That was…apparently not the right thing to say.
Kallias turned to Kara. “What the hell is she talking about?”
Kara shrugged one shoulder. “She’s talking about how badass she is.”
Rose blushed. “I mean, I’m not,” she stammered. “I wouldn’t say I am.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Kara said, a smirk tilting at her lips, “but I would.”
“What is going on?” Kallias asked Kara. “Why is Rose fighting armies?”
“I mean, there’s a war,” Rose muttered, “in case you haven’t noticed.”
His gaze turned cold at that. “I’ve noticed,” he snarled. “We all have.”
Rose instantly shrank back, understanding what he hadn’t said, as well as what he had. “What happened?” she whispered. Her bright blue eyes shifted past him—flashing with worry, as they studied Emma. “What’s wrong with Emma?”
Sadness pulled at Kallias’s angular features. “She’s been like this for days. She doesn’t talk. She doesn’t sleep. She didn’t even want to wash away the blood.”
Rose swallowed uneasily—and asked the question she was afraid to ask, “Where’s Geoff?” When Kallias didn’t answer, she looked at him. “Where is he?”
Kallias exchanged a look with Kara. “Geoffrey and Emma were here…”
Rose waited for him to finish, but he didn’t. “When the Assassins came?”
“I told you they shot someone,” Kara reminded Rose. “Everyone else is accounted for, aren’t they?” Her own chest ached, as she sensed Rose’s sadness.
Rose shook her head in denial. “But…” she trailed off, casting an anxious look at Kallias. “We could help him. We have a friend who can help. She…she…”
Kallias shook his head. “He’s gone, Rose. He didn’t even last the night.”
Rose looked at Emma. “Oh, no,” she sighed, tears spilling from her eyes.
Kallias nodded, as he saw the direction of her gaze. “I haven’t been able to get her to talk, but,” he said, shrugging, “you should try. You’re…better at it.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Rose told him, “but first, are you okay?” She glanced at him, her brows creased with sympathy. “He was your friend for a long time.”
Kallias nodded, a hint of pain visible in his brown eyes. “Just help her.”
Rose started to walk toward Emma—but she stopped and pulled Kallias in for a hug, first. She had to raise up on her toes, just to reach his neck, but when she looped her arms around his neck, he didn’t resist. He circled his arms around her back, and he buried his face in her long, red hair, inhaling the scent of vanilla and honey—a scent he hadn’t smelled in forever. Rose’s tears wet his shirt, as she wept in sympathy. She’d cared for Geoff, too, of course, but she was more fixated on what Kallias and Emma must’ve felt—having known him for so much longer.
“If anyone can pull her out of this, it’s you,” Kallias whispered to Rose.
Rose stepped back. “I’ll do my best,” she promised, before walking away.
Kallias watched, as Rose approached Emma. He assumed she’d stand in front of Emma—or sit in front of her—and start talking. But she didn’t. Instead, she sat down against the wall, next to Emma. Then, silently, Rose rested her head on Emma’s shoulder and just cried—staring into space, just like Emma had done.
Kallias thought he saw something flicker in Emma’s eyes, but Emma still didn’t speak. He wasn’t really sure that sitting next to Emma would help, but what he’d tried hadn’t helped, either. So, he figured Rose’s approach might work better.
“Rose knows a lot about depression,” Kara said, “maybe more than us.”
Kallias nodded, agreeing with her on that, at least. “I suppose she does.”
Kara’s icy blue gaze shifted toward him. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
Kallias shrugged her sympathy away. “It’s what happens during war.”
Kara didn’t argue with that. “Erik stayed outside with the others. I think he was afraid of the bad news,” she said softly. “He didn’t say as much, but…”
“He doesn’t deal with it well,” Kallias agreed. “He grieves…intensely.”
“He does everything intensely,” Kara murmured, “and Rose does, too.”
Kallias followed her gaze and nodded, as he saw Rose crying soundlessly, beside Emma. Though Emma hadn’t moved, something about her seemed softer.
