by Ashlee Sinn
“This fight is between the two of us.” The words oozed from his lips, the threat in them evident by the way he glared at me. “If you interfere,” he turned back toward Brandt, “your entire clan will pay the consequences.”
I could see Brandt weigh his options, his choices clearly written on the array of expressions that danced across his face. His eyes darted to his brother and to Portia. He looked at me and then studied the sorcerers who had clearly been hiding their abilities from the Order for a long time. With their amount of power, I wondered how Sebastian had managed to rein them in under his control.
Brandt dropped his chin in a small nod toward Sebastian, forced to comply in order to do what was best for his family. I understood that. At one point, I would have done anything for the hunters. I still would.
Sebastian grinned and flicked his hand. In an instant, Viktor dropped to the ground along with Graham and Silas. And the second Silas was free of the magic, Ashby blinked him out of the building. I wasn’t sure how that bothered me exactly. Broch and Ezra still lay on the cold floor unmoving but breathing. As Viktor jumped back up to his feet, Sebastian raised his brows. “Viktor Kaska,” he cooed. “This is no longer your fight.” I watched as Viktor struggled to stay upright while Sebastian walked toward me. “Sophia Glen, if you want save the men in your life, you will have to fight me for them.”
“What are you talking about?” For a moment I wondered if there was some sort of vampire tradition I didn’t know about. Like how a first mate might test the captain or a knight would fight on behalf of a king. Was Sebastian really challenging me to a duel?
“You were once mine and you’ve broken the pact that we shared.” Sebastian stepped closer to me, Viktor grinding his jaw behind him. “And, as is tradition, we will fight.”
I looked at Viktor who hung his head. “He has challenged you, Sophia.”
“And what the fuck does that mean?” I snapped, tired of feeling out of the loop.
“It means that you will fight me or they will die.” Sebastian looked almost…smug. Like he’d planned this from the very first day we met. “And I will kill Viktor last.”
“You can’t kill Viktor,” I whispered. “He’s too powerful.”
Sebastian smiled, eyeing me up like a prize. “I can see just how powerful he is, new vampire. But he doesn’t have all of the other abilities that I’ve accumulated.”
My eyes darted over to the sorcerers still standing by the doors. Viktor followed my unspoken question. “You cannot use them in your challenge, Sebastian. You know the rules.”
“I make the rules,” he snapped back. “Haven’t you learned that by now?”
Broch stirred on the ground but didn’t wake up. Graham rubbed his head and remained sitting, his back leaning against the wall for support. Brandt, Brennan, and Portia huddled together in the sunroom, muscles still taught with friction but staying out of the vampire business in front of them.
“I will fight you,” I said without thought. “But we fight fair.”
Viktor let a small grin grace his lips, proud of me for speaking up. At least that’s what I thought that look from him meant.
Sebastian simply watched our exchange without saying or agreeing to anything for the longest time. When he finally chuckled, all eyes turned to face him. “All right, Sophia. No magic. No tricks.” As though needing to emphasize our agreement, he took of his jacket and lifted his sleeves. “I have nothing to hide.”
Ezra moaned, words not forming although the tone hinted at his objection to the situation. Viktor bent down and whispered something in Ezra’s ear, calming him back into a deep sleep. It was for the better, especially if this fight went bad.
“I request to speak with Sophia first.” Viktor’s words ricocheted against the high ceilings and marble floors. He sounded so official, so proper that I wondered if there was more to this challenge than I understood.
With a slight nod, Sebastian gave his permission and then returned to his sorcerer’s side. They all huddled together like a team, plotting and planning my demise no doubt. I strained my newly evolved sense of sound to try and hear their conversation. But instead I heard silence—no doubt blocked by some sort of magic.
“Sophia?” Viktor grabbed my shoulders. “Are you listening?”
“I’m trying to,” I said.
“No, not to them.” He shook me again. “To me. Are you listening to me?”
