bite.

Chapter 42

Michael had passed out from exhaustion and wouldn't wake again until the next rising. Skull helped me carry him out of the warehouse, where several cars were waiting to take us to the docks.

London was no longer safe. The treaty had been broken and the whole slayer team were dead.

The government had wanted Cassandra and her army as a weapon, more than they had wanted a peace treaty with the vampires. We would have to flee to the continent and wait for this to blow.

It could take decades, but I didn't care. I had Michael and that was all that mattered.

Duncan approached me, carrying Keira in his arms.

"I couldn't find the others, that you were talking about," he said gruffly.

"The others?" I replied, before remembering Raphael and the young woman.

"Only Keira was in the office."

"No, that's not right. There was a woman and Raphael... Cassandra made me turn her."

"Well, she's gone now."

"We have to find her, she's part v-type."

"No, the ferry leaves in two hours and we have to be on it."

"But-"

"You're welcome to stay here and try and find her - but you'll be doing it as an exile."

I winced at his words - I didn't want to stay here without the protection of a coven. I didn't want to end up like Skull's gang.

"Please, I have to find her. Cassandra forced me to turn her and that makes her my daughter... I know it's messed up, but I feel responsible for her" I explained.

Duncan paused and sighed, "I'll have my men look for her - but come hell or high water you will be on that bloody boat tonight, or Francesca will kill me."

"I'll go if Michael can come with me."

A flicker of a smile passed across Duncan's face.

"I haven't forgotten my end of the bargain. You found my Emma's killer, so you get to keep your young man."

"Thank you," I replied.

He walked away from me and started barking orders at a group of bodyguards. 

I got into the car and settled down next to Michael. 

Outside, a team of bodyguards were hard at work, dousing the old warehouse in petrol. They had piled the dead up high in the centre of the warehouse, ready to be cremated so no-one would ever know the full extent of what happened last night.

Looking into the dark windows of the warehouse, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about all those who were still in there. Micah, Christine, Cassandra, the slayers, and the archangels who didn't make it out. 

I closed my eyes and saw their faces.

Micah was in there, along with the archangels and the slayers and Cassandra... and in a few hours all their remains would be nothing more than ash blowing in the wind. 

I turned away from the warehouse and lay down next to Michael. I laced my fingers through his, and buried my face into his back.

24 hours later

The ocean was calm tonight and the sky clear. Michael and I took a picnic blanket up onto the observation deck to look at stars. Lying on the blanket, snuggled into Michael's side and gazed up at the thousands of stars around us.

"Have you been to Vienna before?" I asked.

"No," he replied.

"I've never been there either. Magda told me that Duncan has dozens of hotels across Europe, and we can travel to any one of them."

"We should go to Paris. I like Paris."

"Perhaps we can go in the summer. Leandro has asked us to winter with him in St. Petersburgh for Christmas."

"Really?"

"I think he wants to make amends with Francesca and Magda."

Michael didn't reply, he carried on looking up at the stars.

"Feel's strange doesn't it?" I said resting my head on his chest.

"What does?"

"This normalcy. No monsters, no murders -just peace."

"Patrick is still out there. Raphael is out there and so is your daughter."

"I know," I said quietly.

It bothered me that she was alone in the world - probably wondering what the hell had happened to her.

"You're worried about her," Michael noted.

"I don't know what happened to her and that bothers me."

"If Raphael was fatally injured then he may have bonded to her, to save himself."

"Do you think he would look after her?"

"He would be compelled to - that is the nature of a mate."

"I hope so," I murmured.

"He will do - Raphael is an excellent soldier and assassin."

"Assassin? Really?"

"She will be safe with Raphael, I promise," he replied.

"She better be," I said.

I didn't like the idea of my daughter being hooked up to an assassin, but I hoped he kept her safe.