Free Storm Clouds: Dragon's Fate, Book 3 by Lacy Danes Page B

walked over and stood above them.
    “He told me that when he has human blood, he can heal himself.”
    “As do I. One of you will need to go to Madam Olga’s and bring a sacrifice back.”
    Hudson opened his mouth and whispered, “It should be me.”
    Celeste pulled the bell. A moment later, the butler arrived.
    “We need help moving Ilmir and Hudson to the parlor settee.” She looked to the other Zir brothers. “Will one of you go get him what he needs?”
    Grandmum stood up. “I shall go. I too feed on blood. I know what they need.”
    Madoc stepped forward. “I will go with you.”

Chapter Six
    Astrid stood over Ilmir, his beautiful pale complexion now a crisp black and red. His white hair that used to hang down into his eyes was burnt in uneven lengths. Nothing about him shimmered or glowed.
    His words came back to her. “I am not going to make excuses or tell lies to make you or anyone feel better. I am what I am. Not you, me or all the lies in the world will change that. All of us are killers. You will soon see that, as you too are part of this world now.”
    She was a killer too. He was right. She rubbed her forehead with her fingers and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. All those people’s lives. Her power had helped to start that fire. Her chest ached, and her throat burned raw. When would they return?
    Ilmir’s breath staggered, and he exhaled sharply. No. No. He could not die. He was one of the last of his kind. He was her family. He’d taught her. She could teach him that family was the most important thing too.
    She gripped his hand. No matter her new ability, she was Astrid. The girl who loved this family more than anything in the world. She would do the proper thing here. The only thing.
    She grasped the bandage that Celeste had so lovingly wrapped about her arm. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
    The rough dry ash clung to her skin.
    So different from their first kiss, but it might be their last.
    She pulled back and wet her lips with her tongue. Charred burnt flesh met her taste buds.
    Ilmir.
    A dying Ilmir. Tears stung her eyes, and her tongue grew thick and dry in her mouth.
    She gently lifted his shoulders and sat behind him on the settee. His head and shoulders rested in her lap. He had brought her to this home. She owed him, and there was a chance…
    A small one…
    But still, a chance he would survive. He had said he loved her. Maybe that meant more than she gave score for.
    His mouth was level with the cut on her arm. She reached forward. Her wound had stopped bleeding, but she could reopen the reminder of her folly. She forced her lungs to breathe. This would hurt more than the tear had originally. With the fingers of her other hand, she tore into her flesh. Pain ripped through her arm, and her head grew light. She forced her eyes to stay open, but darkness haloed the edges of her sight. She pressed the open cut to his lips.
    He did not move to drink. She rubbed her arm back and forth, smearing sticky warm red across his cheeks, chin and lips.
    A sigh escaped his lips. “More” was spoken on his breath.
    She pressed her arm to him again. He bit down.
    Sharp knives dug deep into her flesh. She clamped her teeth together to hold in a scream. She did not want anyone to come in. This was between them. For all the family. She would save him.
    His tongue flicked weakly against her skin, and then he sucked. A pulling sensation jabbed up her arm. Her breath puffed out in shallow bursts, her body trembled, and sweat pricked her skin. Euphoria rushed through her. Her vision flashed and darkened. She sighed and relaxed, her blood flowing freely into him.
    He moaned and grunted.
    She lay limp behind him, her arm his feast. A growl came from deep in his chest, and his jaw jittered against her torn raw flesh. Burning pressure built in her forearm and then released; her arm burned with heat and ice. The sensation rushed up her shoulder, her neck and to her head. Her scalp tingled. She wrapped