Infernal Creatures (Age of Vampires #3)

by Caroline Peckham

Gammel kjærleik rustar ikkje.

a book was a portal, and when life got tough, you only needed to enter one to forget your woes for a while.

“I’ll show you the world, drakaina hjarta,” he growled, his lips brushing my ear, my skin prickling at the touch. “Nothing will ever be kept from you again.”

“I’m coming for you, rebel!” he roared, his words sending a tremor through me that caused a mixture of longing and fear. “And hear me now, slayer. If you have left a single scratch on her when I hunt you down, I will ensure you know the kind of agony that only exists in the merciless depths of the afterlife. There is no path treacherous enough to keep me from her.”

Warrior born and monster made…Moon Child walks the path of salvation. Erik Larsen walks the very same path. A monster must be made, Julius Elioson. It is time.

I’ve known you for so little time, and really, I know you hardly at all. But I want to. Because in a thousand years of torment, you are the first thing to break the monotony of my immortality. You have awoken me to the world again.”

“At least give me a taste. Drive me to madness with the memory of you, it’s the least I deserve.”

“If I can end the curse, I have to, Erik. For my family, for all the humans. For…you.”

“The answer to Andvari’s curse will be some terrible thing, I am certain of it. And I will not lose you,” he said tightly. “The first look you gave me struck a fire in my heart I’d long forgotten was there. The second stoked the flames. And every look since has turned that fire into a deadly force that sees me growing madder with every passing day. But in light of what I know now, I do not want you to want me back. I want you to despise me. To do what you do best, rebel, and goddamn rebel. Ignore everything I have asked of you. Ignore my demands, ignore all promises I forced you to make. Don’t be mine. Don’t ever be mine. Because if you let me have you, Andvari will have you too. He will design new games to torture me, and he knows my weakness now. You will be his latest weapon against me, and I will not let him hurt you.”

“Promise me you will turn from me now, because if I have the chance to keep you, I will not be able to resist it,” he said, his brows pulling tightly together. “It’s too late for that,” I said, stepping forward and leaning up to brush my lips against his. “I’m part of this. Your curse is my curse too. Let’s end this together.”

“What I should have said is that you look radiant. Fucking bewitching. It’s how I’ve felt every time I’ve called you passable and all the times in between. But you don’t need this dress to steal my heart, rebel. You stole it with mascara running down your face, wearing nothing but tacky underwear.”

I’ll find a way to break the curse, Erik. I swear it.