The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Rose pushed playfully against Kara’s arm, only to notice the thick leather padding there. Curiosity got the best of her, and she soon found herself tracing her hands over the rest of the armor, as well. She pressed against Kara’s stomach, frowning curiously at the hardness of the leather, at the way it resisted her touch.

  Kara breathed out a strangled gasp, “Rose, you’re driving me mad here.”

  Rose looked up, suddenly, as if she’d just realized what she was doing. “I didn’t know,” she mumbled, blushing, as she saw the dark, burning lust in Kara’s eyes. “I didn’t know it was…affecting you…like that. I was just curious. Sorry.”

  Kara leaned closer, until her breath fell against Rose’s face. A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I love it when you’re,” she said, her face tilting, “just curious.”

  Rose felt those last two words against her lips, as Kara closed the last bit of space between them. Rose leaned into Kara, the hard leather pressing against her, as she kissed Kara back. She wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck, sinking her fingers into Kara’s silky, black and blue hair. The kiss lasted a few minutes—too long for just curiosity—before Rose finally pulled back, her breath coming fast.

  “We’re kissing too much tonight,” Rose said with a breathless laugh.

  Kara chuckled. “And what are we supposed to be doing, instead?”

  “Making a plan, preferably,” Rose said. Her amused expression gave way to a worried one. “If that really was Zosime’s way of warning us about tonight,” she paused, chewing on her lip nervously, “we’ll need a plan to keep you safe.”

  “To keep us both safe,” Kara corrected. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, either.” She frowned thoughtfully. “We’ll need to be prepared for a fight.”

  Rose glanced down at her clothes. “In this?” she said with a grimace.

  Kara ran her hands over the leather armor that covered her lean stomach, twisting at the waist, to test its flexibility. “Mine will definitely work in a fight.”

  “Well, obviously,” Rose said with a sassy smile. “But what about mine?”

  Kara looked up at her. She tilted her head to the side, her blue-streaked hair falling over her leather-clad shoulder, as she considered the loose, silk clothes that Rose wore. Her lips curved at the edges. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  Kara leapt at her so suddenly that Rose didn’t have time to react. Kara’s arm wrapped around Rose’s waist, catching her before she could hit the floor, but then, Kara pressed a dagger against her throat. “Fight your way out of it, sexy.”

  The sensation of Kara’s leather-clad body against hers left Rose feeling a little distracted—and a lot overheated—but Rose pushed those feelings back, just enough to fight. She grasped Kara’s wrist and twisted it away from her, and then, she used her telekinetic abilities to shove Kara away from her. The force of Kara’s body flying backward caused Rose to fall forward, but she landed on her hands and knees and quickly jumped to her feet. Kara winced a little when her back hit the wall, but she smiled at Rose, anyway—clearly pleased with Rose’s reaction.

  Rose picked up the dagger that Kara had dropped on the floor, and when Kara raced toward her again, Rose moved quicker. She tried to twist out of Kara’s path, but Kara caught her, anyway. When Kara wrapped her arm around Rose’s waist again, Rose pressed the tip of her dagger against Kara’s stomach. Kara just smiled at her. She felt Kara’s hand wrap around her wrist, and then, to her horror, Kara pulled the dagger toward herself, as if she were trying to stab herself with it.

  “Armor, remember?” Kara murmured, her breath warm against Rose’s face. Kara’s icy blue gaze shifted toward the dagger, held between them, and Rose followed her gaze—realizing, with relief, that the blade hadn’t penetrated her armor. Kara tilted her face closer to Rose’s, as if she were going to kiss her. “Trust your instincts,” she whispered to Rose, “but never stop looking for a weak spot.”

  Rose moved her dagger, pressing it to Kara’s neck, instead. “Like this?”

  Kara smiled slowly. “Better,” she growled. But then, she turned her head and sank her fangs into Rose’s arm, causing Rose to drop the dagger and stagger backward. “The only problem is,” Kara said, blood dripping from her fangs, “that weak spot is very close to a vampire’s best weapon—their fangs. If you want to go for the throat, attack them from behind. Or keep your arm out of their reach.”

  Rose held her arm, feeling her blood ooze through her fingers. “Noted.”