Several moments of silence passed, before Kallias returned his attention to Kara. He studied the blood on her black shirt and leather pants and the blood that coated her battle-axe. “Why is Rose fighting?” he asked again—angrier, now.
Kara’s light blue gaze shifted toward him. She didn’t react to his anger—not in the way most people would, anyway. Instead, she just tilted her head to the side, dark blue hair falling over her leather-clad shoulder. “Because she wants to.”
His nostrils flared, as he tried to control his anger. “She joined the war?”
Kara shrugged, and a smile twitched at her mouth. “You could say that.”
Kallias took a step toward her. “You swore that you would protect her.”
Kara lifted an eyebrow. “Rose is powerful. Godlike, even,” she reminded him. She took special care to keep her voice even, as she used the word god. “Rose doesn’t need as much protection as you think she does. I protect her with my life, but she doesn’t need it. I do it because I swore an oath—and because I want to.”
Kallias scoffed at that. “You let her join a war she has no business being in,” he snarled. Anger flashed in his light brown eyes. “How is that protecting her?”
“They’ve taken so much from her,” Kara said. She kept her voice quiet—so that Rose wouldn’t hear her. “She has more business in this war than anyone.”
Kallias crossed his arms. “She has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.”
“She’s brilliant,” Kara said. “She knows more than you think she does.”
“She’s been a vampire for less than a year,” Kallias said incredulously.
“Barely less,” Kara corrected. “And that doesn’t change the fact that she’s the most powerful vampire to ever exist.” She flashed a dark smile. “Just because you spent your first century hiding from civilization, doesn’t mean she has to.”
Kallias let out a dangerous growl. “And just because you spent your first century killing people,” he countered, “doesn’t mean she has to do that, either.”
Kara lifted her eyebrows. “Right,” she said. She rested her battle-axe over her shoulder. “I’m going to go check the perimeter one more time,” she said with a smirk, “make sure you can leave your house sooner than you did that cave.”
His light brown eyes narrowed dangerously at that. “Fuck you.”
Kara laughed, obviously enjoying herself. She paused on her way out and added, “Oh, and just so you know, Rose didn’t just join the war. She’s leading it.”
—
“How is she?” Kallias asked, as Rose stepped out from behind the screen.
Rose joined Kallias and her friends in the open section of the basement. “She’s sleeping,” she sighed. “She started crying, and she…cried herself to sleep.”
“I didn’t think vampires could sleep at night,” Audrey said with a frown.
“It’s similar to humans—in that if we go without sleep long enough, our bodies will eventually demand it, regardless of the time,” Rose told her, “but even then, it’s not restful sleep. It’s like trying to sleep after drinking fifteen espressos.”
“What kind of person would drink fifteen espressos?” Owen muttered.
Rose raised her hand. “But Human-Me. Not Vampire-Me,” she clarified.
Kallias stared at Rose in shock. “How did you convince her to open up?”
Rose glanced at him. “I didn’t really convince her,” she tried to explain. “It was more that I let her…do whatever she needed. I offered my hand if she needed touch. I offered my arms if she needed to be held. And
I offered my presence, if she just wanted to sit there. She doesn’t need to be pressured into grieving in any particular way. She just needs to know we’ll still be there, when the pain settles.”
Kallias gazed at the screen divider, his brows furrowing. “I never meant to pressure her, but I guess I did. I’m good with thoughts. Emotions are…hard.”
“You took care of her, though,” Rose reminded him. She stepped closer, touching his arm. “That was kind of you. She’s grateful for that. I know she is.”
Kallias glanced down at her hand, where it rested gently on his arm. It’d been so long since he’d felt her touch. He’d missed it. “You and I need to talk.”
“Yeah,” Rose agreed, “before I have to leave for the peace negotiations.”
His somber expression turned to one of enraged horror. “For the what?”
Rose winced. “I mean…for the thing-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-war?”
Owen mirrored Kallias’s horror. “How did you get mixed up in politics?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Rose muttered. She forced a fake smile, as she noticed that all three of them were now scowling at her. “Relax. I’m okay.”