Bright blue eyes, a chiseled jaw, and the hint of a dimple graced my vision when I looked up at him. I was lost in the moment until he squeezed me hard “Ow,” I whined.
“Sophia, this is serious.”
“I know.”
“He intends to kill you.”
“I know.”
“You can’t let that happen.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Viktor, I just died. So I don’t want to do it again anytime soon.” But as I watched Sebastian talked to his sorcerers, a sense of hopelessness suddenly rushed into my blood. “Wait, how can he kill me?”
Viktor sighed. “Decapitation, fire, or a stake to the heart. You know this.”
Fear paralyzed my brain. “How am I going to beat him?”
Viktor looked at Sebastian and then pushed me back behind the bar so we had a little bit of privacy. Or at least we could pretend that we did. “Sebastian’s old. He’s quick, he’s been fighting for centuries, and I don’t trust that he won’t use magic.”
“Is this supposed to be making me feel better?
“He’s arrogant. His confidence will be his weakness.”
I squeezed my eyes shut trying to push down the anxiety brewing below the surface. “So what am I supposed to do?”
Viktor kissed my forehead and I swear a small tear tried to break free. “Outsmart him. You’re a new vampire but you’re a trained hunter. Don’t forget that.”
I lifted my chin and waited for Viktor’s lips to press against mine again. It wasn’t a kiss of passion, but more like a kiss of support. Viktor had faith that I could beat Sebastian at his game…much more faith than I had. But he was right. I was born and raised a hunter. I had a skill set that Sebastian may not believe was a threat to him.
Viktor’s hands slid around my hips, squeezing them just a moment before passing to my lower back. He tapped the stake and pulled my shirt out to conceal it. “Use every opportunity you have.”
A loud clapping made me jump, but Viktor continued to hold me tight. Sebastian pushed the leather couches and coffee table out of the center of the common room and cleared a nice battlefield for the two of us. “It is time to end this.”
Viktor tensed. “And what happens when this is over?”
I looked around the space when something caught my eye in the far corner of the sunroom. Silas was yanking his arm out of Ashby’s grasp and when our gaze met, he gave me a curt nod and a slight smile. Support. He’d come back to support me even though Ashby wanted him out of harm’s way. I mouthed thank you to him before focusing on Sebastian again.
“When I kill Sophia, you will convince the Order that they should listen to my demands.”
“And when she finishes you?” Viktor asked, and everyone on our side lifted their shoulders in pride.
Sebastian laughed his crazy laugh again. “If she wins, then you may clean up the mess left behind.” The sorcerer’s behind him didn’t seem to like that answer if their confused expressions meant anything. He clapped his hands again. “Let’s get this over with.”
I squeezed Viktor’s hand and walked around the bar. My footsteps were the only sound for the longest time, making me think I was taking my last walk to the guillotine. And I probably was. I looked at Silas, Graham, and Brandt. They all gave me an encouraging head bob, but it did nothing to sooth my frazzled nerves.
“Sophia Glen. You do make a stunning addition to our kind,” Sebastian said when I got close enough. “I only wish it would have been me to make that final change.”
I wanted to give him some witty comeback or sarcastic qui
p, but I couldn’t. The only thing I could manage to do was appear calm and collected and look like I was ready to fight to the death. “Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?” I asked.
With a smile, Sebastian tilted his chin. “Still a hunter on the inside, aren’t we?”
His eyes flashed from bright blue to black and he let his fangs drop. In two quick steps, he closed the gap between us and grabbed my throat. The air left my body in a rush and I had a flashback to the night my throat had been slit. That gave an extra creepy sense of fear as I wondered if this fight was going to be over before it even started.
“You are pathetic,” Sebastian groaned.
I thought about grabbing my stake, but I didn’t have a clear shot to his heart and it would give away the only advantage I had. So I grabbed his hands with mine and tried to pry his fingers free. It didn’t work. Instead, he squeezed harder and the edges of my vision started to blur.
