The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  At the mention of Alana, Rose frowned worriedly at Kara. “Talk to me.”

  Kara sighed and dropped her hand. She stepped back, leaning against the wall, as she looked away—a sad, pain-filled distance in her intense, light blue eyes. “There’s something I never told Aaron,” she said, “about the Assassins of Light. I told him that I used my spies to find them, but the truth is…Alana helped me.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?” Rose asked. “Did you think he’d be angry?”

  “He and Alana were at odds. He wouldn’t have trusted the information, if he’d known it came from Alana,” Kara said. “I probably shouldn’t have, either.”

  “But the information she gave you was true,” Rose assumed, “wasn’t it?”

  “It was, but…” Kara trailed off, her brows furrowing. “I don’t know if you overheard, but before you got on the plane, Isaac told me who turned him.”

  Rose nodded, trying to piece together what they knew so far. “Alana?”

  “Yeah,” Kara sighed, “which makes sense, considering she’s the one who told me where to find them. After all, the vampire who turned him would’ve had to come along right after we left. You only have an hour or so after someone dies to turn them. Whoever turned him had to have known exactly where to find him.”

  “Then,” Rose realized, “Alana was connected to the Assassins of Light.”

  “I don’t know,” Kara said with a reluctant frown. “I’m not even sure that Isaac was telling the truth. He was a good liar. And an even better manipulator.”

  “You think so?” Rose asked. “Because, honestly, I never trusted him.”

  “Because he wasn’t trying to fool you,” Kara pointed out. “There’s a such thing as trying too hard. You do that.” She offered Rose a small, wry smile, before continuing, “But Isaac knew better. He only manipulated people he knew would believe him—like Aaron and the others. He never intended to fool you. Or me.”

  “But no one liked him,” Rose said. “Surely, everyone knew he was…”

  “Unpleasant?” Kara interrupted. “An asshole? So is Kallias, and people still trust him. Sometimes, it works out in the manipulator’s favor to be unlikeable. Because then, when the manipulator reveals their true colors to you, people won’t believe you. They assume you wanted it to be Isaac because you didn’t like him.”

  Rose nodded slowly. “Like when Aaron didn’t believe me about Osiris.”

  “Exactly,” Kara said. “Isaac was an asshole, but he was careful. He didn’t give anyone concrete reasons to suspect him. He always made it look like you and I were the ones overreacting. He attacked you, when no one was looking but me, and then, when everyone was looking, he helped you—by saving your friend. He vouched for you, saved your life, even—because he knew that Talulah would tell Aaron, and that his actions wouldn’t make sense, based on our suspicion of him.”

  “Which made us look irrational,” Rose realized. She sighed. “That’s why Aaron didn’t listen when you tried to warn him. Isaac made you look unreliable.”

  “He was an extremist Christian from an intolerant time,” Kara said with a bitter laugh. “Everyone knew he was homophobic. Of course I’m not going to like him.” She shrugged. “I looked biased from the start. You and I both did.”

  “That’s why no one was watching him when he followed us,” Rose said.

  Kara nodded. “It’s also why Aaron didn’t think he was spying on us.”

  “He really did know what he was doing, didn’t he?” Rose sighed. She bit her lip thoughtfully. “So, do you think he could’ve been lying about Alana, too?”

  Kara shrugged. “That, I don’t know. I guess the question is: why would Alana work with the Assassins of Light? I mean, they were on opposite sides.”

  “Ultimately, yes,” Rose said, straightening, as a thought occurred to her. “Alana wanted an end to humanity, and the Assassins of Light want to eradicate vampires. Which makes them enemies. But their immediate goal was the same.”

  Kara nodded slowly. “War.”

  “Why would you work with an enemy?” Rose asked.

  “To use them,” Kara said easily. “If we had a similar goal, I’d use them until we achieved it. Then, when I was done with them, I’d stab them in the back.”

  “Except it wasn’t the Assassins of Light who met that end,” Rose added.

  “You think they were using her?” Kara scoffed. “That seems unlikely.”

  “I never said it was them,” Rose said, lifting her eyebrows. She reached up, absently fiddling with the Stone of the Eklektos. “Ever since this started, since Theron, since the Stone, since all of it, the one thing I keep learning is that there’s always something I don’t know. And I hate it! Because I like to know everything.”

