Blood spurted everywhere, like a broken fountain spitting up water. Thyos could hear the witch choking on his own blood, could feel the witch realize his life was slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
That was the thing about witches in Citta di Paludi. They forgot that vampires had abilities themselves. Certainly, witches were fully capable of defending themselves against a vampire. Their abilities outmatched those of vampires simply because witches were magic and vampires were physical. However, because of this, witches tended to forget that there were some things they could not protect themselves against.
Like speed.
What arrogance, to have a witch whip someone without ensuring he was protected. Especially when they were whipping a witch.
Immediately, one of the guards cast a spell on Thyos. Light glared from his fingertips, causing Thyos to kneel on the floor, letting out a grunt of pain. It was not as though the whipping witch would survive. His throat was in chunks on the floor, his body bleeding out next to it.
At that moment, Aurelia stood up. She cried out in pain, causing Thyos to snap his head in her direction.
Another spell cast his way. More light. He could hear his skin sizzle underneath their power, could smell the smoke as the light burned his flesh. The crowd seemed to be in disarray. On the one hand, their prized gladiator was being tortured. On the other, the battle that was raging. A battle between the witches and their vampire was too much for their puny little minds to handle. Some were screaming, others booing, while some cheered.
Fools.
This city was filled with fools.
He needed to get to her. Somehow, he could hear her skin splitting, being torn from her flesh by any movement. She was in pain, so much pain, but still, she pushed back up into a standing position, despite all of it.
He could not heal her, not without her consuming his blood. He would give her all that she required, if it would only stop her pain. The pain that coursed through her haunted him, and without falling into the trap of victimhood, he felt as though it was much worse for him because he was aware she was experiencing it and could do nothing to stop it.
Her eyes flickered toward him and he knew, at that moment, that she realized what was happening to him.
“No,” she whispered. Somehow, he heard it fall from her lips, clear as a bell.
Under her breath, she muttered something in a language he did not understand.
He knew what she was doing. He wanted to tell her to stop, he didn’t want her depleting any of her energy. There would be no humans for her to regenerate her powers. And she would need it.
That, or she would need to feed on him.
Which he would gladly do for her.
His sharp hearing picked up the desperate spell she was trying to cast, but there was nothing she could do. Her eyes met his, and he was stunned when he saw tears in her eyes. Not tears of pain from the lashings she’d received, but tears of sympathy. Because she didn’t like the thought of him being in pain.
What sort of creature was she? And what the hell had he done in his terrible, long life for him to deserve her sympathy?
It had only been a few days since they’d met. And now he was ready to give her all of his blood and had this sudden desire to be someone worthy of her friendship. He had changed completely, and he did not understand why that was.
“Aurelia,” he managed to get out.
Thyos could easily pick up the emperor’s laugh from just off to the side. He still had two witches on either side of him, ready to pounce at any given moment should the emperor require it. Thyos wondered just how loyal they were to him, or if it was the money that bought their abilities.
She lifted her eyes off her hands, and when they locked with his, he could easily read the desperation in them. This witch was an open book. Did she truly think it was a good idea to show this much of her emotion to anyone who looked her way?
And yet, in this moment, he found this quality of her endearing. Not a weakness, as he used to think, but something he appreciated, because it showed him just how much she cared. How open she was. How unafraid of her emotions she was.
He gave a subtle shake of her head, trying to tell her that she should not continue to try. It wasn’t worth it. There was a chance she might survive this, but he would not.
Who was he kidding?
She would die too, probably in a worse way than him. It was almost a betrayal that someone like her – affluent, from a royally-endorsed magical family – had demeaned herself, her family, and her kind by even associating with someone like him. He had ruined her.
And not in the way he intended.
He clenched his jaw together, trying to keep the scream of pain from ripping across his lips. But whose pain, he did not know. He could see her crimson blood streaking against her back, glistening in the sunlight.
“Perhaps we should let other vampires feast on her,” Paletyn suggested from beside Thyos. Thyos blinked, not realizing he was still there. Another way this witch had changed him. He had always been on his guard, which meant he knew everything always. He was aware of his surroundings and could predict when someone was going to attack. He could read people and situations well.
But Paletyn had snuck up on him. Thyos had been too focused on Aurelia to even notice the emperor. But the bastard had gotten one up on him, and it took everything in him not to strike the emperor dead right there. Of course, Thyos knew he would be killed instantly, and how was he to help Aurelia if he was dead?
“I’m sure some vampires would be willing to die just to get a taste of that pure witch,” the emperor continued. Without warning, he nudged Thyos like they were friends, comrades amused over something insignificant. “Well, almost pure, am I right?”
Thyos snarled.
Paletyn’s eyes widened. “What’s this?” he asked. “Do I detect a snarl of concern from our only Berkano member?” Thyos watched his lips curl up into a grin that revealed every single one of his glistening white teeth. Thyos wanted to pull out each one before shoving them up his anus and making him scream in pain. “I thought you would enjoy seeing this witch get what she deserves. After all, vampires do blame the witches for the Rift, correct? Those conniving little bitches manipulated you by promising something your kind has desired for centuries: a cure. And now you can be the one to punish her for her crimes.”
“She has committed no crime against me,” Thyos said. It took everything in him not to reach out and crush the emperor’s skull, everything in him to keep his voice from shaking and revealing that he actually did care about what happened to Aurelia.
