“We don’t have a future. I hate you,” said Kyra. She ran past me and stopped to look at Arianna.
“I hate you more. You were right and I hate you for it, you knew that he would break my heart and you let me go into this blind. I’ve given everything up and for what?”
“You never listen, Kyra. I warned you and you still dated him. This is a lesson you had to learn. You hate me but you should hate yourself. This is a lesson that you will learn. Repeatedly,” said Arianna.
“That’s why Craig raped you. You’ve always thought that you were better, but that’s why he raped you and not me. You deserved to be violated and left in the street like a used tampon,” said Kyra.
Kyra ran toward the school.
That’s why I don’t like Kyra. No woman deserves rape, and for her to say that to her own flesh and blood is unforgivable. How could you like a girl like that? She isn’t even as attractive as Arianna, and now that she’s gained weight, she looks bad.
Victoria, shut up. She doesn’t care if you like her or not.
Baby, she apparently doesn’t care if you like her either.
“Ivan, cut her head off and toss her body in the nearest dumpster.”
“I told you that she hated you. She’ll never forgive you for what you did. Guess what, I win. You may kill me, but she won’t be with you.” Arianna fought against Ivan and Dylan’s hold as she lunged for me. I was impressed that she still had a bit of fight left in her considering that when I arrived, she was laying on the concrete like a dead skunk.
Frowning, I waved to Ivan to cover Arianna’s mouth and move into the shadows. Someone was coming. I’m sure it was not Kyra coming back with a change of heart. Chasity could have recruited the angels to come and deal with me.
My pulse leaped at the thought of having a showdown with them. The vampires and the angels act like they rule earth, but I have got news for them. Earth is my terrain and I rule this place. If they don’t like it, too bad, they can blame Valcrum for thrusting me down here and unleashing my vengeance upon them.
A blond-haired blue eye girl stopped in her tracks. She spotted Arianna being held by Ivan, but she did her best to act like she didn’t see her. She turned on her heel and headed back the way she came. Her legs were moving as fast as they probably could without running.
Arianna elbowed Ivan. He grunted and balled up his fist.
“Claire, run and get help. They’re trying to kill me,” said Arianna.
Ivan punched her in the back of the head and she fell to the ground.
“Get her!” My voice echoed off the buildings
Dylan ran to her and grabbed her by the waist and brought her back to me.
“What is your name?” My heart pounded in my chest. Now I had the missing link right before me. This made up for Kyra running from me and everything I had endured since breaking up with her.
She was beautiful in a classical way. If I didn’t have Kyra, she and I would have been having another kind of conversation. I shifted position and forced my thoughts back to the matter at hand. I finally had my hands-on Claire, and she was going to make me more of the vampire virus whether she liked it or not.
“Don’t make me ask you again.” I pulled a strand of her blond hair. Its silky texture felt nice against my skin. Once she gave me what I wanted, I could think of a few more reasons to keep her alive. Every day she could prove that her life had meaning. I could, but Kyra would scratch her eyes out and she would be looking for a dagger to thrust in my heart.
Kyra and I had issues. Our issues were not so complicated that they could not be fixed. Once she realizes that I will never let her go, she will get over her anger. She does not have a choice. I have decided that she is my mate, the one that I will spend my life with, and I do not intend to argue with her for all of eternity.
“Let me go.” Claire looked at me then at Dylan who held her tight against him.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I know you very well. Your name is Claire Sands.” I watched her eyes widen. She narrowed her eyes at Dylan who leaned in close and smelled her skin behind her neck.
“So what? What do you want?” She licked her lips and looked at me.
“Ivan finish Arianna off.” Ivan drew his knife and walked to Arianna.
“You can’t kill Arianna,” said Claire.
“She dies, but you have your own problems to deal with right now.”
“You can say that again,” mumbled Claire.
“You created a virus that is killing the vampires.”