Lifting me off the ground and whipping me around like a prize, Sebastian faced all of my friends. “I knew this would be easy, but I expected at least some kind of fight.”
Kicking and pulling at him did nothing. And I knew, in that moment, that I was in way over my head and I would let everyone down.
Sebastian glanced up at me dangling from his arms. “You are worthless, Sophia. But I’m not ready to quit just yet.”
With my vision disappearing, I managed to see the spiteful grin plastered on his face. And when Sebastian kissed me on the lips, I feared his next move.
Sebastian said something to Viktor in a foreign language and Viktor’s eyes widened in fear as the hands around my throat tightened. And then I was flying through the air again, relieved of the pressure of strangulation…until I hit the stone fireplace and my neck snapped with a sickening crack.
Chapter 5
“Son of a bitch,” I mumbled, trying not to move so I could assess just how bad it was. My head was still attached, so that was why I wasn’t dead. But I had no idea how long it would take for my vertebrate and discs to mesh back together.
“Get up, Sophia,” Silas yelled. He’d tried to run over to me but Ashby held him back. It was for the best, though. I’m sure Sebastian would have done more than just restrained my friend.
I lifted my hand, telling him that I was working on it. However my body responded slower than I would have liked, especially since Sebastian was stalking my way again. A bone popped and my whole neck snapped back into place. It would take a while to get used to this kind of rapid healing but I was already starting to like it.
“Are you ready?” Sebastian said with venom dripping from his words.
I glared at him, not sure if I was put back together enough to stand. I couldn’t let him see my weakness. After all, I needed to beat him to save everyone staring at me with concern right now. “Are you?” I finally answered.
With one finger, he waved me forward. I pushed up to standing, noticing that my body had stabilized enough to hold the surge of energy racing through it. My eyes met Viktor’s and with that one look, a thousand messages passed between us. He gave me the strength I needed and when I turned my attention to Silas and he smiled, I realized that his presence would help me through this too.
Sebastian made the first move. He ran at me and then kicked at my head. In a split second, my body reacted to all of the training I’d had. I crouched down and rolled to the side, missing the impact completely. Turning quickly on the ground, I swung my leg out and knocked Sebastian’s feet out from under him. Before he slammed into the floor, my new vampire speed allowed me to catch him in the air, grab his throat, and help him hit the ground. Hard. The marble floor around us cracked in a pattern extending from Sebastian’s body, the stone breaking a satisfying sound.
I smiled down at him. “Not so easy now, is it?” Squeezing his throat harder, I liked the feeling of my fingers digging into his skin.
Sebastian’s reddened face softened for just a moment. He moved his hips too fast for me to stop him and in an instant, I’d lost the upper hand. I found myself trapped underneath his hard body, my arms flayed to the sides and my legs pinned by his.
“This is where I’ve always wanted you, Sophia.” His hot breath tickled my neck, making me shiver when I didn’t want to.
“Sophia!” Viktor shouted from the sidelines. “You know what to do.”
Sebastian glanced over at him while I wondered what he was talking about. Did he mean the stake? I couldn’t show my hand just yet.
Use his weakness. The words danced through my head like a welcomed song. I wondered if this was a result of Viktor turning me. Would we always be able to communicate this way? With a smile at that thought, I spoke to Sebastian. “You still want me?” I cooed, pushing my hips up into his. “Maybe we could make some kind of arrangement.” I ran my tongue along his neck.
Sebastian laughed but I could feel his arousal at the thought of us being together. “You don’t want to play this game with me.”
“I don’t?” I said, kissing his neck this time. I felt my fangs descend, waiting for the opportunity.
“It is not a game you will win.” His grip tightened on my wrists as he ground his erection into me some more. “Trust me.”
I lifted my head to get as close to him as possible, and sunk my fangs into his neck. Just like the night he’d marked me, I held on tight. Even as Sebastian began to realize that this wasn’t foreplay anymore, I let my new and improved jaw muscles work in the way that they were designed.
