The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Kara flashed a cocky smirk at the vampire leader. “You’re welcome.”

  Rose wasted no time, immediately diving into the most pressing matters. “They’ll probably send an army,” she told Talulah, “since we killed their scouts.”

  “We’re hoping for just one army,” Kara added, “and not…all of them.”

  “So, we should probably get everyone into the tunnels,” Rose continued.

  Talulah sighed, “I can’t tell if you two cause trouble or just attract it.”

  “I think,” Rose said with a thoughtful frown, “I attract it. She causes it.”

  Talulah spread out her hands in defeat. “Please, tell me you have a plan.”

  Rose straightened, a smile spreading across her face. “I do, actually.”

  Kara flashed another smug smirk at Talulah. “She also has an army.”

  Talulah glanced back and forth between them. “Wait. What?”

  Kara stepped closer to Talulah. Blood dripped from her blade, the scent a constant irritant to their hunger. A wide smile spread across her face, her fangs sharp and gleaming. “You didn’t think she’d come back empty-handed, did you?”

  Rose blushed, when Talulah’s gaze shifted in her direction. She kept her mouth clamped shut, afraid that she’d say something she wasn’t supposed to say, if she opened it. She tucked her hands into her pockets, hunching her shoulders.

  Talulah frowned suspiciously. “Where did you find an army, Rose?”

  Kara glanced at Rose, immediately noticing what Talulah had noticed—that Rose’s body language practically screamed anxiety. “Now, Talulah,” she said, her voice low and teasing, “you know we can’t just reveal political secrets to the first beautiful woman we see.” She flashed a wicked smile. “She might betray us.”

  Talulah turned slowly, pinning Kara with a dangerous glare. “I hate you.”

  Kara laughed, “I know.” She returned to Rose’s side, nudging her to get her to loosen up her posture. Rose immediately relaxed her shoulders—but kept her hands in her pockets. “The army plans to camp out here for a bit longer. They wanted time to prepare,” Kara told Talulah. “The rest of us will join you inside.”

  Talulah nodded. “My warriors will stay out here, too,” she said, glancing at Mila, who nodded in agreement. She returned her gaze toward Rose. “It’s good that you’re here tonight. I don’t think we could have delayed the vote any longer.”

  Rose frowned worriedly. “What vote?”

  “You’ll see,” Talulah sighed. As she turned to leave, she noticed Princess Myrinne in the corner. She pointed at her, glancing back at Rose. “Who is this?”

  “Pri…” Rose started to say—until Kara squeezed her arm, suddenly. She winced, as Kara’s icy blue gaze bore into her. “I mean…Myrinne! Just Myrinne.”

  Kara buried her face in Rose’s hoodie, pretending to kiss her shoulder—while actually just trying not to laugh. Princess Myrinne looked much less amused.

  Talulah scowled. “It sounded like you were going to say something else.”

  “Yeah. Pretty!” Rose said, saying the first similar word that came to mind. “I was going to call her pretty, but I didn’t want to offend her.” She smiled warily.

  Talulah frowned. “Why would anyone be offended by the word pretty?”

  Kara lifted her head, flashing a disarming smile at Talulah. “Shouldn’t we go on inside?” she reminded her. “We need to get everyone into those tunnels.”

  “I suppose so,” Talulah sighed. “And Rose will want to meet the others.”

  “Rose is perfectly fine with not meeting people, actually,” Rose muttered.

  “Oh, by the way,” Talulah said, smiling at Kara, “Aaron is pissed at you.”

  Kara chuckled. “Good,” she said with a grin. “This should be fun, then.”

  —

  Talulah stopped them before they reached her office. She examined Rose with a scowl, her dark gaze trailing up and down Rose’s body. She shook her head and stepped closer. Rose straightened, wary, as she glanced up at the intimidating vampire. “You’re not walking in there like that,” Talulah told her. Her warm hand curled beneath Rose’s chin and lifted it. “If you walk in there, like you’re terrified and unsure of yourself, they’ll eat you alive.” She circled around behind Rose and curled her hands around Rose’s shoulders, pulling them back so firmly that Rose nearly fell backward. Talulah continued fixing Rose’s posture, either oblivious to Rose’s discomfort or unconcerned by it. “A Commander of Power doesn’t try to shrink herself. She holds herself with pride. She demands the attention of others.”