  Kara smiled fondly at her. “One of your many adorable quirks.”

  Rose laughed, “Annoying is what most people would call it.”

  Kara frowned curiously. “You think there’s someone else behind this.”

  “I think it’s possible,” Rose told her. “I don’t think the Assassins of Light were capable of using Alana. She might have been insane, but she wasn’t stupid.”

  “She was brilliant, actually,” Kara sighed. “I always found it…attractive.”

  “Not to mention, she could read their minds,” Rose pointed out. “If they used her, then they’re either capable of more than we realize, or someone helped.”

  “Either one sounds like bad news for us,” Kara muttered. She glanced in the direction of the room they’d just left. “We might find answers here, though. They obviously know something we don’t. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right?”

  “Kara,” Rose sighed, watching her with a concerned frown, “you know, when I asked if you needed to talk, I wasn’t just asking if you needed help working out the missing holes in the story—although, of course, I didn’t mind helping…”

  “Helping?” Kara said. “Rose, you solved the whole equation yourself.”

  “I meant,” Rose continued, “do you need to talk about what happened? With Alana? I know you’re in pain. You’ve been hurting ever since you woke up.”

  Kara swallowed uneasily. “Wasn’t so bad,” she muttered, forcing a smile. “I got my information, and I had the hottest sex I’d had in a century. Win-win.”

  Rose didn’t laugh. “Kara,” she said sympathetically. “The truth. Please?”

  The forced smile faded, leaving behind a more honest portrayal of Kara’s emotions—sadness in her light blue eyes, exhaustion in the muscles of her face.

  “The truth is,” Kara said, shrugging, “it was a good night. I wasn’t lonely. I wasn’t hurting. Alana wasn’t in one of her moods. Everything was nice, actually. And it messed with my head.” She looked away, sighing, “It was easy to remember why I hated her when she was cruel. But when she was helpful, when she was soft and soothing, I’d forget. It took me nearly a decade, after that, to get her out of my head, to remember why I hated her.” She rolled her eyes. “I was an idiot.”

  Rose leaned closer, sympathy shining in her bright blue eyes. “Oh, Kara.”

  Kara closed her eyes, leaning toward Rose unintentionally, as if she were a source of gravity. The way Rose breathed Kara’s name—so full of affection and gentle, soothing warmth, as if her name were a term of endearment, a declaration of love itself—well, it was enough to soothe every wound and scar in Kara’s soul.

  When Kara leaned forward, her sleek, dark hair fell forward, around her face, and Rose reached out to slide it back behind her ears. Rose’s fingers lingered there, for a moment, still touching Kara’s hair. Kara had soft, silky hair—the kind of hair that would probably be pretty troublesome, if left unwashed for too long, but was wonderfully pleasant to touch, otherwise—and Rose loved how it felt.

  “You are not an idiot,” Rose said, a gentle smile turning up at the corners of her soft, full lips. “You’re clever. Sly. Unsurpassable in both skill and cunning.”

  Kara leaned in, smili
ng, as her lips brushed Rose’s. “Don’t forget sexy.”

  Rose laughed. Her gaze drifted downward, sweeping slowly over Kara’s tall, athletic form. “You are sexy,” she admitted, blushing, “but that’s irrelevant.”

  Kara’s lips brushed Rose’s—not pressing into her, but still touching— enough to make her hungry and needful, but not enough to sate the need. “Is it?”

  Rose gasped, desire lancing through her like a whip. She reached out and pressed her hand against Kara’s stomach, pushing her back a little, until their lips were no longer touching. “I can’t think with you doing that,” she said breathlessly.

  Kara flashed a wicked grin at her. “Why would you need to think, sexy?”

  Rose laughed, rolling her eyes at Kara’s ill-timed flirting. “Because I need to tell you why you’re wrong,” she said sassily. Her smile faded, and her blue gaze softened with gentleness. “Alana found you—got into your head—at your most vulnerable moment, and she never let you go. She manipulated you and hurt you.” Rose traced her fingertips over Kara’s face, watching as Kara closed her eyes and leaned into Rose’s touch. “That’s not your fault. No amount of knowledge could have protected you from her. You are incredible, and I won’t let you doubt that.”

