My stomach heaved and I threw up in the bushes. My eyes glided back to the battle raging before me. I just couldn’t look away. I had to know what was happening. I noticed that several more bodies littered the ground. A couple of the bodies on the ground were stirring so I hoped they weren’t injured beyond repair.
I tried to find the long dark hair of Selena but my human impaired eyes couldn’t find her. About that time I noticed that the ones engaging in the battle were looking around too.
Abruptly, I was jerked back by my hair. I screamed out in pain. It felt like my scalp was being torn off.
“You weak, defenseless, human girl,” she sneered as she yanked me into a standing position. I whimpered. The others noticed where she was and that she was holding me yet again. I was starting to think that Jonathon had been right to want to hide me. I was breathing heavily and I wanted to cry but I was going to hold it together. I was not weak and I was not defenseless.
I grabbed the forgotten knife from my pocket. If only I had remembered it when she grabbed me the first time. My breath ragged I thrust the knife into her leg and like Jonathon promised it went right in and then I elbowed her in her side with all the strength I had left in me. She dropped to the ground like she was having a seizure.
The knife in her leg was glowing the most vibrant blinding blue. I found myself shielding my eyes. She had finally managed to get her fingers around the knife’s hilt. Her hand turned black like it was burning her skin. With a grunt she pulled it out and threw it. I waited for the pain to come expecting me to be her intended target but when I turned around I saw with dismay that someone else had taken the knife for me. I gasped.
Benji fell to the ground with the knife through his brain. Silvery blue blood leaked from the wound. Someone screamed and I realized that it was me. I covered my mouth with my hand to try and stop the inhuman sound coming from it. My eyes found Jonathon and we both looked at each other horror struck. “Get her in the house!” he screamed to someone I couldn’t see. I thought he was telling them to get Selena but instead two sets of hands grabbed me and dragged me away from all the death and murder and the murderess herself. I looked back and saw her standing and cackling! Cackling, like a witch! I closed my eyes and willed myself to stop looking.
The hands deposited me just inside but thanks to the wall full of windows in the sunroom I could still see everything.
I saw that Viola was making things appear and then sending them at Selena, looking for a weakness in Selena’s shield, her red hair swirling around her shoulders. The things that rebounded back, which was pretty much everything, Viola’s sister, Vivian, made disappear. Viola was creative with what she thought of. The variety of things she was throwing ranged from rocks to chairs even a boom box. It seemed like anything and everything swirled in the dark.
“Stop watching,” sounded a voice scaring me. I had forgotten that whoever had brought me in here was still here. I saw that it was Danny and Mason with me. Mason was the one who had spoken. He gave me a sad look. “It’ll be okay. Stop torturing yourself,” he said.
“I can’t help it,” I whispered and put my hand to the glass. “Wait, did you see that?” I asked.
“What?” said Danny and Mason in unison as they moved to look out the window where I was pointing.
“I don’t see anything,” said Danny.
“Never mind. It must have been my mind playing tricks on me. It looked like Aleksei was helping her but that doesn’t make any sense,” I murmured softly.
Danny and Mason exchanged horror stricken glances. “Oh my God the leak!” they shrieked at each other.
I was just as horror stricken as they were to know that what I had seen was true. Aleksei was helping Selena. He was murdering his own Coven! No wonder he had wanted them all to go into this battle. He was going to have them all slaughtered.
I looked at Danny and Mason. “We have to warn them! They won’t fight against him if they don’t know!”
Danny and Mason looked at each other.
“I’ll do it,” said Mason.
“I’ll get the blood,” said Danny disappearing into the basement where I knew they kept a stash of blood for emergencies. That’s how Jonathon had been getting by.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“You know how we’re the only vampire born twins?” asked Mason.