“The Rose I know would never survive politics,” Audrey said. “Too much lying, for one. Also, public speaking! And being liked! You’re bad at these things.”
“Wow. Thanks, Audrey,” Rose said sarcastically. “Didn’t realize I was so hard to like.” She frowned and added, “Well, I did kind of realize that, but still…”
“I like you!” Audrey clarified. “But I’m used to you! Other people aren’t.”
“Oh,” Rose said, brows high. “Thanks. That really makes me feel better.”
Audrey waved her hands. “See?! You’re sarcastic. People don’t like that.”
Rose glanced at Owen. “She thinks she’s saying nice things, doesn’t she?”
Owen nodded. “In her mind, she is totally inflating your ego right now.”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “If I’m not being a bitch, count your blessings.”
Owen and Rose both laughed at that. Kallias, on the other hand, had yet to relax his muscled shoulders even the slightest bit. Nor had he relaxed his face.
Which was currently hosting a deadly glare. “You told me you’d be safe.”
Rose winced a little. “And I am,” she told him, “at this…exact moment.”
His brown eyes narrowed. “Rose, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“A lot,” Rose admitted, much to his dismay, “but I’m going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that,” Kallias growled. “I should’ve known better than to think you’d make any rational decisions while you were gone. You’re reckless.”
“Oh, no,” Audrey muttered to Owen, “Mommy and Daddy are arguing.”
“Maybe I am,” Rose said, catching him off-guard, “but I’m much happier saving lives than I am being cooped up here.” She spread out her arms. “If you’re happy hiding and waiting, that’s great. I’m happy for you. But it’s not who I am.”
Kallias frowned. “I’m just worried about you, Rose. I’m always worried.”
Her bright blue eyes softened. “And I’m sorry about that,” Rose said. “I worry about you, too.” She offered him a gentle smile. “I’ve missed you. A lot.”
“I missed you, too,” Kallias admitted—something he rarely admitted. He sighed, “And I’m sorry, if I let my fear get the best of me.” He grimaced. “Again.”
Rose laughed softly. “Maybe a little, but I know you mean well. Usually.”
Kara returned, at that moment, almost as if she’d deliberately timed it up that way. Which, based on the way she studied Rose’s body language, Rose figured she probably had. “Has everyone made up?” she said, shooting a pointed look in Kallias’s direction. Taking his irritated scowl as confirmation, she said, “Good—because we need to leave. They’ll have realized we killed their soldiers, by now.”
“Gun-Dude was a soldier?” Audrey said. “I thought he was an Assassin.”
“The Assassins of Light are soldiers,” Kara told her, “and the ones who aren’t Assassins of Light are working for them. So, basically, they all want us dead.”
“That’s not fair,” Audrey pouted. “I just want internet back. And cake!”
Kara lifted an eyebrow at that. She turned to Rose. “Are you ready?”
“We need to get them out of here,” Rose told her. “Where can they go?”
“We’ll go wherever you’re going,” Kallias said—taking them by surprise.
Kara gave him a bemused look. “You do know where we’re going, right?”
“It’s not safe,” Rose said uneasily. “Not that it’s safe here, either, but…”
“If it’s safe enough for you, it’s safe enough for me,” Kallias said. He cast a glance Kara’s way. “Kara said you let her protect you because…she wants to.”
Rose frowned. “I mean, yeah, I guess so. I don’t think I could stop her?”
Kara laughed. “No, but I’d love to see you try,” she said with a sly wink.
“Then, let me,” Kallias said. “It’s what I want, Rose. I want to help you.”
Rose nodded. “If you want to come, you can come,” she said. “But what about the others?” She turned to Kara. “Do we have somewhere safe for them?”
“Your friends can stay on the plane,” Kara told her. “I won’t promise it’s safe, but,” she paused, offering Rose a regretful shrug, “there are no safe places.”
“Not anymore,” Rose sighed. She turned to her friends. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, just let me get my stuff,” Audrey said. She headed over to an open duffel bag and called back, “Which isn’t much—since the war stole my internet!”