Something stirred along the wall behind us, but I didn’t dare look. I needed to focus on Sebastian’s neck and getting the upper hand. He struggled against me, beating at my arms and head to try and knock me off. His knee dug into my thigh, but I ignored the pain. When he let go of my arms for the briefest moment, I swung them up and grabbed his head. In my vice-like grip and with strength that seemed to surge from my vampire blood, I held him still as I ripped chunks of flesh from his neck. The blood the trickled down my throat tasted like the most amazing dessert in the world. And I swear it gave me even more energy.
Sebastian jumped to his feet, yanking my mouth from his body and covering the bloody wound. He stumbled back toward the sorcerers, needing time to heal. So I had to act now. With fire racing through my blood, I chased him. In just a few steps, we were at it again. Fists flying. Legs kicking. Every single hit I landed was met with a return one from him. We moved faster than humanly possible, yet as I fought, it felt like time had slowed. I could see every muscle of his twitch in anticipation of the fight. When he moved left, I knew a fist was coming from the right. When his leg left the ground, I had a counter attack ready. When is eyes narrowed, I knew my punch had wounded him.
My face throbbed, sure I’d endured a broken nose and maybe even a broken jaw. My left ankle hurt and when Sebastian slammed the palm of his hand into my shoulder, my broken collar bone screamed out in agony. I hunched forward and lost the momentum. In one swift move Sebastian wrapped his arms around my own and pulled me close to him. With my back pressed into his chest and my arms glued to my sides, I could do little to fight against the death grip he held me in.
“It is time to end this,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.
I struggled to break free but each time I moved, he squeezed harder. Like a constrictor patient enough to outlast his prey, Sebastian had me trapped. And everyone knew it. I could see it in their eyes. Especially in Viktor’s black ones and Silas’ yellow and brown. Ashby stilled clenched tight to Silas like she was holding him back. And Graham and Broch flanked Viktor who looked like he would pounce any second. I tried to shake my head at him. To tell him to stay and not get himself killed too.
“It’s been a pleasure, Sophia. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend the rest of our existence together.” Sebastian removed his arms from my chest and wrapped one of them around my neck. I’d watched Viktor do this many times over…Sebastian was going to rip my head off. And I only had a small window of opportunity to react.
Closing
my eyes, I let myself sink into his grip. Then I grabbed the stake still nestled into the back of my pants. He held me with his right arm, so I hung a little deeper in his arm, exposing the left side of his chest. With the stake in my right hand, I made room under my other arm and plunged the wooden weapon into his skin. I’d grazed my own ribs in the process, but the second his grip loosened around my neck, I turned and used both hands to push the stake all of the way into his heart.
Sebastian stumbled backward, eyes in disbelief at the stake sticking out of his chest. He glanced at me and then back at the stake. Viktor rushed to my side, pulling me back from Sebastian and holding me tight in his arms.
“It’s over,” I whispered to Sebastian.
His sorcerers stood in silence while their master’s body began to flake away. Sebastian clawed at his chest, even as his face turned gray. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to say something to us, the words never fully forming on his lips. Seconds later, his centuries old body crumbled into a pile of ashes and we all stared in silence.
I walked over to the pile, barely higher than my shoe. Staring down at it gave me little pleasure. Now that he was gone, I felt nothing for the vampire who had forever changed my life. Wondering if this was just my mind’s way of protecting me and coping with the stress, I kicked the ashes to the side and turned to Viktor.
He smiled at me in a way that had my heart fluttering and knees weakening. We could finally start our life together without the threat of Sebastian hanging over our heads. I glanced past him toward Graham, Broch, Ezra, and Silas. We all needed some time to heal and adjust to our new lives, but we could all do it together.
“So what happens now?” I asked, gazing up at a sea of blue.
Viktor held me tight. “We need to get Ezra healed and then we’ll need to meet with the Order—”