  “In that case,” Rose mumbled, “you definitely picked the wrong person.”

  “See? That,” Talulah complained. “That is what you have to stop doing.”

  Rose lifted her eyebrows. “Talking?”

  Talulah rolled her eyes. “Kara? Help. Please.”

  Kara and Erik stood off to the side, watching. Kara had propped her axe against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. When Talulah spoke to her, Kara tilted her head to the side, a lock of blue hair falling over her leather jacket.

  “Give me a moment alone with her,” Kara told Talulah. “I’ll fix it.”

  Rose’s eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “You’ll fix what? Me?”

  Kara flashed a flirty smile and winked at her.

  Rose returned her attention to Talulah. “Why does it matter if I have bad posture?” she complained. “Aaron slouches, and everyone still listens to him.”

  “Aaron almost wiped out his own species,” Talulah reminded her, “just so he’d be the oldest vampire alive.” Talulah faced away from Kara, as she spoke, so she didn’t see the wicked smile that twitched at Kara’s lips. “Unless you intend to do the same,” Talulah continued, “you’ll have to try a bit harder than he does.”

  “My posture has nothing to do with my ability to lead,” Rose said, “which is nonexistent, by the way. I mean, come on! Who am I fooling? I can’t do this!”

  Fear twisted at Talulah’s face. “You can’t have that attitude, Rose. You’ve already admitted defeat,” she said nervously, “and we can’t afford to be defeated.”

  “I don’t even know what I’m doing,” Rose sighed. “I don’t belong here.”

  Talulah stared at Rose, her deep, dark eyes wide. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start. But before she could, Kara stepped closer to her. She glanced down at her arm, as Kara’s hand curled around it, turning her away from Rose. Her gaze shifted up to meet Kara’s.

  “Let me talk to her,” Kara insisted. “By the time I finish, she’ll be ready.”

  “Finish what?” Rose muttered under her breath. When no one bothered to respond, she added, “Well, whatever it is—I can assure you: I won’t be ready.”

  Talulah glanced worriedly at Rose, but once again, Kara turned her away.

  “Trust me,” Kara whispered. “I know what she needs to hear.” She tilted her head toward Erik. “Take her second-in-command with you. We’ll be in soon.”

  Talulah narrowed her eyes. “I would never trust you. I know better,” she growled. She cast a worried glance at Rose. “How do I know you won’t run away again, like you did before the war? Or convince her to vote for genocide, instead?”

  With a soft laugh, Kara said, “Clearly, you know nothing of Rose Foster.”

  “We didn’t mean to run away,” Rose said defensively. “We were betrayed by Isaac Attwood.” She didn’t bother giving a defense for the genocide remark—because, honestly, Kara’s dismissive response was far more effective than Rose’s snarky one would’ve been. The relief in Talulah’s expression had been immediate.

  Talulah nodded. “Fine,” she sighed, “I’ll hold them off a little longer, but keep in mind: without her, this war isn’t going to end until the last human is dead. The other leaders are angry. They want the human race to pay for what it’s done.”

  “I’d be out for blood, too,” Kara said, “
if someone attacked my home.”

  “Right. Well,” Talulah said with a bitter smile, “I don’t expect you to care about anything other than yourself. I’m just hoping that your girlfriend does.”

  “I do,” Rose said, “but Kara does, too—whether you think so or not.”

  Talulah glanced at Rose. Her brows furrowed, as if she thought Rose was crazy for believing such a thing. “I’ll leave you to it, then,” she told Kara, before urging Erik to follow her. When Erik passed, he briefly touched Rose’s shoulder.

  Rose didn’t know which emotion he’d projected. She only knew that he’d projected something—because the tension in her body instantly eased. She watched as Erik and Talulah stepped into her office, closing the door behind them. Once they were out of sight, Rose shifted her attention to Kara. A shiver traveled down her spine the moment she made eye-contact with those hungry, light blue eyes.

  Kara’s smile was sharp and predatory. “Now that we’re alone…”

  Rose swallowed—even though her mouth was a bit dry, at the moment. “You’re,” she guessed, her voice squeaky and breathless, “going to…fix me?”