  Kara’s intense, light blue eyes darkened at the sight of Rose’s blood, her nostrils flaring at its appealing scent. “Would you like me to heal the bite wound?”

  Rose released her arm, letting the blood flow freely, sliding over her wrist and palm, dripping into the floor. “No. I think I’ll just let the scent distract you.”

  Kara took a step back, a sly smile tilting at the edges of her lips. “Clever.”

  Rose tried again—swinging at Kara—but Kara caught her arm and spun her around, jerking Rose back against her. Rose felt her back collide with Kara’s cool, leather-clad front. But with Rose so close, Kara’s instincts seemed to take over, and Kara nuzzled her face in the curve of Rose’s neck, inhaling her scent.

  The sensation of Kara’s mouth on Rose’s neck sent a painful shockwave of desire through her, thrumming in every cell, pulling every muscle tight. For a moment, Rose considered giving in to that desire, but she knew that—in a fight with someone as sneaky as Kara—a distraction like that would be a loss for Rose.

  Rose reached back, her fingers sliding over Kara’s wrist, until she felt the dagger in Kara’s hand. Then, she grasped the dagger and stepped on Kara’s foot.

  Kara gasped in surprise and staggered a little. She felt the dagger slip out of her hand and watched as Rose spun toward her. Rose swung the dagger at her, and Kara stepped out of the way, dodging the sharp blade. “Nice form,” she said.

  “Thanks,” Rose said breathlessly, as she swung the dagger at Kara again.

  Kara caught her wrist and jerked Rose to her. “But you’re too technical, still,” she murmured, her breath dancing across Rose’s lips. “Too predictable.”

  Rose longed to feel Kara’s lips crash against hers. “Oh,” she breathed.

  Kara’s light blue gaze shifted toward Rose’s lips. “Stop overthinking.”

  “If I stop overthinking,” Rose said breathlessly, “I’ll end up kissing you.”

  A slow smile curved at Kara’s lips. “That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

  Rose blushed. “It wouldn’t,” she agreed, “until you used it against me.”

  Kara’s smile widened. “You know me well,” she said. She tilted her face closer to Rose’s. “Do you have any idea how much your blood is affecting me?”

  “I have an idea, yes,” Rose said, smiling, as she sensed Kara’s hunger.

  “If I lost control and sank my fangs into your neck,” Kara murmured, her light blue eyes shifting toward Rose’s neck, “would you use that against me?”

  Rose laughed. “I think you would be disappointed in me, if I didn’t.”

  “I would,” Kara agreed, leaning closer. “Always look for a weakness.”

  With that, Kara crushed her mouth against Rose’s. The force of the kiss nearly knocked Rose off balance, but Kara grasped her hip to hold her still. Kara’s fangs nipped at Rose’s lips, as her hunger surged to the surface, taking control.

  A soft whimper escaped Rose’s lips, as Kara’s mouth and tongue moved against her own. Not a whimper of pain—though there was a bit of pain—but a whimper of frustration. Because with one kiss, Kara had utterly disoriented her.

  She’d even forgotten her dagger, until Kara wrenched it from her hand.

  Kara leaned back and waved the dagger at Rose. “You’re unarmed, sexy.”

  Rose tilted her head to the side, her red hair falling over her shoulder, as she watched Kara. Blood dripped from Kara’s fangs, still, and her light blue eyes seemed darker than usual�
��and completely unfocused. A curious smile curved at the edges of Rose’s lips, as she started to wonder which one of them was actually more in control, at the moment. Sure, she’d lost focus during the kiss, but Kara was so intoxicated with hunger, at the moment, that she could barely look at Rose.

  Rose stepped forward, casually reaching for the dagger in Kara’s hand.

  Kara grasped her wrist easily and spun her around, pressing Rose against the wall, as she pinned Rose’s arm behind her back. Kara rested her head against Rose’s shoulder, her lips curving into a smile. “I don’t know how to tell you this, love,” she murmured against Rose’s skin, “but that was bad. Pathetic, actually.”

  Rose laughed, “You think so?” The wall felt cold against the front of her body, and Kara felt warm against her back. And that heat seemed to be increasing, by the moment, as Kara pressed her face against Rose’s neck, inhaling her scent.