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well,” he said stretching out on one of the comfy white couches in the sunroom. “We have some special powers. Even after all this time we don’t know them all. One of them is that we can kind of astral project. That’s the only way I can think to describe it. My body stay’s here but my mind and spirit form is free to roam. But I have to have be at my full strength to do it. We both do,” he said as Danny came back with eight bags of blood. He took them and downed the first two in one gulp. I noticed that while he was drinking his eyes turned black but as soon as he was done they went back to a vibrant silver. He drank the next two slower and left the other four. “In other words I will be able to warn the others. I can do it through their minds or I can let them see me but since I’d rather not scare anyone of fright I think I’ll just tell them through their mind. I could warn the vampires without astral projection but not the Coven. This is the only way.”
He scooted around on the couch for about three seconds and then his eyes closed. I gasped in shock when what looked like Mason’s ghost appear. He winked at me. His lips didn’t move but I could hear him clearly, “The leak is Aleksei. You can’t trust him. Guard yourselves,” he spoke in all of our minds. I saw his ghost form snap back to his physical body and his eyelids flutter. Danny was at his side in an instant ripping open a bag of blood and putting it to his brothers lips.
“It makes us weak when we perform astral projection,” Danny said. “It takes a lot of energy.”
I nodded and moved to look out the window once again.
I could tell the others had gotten the message. Jonathon looked even angrier than before and his flames burned brighter and deadlier. The Coven members looked frozen in shock but they were still aiming their weapons at Selena and now at the man that was supposed to be their leader. I could see Isaac’s midnight blue eyes dilate in calculation. He lifted his beautiful sword and charged them both with a scream like some kind of warrior. I saw Aleksei say something, it looked like a warning, but Isaac ignored him.
Selena raised her eyebrows. I noticed her shield had disappeared. She raised her arms as if to say, ‘take your shot’.
Suddenly with inhuman speed she was beside him. She hit him hard and he flew through the air. He hit the ground harder than I had. A lot harder. She hadn’t meant to hurt me, yet, but she had meant to hurt Isaac. He had dropped his sword and it landed by her feet.
“Don’t,” said Jonathon.
She smiled and took a step and then another.
He threw a ball of flame at her but she deflected it with her shield. I saw Jonathon barely duck out of the way as it came soaring back at him. I saw Isaac’s dad jump on top of her. She shook him off and he went sliding into Aleksei who just shook his head. I wanted to scream. Jonathon threw another flame at her. She deflected this one and instead of flying back at Jonathon it hit a tree which instantly caught on fire. I could see Amelia huffing and puffing with impatience which was almost comical. I could see that Patrick was trying to come up with a plan. Joseph had a look of intense concentration and I knew he was trying to get her to see something else. Diana had her eyes closed as if in mediation. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, water poured down on Selena. She didn’t seem to notice but the sight of her looking like a drenched alley cat was almost comical. Diana seemed pleased with herself.
Gregory, Isaac’s dad, tried to get up but Aleksei put a foot on his chest. Aleksei’s scar looked red and pulsing in the strange light. His face was screwed up in hatred. I saw him twist his foot and Gregory screamed out in pain. I knew without a doubt that his ribs were broken. Out of nowhere Emmatine appeared behind Aleksei
and she stabbed a sword through his heart. Blood spurted everywhere. It covered the ground, Aleksei, Emmatine, and Gregory. Aleksei’s body fell to the ground and Emmatine embraced Gregory.
Selena continued her advance towards Isaac her pale purple shield shimmering. Isobel appeared in front of her brother. She braced herself, lifted her sword, and said, “I don’t think so bitch.”
Selena smirked, grabbed Isobel, who kicked at her feebly. Selena threw Isobel into the stone house where her head connected with a sickening cracking noise. I watched Isobel fall to the ground. She didn’t move. Selena swung Isaac’s sword around a few times. He started to sit up. He rubbed the back of his head and blinked his eyes. Upon seeing Selena standing over him with his sword in her hands his eyes widened in horror. The Coven members tried to attack her but it was pointless. Their efforts bounced off of her shield. We were all going to die. I began to cry.