Owen grimaced. “If you’ve never seen her without her phone, you’re in for a treat,” he warned them. He shook his head. “I thought she was bad before!”
“I can hear you!” Audrey said. “At least I don’t bite my best friend’s ex!”
Owen blushed—which amused Rose, since she had never seen him blush before. He glanced at Kallias, then at Rose. “I didn’t mean to. He smells good.”
“He didn’t bite me,” Kallias grumbled, rolling his eyes. “He just tried.”
Rose laughed. “It’s okay. I tried to bite people, too, when I first turned.”
“You still try to bite people,” Kara teased her, “and you succeed. Often.”
Kallias rolled his eyes at that. “I’ll pack Emma’s things, while she sleeps.”
Rose smiled at the considerate action. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.”
“I have one question,” Owen said, after Kallias left. “Will, um, Tom…be on the plane?” He shifted uneasily. “Not that I care or anything! I just wondered.”
Kara laughed. “He is, yeah. And I’m sure he’d love for you to bite him.”
“Accidentally,” Owen said quickly. “It was an accident. I was starving.”
“Right,” Kara said playfully. “He’d love for you to accidentally bite him.”
Owen glared at her. “I don’t know what he told you, but we’re not…”
“What did Tom tell me?” Kara said pensively. “Oh, right. I remember.”
Owen froze, waiting for her to finish. “What was it? What did he say?”
Kara grinned at his eagerness. “I thought you didn’t care. Or anything.”
“The Assassins of Light are right,” Owen grumbled. “You’re pure evil.”
Kara laughed. “I am, yes,” she agreed, “but I do believe Tom likes you.”
Owen’s eyes widened. “Really?” he said excitedly. “You really think so?”
Rose and Kara exchanged an amused look. “Get your bags, Owen,” Rose said, trying not to laugh. “We can talk about your new crush, when you’re safe.”
“What? It’s not a…” Owen trailed off, as Rose and Kara started laughing. He scowled at them. “Assholes,” he grumbled, before trudging off to get his bags.
Once they were alone, Kara turned to Rose. “Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m sad about Geoff,” Rose said, “but glad that everyone else is okay.”
“I don’t know if it helps, but,” Kara said, “I killed the guy who shot him.”
“I don’t know if it does or not,” Rose admitted, “but thanks for trying.”
An adoring smile curled at Kara’s mouth. “I’d kill anyone for you, love.”
Rose blinked. “Uhh, I don’t know if that’s as romantic as you think it is.”
Kara grinned slyly. “Oh? I suppose I’ll have to try something else, then.”
“Please, don’t,” Rose mumbled, her eyes wide. “I’m concerned, now.”
Kara stepped closer, looping her arm around Rose’s waist. She pressed a gentle kiss against Rose’s forehead and then looked down at her. “How was that?”
Rose laughed. “Definitely more romantic than murder.”
—
Emma, still too fatigued to walk on her own, leaned on Rose for support, as they boarded the plane. Erik met them halfway down the aisle, already prepared to take over. He scooped Emma up into his arms easily, as if she were weightless.
“I’ll soothe the emotions so she can get a bit more sleep,” Erik told Rose.
Rose nodded, watching with a sympathetic frown, as Erik carried Emma to the back of the jet. At the end of the aisle, behind the regular seats, there were long, bench-like seats. Erik carried her to one of those so that she could lie down.
Kara rested a hand against Rose’s back, and somehow, that one, soothing touch unraveled the tightly-wound ball of anxiety that had taken up residence in Rose’s stomach. “Erik is powerful. He can manipulate any emotion. Even grief.”
“Grief is more than emotion, though,” Rose said. “It affects everything.”
Kara tilted her head to the side, blue hair falling over her shoulder, as she studied Rose’s body language. She could see the exhaustion in Rose, too—almost identical to the exhaustion she’d seen in Rose’s friend. “Hey. Look at me,” Kara murmured. When Rose met her gaze, she said, “I know you’re worried about your friend, but I need to know how you are. You lost your brother; now, a friend…”
The Reign of Darkness Page 61