Page 176 of Eternal Craving

“That may have something to do with the fact that you’ve buried him.”

Elijah flinched.

“If Roman was right,” I said, “and the Stone Masters intend to burn down the city, why haven’t they done it yet?”

“Only Roman knew that secret.” Elijah approached me. “And he passed it on to Delacroix.”

His pale tongue flicked. “Let me drink from you.”

I cringed at the thought of his pale lips going anywhere near my neck. The expression on my face told him the answer was no.

He rose to his full height, giving me an intimidating stare.

“You made a mistake coming here,” I said.

“Considering what’s at stake, Jacob is unimportant. Sunaria has tainted your view of us. We are the elite.”

“You punish her for threatening your descendants, and yet you’re guilty of doing the same.”

Elijah’s face hid his emotions, but I sensed his aggression.

His attack sent me hurtling. My head struck the wall and, when I opened my eyes again, Elijah was glaring down at me.

“Your history runs in my veins.”

I tried to break free from his grasp. “I’ve never been one for holding onto the past.”

Elijah’s strength almost overcame mine, but with a quick yank, I pulled one arm free and reached for the dagger tucked inside my jacket lining, withdrew it, and swung it up, thrusting it into his chest. His face contorted, his mouth gaping in horror. Using all my force, I plunged it farther. A rasping rattle escaped his throat and his eyes bulged. He was paralyzed. With a shove, I flipped him onto his back and attacked his neck.

Drinking, taking it in, I exulted in the potency rippling through him, and now through me, an exquisite elixir fermented over centuries. Gorging, I tumbled back in time and went to a place where nothing – and yet everything – existed.

I stayed sharp, maintaining a steady course, as a legacy faded.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Belshazzar’s felt different – a sense of serenity settled over me.

Jacob waited in the lounge. I carried his medical bag, retrieved from the cottage.

A lifetime of waiting had finally come to an end.

Power surged through me, along with a vast knowledge of our history over the centuries. If Elijah’s words held any truth, wedding them with how I felt, my mind tried to grasp the concept of what I now possessed. Though this buzz provided an interesting, if not arousing, sensation, the fact that Jacob stood on the other side of the door was easily more compelling.

Despite what I’d done within this very hour, I felt calm. Elijah’s heritage was not lost, but had been absorbed and his memories stolen, perchance to be liberated some other day. Being willing to do anything to protect my son, I’d brought down the most ancient of legacies – and I felt no regret.

Having fed, my pallor would not be an issue for at least a few hours. Trying to find the right words, searching for a way to convey feelings unaffected by time, I paused with my fingertips on the door of the lounge, and then gave it a shove.

Jacob’s smile greeted me.

I set his leather bag on the side table. It was a familiar item in an unfamiliar setting. I needed to pass for a man in his late forties, despite my thirty-year-old appearance.

Mindful of the way I moved, I stepped closer. “Welcome, Jacob. You look well.”

He seemed lost amongst the lavish décor. Despite his youth, work had taken a toll on his appearance. He looked older than twenty-one.

He approached me. “Are you really my father?”

I gave him a warm smile. “I am.”