“Stop looking,” said Danny as he hovered over the prone form of his brother. But I couldn’t. I was riveted in fear.
She stood over Isaac, “Any last words, hero?”
“Go to hell,” he said and spit a wad of blood and saliva on her.
“Gladly,” she said and thrust the sword through his abdomen and straight into the ground. Isaac’s eyes met my horror stricken ones before they faded out.
“Nooooo!” I screamed and ran back outside. My actions had taken Danny by surprise and so I had managed to slip out. I started to run towards him. “Isaac,” I cried, “Please, no,” I moaned.
“Kylie, get back!” yelled Jonathon. I was beyond listening I only had one focus. Isaac. Isaac was dead and it was my fault.
I heard some kind of shout from behind and then, “Get out of here! Go up! Up!” Someone grabbed me from behind and we soared into the air. We landed with a thud on the roof. I heard others grunt from the landing. I saw that each vampire had grabbed a human, a Coven member, and had then flown us all to the roof. Danny was on top of me. He rolled off and leaned over to look down at the scene below us. I found myself looking too. The yard was being engulfed in flames. Bodies littered the ground. Some familiar and some not. And in the middle standing across from each other was Jonathon and Selena. They just stood and looked at each other. Neither moving. Just staring.
I saw her throw her head back and laugh. Jonathon twisted his head as if studying her. The wind picked up and lifted his voice to us, “I see the mania has set in? Are you hearing voices too?”
“Silly, silly Jonathon, you are mistaken. I am laughing because your demise is standing right in front of you and you don’t even look scared. You know you can’t win. I will win. I will kill you and I will kill her.”
“You really think that don’t you? You were always conceited Selena but I never thought you suicidal,” growled Jonathon.
She laughed and glared at him, “You are the suicidal one Jonathon. You can’t win. I’m stronger than you,” she said and waved to the bodies littering the burning ground.
“Are you?” he said and suddenly his whole body was engulfed in the purple-blue flames. For the first time ever I saw fear on Selena’s face. Someone slid over next to me and peered down. The person next to me chuckled and I turned to look at him. It was Gabriel.
“He’s amazing,” he whispered to himself, “You both will do great things,” he added even quieter. I gave him a puzzled glance but looked back to the scene below me.
Selena was staring into the flames confused. Her shield glimmered an even brighter purple. She looked like a scared frail animal and if I didn’t know what she had done and what she was capable of I would feel sorry for her. But she was evil and she deserved her fate.
Jonathon’s whole body pulsed with the flames. In an instant the flames burst from his body and exploded, encompassing the whole yard, in a bright white light. I had to cover my eyes. I heard the vampires hiss and cringe away. Just as quickly as it had come the light disappeared and darkness covered all again. My eyes pulsed from black to white trying to adjust to the darkness again.
The backyard had been turned to ash. Selena was gone. Jonathon was lying on the ground. Most of his clothes had been burned away making it look like he was wearing rags. He was dead and Selena had escaped.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Grim
I screamed and screamed and screamed. I couldn’t stop. I had lost the love of my life.
I felt arms come around me. I looked over. Gabriel. “Shhh. It is okay. He is alive. He’s alive, Kylie. Look, he’s breathing. Stop screaming. He’s alive. He’s okay. It’s over. It is really over.”
I started crying. I looked hopefully into his eyes, “He’s alive?”
“He’s alive. He’s hurt and tired but he’s alive. We need to get down there to him okay?” he asked talking to me like I was some kind of fragile moth ready to flutter away. I guessed that’s probably what I looked like. The others were already standing and looking at the ashes below us. I could still see the bodies of our dead on the ground undamaged. Somehow Jonathon had managed to keep the explosion from them. I was thankful.
Gabriel picked me up in his arms and he jumped the three stories to the ground. He landed lightly. Not a jolt. Nothing. It was like he had always been standing there. Like he hadn’t moved or jumped, at all. He set me down and I ran to Jonathon. He’s chest was moving, only slightly, it was a strained kind of breathing. I had never felt so scared before.
