Bonedust

watched Urban’s eyes darken, then flutter shut. A sob tore up his throat, wet and strangled. “Please, Goddess, please. I’ll behave. Just…let him live. Don’t kill him. Please.”
    Jeremie pulled back, smearing blood across his lips as he wiped them, then dropped Urban like a sack of potatoes. He slumped against the wall, but Gabriel could barely make out the slight rise and fall of his chest. “Thank you,” he breathed, his voice shaky as Jeremie descended.
    He sliced his own wrist, blood rippling out of the wound and Gabriel met his gaze. “I’ll never love you. You’re nothing but a monster.” His eyes were locked on Urban as Jeremie’s blood flowed into his mouth, bitter and tasting of hatred.
    Please, Halcion, let Urban live. Please, let him be okay, he pleaded silently as Jeremie’s mouth took his in a quick, one-sided kiss. “Ready, darling?” He murmured, fangs gleaming as he lowered his teeth to Gabriel’s neck. His heart ratcheted and his eyes pressed shut tightly. Just get it over with, please… His lips touched his throat, cool and dry.
    He expected the prick of pain, the loss of sensation as he died and was slowly reborn.
    It never came—instead, Jeremie let out a wounded shriek, like a dying man. Gabe’s eyes flew open in time to see a crystal stake embedded into Jeremie’s back, the vampire’s head thrown back in agony as he writhed beneath a dark, scarred man. The stake was jammed through the heart and as Jeremie twisted, the man grabbed a hunk of hair. With his free hand, he hacked at Jeremie’s throat with a big knife. It severed through the spine and the head went rolling across the bed and Gabriel bit back a cry as he was sprayed with Jeremie’s blood.
    “Please…” He struggled, tearing at his shackles. His eyes were locked on Urban—he had to get to Urban. His savior found the key after a few minutes of searching and they unlatched, leaving Gabriel to pitch forwards. He scrambled across the carpet on his hands and knees, cupping Urban’s pale, pale face in his hands. “Please, please, Urban. Be okay. Live for me, baby…please,” he gasped, tears coming in torrents, dripping down to streak across Urban’s still face.
    “He’s lost a lot of blood,” the strange man said, kneeling down next to them. He carefully pulled Urban in to his arms, cradling him like he might a child or a lover. He rested him down on the bed and Gabriel fought the sobs rising in his throat. “He’s fading.”
    “It can’t be too late.” No. Please. “Goddamnit, I just met him. I love him! What use is freedom if I have no one to share it with…?” He sank to his knees beside the bed, taking Urban’s hand in his, kissing the knuckles. He took a shaky breath and felt a nose bump against his elbow.
    Pandora, her face slick with matted blood, one eyeball gouged out, pushed against Gabriel’s side despite her own injuries. The hellhounds. She’d fought them? And won? He wrapped both arms around her, kissing her head, and his tears washed lines of blood away. “I’m sorry…”
    “I can save him,” the man said quietly and Gabe snapped his gaze up to greet him. The man slowly smiled, showing off a set of fangs of his own and Gabriel knew exactly who he was.
    Dante Saunders…
    “I don’t want him to become a vampire.”
    “He won’t be. I’ll give him a little of my blood; it should be enough to restore his own blood supply. It will heal him.” He paused, readying his arm against a blade. Gabriel merely nodded, turning away as Dante fed the man from his vein. He just kept praying, pressing his face against Urban’s hand. J ust make him safe. Make him mine again…
    “Done. You can stay with him until he wakes?”
    Gabriel nodded quickly, then climbed into the bed with him. Dante pulled away the blood-soaked sheets and Pandora ambled slowly up onto the mattress at Urban’s feet. Gabriel wrapped an arm around Urban’s torso, pulling him close. He looked back up to Dante. “Thank you…”
    “I know what it’s like to love someone and lose them,” he said quietly, then bowed his head and left the room.
    Gabriel let his breath out slowly, nuzzling his face against Urban’s neck and breathing in his scent. It was over. The nightmare would be over just as soon as Urban woke up…

    ***

    The room was dark when he opened his eyes, the only light coming through the cracked door, from a hallway. Urban turned his head, looking into the angel face of Gabriel. His breath