  Rose smiled, as she sensed Kara’s hunger building, as she felt Kara’s lips part against her neck. She felt the vibration of a soft moan against her neck, then the sharp pressure of fangs. As soon as Kara released her arm, Rose grabbed her dagger and pulled it out of Kara’s hand—with almost no effort whatsoever. She spun around, as Kara stumbled backward, clearly disoriented. With a sassy smile, she pressed her dagger against Kara’s throat and said, “Still think it was pathetic?”

  Even though she was delirious with hunger and could barely stand, Kara laughed and held up her hands in a show of surrender. “No. That was brilliant.”

  The smile that spread across Rose’s face, in that moment, was so bright that Kara felt hypnotized by it. Or maybe that was just the ravenous hunger, still.

  “It was risky for your shirt, though,” Kara said, her voice slurring a little, “because if you’d waited another second, I would’ve had blood all over that shirt.”

  Rose shivered at the thought. “Ooh, then I could wear my own clothes!”

  Kara shrugged and flashed an enticing, fang-filled smile. “Worth a shot.”

  Luckily for the shirt—and not for Rose—the door suddenly burst open, and Princess Myrinne came barreling into the room. “What is going on in here?!”

  Rose turned, frowning bewilderedly at the pale, terrified princess. “What? Did the shirt cry for help? I would’ve cleaned it—just…when it was too late.”

  Princess Myrinne’s face twisted with confusion. “I thought someone had attacked you,” she snarled. “There were complaints about a commotion. People said it sounded like you were fighting. Not to mention, the scent of your blood!”

  Rose glanced down at the bloodstains on her arm and mumbled, “Oh.”

  Kara wiped her middle finger across her lips, wiping away the blood.

  Princess Myrinne glanced back and forth between them. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, her pale blue eyes wide. “That commotion was you…”

  Rose frowned, as she tried to make sense of the expression on Princess Myrinne’s face now. Her fear seemed to have turned to horror. And…disgust?

  “Oh goddess,” Princess Myrinne muttered under her breath. She stepped back, bowing quickly—but not looking Rose in the eye. “I assumed you were in danger, my Eklektos. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll just…wait in the hall until you’re done.”

  Rose watched her leave with a baffled look. “Until I’m done with what?”

  When Rose turned back toward Kara, she found Kara still staring at the door—with both eyebrows raised and a wide, open-mouthed smile on her face.

  “Why was she apologizing?” Rose asked. “Also, was she just…blushing?”

  Kara’s wide, blue eyes shifted toward Rose. She snorted, as she realized that Rose was genuinely confused. “Ah, Rose. She thinks she walked in on us.”

  Rose’s frown deepened. “Who else would she walk in on? It’s our room.”

  Kara shook her head, her smile widening. “Rose. Baby,” she said, barely holding back laughter. She lifted her eyebrows. “She thinks we were having sex.”

  Much like Princess Myrinne’s had, Rose’s puzzled expression turned into one of horror. “Why would she think that?” she shrieked. “No one’s even naked!”

  Kara squinted. “You realize we’ve had sex fully-dressed before, right?”

  “Not the point,” Rose said dismissively. “And what about the noise?”

  Kara pursed her lips—really struggling not to laugh. “What about it?”

  “Surely, she didn’t think we…” Rose trailed off, her eyes widening even more. “She thinks we make that kind of noise when we… Is that even possible?”

  Kara chuckled at Rose’s inability to finish sentences. “Possible, yes.”

  “I mean, you’d have to be like really…” Rose trailed off again, much to Kara’s amusement. “I can’t believe she would think that we’re that…obnoxious?”

  Kara covered her mouth with her hand—her shoulders trembling, as she held back even more laughter. “Is it obnoxious,” she teased, “to not hold back?”

  Rose raised an eyebrow. “Kara, we were fighting, knocking things over, throwing each other around the room. That’s a little more than not holding back.”

  Kara uncovered her mouth—laughing freely now. “Oh, I don’t know,” she snorted. “Things can get a bit…rough…when you’re in the heat of passion.”

  Rose rolled her eyes, as she went to wash her arm. “You’re terrible.”

