Archangel's Kiss

Chapter EIGHT

PHILIPPE

Aria's distressed scream reached me, alerting me and waking up my anger. Despite rejecting her, I still worried about her well-being. The beast inside of me took control. I pushed away from the woman I was feeding off as Aria screamed again, and I ran to her. Arriving at the deck, I saw her terrified face. Before I understood what was happening, I heard the splashing sound of a body falling into the water. Aria threw herself overboard as two of my men tried to reach her.

In a boat next to ours, the tourists were taking pictures and pointing at my men. The vampires pushed at each other, blaming one another for what happened. I rushed to the railing and stared at the water, but I couldn't find Aria anywhere. My heart seemed like it was going to come out of my mouth.

Why am I feeling like this? Why am I worried about her?

Did she really fall or were my eyes deceiving me? The thought of her dying made me hold my chest in pain.

I rejected her!

My master said it would stop the yearning and the lust. It stopped. I couldn't care less about her until she screamed, and I realized she was scared.

"Where is she?" I asked, enraged as I marched to one of the men and grabbed him by his shirt.

"It was his fault," he babbled, looking at his companion.

"What was his fault?"

"He wan-ted to abu-se her," he stuttered, panic in his face.

"You also agreed to that. I didn't know she was no longer compelled," the bigger one protested as I glared at him.

Anger made me blind. "Where is she?"

"She fell," the guy answered with widened eyes as he pointed at the river. "She jumped..."

I clenched my jaw, listening to the whispers from the boat where the tourists were talking about the girl who fell into the river. Some were calling the police while others were asking to stop the boat.

"I'll deal with you two later," I muttered, pushing him aside and turning around to look for her in the river.

Despite my keen vision, I couldn't find her. My vision blurred as pain clenched at my heart. My body reacted, and I was about to jump in when someone stopped me.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

It was Gerard. He pushed me back.

I released myself from his hold. "Let me go. I need to save her."

"She's gone." He put himself in front of me. "Probably dead. It's useless. We need to calm down our guests and take precautions about what happened."

"I want them dead," I declared as I pushed him aside and locked my eyes on the surface of the river.

Aria couldn't be that far. It wasn't cold. She could still swim to the shore unless she was caught under the boat and got shredded to pieces.

"It's better if she's dead," Gerard spoke next to my ear as he pulled me back, again. "She was a liability."

I released myself from him. "I told you to send her home and erase her memory. Why did you let these idiots touch her?"

Gerard bowed his head. "I'll take care of them. They'll be punished for disobeying."

Narrowing my eyes, I stared at the men. Despite being quiet, they didn't appear to regret what they had done. I stepped forward and slapped the one who had tried to harm Aria. I sent him to his knees, slashing his face with my claws.

"We don't harm innocent girls!" I growled at him. "You aren't worth the blood you drink!"

"I'm sorry, master!" He shook out of fear as he lowered his eyes to the ground.

I was mad at him and at life. I didn't want to hear his excuses. The harm was done, and she...fell and was probably dead. Gone. And it was my fault.

"You need to leave. I'll take care of the tourists," Gerard said as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"Gargoyle!" one of the vampires shouted, pointing at the sky.

I turned around, alarmed.

Gargoyles looked almost the same, but I knew that that one was Cedric. He was bigger and paler than the rest. His warriors were following far behind him as he flew fast in our direction.

Is he coming to attack us because they saw my men assaulting an innocent girl?

"Evacuate!" I ordered Gerard. "Go inside and warn the others. Enthrall the girls not to remember about the feeding. Take two men and take care of the guests who heard the girl scream. I want everybody out of the boat in two minutes."

"And me?" the big one asked.

I didn't even know his name nor who turned him. I really didn't care. I smiled at him, pretending I was calmer, but I was not. "Go inside and warn the others."

I stared at the sky, waiting for Cedric. The fool wasn't waiting for his men. Suddenly, I couldn't see him anymore. He was gone. I ran upstairs and glimpsed him flying away with something in his arms. He must have found Aria. Is she alive? Did he save her? I hadn't compelled her to forget what happened. All was ruined!

I growled and sped my way downstairs. I was focused on a particular individual who ruined my night and put the peace treaty at stake. I found him, sucking some girl's neck instead of making sure every one of his brothers was out. I didn't need this type of ignorant and selfish bastard in my ranks.

I pulled him from the girl, enjoying the look of terror in his eyes. Ignoring the lame excuses he was babbling, I bit him, ripping his jugular and tearing the soft muscles of his neck apart. The blood flowed freely as he gasped for air. I laughed as he choked in his own blood. Then I pulled his head off, decapitating him. The useless bastard rolled his eyes before taking his final breath. They say the brain remains alive for a few seconds after the head is taken off. Who knows? All I knew was that vampires die without their heads as much as humans do, and I wanted that jerk dead!

I stared at the body as it made rhythmic contractions and smirked at the sight of it. I would have inflicted more pain if I had more time, but I didn't. I would take care of the other one as soon as we left the boat. I had to lessen the damages with the police and the media. It wasn't good for my image to have a suicidal jumper from my boat, but it would be worse to have an attempted rape.

"Master, we need to go!" one of my men arrived behind me.

I cleaned my hands on my jacket and wiped my mouth on my sleeve. Another perfect suit ruined! I breathed deeply before I voiced, "Leave his body behind. Everybody else, let's leave before the gargoyles find the boat. The giant rats will arrive soon, and I don't want anyone here for them to blame."

I couldn't shake the sensation of emptiness inside my heart. It had always been there, but now it stung even more. Aria was alive. I had hoped she was. But what would happen if she was saved? Would she tell what happened here? Do I want to see her? I wanted her gone. Safe from the supernatural creatures. I should have taken her home myself. But...I couldn't. Her tears... Her eyes. I needed to stay away from her. She was making me feel vulnerable. Human. Pity was for the weak.

I needed to be rational. Even if Cedric saved her and the police found her, they wouldn't believe her story of being attacked by vampires. I had contacts in the police. I could always find out where she was and what she had reported. For now, I had to make sure that the girls didn't remember about the feeding and that there were no vampires on my boat for the gargoyles to behead.