Free Bleed For Me by Cynthia Eden Page B

lifted his hands. They were glowing, shaking
with the power bursting through him.
    “Apollo…” There was fear in his sister’s voice. “Hold
onto your control—”
    His control. He’d always been so careful. Always kept
the power within him coiled tightly so that he wouldn’t hurt
another.
    But now, Terese was gone. Lovely Terese with her
mysterious eyes and her slow, sexy smile.
    Gone.
    Ashes to ashes…
    The room began to shake.
    “Apollo…” Artemis reached for him, her fingers
brushing his arm, but she drew back, gasping, when her hand was
singed.
    The power of the sun filled him. The deadly, burning
power. “Leave,” he ordered his sister.
    “No, no, I won’t leave you—”
    “Leave!”
A roar. The ceiling above them
trembled as bits of rock and mortar rained down.
    The vampire scrambled back.
    Artemis disappeared.
    Eric lifted his hands, began to shimmer—
    Apollo grabbed him, holding him tight, and smiled
when his hands charred the vampire’s flesh. “You’re not going
anywhere.”
    Eric howled. The scent of burnt flesh filled the
air.
    “Tell me where to find Terese.”
    “
She’s dead! The whore’s dead!”
    His hands glowed brighter. He tightened his hold on
Eric, ready to burn every inch of flesh from his body. “
Tell
me
.”
    Eric screamed in agony, then began talking, fast.
“O-outside of N-New Orleans. S-swamp. T-Take them a-all
th-there.”
    Apollo dropped the vampire. Eric fell to the floor.
The vamp stared at his blackened skin and moaned softly.
    “She’d better still be alive,” Apollo snarled.
    I’m coming, Terese. I’m coming.
    Eric lifted his head and the fool glared at him.
“She’s d-dead. I d-drained her, and left her to b-burn in the—”
    He never finished speaking. Apollo unleashed the
power of the sun, letting it fill the room, letting it burn,
letting it destroy, letting it devour.
    Eric’s horrified screams filled the air.
    Ashes to ashes, bastard.
    * * *
    Apollo crept slowly through the swamp, all of his
senses on high alert. The sun had risen fully now. Its golden beams
spilled over the earth, warming, lighting.
    Killing.
    If Terese were in the sun, if she was out there—
    He stumbled into a clearing. Saw chains. Long, thick,
stone chains.
    And a woman. A woman with tousled black hair. Naked
skin—
    “
Terese!”
He ran to her, yanking off his
shirt. He had to cover her, had to—
    Her dark blue eyes were open, and she stared straight
up at the sun. “It’s so beautiful.”
    “Terese?” He touched her carefully and was stunned to
see that her flesh was perfect. No burns marred her ivory skin.
    She blinked at his voice and turned her head slowly,
oh, so slowly, toward him. “Apollo?”
    His fingers stroked her cheek. The cheek that felt
warm—
warm from the sun
. “Yeah, sweetheart, it’s me.”
    A tear spilled from her eye and trickled down her
cheek. “Am I dead?”
    No.
He jerked open the chains and pulled her
into his arms. “No, no, you’re alive.” Her head fell limply onto
his shoulder. “Terese?” Her lashes closed. “
Terese!”
    I d-drained her—
    He shoved his wrist against her fangs. “Drink from
me, sweetheart.” She didn’t move. “Drink!
” Please.
    The sun blazed down on them.
    Her lips moved, lightly at first, then harder as her
teeth sank into his flesh. He felt the pleasure/pain of her bite as
her teeth pierced his wrist.
    He pulled her closer, bent his head over her, and
curled his body protectively over her slight frame.
    She was alive.
    Her tongue licked his flesh and then she pulled back
as she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Y-you found me.”
    Emotion choked him and he could only manage to
nod.
    “I-I was afraid I wouldn’t see you a-again,” she
whispered. “Eric—”
    “Don’t worry about him.” His arms tightened around
her. “He’s dead.”
    Her breath caught. Then her eyes widened as she gazed
up at him and she saw the light spilling around him. “Th-the sun.
I’m in the sun.” She lifted her