I put my hands on either side of his face. “Jonathon, can you hear me? Jonathon?” Tears streamed from my face and landed with soft little plops onto Jonathon. “Please, Jonathon say something?”
He remained quiet. I could see his eyes fluttering beneath his eye lids but it was as if he didn’t have the strength to open them or to even move. Suddenly, the slight movement of his eyes stopped. “Jonathon? Don’t leave me! Stay with me! I love you! We’re going to get married and live happily ever after! You promised! You have to live! Please!” I cried.
Gabriel and Danny pulled me away from him. “He’s going to be out of it for a while. I’ve never seen so much power used before. It will take his body a while to heal. But he’s more tired than anything. He needs to hibernate but when he wakes up you are going to have to be there,” said Gabriel.
I was quiet for a couple of minutes as I watched Patrick and Joseph pick up Jonathon and begin to carry his limp body into the house. I was finally able to process what Gabriel had said asked, “What? Why would I have to be there when he wakes up?” Not that I was planning to ever leave his side.
Gabriel and Danny began to lead me into the house. They took me straight into the kitchen. Danny grabbed a ginger ale and handed it to me with a straw. I realized my hands were shaking. Danny and Gabriel were looking at me with deep concern.
After what felt like an eternity Gabriel finally answered me. “You will need to be there because he will need your blood. I’m sure he’s already explained this to you. His blood can heal you and yours can heal him.”
“He told me that his blood could heal me but he didn’t say anything about my blood healing him,” I sighed and shook my head. I looked into both of their eyes, “He’s going to be okay, right? Please, don’t lie to me.”
“He’ll be fine. Don’t worry. See, I’m not,” said Danny pointing to his smiling face. I found myself cracking a small smile.
I sipped the ginger ale and groaned, “It’s too bad Selena’s still alive. I can’t believe she got away.”
Danny and Gabriel exchanged puzzled glances.
“Kylie,” said Danny, “Selena is dead.”
I shook my head and pointed out the kitchen window as if to clarify, “She’s gone. She’s not there. Jonathon is on his death bed and she got away,” I cried hysterically.
Gabriel took my arms so that I couldn’t move. “Look at me. Look at me Kylie!” He waited for me to turn and meet his eye. I knew what he must see. A girl, tired, dirt covered, bleeding, with tears sparkling in her eyes. I looked like a weakling. “I promise you, Selena is dead, she will never hurt you ever again
. Come on, I’ll show you,” he said and helped me down off the counter.
“Are you sure she should see this?” asked Danny clearly appalled with his hands in his pockets.
Gabriel shook his head, “Probably not but she has to see it. She won’t ever rest until she sees that Selena is in fact dead. Believe me, I would know.” Gabriel took my hand and began to lead me back outside. Danny grumbled but followed closely behind.
Outside I was surprised by all the carnage. We had lost more than I thought. The dead were being covered in tarps and those injured were being led inside for medical attention. I saw Benji’s lifeless shell of a body before a vampire that I didn’t know covered his body. So, many people and vampires had died tonight. It wasn’t fair.
A shudder rocked through my body. Isaac. I didn’t see his body but I thought I knew the general location. I tore away from Gabriel’s hand and ran towards the tarp that I thought was Isaac. I knelt beside it and held my breath. I slowly began to pull back the cover.
A pale hand clamped down hard on mine, “Stop,” said Danny angrily. “He’s dead. You don’t need to see this.”
“I have to,” I breathed. “It’s my fault he’s dead. He died fighting for me, Danny. Me,” I began to cry again. Danny wrapped his arms around me and held me close while I sobbed. I threw my hands out, “They all died because of me,” I said, my voice cracking.
I could hear him murmuring to me in Italian but I still hadn’t picked up on enough of the language to understand his words. I began to slow my sobs and the tears began to stop. I wiped my nose and face, “Sorry, I ruined your shirt.”
Forbidden (Fallen Series Book 2) Page 24