  —

  “Have you thought about maybe…not going?” Rose asked, as she came out of the bathroom, her arm clean of blood. “I might have to go, but you don’t.”

  Kara finished adjusting her weapon belt. “But I’m your date, aren’t I?”

  Rose blinked in surprise. “You…want to be my date? To a wedding?”

  Kara straightened another piece of her armor. “You’ll need protection.”

  “I can kill people with my mind,” Rose muttered. “I can protect myself.”

  Kara turned toward her. “Do you not want me as your date, Rose?”

  “Of course I do,” Rose said. “I just didn’t think you’d want to come.”

  Kara strode toward her with sure, purposeful steps, and Rose took a step back, startled, as Kara invaded her space. But Kara just smiled and reached past Rose, snatching up another weapon belt from the bed. “Why?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows at Rose. Her black and blue hair fell over one shoulder, as she tilted her head to the side. “Because I’m afraid of commitment and intimacy?”

  Rose stepped back, wincing a little. “I…never said that.”

  Kara just shrugged. “You didn’t have to.”

  “Okay,” Rose sighed. She straightened, mustering up her courage. “Kara, will you be my date? In these weird clothes. At a weird wedding. In a weird place.”

  Kara crossed her arms, her intense, light blue eyes flashing with mischief. “Rose, you just insulted me. You’ll have to be more persuasive than that.”

  Rose blinked in shock. “Umm…”

  Kara laughed, “I’m kidding! Just let me grab some more weapons.”

  “Yep,” Rose mumbled, watching as Kara returned to one of the tables, where she’d left her weapons. “I’m sure that’s what everyone says before a date.”

  “Was that your first time,” Kara said distractedly, “asking someone out?”

  “In the official sense? Yes,” Rose admitted. “My normal strategy when I like someone is to just stare at them and stammer awkwardly until they run away.”

  Kara chuckled. “Worked on me. Except I didn’t run away.” She winked.

  Rose blushed. “I have a better track-record with not-dates than…dates.”

  Kara glanced back at Rose. “How many weapons do you have?”

  “I have my dagger. So, one,” Rose said. “Two, if you count telekinesis.”

  Kara snorted, “Your telekinesis counts as like fifteen weapons by itself.”

  “Oh,” Rose said, nodding. “Well, sixteen, then.”

  Kara grabbed a few extra daggers. “You’ll nee
d more.”

  “More than sixteen?” Rose asked incredulously. “For a wedding?”

  Kara held out a handful of regular-sized daggers. “Here. Take these.”

  “Ooh, like flowers. Except sharper,” Rose said dryly. “You know, Kara, I think they were just asking us to attend the wedding. Not kill the wedding party.”

  Kara shrugged one shoulder. “I’m always prepared to kill someone.”

  “Not sure that’s a good thing, but okay,” Rose said under her breath. “I still don’t understand why they want me there. I don’t even know these people.”

  “Well, they know you,” Kara told her.

  “No,” Rose said, as she frowned at the daggers in her hands, wondering where she was supposed to put them. “They don’t know me. They’ve never met me. They just know someone who…apparently has glowing eyes. And power.”

  Kara turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s you.”

  Rose shrugged. “They say that, at any given time, there are seven people in the world who look like you. Maybe there are others who fit the description.”

  “You think there are seven people in the world with eyes that glow red, and the power to do pretty much anything they want with their mind?” Kara said.

  Rose shrugged—with a little less confidence this time. “Maybe?”

  “No,” Kara said simply. “If there were anyone else in the world like you, they’d already be dead. Because I would have killed them. On Aaron’s orders.”

  “You didn’t kill me,” Rose pointed out.

  “Because we needed your help with Alana,” Kara said easily.

  Rose gave her a skeptical look. “That’s the only reason?”

  Kara’s icy blue gaze shifted toward Rose. “I’m just saying,” she said, her lips curving, “if you take away Alana, the war, the impending apocalypse, and all of those odd, little things you did that made me fall in love with you, you’d have a very different situation. I would’ve sliced off your head and been done with it.”

  Rose lifted her eyebrows in amusement. “You just slipped a declaration of love in the middle of a speech about decapitating me, and you call me odd?”