Love & Loss

Chapter 81

Xander's POV:

The elevator ride down to the cells seemed longer than it usually did, causing me to fidget with the key between my fingers.

My father had reluctantly given me the key to his cell to allow me to go in and out as I needed to.

It took some convincing, but he finally gave in once he realized that even if I did intend on getting Nico out of there, I'd need the key to those ridiculous chains he was attached to.

That added to the fact that he was half asleep when I asked after barging into my parent room very early in the morning.

The sun hadn't even risen yet

I had woken up super early with that same subconscious warning I got the day this situation started, but this time it was ten times worse.

And this time I immediately knew it was Nico.

The doors finally slid open, and the intense smell of rotten blood hit me before I could even think to take a step out.

My stomach turned at both the smell, and the realization of what it signified.

I didn't hesitate a second longer before speeding my way through the cells, catching myself on the bars of Nico's before I fumbled the key into the lock.

I just kept the key in the lock and stepped in eyes widening and panic spiking at what I saw.

Nico's body laid motionless on his side facing away from me, his wings wrapped around him as if to provide some kind of warmth.

You could just barely tell that he was even breathing because of the heaving noise that came from him with each breath he took.

And just as I had worried, every single meal or serving of blood that was brought down here was long spoiled and completely untouched.

"Nico?"

No reaction whatsoever. Not even a slight inclination that he heard me.

I listened closely for just a moment, immediately noticing that both his breaths and heartbeat were dangerously slow.

My stomach knotted violently as the realization hit me.

He was dying.

The savage instincts of vampires basically only served as something to keep up alive in our darkest moments.

The bloodlust, the wings, the insanity we can reach if we don't feed on blood.

Their only purpose was to keep us alive and his weren't working.

Just a small sip of blood would probably kick his body back into gear but the normal craving he should be having weren't there.

My body acted before my brain, speeding over and kneeling so that I was on top of him.

I rolled him over onto his back with one arm, seeing how his eyes weren't even open, but I could tell he wasn't asleep.

With the same arm, I forced his mouth open, turning the wrist of my other hand before shoving it into his mouth.

I flinched slightly at the feeling of his fangs piercing my skin, and then again as I twisted it to get a tear in my skin until I felt the blood leave my body.

His eyes shot open just a second later with a harsh inhale through his nose, his pupils thin amongst the newly showing red.

His hands shot up and gripped either side of my arm, claws sharpening and digging into my skin like I was some kind of prey he had been stalking.