“Wrong. Arianna and I created the virus. I can’t make it without her. If she dies so does the virus.”
“You’re going to make me enough of the virus to kill every vampire in the world.”
You have forty-eight hours to make me enough to wipe out all the vampires in Jonesboro.
“I guess you had better hope that the man over there didn’t kill Arianna.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ariannna
My ears were ringing. Opening my eyes, I jumped up. My mouth was like desert sand and my throat hurt. I could still feel the man’s hands on my throat. Where am I? This room was a motel but am I here? The white sheets appeared to be beige, and the holes looked like animals used it as teething rings. The air conditioner on the side of the window was loud and clunking, filtering stinky air through the room. Dark brown curtains hung over the window and there were several small cigarette holes in them.
Are they going to rape me, like Craig?
Jumping out of the bed I cringed as I felt my bare legs. I was almost completely naked except for my yellow cotton panties. These were my period panties and I was mortified that anyone saw them. Will ugly panties make a guy not want to rape you?
It didn’t stop Craig. He thrust my legs apart. I shook my head. I couldn’t think about what Craig did. I needed to get out of here. A toilet flushed in the bathroom. Dang, I’m out of time. Looking around the room, there wasn’t much to use as a weapon unless a plastic trashcan had the powers to kill. Dashing to the door I flipped the latch and ran out on the balcony. If I wasn’t so high up, I could jump and make a run for it. In Atlanta, the streets were safe, but running them naked was less safe. I’d rather die at the hands of werewolves and vampires than allow another man to rape me.
I climbed over the ledge. It was pitch black, but I could not see anything below which meant I was up several stories at least. Jumping down, meant dying, and my fingers gripped the ledge. What is the difference? I can die inside this room once they’re finished with me or die now. My life has never been my own but in this moment, I’m taking my life back. Bowing my head, I prayed to Valcrum that he would forgive me for my actions, and not living up to the potential that bestowed on me. I’m just an eighteen-year-old who thought I had more time to get my life together, but I didn’t.
Lifting my hand from the rail a sense of calm swept over me and I closed my eyes feeling the breeze across my body. My foot slipped and I slid halfway off the ledge dangling by one arm that gripped the railing. Pain shot up my back and I felt blood trickling down my legs. I let go.
“No.” Someone grabbed me as I fell. My heart rate nearly exploding inside my chest as I fought the strong arms that gripped me. I stared down looking into the blackness below. I just needed to continue to help gravity push me further out of reach. I swung my legs with all my might trying to pull both of us over the ledge.
“Arianna, we are thirty-five stories up. I can’t hold you, stop struggling,” said Claire.
“I won’t let them rape me.” A feeling of coldness came over me. Why is Claire here? I stopped swinging my legs going stiff in her arms.
“There’s no one here but you and me,” said Claire. Her nails dug further into my armpits as she tried to pull me up.
“You’re lying to me.” I felt dizzy. I hung there like dead weight. Trevor wanted me dead and he wouldn’t let me go. She must be lying to me. Why would she lie to me?
“Fine. Just jump to your death. I don
’t have time to deal with you and them too. You have ruined my life and now you think that you can end yours. Nope, not happening,” said Claire. She put her legs against the bars and heaved Arianna over the railing and threw her inside the room.
“I didn’t ruin your life. I asked you for help. They were going to kill me.” I rolled into a ball and got to my knees. My body froze at the bitter accusation that she flung at me. What is she talking about? I’ve only seen her twice in life, so how can I be responsible for her life?
Claire slammed the door and locked it. “I’m beginning to think I should have let them cut off your head.” She stared at me then placed her hands to her lip.
The side door opened and three of Trevor’s men came walking inside the room.
“What the heck is going on in here,” asked Ivan?
“She thought we were going to rape her. Craig must have really done a number on her,” said Ted.
“If we have to come back in here, I will throw both of you over the balcony myself,” said Ted. He stormed back through the door.
