Legacy of Blood by J. L. McCoy, Virginia Cantrell Page A

bones.  “I can’t stand to see anyone hurt you, Skye.  It kills me.  I’m sorry I did not stay but I couldn’t watch him do that to you.”
    “He’s trying to help me, Archer,” I whispered gently as I reached up and cupped one stubbled cheek, lightly running the pad of my recently healed thumb over his slightly trembling bottom lip.  “I’m learning the fastest way possible.  It just so happens to be the most painful, as well.  But I’m okay… really.”
    “I’m sorry I took the choice from you,” he said after a few moments of silence.  “It was selfish of me.  I should have listened to you when you asked me to end your life.  If I had, you wouldn’t be going through this bullshit right now.”
    “Exactly,” I whispered, suddenly serious, as I gazed deeply into his beautiful arctic blue eyes.  “I would be dead and not sitting here with you.  I’ve had a bit of time to think about my situation… I may have been mad at first, but I think I’d rather live and love than be in some hole in the ground.  This vampire thing can’t be as bad as my human mind made it out to be, can it?  I’m already learning to control my body and I can kick some pretty serious ass, thanks to the whole hybrid vampire/monster species thing.  Maybe it won’t be so bad, babe. … as long as the part of me that is made out of whatever the hell Amun is, is kept in check.”
    “I’ll always be by your side to make sure it is.  You don’t have to worry about that anymore. Do you forgive me?” he whispered hopefully, his eyes cautious.
    “Of course I do, honey.  Our connection now… it’s so deep, it transcends anything I’ve felt for you in the past, anything I felt ever before.  I don’t think there is anything that you could ever do that I wouldn’t forgive you for. Not now…  I love you, athair .”
    “You called me your father,” he whispered wondrously, his eyes filled with deep happiness.
    “You are many things to me, Archer.  My father is now just one of them.”
    “You are incredible, Skye,” Archer said gently as he reached up to hold my face softly between his strong hands.  “You never cease to surprise me.  I did something unforgiveable by forcing you into this life and you forgave me my impetuousness.”
    “I can’t stay mad at you, honey.  Trust me… I’ve tried,” I smiled and gently rested my forehead against his.
    “Get a bleedin’ room,” Oleif grumbled disgustedly a few feet away.
    “Oh, bite me Oleif,” I rolled my eyes, determined to not let him get to me. “Archer is my maker. Surely you have gotten a little warm and fuzzy over your own maker a time or two?”
    “Not like that,” he growled.
    “Jealous? You know, you really should mind your own business, Oleif,” I sighed as I pulled back from Archer and looked over at him.  “Don’t you have more important things you could be doing other than sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?”
      “Ruarc made you my business,” he growled as he stood up from his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.  “I’m going to be all over you and your business until I’m reassigned.  I’m not like your friend Hagan, little girl.  I won’t ever make it or take it easy on you.”
    “Hagan doesn’t make anything easy for me,” I frowned angrily as I flashed to stand as well, nearly knocking Archer on his ass in the process.  “He never has!  I work damn hard JUST to keep up with him.  He’s kicked my ass six ways from Sunday and I even had the bruises to prove it before I was turned.  He’s regularly pushed my body to its ultimate limits and brought me back.  He is my trainer and nothing he has ever done or taught me came easy! I worked my fucking ass off!”
    Oleif scoffed as he cocked one eyebrow and took a step toward me.  “He took it easy on you in the dagger match.  I saw it with my own eyes.  A newborn should not have had the upper hand in a fight with a soldier who is over 900