Eventually she stepped closer to us. “I really shouldn’t be saying this, because if I’m wrong, you’re all going to have your hearts shredded into a million pieces.”
“And if you’re right?” Finn prodded.
“Then we can bring your mother back.”
Time seemed to stop as I replayed her words in my head, praying I’d heard her right. The ache in my heart was crippling. I didn’t want to believe because I’d be destroyed if Nessa was wrong. She couldn’t be wrong. I needed this. We all did.
And if Nessa was right… “Where is she?”
Shaking her head, Nessa let out a harsh breath. “I think she could be in the Shadow Realms.”
“She’s with them?” Finn spat, rage coursing through him, setting that vein on his forehead throbbing.
Max placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “We’ll get her back—won’t we?” He looked to Nessa.
Her gaze fell on me. “Only the descendants can cross through the veil.”
If ever anyone was going to give me motivation to find that damn key my mother had hidden, Nessa gave me all I would ever need. The thought of being able to bring our mother back was crippling yet motivating. I would not let her remain a slave to the demons.
I would get her back—if only I could figure out where the hell the key was.
My father jerked awake, rolling over and vomiting all over the floor, a chunky pool spreading across the floor.
My stomach lurched at the sight of his vomit, and I had to get outside before I made a mess myself.
I raced outside, stopping under a nearby tree and placing my hands on my knees, trying to keep myself from being sick. The warm breeze did little for the nausea swirling inside of me. What I needed was an ice-cold gust of wind.
“Who would’ve thought the girl who can gut a vampire can’t handle seeing someone vomit?” Max said from behind me.
My nausea was completely gone the second I laid eyes on him slowly making his way toward me.
I raced over to him, expecting him to collapse on the ground. He didn’t. “You shouldn’t be out here. You should be resting.”
“I got shot, Kali. I hardly think that demands automatic bedrest.”
“Exactly. You were shot. And not by any old bullet. You’re lucky to be alive.”
A smile spread across his face, giving me a rare glimpse into what he’d been like prior to his savage introduction into the vampire world. “You’re forgetting you’re not the only one who can heal at rapid speed.” He gestured to my thigh and back. “Or should we both be in bed, resting?”
I swear my heart stopped. He clearly didn’t mean we should’ve been in the same bed, but my mind so wanted to go there. Hell, my whole body was aching to touch what could never be mine.
Getting my mind out of the gutter, I focused my gaze on the dirt that puffed up from where I tapped the toe of my shoe against the earth. “Hey, I wanted to say I’m sorry about Mason. He can be a real little shit head. Don’t take any notice of anything he says.”
When he didn’t answer, I slowly lifted my gaze to sneak a peek at him and found him grinning. My heart skipped a beat, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. The guy never showed any interest in me other than wanting to gut me in the beginning and, later, making sure I became very accustomed to the hardwood flooring he continued to smack my ass into while training. This… this smile… amongst the darkness that was our lives, was like a flower blooming… Argh. I wanted to slap myself—but my mother would’ve been proud. Her and her—
My eyes widened as Max brushed my hair behind my ear, the tips of his fingers spreading a fire across my skin, igniting a part of my soul that raged for him. But that wasn’t what had stopped my heart.
The smile dropped from Max’s face, and he quickly withdrew his hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
I shook my head fiercely as I grabbed his hand. “No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong. This I like. And if it was any other moment, I would be all over you in a heartbeat. Okay, maybe not because I’m not like that.” I totally was. “But it’s just…” I took a deep breath, trying to get my shit together as I looked up into his eyes with hope in mine. “I think I know where my mother hid the key.”
All emotion dropped from his face as he went from nice, caring, human Max to cold, calculated, hunter Max. “Where?”
“Well, you see, my mom always loved to garden. She was forever outside, pottering about. But none of us kids or Dad shared her passion. And I think she was counting on that, because when I was there the other day, all the garden had turned to shit except one spot. I thought maybe a neighbor had watered it, or she’d buried my dead budgie there, inevitably feeding the flowers in her absence. But now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.”
Still holding my hand, Max took off toward the container we’d just fled. Well, took off may have been an exaggeration. It was more of an elongated hobble that seemed to get quicker with every passing yard. And all I could think about was how, even with his sudden personality change, he still held onto me.
Boy, did I need to get my priorities right.
As we entered the room, all eyes fell on us and the fact that we were still holding hands.
Mason grinned. “Glad to see you two are finally sorting out your shit. Now maybe you can both concentrate on—”
“Shut up, Mason,” I snapped, wiping the smile from his face. “I think I know where the key is.”
Finn, who’d been attending to my father, who was now slumped up against the wall with a bucket between his legs, snapped his head up toward me. “Where?”
“You know how Mom loved to garden and it all went to shit after she died?” Without waiting for them to respond, I continued, “Well, there was that one bush with white flowers bordering Mrs. Harris’s backyard, and we all thought she must’ve been watering it considering it never died.”
