All The Queen's Horses {Myrnin, Morganville Vampires}

Do It

When we finally ground to a halt, the short beat of silence was almost deafening before pandemonium erupted, vampires around me yelling, Ciro screaming, and vicious growling, Myrnin!

He was close!

Shockingly, it appeared the vehicle had stopped with all four wheels on the ground. I was wedged against the window on one of the seats. All of the vampires around me scrambled to right themselves from whatever position they ended up in. Ciro's creepy green eyes rolled wildly.

In the next instant, Ciro gripped the silver dagger in his fist and launch himself toward me. If his intention wasn't already obvious by the maniacally deranged expression on his face, his words made it crystal clear as he hissed, "I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Amelie's powers still flowed through my system, a result of the extreme pain I continued to endure, and my body reacted to his assault without consciously thinking. I shot my leg out, making brief contact with his chest, spinning him away to the side. But it wasn't enough. I was too weak.

He growled angrily and coiled to spring again.

I pulled my knees against my chest to protect my heart, just as he landed on my body. I tried to fight him off with my hands, but the pain was too great. I was only able to burn him briefly. In his blind rage, I doubted he even noticed.

He grasped my knees with his left hand and yanked them away from my chest. His right hand was already in motion, the dagger aimed right at my heart.

"No!" I screamed and shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to be staring into his disturbed gaze when I died. I couldn't believe I had gotten this close, only to die within seconds of being reunited with Myrnin.

But the strike never came.

Instead Ciro was violently ripped off of me and disappeared out of the vehicle. I didn't even remember hearing the doors being torn off of their hinges, but it was obvious from the gaping hole across from me. In the next instant, Myrnin appeared at my side and his arms of steel lifted me from the seat. He held me to his chest, jumped from the car and then carefully laid me on the ground. I stared up at the night sky. The stars had never looked as brilliant or as beautiful as they did to me right now in this moment of relief. The scents of grass and wood wafted over me.

A stream of profanity released from Myrnin's mouth as he realized I was shackled with silver handcuffs. He hissed urgently, "Do you know where the key is?!"

The pain had slowed down my brain and subsequently my tongue. I was only able to mumble, "Ciro... Neck."

Myrnin yelled over his shoulder to Gwion, "Get me the motherfucking key from his neck!" Myrnin raised his hand in the air without taking his eyes off of me, obviously trusting Gwion was capable of hitting the mark when he threw the key.

He was right.

Because no sooner had Myrnin's hand gone up, did he yank it back down, with the key clutched in his fingers. He quickly unlocked the restraints, his hands burning as he removed them.

As soon as I was released, he waited the sixty seconds it took for my wrists to heal and then gathered me into his arms, clutching me against his chest like his life depended on it. One of his hands tangled into the hair at the nape of my neck as he whispered fervently in my ear, "Cariad, I am so, so sorry!"

"I'm okay," I whispered hoarsely, even though I knew I wasn't. I was fairly certain I was in shock and Amelie's powers still ping-ponged through me like an 80's pinball game.

Of course, Myrnin also knew I wasn't okay. He peppered kisses in my hair and rocked me in his lap, promising vehemently, "I will fix this...You will be okay... Soon."

I couldn't speak.

I let my head fall to the side and looked around to get my bearings. I found that Myrnin and I were sitting about forty feet away from the crash site. As expected, the Escalade had indeed driven into some sort of building. It looked like an old abandoned gas station.

All of the vampires were lying in various positions on the ground, most certainly dead. Gwion was holding Ciro by the neck as he writhed unsuccessfully to get free.

"Finish it!" Myrnin called out to Gwion.

A moment later Gwion stood next to us with Ciro in his grip. He hissed, "Not yet."

Gwion looked down at me and purred, "Shall I take care of him in the manner we discussed? Although with those damn drugs in my system, I am admittedly a little weaker. Oh well, I'm sure he won't mind if I continue to try until I get it right," Gwion smiled wickedly.

Ciro and I both knew what Gwion was referring to. When we had been at the rave, Gwion had promised to emasculate him with his bare hands. Ciro pleaded desperately with me, "No, no, no! Please make him kill me now!"

I stared at Ciro and then back up at Gwion. Gwion's dark pupils penetrated my gaze as he waited for an answer. Amelie's powers roared up to meet him in response, fiercely connecting us.

My decision was made.

I turned back to Ciro and replied callously, "You wondered when my cruelty would 'bloom'? The answer is now."

My gaze shifted back to Gwion, and I replied coldly, "Do it."

"It will be my fucking pleasure," Gwion replied and headed back toward the building with Ciro in tow, shrieking the entire way.

A few moments later Ciro's shrieking changed into cold-blooded screaming and I knew that Gwion had begun. Deep satisfaction flowed through me, satiating Amelie's power's demand for payment of Ciro's crimes with his flesh.

However, as we waited for a vehicle to return us to the hotel and Myrnin continued to hold me, all of the stress finally released from my body, leaving me back into my right mind.

And then I couldn't bear to hear it.

Ciro's non-stop screeching.

I had never heard anything so horrible before and prayed I never would again. Guilt suffocated me to know that Gwion had left the decision up to me. And I had chosen to destroy Ciro in the worst possible way imaginable.

Fifteen minutes had gone by. Fifteen minutes of incessant screaming and thunderous growling. Gwion may have started with the emasculation, but I was absolutely certain he was well beyond that now, and I suspected he had the skill to extend the torture for an indefinite amount of time. My head was pounding from the noise. I couldn't think anymore and desperately wanted it to stop.

Myrnin sensed my overwhelming anxiety. The instant the dark vehicle pulled up, he had me in his arms and we were in motion. He set me gently on the seat and climbed in beside me. The closed door muted some of the sound, but not much. It wasn't until we were miles away that the screaming stopped in my head.

.

Please pluck the Vote button if you enjoyed the chapter. :) :)