  With a few, purposeful strides, Kara closed the space between them. Her scent enticed Rose’s hunger—sweet and warm, with hints of violets, leather, and blood. Amusement sparkled in Kara’s icy blue eyes. “You’re not scared, are you?”

  Rose narrowed her eyes at the playful taunt. “Of you?” she scoffed. “No.”

  Kara started laughing, her smile wide and gleeful. Rose felt her lips curve at the corners, as she watched Kara laugh. She loved the way Kara’s face softened, the way happiness seemed to unfold from her mouth, spreading to the rest of her face. It was one of the rare moments that Kara’s entire persona didn’t ooze power and sensuality—but something softer, something sweeter, instead. That sensuality returned, though, the moment she stopped laughing. She stepped closer to Rose, eliminating that last bit of space between them. “You’re adorable,” she chuckled.

  Rose blushed. “Not exactly what I was going for,” she said, “but thanks.”

  Kara curled her arm around Rose’s waist. Her fingers traced the slope of Rose’s back, until they reached the small of her back. Kara’s palm pressed harder there, forcing Rose to straighten. A smirk graced one side of her mouth. “Better.”

  Rose swallowed uneasily. Despite the fact that there were multiple layers of clothing between Kara’s hand and Rose’s back, Rose felt the warmth of Kara’s hand as intensely as she would have, if they were skin-to-skin—and that warmth spread downward, pooling between her legs, creating a dull, pulsing ache there.

  “Breathe, baby,” Kara said with a laugh. “You’re holding your breath.”

  “Oh,” Rose said, air suddenly spilling from her lungs. “Didn’t realize.”

  Kara chuckled. She maintained eye-contact with Rose, as she continued her path downward, her palm following the slope of Rose’s backside. A small sigh escaped Kara’s lips when her hand reached Rose’s ass. It was a sigh of want and pleasure—a soft, vulnerable sound that Kara let slip. Her palm flattened against the soft flesh—pushing Rose’s waist forward, causing Rose’s hips to collide with her own. Her eyes dilated, the light blue irises swallowed up by black. “Perfect.”

  Rose could barely remember what they’d been talking about, before Kara had started touching her like this, and she was actually starting to think that Kara had forgotten, too. “I, uh,” she stammered. “I don’t know if I can walk like this.”

  Kara snorted. “Yeah,” she said, as she started to laugh. “Good point.”

  Rose laughed, too. “On the bright side, I’m not freaking out anymore.”

  “Mission accomplished, then,” Kara said with a smile. Her intense, light blue gaze drifted downward, lingering on Rose’s lips. “Listen,” she said, suddenly serious, “I know this is intimidating, but I also know that you’re going to be fine.”

  Rose’s smile faded. “If by fine, you mean alive, then sure. But if you mean that I’m going to have any clue what I’m doing,” she paused, lifting her eyebrows, “you’re crazier than I thought.” Rose noticed Kara’s lips quirk up at her teasing, but she wasn’t finished with her nervous rant. “I don’t belong in this meeting. It’s going to be full of people like you and Aaron—who have centuries of experience. I have none. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m going to disappoint everyone.”

  Kara watched her with an affectionate smile. She lifted Rose’s chin with one finger, urging Rose to meet her piercing, ice-blue gaze. “Rose, listen to me,” she murmured. “You have a beautiful, unique voice, and it needs to be heard.”

  Rose stared at her, too caught up in the intensity of that gaze to argue.

  “Trust me,” Kara said. “That room doesn’t need another tough, arrogant warrior.” Her smile widened. “I know because I am one.” The humor faded from her voice. “What it needs is you—your compassion, your wisdom, your strength.”

  Rose’s chest tightened, and her brows creased. “That’s hard to believe.”

  “I know it is,” Kara said, “because you don’t have any faith in yourself.”

  “I’m sorry,” Rose sighed. “I don’t mean to be so insecure all of the time.”

  “Don’t apologize for how you feel,” Kara said, just as she always did. She trailed her fingers along Rose’s cheek, her thumb rubbing the skin beneath Rose’s ear. “You didn’t choose this weakness. You chose your compassion. You knew it would hold you back, but you chose it, anyway. But you didn’t choose to feel this way about yourself. People hurt you. They told you lies about yourself—until you believed them. That isn’t your fault.” She leaned in closer. “But…they were lies.”