“No. I never thought that,” Mason said. “Actually, I never even noticed.”
“Me neither,” Finn added.
“Whatever. The point is, I don’t think she was watering it. I think Mom buried the key under the bush, knowing it would stand out if anything ever happened to her, because she knew we would never keep caring for the garden.”
Finn stood. “Sounds plausible. What do you think, Nessa?”
“I think we better get ready to move.”
23
When Nessa said “we better get ready to move,” I didn’t think that would involve me feeding off a live vampire. But here I was, in an underground dungeon of sorts with a very live vampire thrashing against the chains binding his wrists and ankles.
“We’ve been keeping him for you,” Nessa said, a wild look in her eyes. “None of that old blood that’s lost some of its potency.”
My mouth salivated as my fangs slid over my bottom lip, a burning hunger raging inside of me. I could almost taste his sweet, evil essence. “He’s the only one you have, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” she said. “Which means you should refrain from killing him. It would be advantageous to have a vampire on tap, so don’t do anything stupid.”
I nodded. “Nothing stupid.” I swept my tongue across my fangs as Nessa swung the door open, leaving nothing between me and the monster I wanted to kill.
My nerves were alight, and I tried my best to fight my instincts to tear the monster apart. Nessa was right. I had to remain in control. My mom was counting on me. Hell, everyone was counting on me—including the one who’d stolen my heart along with my mind. And it was that thought I was going to hold onto as I entered the vampire’s cell.
Family was everything to me—even those that didn’t share the same blood.
The vampire lunged toward me, snarling and snapping like a rabid animal.
Stay in control.
Mason. Mom. Finn. Kade. Max. Mom… No, I couldn’t think about Mom. Those bastards had her and…
I released a shuddered breath and backhanded the monster, knocking him in
to the wall as if he were a fly. I glanced over my shoulder at Nessa. “Guess you haven’t been feeding him.”
“Only enough to keep it alive.”
Trying to keep my mind off tearing the vampires throat out, I asked, “Aren’t you worried the demons will be able to find out where we are through this guy?” I gestured to the vamp.
“Impossible. The wards we have placed over this land are impossible to penetrate—even by the likes of Orphelia.”
Wrapping my hands around his throat, I picked up the unconscious monster and brought him to my lips, the desire to drain every ounce of blood from his body growing the closer his throat neared my mouth.
My eyes glazed over as my lips brushed across his neck, and I gently pierced him with my fangs, careful not to rip through him in a ravenous rage.
Blood spilled into my mouth, casting me into a euphoric state as I feasted on his evil soul, a warmth spreading through my veins, sending every nerve on edge, heightening all of my senses. It was nothing like the fresh blood of the vampire that had been waiting for me at my house, but it was still better than the potency of the blood I’d salvaged from him all these days later.
Fresh was best.
Nessa curled her hand over my shoulder and pulled me back a little. “That’s enough. You don’t want to kill him.”
As much as I wanted to ignore her, I had to listen. I had to be smart.
Taking one last sip, I released my grip on him, dropping him to the floor.
I spun around to face Nessa, startling when I saw the look in her eyes. I swiped my hand across my mouth, wiping any remaining blood off me. “I guess it’s one thing to know what I do and another to actually see it.”
“Uh, yeah,” she said, getting her shit together. “It may take a little getting used to.”
“I’m as much of a monster as they are, but at least I’m fighting for the right side.”
“You’re not a monster like them. You’re so much worse.” She winked, a smirk playing on her lips. “Or at least you will be when we’ve released your true powers.” She smiled as she leaned in closer to me. “I’m just glad you’re on our side.”
I grinned. “That I am.”
As we began the climb back up to the ground level I asked, “What will happen to the Society when all this is over?”
She ran her hand over the railing as she took each step. “They will be decimated along with the demons.” She paused a couple of steps from the top. “I know not everyone in the Society is aware they are fighting on the wrong side, but when they find out, they will make their own choice and have to suffer the consequences of their decision.”
If Kade, Finn, and Max hadn’t known, then I was assuming most of the others didn’t know either. But Lana?
I bit my lip, accidentally drawing blood that strangely tasted a little too divine. Must’ve been the recent vampire blood mixing with my own. Shaking my thoughts away, I focused on the question looming in the back of my mind. “Do you think Lana knows?”
“That her family is responsible for the rise of the vampires on Earth?”
“Yeah.”
“I think you need to accept there’s a very good chance she knew exactly what was going on. At her age, they would’ve brought her into the mix. I know you’ve had a friendship with her, but you can not hesitate to kill her if she gets in your way.” She continued up the steps, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my gut.
Lana had been the one to take me in and give me a chance when no one else would. She was also the one who’d told me that I was going to give my body over to the huntress, and she’d said all that with barely any remorse.
I just hoped it wouldn’t come to a showdown between her and me. I didn’t want to be the one to destroy her.
Coming out of the dark into the bright light of the sun had me shielding my eyes as they slowly adjusted. Within seconds, I could see again—more so than I had when I’d gone down there.