Ivan’s eye roamed over my naked body. “I hope you continue to make noise so that I can come back in here. I might come back anyway, and you and I can get better acquainted.” He cupped himself through his pants before strolling back through the door.
As soon as they left, I locked the door. I ran back to the balcony. If my choices were Ivan or the black hole of death, I choose the hole.
Claire yanked my hands away from the door. “Get a grip. You’re panicking and acting stupid is what brought them in here in the first place. If you want them to stay in their room stop trying to kill yourself.” Claire rubbed her temples and walked over to the refrigerator and tossed me a bottle of water. She turned on the television and waved for me to follow her into the bathroom.
The bathroom wasn’t big enough for two people but it will have to do. She closed the door. I felt a bit claustrophobic but leaned against the wall to put space between her and me.
“Fine. My thoughts are fuzzy. What happened after that demon hit me over the head?” After twisting the cap off the water, I drank. I closed my eyes savoring the coolness of it traveling down my sore throat.
“Trevor is obsessed with killing the vampires. He’s wants me to make the vampire virus and give it to him.”
“I didn’t know you hated the vampires and had created a vampire virus.” So, there’s something that can kill the vampires that’s good. If she could make a virus to kill them then she could make something to kill the werewolves too. Why does Trevor want the vampires gone? He probably thinks they are powerful like him and wants to be the only creature here with power.
“I don’t hate anyone. I made a vaccine that would help cure cancer. They kept changing the gene sequences and told me to continue my research. I didn’t know what they had me do until I overheard Derrick Grand talking to someone during his quarterly visit to the lab.” Claire’s eyes were dull as her chin trembled as she sat down on the bathtub edge and placed her head on her knee.
“That explains why he let you live but it doesn’t explain why he let me live.”
“Trevor gave us forty-eight hours to make enough of the virus to kill the vampires in Jonesboro.” Grimacing I shook my head. Why is Trevor focused on the vampires? They must be a threat to him and if so, she couldn’t help him destroy them. The vampires could help kill Trevor.
“I told him that we both created the virus and that I needed you alive in order to make more of it.” Claire opened the bathroom door and walked over to the left side of the bed.
“Why are we here at this hotel?” I massaged the base of my neck. The crook in my neck made it hard for me to think. The men were next door, but they weren’t in the room. There was still a chance to escape.
“Trevor has men stationed at the door and located near the hotel. We can’t escape and if we did, I don’t think it would help.”
“Speak for yourself. You don’t know me but I’m a student at the academy. We can go there for help.”
“Get on the right side of the bed and go to sleep. I’ll think of a plan, but I need rest and so do you,” said Claire.
“You can do what you want, and I will do what I want.”
“Fine. When Ivan comes in here, because you’re giving him a reason to, I will pretend to sleep while he has his way with you and I won’t help you no matter how much you beg me to. If you are too stupid to live, then you deserve what you get.” Claire cut off the main light. The light over the small bedside table didn’t bring much light into the room but it would do.
Swallowing my pride, I climbed in the bed next to her. Claire was sleeping closest to the door where Trevor’s men were, and I was thankful she did. My eyes were heavy, but I didn’t think I could sleep at all. Closing my eyes for a second I went to sleep.
I woke up to a hand over my mouth. He had my head in a headlock and I couldn’t break free. My nails dug into his arm but it was no use. I could feel Claire lying beside me and I wondered if she was really sleeping. My stomach rocked as his stale breath tickled my ear.
“Wake up. You thought I was joking. It’s time we have that talk,” said Ivan
I kicked Claire hard in her back. She jerked but immediately stilled.
“Let’s take this party to the bathroom, so we can have some privacy.” He lifted me from the bed by my neck and walked into the bathroom.
I struggled against him but his fingers tightened around my throat cutting off my oxygen.
He kicked the door closed and slammed my head against the wall. Blood squirted from my nose as pain shot through the back of my skull and stars floated above my eyes.