  Rose clamped her mouth shut to stifle the sob that tried to escape.

  “Don’t let the ones who hurt you muffle your voice,” Kara said, her heart pounding, as she watched tears form in Rose’s eyes. “That’s what they wanted.”

  Rose nodded, desperately trying to hold back a flood of tears. “I know.”

  “Ah, ástin mín,” Kara sighed, wiping away a tear that fell from Rose’s eye. “My love.” Her chest ached with sympathy. “I know I’ve lied to you about some things, but I swear I’m not lying about this. Your voice is important. It’s needed.”

  Rose couldn’t maintain eye-contact. Not when she felt so vulnerable. So, she wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck and embraced her. The cool leather of Kara’s jacket soothed her skin. Kara held her tightly for a while, content to do so for as long as Rose needed—even if it meant they never made it to the meeting.

  In Kara’s arms, Rose felt as if everything that Kara had said was seeping into her, sealing all of the cracks in her shattered soul. She pressed her lips against the leather that covered Kara’s shoulder, needing to convey her emotions in some way. “Okay,” she whispered against Kara’s shoulder. “Okay. I think I’m ready.”

  “I know,” Kara said, kissing the top of her head. “I never doubted you.”

  —

  Everyone fell silent the moment Rose and Kara stepped into the room.

  Talulah’s dark gaze shifted toward the door, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. “As I was saying,” she repeated, “the last Commander of Power is here.”

  Rose cringed, as every vampire in the room turned to look at her. It didn’t help that several of them narrowed their eyes at her, as if she’d somehow insulted them, just by showing up. It was Aaron’s glare, though, that cut through the room, dark and searing with anger. But that glare wasn’t for her. It was directed at Kara.

  Kara lifted her free hand—the one that wasn’t holding a massive battle-axe—and wiggled her fingers, giving him a sarcastic wave. His dark eyes narrowed even more, and Rose worried, for a moment, that he’d try to kill Kara right there, with everyone watching. But he didn’t. He just stared, fists clenched at his sides.

  “I hope she has an excuse,” one of the leaders snarled, “for being late.”

  It was Kara’s turn to glare. Her
smile faded, instantly, as her icy blue gaze shifted his way. “Oh, Benedict,” she chided, “you egotistic asshole. You don’t get to demand anything from Rose Foster. She’s as much a commander, as you are.”

  “As much?” Benedict said in disbelief. “She doesn’t even have a colony.”

  “Neither do you,” Kara said, a cruel smile curving at her lips, “anymore.”

  His mouth dropped open. For a moment, no one said a word. They just stared at Kara in disbelief. Then, Benedict closed his mouth, and a low, dangerous growl resounded from his throat. Kara gripped the handle of her battle-axe, as he suddenly raced toward her. He never reached her—because Aaron moved faster.

  Aaron blocked Benedict’s path to Kara, placing himself in the middle of the near-attack. He lifted his chin to meet the taller vampire’s gaze, when Benedict pulled up short. “You’re not going to attack my second-in-command,” he snarled.

  Kara relaxed her grip on the battle-axe. She’d been prepared for a fight, if Aaron didn’t interfere, but unlike Rose, she didn’t seem surprised that he had.

  Rose, on the other hand, couldn’t believe her eyes. Had she just imagined that murderous glare he’d been giving Kara? Or had he really gone from wishing her dead to defending her in a matter of minutes? Rose blinked again to be sure.

  Benedict stepped back, his chest heaving. “She shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s Kara,” Aaron scoffed. “She’s always doing what she shouldn’t do.”

  “Ah, come on,” Kara taunted. “This was one of the few times I actually told the truth. I heard there was nothing left of the colony in London.” Her smile widened. “It’s unfortunate you were here. I was hoping you had died with them.”

  Benedict growled and stepped forward—only to be stopped by Aaron.

  “She’s fucking insane,” Aaron said, obviously annoyed, at this point, “but she’s still my second-in-command. You can’t attack her without attacking me.”

  “Let him attack me,” Kara said with a laugh. “You know I’d kick his ass.”

  “Yes,” Aaron said, turning to glare at her, “but if you injure a commander, you’ll have broken a rule, and the punishment is death. I’d have to execute you.”