The Blood Ruby (The Arcane Artifacts #2)

Chapter 3 - A Crossroads

"Settle down, Marco," Laurent growled. "You're stronger than that."

The smell of Lily's fear riddled her sweet scent—so sweet. He'd smelled many amplifiers over the centuries, each unique, each impossible to forget. Not a single one had ever smelled quite like her.

Marco mastered himself, turning away. Laurent's muscles relaxed. He trusted his second completely, but instincts were instincts.

"Amplifiers are extinct," Marco said.

"And yet, here she sits—"

"Stop talking about me like I'm invisible! Will someone please tell me what an amplifier is?"

Laurent shot her a glare, irritated by her interruption, then turned back to his second.

"You realize what this means, Sarkas?" He didn't answer. "This could change everything."

"I am aware, assuming I plan to use her."

Lily's jaw dropped. "Use me?"

Marco turned to Lily wearing an arrogant smirk. "Your blood would make Laurent Sarkas the most powerful vampire in existence."

"What?" she choked, eyes darting between them.

"That's what amplifier blood does, pet. It amplifies power. For anyone. Laurent Sarkas is already one of the oldest of our kind. Your blood would make him unstoppable."

It was true, but Marco had left out one key point. Whatever power boost he would receive from Lily's blood would be temporary. It might last a day, two days, three. But it would fade. It always did.

Lily's face turned red with anger, pinning him with her piercing eyes. "You think I'll let you turn me into a vampire soda machine?"

Laurent blinked, caught off guard. He forced his lips into a flat line to keep them from twitching.

Marco scoffed. "Vampire soda machine? Certainly not. There'd be no refills, pet. He'd wait for the opportune moment. That's how he is—plays a vicious game. Don't believe me? Ask him what happened to the other amplifiers."

She whipped her head around to stare at Marco, blinking. Laurent listened to her heart, so beautiful, so quick, so fearful. Marco heard it too, smirk widening.

"All right, Marco, enough." He rubbed at the place between his eyebrows, sighing unnecessarily. There came a point when living lost its luster. More often than not, he wondered if he'd reached it.

Marco merely shrugged. Intimidation tactics were his specialty. It's why he did much of Laurent's dirty work.

Lily jumped to her feet, fists clenched. "You're all monsters. Fucking monsters. I've had enough. Let me go! Now."

Marco laughed. "Oh, she's funny. I like her already."

"Miss Shaw," Laurent drawled. "Sit down." He didn't will her. Didn't need to. It would have been easier if he had.

When the silence stretched between them, she finally sat. Her exaggerated glare reminded him of a tiny dog with a loud bark—pointless. Especially when he knew exactly how she felt. It was time to help her understand the situation.

"Miss Shaw," he said. "I find myself at a crossroads. Alive, you are a liability.. Dead, you even the playing field. How, then, should I proceed?"

Her mouth opened, only to snap closed.

"If this were up to you, you would request that I let you live, let you go home—"

"I vote for that."