“You don’t fight much. I love it when they fight.” He slammed me up against the wall again. Claire burst through the door. She broke a glass vase over his head. Where did she find a glass vase? Was she hiding it under the bed? It shattered and his fingers loosened from around my neck. I dug my fingers into his eyes.
Claire covered his mouth with her hands as she struck him several times in the back with a piece of glass. He dropped me to reach for her.
I kicked him in the face. I tried to kick him again, but he grabbed my foot and twisted it; I fell to the floor. He grabbed my head and slammed it against the tile floor. My ears were ringing and blood pooled in my eyes. I blinked several times to clear the dizziness from my head.
A second later he fell on top of me.
“Get up we don’t have very much time,” said Claire. She rolled him off me and pulled me to my feet.
“Thanks for not ignoring me. I didn’t know if you were awake, so I kicked you.”
“I wasn’t asleep. I was waiting for him to come in here.” Claire searched Ivan’s pockets until she found the car keys. She tossed them to me.
“Go to the academy and tell them what’s going on, then meet me at Pratt Labs. Trevor will want to make sure you didn’t run away.”
“I am running away.” A sense of relief flooded me when I felt the metal car keys in my hand. Wiping the sweat off my hands I crept to the front door.
“No, you are getting help and coming back to the lab to help me with the virus. You need to be there by eleven. Come back with supplies so that Trevor thinks you went for more supplies.”
“He won’t fall for that.” We need help but I don’t feel right about leaving her alone to face the demons. What other choice do I have? “Come with me to the academy.”
“He will fall for it because you’re going to show up. If you don’t, he’ll kill me and come to the academy and kill you—all of you. He’s not going to be satisfied with just killing the vampires.” Claire ran her hands through her hair and pushed me toward the door.
“What will you do about the other guy when they find him dead on the floor?”
“I don’t know but they won’t kill me, at least not until I make Trevor the vampire virus. We both need to be at the lab before I do that.” She opened the front door and pushed me out into the hallway.
“Arianna do
n’t be late,” Claire said and closed the door.
I couldn’t find the car anywhere. The only place I didn’t look was in the woods. Going into the woods at night in a city that was crawling with vampires and werewolves wasn’t the smartest thing to do. If Trevor’s men find me standing here on the sidewalk there goes our chance for rescue, and he’ll kill both of us.
Running, I didn’t stop until I was deep in the woods. Slowing down I clutched the keys between my two fingers; ready to stab anyone that popped out in front of me.
“Arianna, what are you doing here?”
Is that her? “Aiko, I don’t see you. I can’t talk now. I’ve been taken hostage; I’ve got to get out of here and I suggest you do the same.” I rushed forward running through the woods. I spotted the truck parked underneath the tree with some tree limbs covering it. Tossing the branches off the windshield I unlocked the car. A black werewolf jumped out from the tree and landed on the hood.
I dropped the keys. Bending down without taking my eyes off the werewolf I felt in the dirt for the keys. I couldn’t feel them. The wolf began to change. It was Aiko.
“Come on, get the keys and tell me what you’re doing here,” said Aiko. She hopped inside the passenger open window.
Finding the keys, I jumped inside. “My sister’s boyfriend kidnapped me and my friend, and he’s forcing us to make the vampire virus so that he can kill all the vampires. If we don’t do what he says he’ll kill us.”
“How did you make the virus while at the academy?”
“I didn’t make the virus. I used to work at the lab. It’s a long story. I need to warn the academy. My sister’s boyfriend is up to no good and they need to stop him. Angels fight demons so it’s our job.”
“True but you can’t give him the virus to kill the vampires. The werewolves and vampires need each other. Who do you think protect and keep order down here,” said Aiko?
“This doesn’t concern you. I need to get to the academy quick.” I drove down the street, but she grabbed the steering wheel, and I slammed on the brakes.
Academy of Magic Collection Page 159