Fresh definitely was best.
Finn and Kade strode up to me, packing weapons all over their bodies.
“Time to get your accessories,” Kade said.
Finn’s gaze darted to my mouth, that vein of his popping in his forehead again. “Come with us.” He took off to the right.
Frowning, I leaned closer to Kade. “He has a problem with me, doesn’t he?”
Kade slipped his arm around my waist and guided me to follow Finn. “He just has a little problem seeing his baby sister looking like the very thing we’re trying to kill.”
I rolled my eyes. “You must be so glad you don’t have any siblings.”
He stilled, his muscles tensing the moment the words left my mouth, telling me I had hit a major sore spot.
24
Slipping from under Kade’s arm, I spun around to face him. “I’m sorry for being so insensitive. I know nothing about your life or the people you left behind.”
Kade stared off into the distance, and just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he said, “I didn’t leave anyone behind.” He swallowed hard. “My sister was killed by a vampire right in our own home, and I was hiding, watching every second the monster drained the life from her body, too scared to do anything to save her.”
His gaze flicked to me. “I was young and powerless. I swore I would never be powerless again.”
My heart broke seeing the sadness in his eyes. I couldn’t imagine going through what he had and still being able to smile and joke around. It just went to show how you couldn’t judge a book by its cover. It also made sense as to why he treated me the way he did. I was the sister he was protecting from the moment he first met me. Sure, I wasn’t his sister, but I was his best friend’s and he would never want Finn to go through what he had.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you. I don’t even understand how you can bear to look at me considering how much I look like them.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “You have kindness in you that they will never have. You are not a monster. You are our—and every single person who has lost their lives—vengeance.” He slid his arm over my shoulder again and continued following Finn.
I snaked my arm around his waist and rested my head against his shoulder for a moment. “I will get your revenge.”
“I know you will.” He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time, I knew there was nothing more to that kiss than what it was. I was happy to add him to my list of siblings.
We entered another container decked out in rows and rows of weapons. There were daggers, stakes, bows, and guns, plus a few weapons I didn’t recognize.
All I needed were my trusty knives I had an affinity with.
“Looking for these?” Max dumped a huge black bag at my feet.
I kneeled and opened the zipper, my eyes going wide when I saw my babies, capable of gutting the evil creatures. I tilted my head back and looked up at Max, refraining from jumping on top of him and showing him just how thankful I was. “How did you get them?”
“I never returned them when I found out you were sent to the cage. Something didn’t feel right. And when Finn told me what The Circle of Embers said, it all started making sense. There was no way I was going to let the Society keep your weapons.”
I could’ve kissed him. Instead, I opted for something safer. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
With a grin on my face, I wrapped my hands around the cold metal of the hilt, a sense of peace and exhilaration flowing through me. It was a strange mix, but it worked.
I stood, and Max helped me strap the sheath on my back, his fingers grazing across my skin, making it nearly impossible to focus on my task. When he was done, I slipped the daggers into their sheaths. “Right. Now I’m ready to go.”
“Not so fast,” Max said, catching my hand as I went to walk past him. And once again, I was left consumed with the heat that exuded from the touch of his skin against mine. I really needed time to talk to him—or kiss him, because
that’s what I really wanted. But there wasn’t any time. We needed to move. The fate of the free world depended on it. As cliché as that sounded, it was true.
I groaned internally, hating that life was getting in the way of what seemed to be the very best guy I had taken an interest in—ever. Someone who didn’t want me for a fun time, but actually cared about me—the person, not just the crazy, party girl façade.
I licked my lips, realizing we’d just been staring at each other, neither of us saying a word for the last ten seconds. “What is it?”
His gaze flicked between my eyes and my lips. Then he shook his thoughts away. “You need more accessories.”
I tapped my babies behind me. “These are all I need.”
“And what if you drop them?”
“I won’t drop them.”
He chuckled. “What if you lodge them in a vampire and can’t get them out in time before—?”
“Never going to happen. You’ve seen me in action.”
The corner of his lips tipped up, and his eyes swirled with a fondness that had been mostly absent since the day I first met him, only appearing a few times during my ass-kicking training sessions. “Let’s just say that maybe someone besides you might need an extra weapon, and because you will never lose yours, you can maybe save their lives by giving them one of your spares.” When I went to open my mouth, he placed his finger over my lips, shutting me up big time. “Humor me.”
Oh, I wanted to do a whole lot more than humor him, but I conceded. “Fine. Do with me as you wish.”
His eyes lit up with fire, and if it weren’t for the others in the room, I was sure he would’ve taken my invitation. Instead, he smirked and gave me a wink, sending my heart practically exploding in my chest.
When Max went to a wall of daggers, Finn strode over to me. “Maybe you shouldn’t be so willing to offer up your body like that.”
I rolled my eyes. “What I do with my body is none of your business. You better get it out of your head about any potential protective big brother bullshit, because whatever happens between Max and me is none of your business.”
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