Night Kissed (Chosen Vampire Slayer #1) - Mila Young Page 0,58
in my city. I make no apologies for defending the clan’s right to our land.”
The expression on Veronica’s exquisite face shifted between exasperation and something else that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Eventually, the frustration won, and she pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. “That may be…but you’re still murdering people, Orion. Violence always brings about collateral damage sooner or later. Someone totally innocent is going to die because of this.”
“So be it.” I let my gaze roam over her body. “Your kind was meant to be sacrificed.”
“You just lost all the points I was willing to give you for sparing my life.” She tossed her hair. “I’m gonna go ahead and say you broke even at a big, fat zero.”
I grinned. “A harsh judgment, but perhaps it is fair.” One of the compresses threatened to slide off my arm, and when she turned her attention to straightening it, I reached out with the other arm and caught her by the waist. Immediately, her knuckles dug into my chest, close to another hidden spot where Seth had left burns.
The pain I would have felt was completely overshadowed by the thrill of touching her. She braced against me, her taut muscles coiled. “Let go.”
“I will.” I spoke in a low, almost gentle voice, directly into her ear. “What’s more, I won’t even harm a hair on your gorgeous head. But if you think you’ll be out of my sight for long ever again from this point forward, I have bad news for you, my darling.”
“Watch yourself,” she warned. Her fingers curled into a fist. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Maybe not now,” I murmured. “But I think you could learn.”
Chapter 19
Logan
As unabashedly bitter as I had become, I had never learned to revel in the brutal glories of conflict quite like Seth and Orion. Their latest fight cast a heavy pall over the house, the air thick with unspoken tension that made my skin crawl. For perhaps the first time, I started to feel the restraints of the mortal plane quite acutely.
When my allies were fighting like a pair of spoiled children, it was hard to know if I had truly made the best choice. The days remained largely unchanged, as Orion lay dormant in his makeshift grave during the day and either dealing with the enemies or watching over Veronica at night, while Seth disappeared somewhere. But each emerged fully reinvigorated, self-righteous tempers ready to flare.
I sat by the window and listened for the sound of one or both of them leaving. Only then would I be able to recapture an echo of the serenity I’d grown accustomed to. And even still, the threat of their return cast an enormous shadow over any hope of peace. How foolish I had been to take the quiet, uneventful days for granted!
We were all on edge. Seth in particular seemed to sense my displeasure—and held it against me. On the rare occasion that our paths happened to cross in the house, he stared me down, eyes narrow. I bore the brunt of his suspicious passive aggression for a matter of days, maybe a week. Then I couldn’t take it anymore.
The demon shouldered past me in the upstairs hallway. His gaze clashed with mine. “What?” I snapped, almost before I had the chance to realize what I was saying. We stopped at the same time, turning to face each other. “Do you have a problem, Seth? Because now is the time to air your grievances.”
He looked at me and arched an eyebrow. “Well, well, well, Logan. And here I thought you didn’t have an ounce of fire in you.” A condescending smirk lifted his lip. “I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. I don’t care.” I glared steadily into his face. “Are we going to talk, or is this a waste of time?”
“Listen, angel boy.” His retort was sharp and immediate. “No idea what the fuck’s gotten into you, but since we’re already here, I’ll lay it out. This little Three Musketeers act Orion thinks he has going isn’t gonna hold up too much longer, so you need to decide what side of the line you’ll be on when the shit hits the fan.”
I chuckled. “I guess you think you’re going to kill him.”
Seth glowered. “Who’s going to stop me if I do?” He stepped closer. “I won’t pretend I know anything about what’s going on in your head. But I’m telling you right now, you’re not a match for me. Not even