
Bram?
"
It was Camden who called to him.

He
flew to his feet and offered
Adryanna
a hand, pulling her up to stand beside him
.
"
The female still lives.
"
His announcement sounded foolish to his ears.

Camden
'
s gaze flickered to Adryanna and to her neck before his gaze riveted back to Bram
'
s.
"
You—
"

Bram knew Camden was about to point out what he
'
d done to save Adryanna
'
s life, but he couldn
'
t have him voice it with so many ears around to hear.
"
This is Fianait
'
s sister.
"
He didn
'
t know what made him blurt out the fact, but it seemed to silence Camden. He looked at Adryanna again and the expression in his eyes changed from accusation to compassion.

"
Adryanna
's brows furrowed as she stared at Camden.

"
Your sister was blooded to him
," Bram said as introduction.

"
You are much larger now
," she murmured the bold statement, but Camden heard her and his frown deepened.

"
We met the day you chose my sister,
"
she reminded him.

He nodded
as recognition lit his gaze
.
"
Aye.
"

A sensation of tender concern entered Bram's mind at the way Adryanna studied Camden. Did she scrutinize him to
fuel her hatred for the male who
had
ended her sister
'
s life or was it purely out of curiosity
?

"
You wear my sister
'
s ribbon.
"
Adryanna pointed.

Camden gripped the ribbon then removed it from his hair. He took the steps separating them
by
flitting
to her side
.

Adryanna blinked in surprise, a gasp leaving her lips.

Bram
'
s hand went to the hilt of his dagger secured at his side, but relaxed when he realized Camden meant no harm.

Camden
held out his hand. The ribbon lay against his
skin
, too dainty for the calloused
palm
.

She eyed the offering, her fingers wavering over it, but she pulled her hand back. Her gaze met Camden
's
and confusion furrowed his friend
'
s brow.
"
It is yours,
"
she told him.
"
Keep it and remember her.
"

Camden
'
s throat moved up and down with emotion as if swallowing suddenly became difficult. He gave her a curt nod and closed his fist over the ribbon again. Camden
glanc
ed
at
Bram
with tired eyes.
"
We are done here and we must head back to Dungannon.
" He pursed his lips then nodded his head toward Adryanna.
"
I
will
give you
a
moment, but you must hurry. Day is approaching.
"

Bram stared after his friend in bewilderment. Camden should turn him in for subordination, not give him time to be with a Lathe Sith.

Adryanna
'
s hand slipped into his, drawing his attention back to her. He turned toward her, shielding her from prying eyes
should
they
glanc
e in their direction. His hands cupped her face.
"
You are a fierce warrior if not a wee fool, too.
"
Her mouth opened to retort, but he didn
'
t let her. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her long and hard with plans of leaving her breathless, but in truth, the kiss enlivened him. He flitted away without another word or a goodbye. Parting from Adryanna
'
s side proved difficult. He put himself in this predicament, but he would end it.

They could not be together.
As he thought this,
Adryanna
'
s voice floated to him on the wind.

"
If you can hear me, Bram, meet me at the cliffs at
Twilight
.
"

He should pretend not to have heard her plea, but she was like a siren and he could not resist her call.

Chapter Thirteen

Adryanna
'
s father survived the melee and so did Talia, but one of Talia
'
s brothers fell along with Dougal and Rory, a father and son. Ione, Dougal
'
s widow, had only her daughter now.

If Bram and the other Oich
e
Sith hadn
'
t arrived, there would have been more casualties. It was the Oiche Sith clan
'
s duty to keep them safe, but Bram had chosen to fight near Coomkeen. Had he chosen the spot because of her? She wanted to believe he had.