Chapter 122

Candido laughed. “Good to see you alive too. We’ll catch up later.”

I frowned. That sounded like they knew each other even without the hoods and masks. Soon, two lines and holsters came sailing down to us. Candido kneeled with me in his arms. I thought he was going to put me down, but he slipped the belts around my waist and around my thighs. The heat of his hands between my legs made my face heat. He stiffened and took a deep, sharp breath. Our eyes met and for a moment I thought, just maybe, he’d break his rules.

I wished I could see his expression. We stared at each other for several moments. His eyes were dark and moonlight started to appear in them. I could feel his power starting to surge and his mind pressed up against mine.

He didn’t break eye contact with me, but he took his time buckling the holster straps around my thighs. I gasped as he slipped his hand between my legs to wrap a strap around my hip. He drew closer and growled into my ear.

“Behave yourself, princess. I’m almost done.”

My jaw trembled. I couldn’t help but let out a needy little whimper as he strapped the others side up and tugged on the belts to make sure it was tight enough.

Candido left me on the ground and stepped back before grabbing one of the lines and pulling. The line attached to my holster drew tight and began to lift. I realized that he was hoisting me up. When I was eye-level with him, he wrapped the line around his arm and put the other holster over his shoulder, strapping it across his chest. He checked the fit, tightening it around his waist before taking hold of the other line and starting to pull it until it was taught. I didn’t know what the metal thing he had in hand was, but he latched it around both of the lines and started to move it up the line. Slowly, I started to ascend as he started to climb up the wall. He adjusted the metal thing and the lines every once in a while, as footholds started to appear in the wall. I looked up and saw someone leaning over the edge, watching us with moonlight in their eyes.

It was Gilgamesh. He had the same power as Candido? Maybe they had been in training together or knew each other personally.

Eventually, we got to the top. Candido stood below and pulled the line until I was floating above him. Gilgamesh pulled the metal arm I was attached to from over the side and swung me onto solid ground.

“Good to see you, Pandora,” Gilgamesh said. His eyes were smiling and full of moonlight. “Hell of a scare you gave everyone.”

He unlatched the holster from the line and helped me limp into the helicopter as Candido climbed the last bit and pulled the rest of the lineup.

“Yes,” Dune said from the cock pit. “We’ve recovered them. We’ll be on the way back in about ten minutes.”

He turned back to look at me. His eyes drifted over me before he nodded.

“Good to see you alive.”

I nodded at him as I lowered myself into a seat. Candido entered the helicopter, exchanging a short hug with Gilgamesh who sputtered.

“By the moon, you reek. Get off me. That’s definitely contagious.”

Candido growled and caught him in a headlock. “Insolent little thing!”

Gilgamesh laughed. “Blame the boss.”

He shoved Gilgamesh towards the cockpit as he closed the door. “Just get us going.”

I stared at Candido and Gilgamesh, surprised. I had never seen him so… relaxed with anyone before. They seemed almost brotherly.

My eyes widened as it struck me. So many people had been thought dead, but had been turned, was it possible that Gilgamesh was his half-brother? I didn’t know, but I bet I could find out given a little time.

Candido reached me and lifted me out of the chair.

“Hey!”

“Quiet,” Candido huffed before lowering me on the medical cot. “Or I’ll have to strap you down.”

My face heated at the thought. His eyes darted up to my face. He pressed a hand to my thigh, forcing me to lay flat before kneading at the muscle there.

“Behave, princess,” he said gruffly. “I… really need you to behave.”

I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t say that. Instead, I said nothing and let him do whatever he was doing. His touch was gently as he checked my injuries. He cleaned them and wrapped them carefully. By the time we were back in the air, I was starting to feel a bit sleepy.

“Any word from the capital? What’s happened since we were separated?”

“No one’s had a chance to go back and check. There are a few scouts, but the last report stated they were tracking a group of vampires out of the city. That was hours ago… They’ve been presumed dead, captured, or defected.”

“Anything else?”

“They’re working on getting the communications network back up. One of the attacks took out the main communication tower…. For now, we’re blind.”

Candido looked tense as he turned back and helped me sit up.

“Drink this.”

I frowned and looked up at him as he offered the vial to me.

“What is it?”

“… milk.”

I blinked and looked down at the vial. It wasn’t white, but I knew what he meant. I could smell his scent in the vial. I bent my head, feeling a little appeased as he tipped the vial into my mouth. I drank it without a fuss.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead through his mask and lowered me back onto the cot.

“Get some rest. It’s at least an hour’s flight back.”

I nodded and looked up at him. He pulled a blanket over me and moved to leave.

Before I could think better of it, I reached out and grabbed hold of his shirt. He stopped. He looked at me and without a word, he lowered himself to sit beside me. He took my hand from his shirt and held it. He stroked my hair as my eyes started to water.

“I know,” Candido whispered. “Just rest for now, little one, okay?”

I closed my eyes even as I tightened my grip on my hand. Being without Candido had been scarier than I realized it could be. I thought back to everything that had happened and my mind started to pull away.

I felt his hand on my head, stroking my hair as I fell asleep to the sound of the copter.

“Hedy,” Candido whispered. I frowned and opened my eyes, looking up at him. His mask was gone, though his hood was still up.

My jaw trembled as I reached up to cup his face in my hands. His eyes fluttered closed and he pressed his cheek into my hand.

“We’re here. Can you stand?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t even going to try. He nodded and pulled his mask back up before lifting me into his arms. He paused to draw something over my face and over my head, obscuring my face before he stood and carried me out of the helicopter. We were in some sort of hangar. I could smell the forest.

“As soon as we check in, I’ll get you into a bath,” he said.

That sounded amazing. I turned into his arms. Things hurt a lot less. I was pretty sure that my shoulder was at least mostly healed and I was grateful for that.

We arrived in a room full of hustling people. It looked a bit like a medical tent.

“Armageddon!” Someone called. “I’ve been told that you and Pandora are needed in the war room.”

I didn’t know where that was, but Candido grew stiff. He nodded. “Give me a medical kit.”

She offered him a box and I took it, cradling it in my arms before he turned and headed down the hall. He took the elevator down several floors before stepping out and carrying me into a room that looked more like a bunker. Vanessa was at the head of the table, pouring over a digital map that was covered in big red slashes.

As we got closer, I realized that the slashes were over cities, including the capital. There was a counter steadily going up in the corner of the screen on the table and written reports like a never-ending chain scrolling on the screen behind her.

Gilgamesh entered the room just after with a tray of coffee. He set it down and left with little more than a nod.

“Glad you two made it out,” she said, leaning to one side. There was a bandage wrapped around her head. “The communication tower has been repaired to the best of our ability… We’re still getting reports in, but it looks like the attack on the capital was just one of many… the losses have been…” she shook her head. “Catastrophic and counting.”