Ashes to Ashes: The Complete Series, page 62
They spoke of endless pain and endless power – all of which would be directed at me.
I freaked out. One last torrential downpour of horror struck me. It shook through my body. It pulled up my hands, and it spoke to that power buried deep in my stomach.
It rose through me in an unstoppable wave. Just as the guy tightened his fingers around my throat, just before he ripped it right out of my damn neck, I screamed. And I fought back.
A wave of magic blasted out of me. It pulsed through the room. It smashed into my desk, upturned it, and sent every single paper on top scattering over the floor. It also struck the door. It pulled it right off its hinges and shattered the wood into a thousand pieces.
It tore the covers off my bed and set my pillow on fire. But more importantly than all of that, it struck my attacker – right on his chest. He went flying. He smashed into the window, but he didn’t stop there. He was blasted right through. He sailed down the side of my house and out of sight forever.
I staggered to my feet.
There were two soft footsteps. Ridvarn Rose, the most powerful vampire in the city, stopped right in front of me. He pushed one hand toward me, his fingers open in a clear invitation. His other hand disappeared behind his back.
I didn’t know what I was doing. My mind was fracturing on fast forward. I had… I convinced myself this was a dream, but now I wasn’t sure. Though I’d had crazy dreams my entire life, none had ever been as intense as this. As I stared at Ridvarn’s hand, I saw every detail. From the lines in his palm to the perpetually glowing red rose tattoo on his wrist.
“Take it,” he said, his voice vibrating through the room. It was the first time he’d spoken.
Lost, alone, and terrified, I lifted my hand. The wind was still fluttering in through the now completely smashed window. It gently brushed my fringe and sweaty hair like a lover’s touch.
“Take it,” Ridvarn said, his deep voice vibrating through the room, shifting into the floor, and pitching up into my stomach.
Closing my eyes briefly, I reached out. I took his hand.
That’s when he brought his other hand around from behind him. I opened my eyes to see a rose – blood-red and encased in wisps of black smoke. He grabbed my hand, spread it open with a broad stroke of his thumb, and shoved the rose into my grip. He forcibly closed my fingers around it until they were cut by the scalpel-sharp thorns.
As I stared up in shaking fear at Ridvarn’s face, my blood trailed down my wrist.
Never taking his eyes off me, he slowly traced a finger down my blood. Then he lifted it up to his lips. “From today on, Valerie Stevenson, you’re mine.”
The rest of the Prince of Roses series is currently available.
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More Fantasy Series by Odette C. Bell
All of these series are complete.
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The Billionaire’s Witch – she’s the most powerful witch in the city, and he’s the most powerful man. When he inherits her, she’ll fight for him – but only to find out the truth.
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The Frozen Witch – in her veins lies the cold power of the darkest realm. He will lie to her to use it. But he will need her help soon enough.
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Odette C. Bell, Ashes to Ashes: The Complete Series
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