“I have to stay back; the smell of blood is going to my head already.”
His eyes are red now, and there’s a new tension around his mouth. “How long since you’ve fed?”
“I’ve been drinking from blood bags, but from a live source? It has been a while.”
“Saxon, that’s not smart.”
Ignoring my remark, he points at the cup. “I think you’ve got enough blood there.”
I lower my gaze. “It’s only half full. You need more than that.”
“Aurora…” he growls. “That. Is. Enough.”
Oh shit. I think he’s really losing it. I’d better listen to him. I cover the cut with a paper towel, and then proceed with the spell to seal it shut. Saxon returns to the kitchen, and in the blink of an eye, he inhales the little I gave him.
“I can give you more blood,” I say.
“No. This will hold me over for a few hours.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this? You’ve drunk more from me before.”
He sits down, resting his forearms against the counter. “It’s not the same. Watching you bleed like that, even if voluntarily, was hard. Back in the dark ages, there were savage vampires who would cut humans and let them bleed out. Some would even bathe in their victims’ blood.”
My spine goes rigid in an instant. He must be referring to Madeleine Boucher. Saxon doesn’t miss the change in my demeanor.
“What is it?” he asks.
“Solomon told me about them today. They were first-generation Bluebloods.”
“Yes. Why was he telling you about those vampires, though?”
“Okay, what I’m about to say is a big deal. I’m not even sure if Lucca knows.”
“Does it involve King Raphael?”
“Yep.”
He squares his shoulders, and frowns so hard that deep lines form on his forehead. “Go on.”
“The Nightingales’ departure is affecting first-generations in a different way. It’s making them crazy. You were referring just now to the Boucher family, right?”
“Yeah.”
“They were the first ones to be affected by the disease.”
“Son of a bitch. Is the king going crazy too?”
I grimace, remembering my vision. The king went mad and killed everyone close to him. But that was an outcome that would happen if Lucca hadn’t wakened.
“Rora. What do you know?” Saxon presses.
“Do you want to know why I agreed to the blood vow?”
“To get the spell to help Lucca.”
“Yes, but there’s more to it.” I wriggle my fingers together. They’re clammy already. “Elena Montenegro has a magical Nightingale mirror. It shows scenes from the past and the future. She made me look into it and I saw King Raphael completely changed. He seemed possessed by a demon.”
Saxon’s eyes are as round as saucers as he stares at me in horror. “What else did you see?” he asks through a choke.
“He had killed Manu, and…” I let out a shuddering breath. “And I saw him strike you down with his sword. He killed you, Sax.”
“Where were Lucca and Ronan?”
“I didn’t see them. But that was a future that would come true if Lucca didn’t wake up. At least that was what Elena told me. That’s why I agreed to the blood vow. I couldn’t risk your life.”
He makes a motion forward but catches himself. “I want to crush you into my arms so terribly, Rora. But I don’t think I can yet.”
“Because of the repel spell?”
He shakes his head. “No. I don’t trust myself. The hunger is still present, lingering nearby.”
“You should drink more,” I insist.
“Only when I can do it the right way.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
“Pot, meet kettle.” He smiles ruefully, making my irritation melt—and other parts of my body.
I clear my throat, a feeble attempt to rescue my mind from the gutter. “The king has not shown signs yet of deteriorating mental faculties, but Tatiana has. She’s currently locked in her house, watched by the king’s Red Guard. None of her followers know about her condition.”
My news erases any mirth left in Saxon’s expression. His eyes darken as he rubs his jaw, and then he begins to pace in an agitated manner. He pulls his hair back with both hands, yanking at the strands. “Now everything is beginning to make sense.”
“What is?”
He pierces me with a glance that spells heartache. “I believe my father was also affected by the disease.”
“What happened to him?”
“When the feud between King Raphael and Tatiana started, my father took Tatiana’s side.”
Holy shit. Saxon’s dad was a traitor?
“That happened before I was born. I was taught to be believe Tatiana was the rightful heir to the throne. As I grew older, I blindly followed him. But soon after