Bones's dark brown gaze met mine. He smiled, but I couldn't return it if my life depended on it. His power brushed over me like a caress. I could feel it smoothing back my fear, entwining into my subconscious, linking us tighter together.
"Don't fret, luv," he said softly. "Soon this will be over, and Gregor will be dead."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Oh God, if I could trade places with Bones, I would. In a second.
"I'd ask you to stay here," Bones went on, "but I suspect you'd refuse."
I couldn't contain my snort. "As you would say, right you are." I couldn't hide in a room while Bones fought Gregor in a death match, no matter what. "But don't concern yourself with me. You focus on him. I'll be fine."
"Oh, he'll have all my attention, Kitten," Bones said in a grim tone. "Count on that."
I wanted to tell Bones he didn't have to do this, that we could find another way, but I knew how useless that would be. No matter what, Bones wouldn't walk away from this fight, even if Gregor all of a sudden promised to let us alone and my mother decided she was thrilled to be a vampire. Gregor had murdered Rodney. Bones was fighting Gregor for more reasons than me.
Mencheres appeared in the doorway, Ian behind him. I looked at the two vampires, one dark-haired and exotic, the other russet-haired and classically handsome. Both men were responsible for Bones's existence, since Mencheres turned Ian into a vampire, then Ian changed Bones. So many events had led up to this moment.
Bones leaned down, kissing me with the lightest brush of his lips. I traced my fingers over his jaw when he lifted his head, fighting the urge to grab him and refuse to let go.
The harsh scent of my desperation floated around me. Bones held my shoulders, squeezing gently.
"This isn't the first time I've faced death, Kitten, and I don't intend it to be the last. I've chosen to live a very dangerous life, but this is who I am. It's who you are, too, and the same would be true even if we'd never met."
I knew what he was really saying. If I die, it won't be your fault. Yes, it was true that Bones and I both would have lived equally dangerous lives even if we'd never met, but the bottom line was that if he died today, it would be my fault.
"I love you."
It was all I could say right now. Anything else would just upset him and he needed to be focused in order to beat Gregor.
"I know you do," he whispered. "And I love you. Always."
Then he turned before I could even blink and walked out the door.
It had been decided the duel would take place on Mencheres's back lawn. It was certainly big enough, with its acres of land bordered by high trees. An area the size of a baseball diamond had been cleared of everything but dirt, as the place where Bones and Gregor would square off. I didn't know why so much space was required, but then again, it was my first experience with this sort of thing - and hopefully, my last.
Gregor was already there, standing next to his blond servant, Lucius. I was surprised Lucius was alive since I'd assumed he'd been one of the vampires Bones, Spade, or Rodney had killed inside the house. Lucius's absence yesterday was odd, since every other time I'd seen Gregor, Lucius had been with him. Still, I had bigger concerns aside from wondering why Lucius hadn't been at Gregor's side during the previous ambush.
Gregor and Lucius weren't the only new arrivals at the house. Having a formal duel was apparently an event. There were several Master vampires I didn't recognize. Gregor's allies, Mencheres told me, plus several more members of Bones's line, along with four vampires who were introduced as Law Guardians.
Out of those four, the tall blond female crackled with enough power to make me uneasy. While she looked only eighteen, she felt about five thousand years old, and the three other male Law Guardians with her were mega-Masters as well. Bones, Spade, and I had all broken the law in taking my mother from Gregor. So had Rodney, of course, but he was past any undead judgment. Maybe the rest of us still had penalties coming.
Speaking of my mother, she was present as well. I'd thought she would avoid getting anywhere near Gregor, but she stood on the far edge of the lawn, watching Gregor with her eyes lit up like streetlights. Anyone within a thirty-foot range of her could smell the rage and hatred pouring off her. I didn't even want to imagine what else might have happened to my mother during the time Gregor had her. It filled me with enough fury for me to worry about my hands sparking again.
Bones had avoided me since leaving the room twenty minutes ago. I understood why; he was clearing his mind of everything but the imminent fight. Somehow, he'd even barricaded himself from the connection I'd felt between us ever since I woke up as a vampire. I couldn't sense anything from him now. It was as if a wall had replaced the rub of him inside my subconscious. I felt bereft, like I'd lost a limb. Many times, I'd heard Bones speak of the connection vampires felt to their sires. Only now that it was gone did I truly understand how deep it ran.
Bones was on the perimeter of the battlefield, talking to Spade. I couldn't hear them, either from the background noise of everyone else or because he was keeping his voice too low.
Moonlight glinted off Bones's pale, beautiful skin, and his dark hair appeared highlighted under those alabaster rays. I couldn't stop staring at him, my anxiety mounting as the time ticked ever closer. Bones couldn't die tonight. He just couldn't. Fate couldn't be so cruel as to let Gregor win after every awful thing he'd done, right?
I hoped not.
Across the cold red earth, I saw a familiar dark head part through the waiting onlookers. Vlad.
He glanced at me, but then kept walking in the opposite direction. My brows rose when Bones waved him over, the two Law Guardians around Bones stepping back to let Vlad through. Vlad's hair obscured his face as he leaned in, listening to whatever Bones said. I couldn't tell anything from Spade's closed expression, and I couldn't hear a word. Frustrated, I could only watch as Vlad replied, also inaudible, and Bones nodded once. Then Vlad walked away, headed this time in my direction.
"What did he say?" were my first words when he reached me.
Vlad shrugged. "What you might expect him to say."
Ice crept along my spine. Knowing Bones, he would have asked Vlad to look after me if Gregor killed him. Even though he disliked Vlad, that's exactly the sort of thing Bones would do. Was he just being cautious, or did he know there was no way he could beat Gregor? God, had Bones gone into this knowing he'd die but refusing to back down regardless?
I was about to run over to Bones and beg that we call the whole thing off when the tall blond Law Guardian strode into the center of the clearing. "The duel will now begin. As agreed beforehand, it will not end until one of the combatants is dead. Anyone who interferes forfeits their life."