  Kara’s lips parted, her smile slipping out of place. A soft breath fell from her mouth, and then, her hand was on Rose’s face, pulling her closer, until their lips met. Kara felt Rose moan against her lips, felt Rose’s breath against her lips, as Rose opened her mouth, her tongue meeting Kara’s. Kara pushed Rose against the wall, groaning in pleasure, as Rose’s fingers slid into her hair, as Rose’s tongue moved against hers. “You’re too good for me, Rose Foster,” she said breathlessly.

  Rose laughed. “You’re crazy,” she said, kissing her again. “I’m a disaster.”

  “Mmm,” Kara murmured, breaking away from the kiss, just long enough to trail her lips down Rose’s neck. She kissed Rose’s neck, smiling, as Rose tilted her head back, her eyes fluttering closed. “Beautiful,” she breathed, biting lightly, causing Rose to moan, “wonderful,” she paused to lick away the blood, “disaster.”

  Rose laughed a little, too overwhelmed with desire to comment on that.

  The door beside them opened, suddenly, and a small, willowy silhouette appeared in Rose’s peripheral vision. She felt Kara’s lips curve into a smile against her neck, but she didn’t stop until she’d drawn one last moan from Rose’s lips.

  Kara leaned back on her heels and flashed a smug smile at the princess. “Aww,” she sighed, “Fun Princess transformed back into her sober, snobby self.”

  Princess Myrinne’s scowl slipped out of place, suddenly, and she actually blushed—for the first time since they’d met her. “Yeah. It, uh, wears off quickly.”

  “I can steal it back for you,” Kara offered with a sly smile, “if you want.”

  Princess Myrinne looked away, her eyebrows lifting at the offer. “I think, between the three of us, we’ve caused enough disasters for one night,” she sighed.

  Kara’s lips pulled to one side. “Oh, I’m sure I could handle a few more.”

  Princess Myrinne’s gaze shifted their way, her pale blue eyes narrowing at their position—still pressed up against each other, flushed and breathless, from their brief make-out session. “Clearly,” she said in her most disapproving tone.

  Still a little disoriented, Rose giggled, when Princess Myrinne’s gaze met hers. Which only seemed to irritate the princess more. As the endorphins from the small bite that Kara had given her wore off, embarrassment rose up to take the place of the adrenaline. Rose blushed and gently pushed Kara back a step.

  “Never once, in the ten thousand years I waited,” Princess Myrinne said, “did I think the Eklektos would sneak out of her own meeting to make out with her foul-mouthed lover in the hall. I can’t believe you’re the one I’ve waited for.”

  “We came out here to discuss something important, actually,” Rose said.

  “Did you?” Princess Myrinne said. “With your tongue down her throat?”

  Rose frowned. “I mean, it’d be kind of hard to talk like that, so…”

  Kara noticed Rose’s change in demeanor and immediately took control of the conversation. “I guess we should’ve just gotten drunk and started a bunch of family drama, instead. Then, we could be as haughty and self-righteous as you.”

  Princess Myrinne glared at her. “You know nothing about my family.”

  “Maybe not,” Kara said with a smile, “but I will. It’s what I do, after all.”

  A flash of fear betrayed itself in Princess Myrinne’s eyes. “If you say so.”

  “So, what exactly was wrong with me kissing my girlfriend?” Rose asked.

  Princess Myrinne straightened, and her pale blue eyes widened. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Of course. The Eklektos can do whatever she wants.”

  Kara lifted an eyebrow at the emphatic answer.

  The princess glanced at Kara. “It’s your girlfriend I don’t like.”

  Kara laughed, her eyebrows lifting higher, as the princess turned on her heel and marched back into the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rose literally going after her, her mouth open and ready to spit out a snarky retort.

  Her hilariously aggressive reaction came out as no more than a muffled, “Mmmhmph,” against Kara’s palm, as Kara slipped her hand over Rose’s mouth, just in time. Rose’s backside collided with Kara’s front, as Kara pulled her back.

  “Easy, sexy,” Kara murmured in her ear. “Let’s not go making enemies.”

  Rose shivered, the anger giving way to desire, as Kara’s breath fell against her ear. She turned to face Kara, frowning, as Kara removed her hand. “But…”

  “I don’t care if she likes me,” Kara assured her. She glanced at the door, her smile tilting mischievously. “As a matter of fact, I think it’s kind of fun that she doesn’t.” She looked at Rose, laughing at the ferocity in Rose’s eyes. “It’s the blood bond, love. It’s like that time you bit Isaac’s head off for sneering at me.”

  Rose blinked in shock. “Oh,” she mumbled. Her shoulders dropped, and she shrank back. “Oh my word, you’re right.” She grimaced, her cheeks reddening with warm, shame-filled humiliation. “Sorry. I…apparently have no self-control.”

  Kara tilted her head, catching Rose’s gaze. “Don’t apologize,” she said, her eyes dark and lustful. “I like it when you get fierce like that. It turns me on.”

  Rose couldn’t help but laugh. “Everything turns you on, apparently. We could be burning to death, and you’d be like, ‘You’re so hot when you’re on fire.’”

  Kara chuckled at her teasing. “You would be hot, if you were on fire.”

  Rose giggled, clearly amused by the morbid pun. “Touché.”

  Kara took her hand. “Let’s go back in—see if the drama’s blown over.”

  “You know,” Rose said playfully, “I’m starting to wonder why they even needed us. They’re clearly capable of screwing everything up, all by themselves.”

  Kara laughed. “We’re just here to finish the job, if they get too drunk.”

  —

  Elise sat down next to Rose. “So, the princess has a drinking problem.”

  “That’s not exactly what I said,” Rose said with a frown. She watched, as Elise turned sideways, propping her elbow on the back of the couch. Her blonde, spiral curls dripped water onto her robes, leaving several patches of wet silk. Rose wasn’t sure if Elise had gone swimming in the caverns or had just taken a bath.

  Erik stepped out of the bathroom, holding a silky, white undergarment. “I found these in the tub,” he said, frowning. “I don’t even know what they are.”

  Elise waved her hand lazily. “They’re Colina’s. Just set them in the hall.”

  Kara had been lounging on the other side of Rose, her back against the side of the seat and her legs draped across Rose’s lap. She’d folded her hands over her stomach and closed her eyes, as if she were half-a
sleep. But when Elise said that, her eyes opened. She raised up, her eyebrows high. “Well, don’t stop there.”

  Elise giggled, “She fell in. She can be a bit clumsy when she’s nervous.”

  Kara glanced at Rose, a flirty smile tilting at her lips. “Sounds familiar.”

  “Shut up,” Rose laughed. She turned to Elise. “Why was she nervous?”

  Erik tossed the drenched garment back into the bathroom—even though the hall was much closer. “Probably because Elise called her into the bathroom while she was bathing.” He shot a look at Kara. “Wonder who gave her that idea.”

  Rose followed his gaze. Her eyes widened, as she noticed the guilty smile on Kara’s face. “You did not sic your supermodel ex-girlfriend on that poor girl.”

  Kara’s smile widened. “Of course not,” she said innocently. “Elise is an actress, not a supermodel. And she’s not my ex-girlfriend, either. Just a friend.”

  Rose tried to hide her smile. “A friend that you had sex with regularly?”

  Kara shrugged one shoulder. “A friend with benefits. Lots of benefits.”

  Rose turned to Elise. “And I thought you were a model. For an artist?”

  “Kara told you that story, did she?” Elise murmured, her smile widening. “Did she tell you all the dirty details? Like the time the woman painted my…”

  “No,” Rose interrupted, her eyes widening, “and I definitely did not ask.”

  “Shut up, Rose,” Erik said, glaring at her. “I wanted to hear the story.”

  Elise giggled. “I’ll tell you later,” she said, winking at him. Her blue-gray eyes sparkled with confidence, as she turned back toward Kara. “I won’t lie. She wasn’t the easiest person to seduce, but once she saw me naked and wet…”

  Kara leaned back, chuckling, “Yeah, that tends to change the pace.”

  “Okay, so, she fell into the bath. Her clothes fell off. And then, you had sex,” Rose said, flashing a sassy smile at Elise. “Or was it the other way around?”

  Elise laughed at Rose’s sarcasm. “She fell into the tub first. I caught her.”