“She has committed a crime against your people,” the emperor pointed out. “Twenty-four lashes and then it will be your turn. Perhaps I should let you feast on her blood when she’s finished as your death punishment. My way of showing appreciation to you for all you have given us here.”
Thyos said nothing. Instead, he continued to watch Aurelia, who managed to crane her neck so she could focus on the emperor.
“Perhaps I should strip you down and have my guards burn your flesh off,” Paletyn said with a sneer.
“Perhaps you should,” Thyos said without blinking.
He watched as the emperor opened his mouth, prepared to have his guards do just that, when without warning, Paletyn burst into flames and then turned into ash at that very moment. There was no time for him to scream. Nobody knew what happened.
It was only when the ash began to blow in the breeze and what used to be the body of the emperor slowly drifted away did the screams start coming.
Chapter 13
Aurelia took a breath. And then another. She had broken through the protection spell of the emperor and had killed him.
She had killed the ruler of the Citta di Paludi.
Her true father.
She looked down at her hands as if they were not her own, as if they had betrayed her with more power than she could ever hope to expect. A cry pierced the air, and her mother f
ainted. She swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat but failing miserably. She had shamed them. She had shamed them miserably. And now she was going to die for it.
Aurelia tried to move. If she wanted to survive this, she would need to run as quickly as she could. The pain from the lashing prevented her from doing so, however. She could barely remain standing, let alone move at an accelerated speed. She closed her eyes, wishing she could manifest her powers. She wished her sisters weren’t right, that she wasn’t such a pathetic human.
That she could save herself.
She did not even care that her breasts were exposed or that her back stung. She would have scars on her body, she realized. She would never be as perfect or pristine as her sisters. She would never live up to her parents’ expectations. But she would survive. She would take care of herself.
The sky crackled with thunder, and dark grey clouds that looked nearly purple passed overhead. Had Aurelia not noticed them from before? They promised rain soon. The city needed rain. It would fill their swamps even further, but there was a cleansing that needed to be done, a cleansing to wash away the bad and bring in change.
She was surprised when Thyos crushed the witch’s head with his bare hands, causing bone to snap and brain matter to drizzle out of the openings. At least it stopped the lashing, but it did not bode well for the vampire. She wondered if the people would punish their beloved gladiator. She understood, however, the humans had no say in anything. Not right now.
When Thyos turned to her, his hands bloody, his crisp blue eyes were filled with concern. An odd look coming from him.
“Are you all right?” he asked her.
Before she could respond, Aurelia picked up a familiar voice muttering something. Without thinking, Aurelia whispered her own spell and a blue shield circled both Thyos and her. Whatever spell Adela had shot bounced off the shield and immediately fizzled.
“You traitorous bitch!” Adela screamed. Augusta and Ashana circled the barrier at three different points. “You let a vampire feed on you? You stupid blood whore! And now you protect him?”
“If he fed on you, how is he still alive?” Augusta murmured.
“Because she’s as much of abomination as he is,” Adela spat.
“Aurelia.” Ashana’s voice cut through her Adela’s and could be heard, even under the rolling thunder. The humans weren’t sure if they should retreat to shelter or watched and see how this played out. Aurelia’s nudity also added to the temptation. “You have to let us in. Your shield will not sustain itself against three experienced witches. It will falter. We will break through.”
“Perhaps,” Aurelia agreed with a nod. “Perhaps you will break through and take us both. Perhaps we will both be captured, and perhaps we will both be put to death.”
“A leech, Aurelia,” Adela said. “You and a leech? I cannot fathom even being a friend to one. And yet you have given up your virginity to that—that beast?”
Aurelia snapped her eyes to her sister. She could feel them burning, could feel them singe Adela’s skin. However, the more she stared at her sister, the more she felt slightly deflated.
“I now understand why you hate me, Adela,” she said. “I cannot change what I am or my lineage, but I can change what I think and how I react to things. You are tiny-minded, and while you are a powerful witch, your narrow mindedness makes you a weak person.”
Adela’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wide as she took in Aurelia’s words.
“You know,” she managed to get out. “You know they were the reason for our downfall. They were the cause of the Rift.”
“Adela, you know that isn’t true,” Aurelia said, shaking her head.
“Isn’t it?” Adela asked, her tone aggressive.
“Thyos is Berkano,” she said. “Why do you think he’s so powerful? Why do you think the emperor has kept him alive for so long even though Thyos could snap his neck with a flick of his wrist. Because the humans are entertained by what they fear. A Berkano vampire killing his own kind would make a fierce spectacle. And it has. You don’t think Thyos was alive during the Rift?”
“Just because he was present does not mean he was responsible,” Aurelia snapped.
All three of her sisters seemed shocked at her tone, but Aurelia refused to apologize. She had always tried to fit in, always tried to belong with her sisters, but she’d always felt out of place. Now she understood why.
She was an abomination. Not because she was half-witch—although Adela would have a narrow-minded point of view on witches breeding with anyone else but a witch, considering that she thought witches should be as pure as possible, despite the rarity of such a thing—but because she was half-human. And more human than witch, it would seem.
The thing that caused her power to manifest was a vampire’s blood.
A mixture of all three things, working together for the greater good. Aurelia blinked. She was first in line for this empire, she realized. She killed her father, yes, but his blood still ran through her. It was probably what protected Thyos when he drank from her that evening.
What a thing that would be, a witch, a human, and a vampire, coming together to create something constructive. Positive. Filled with potential to grow.
Was such a thing even possible to hope for?
Maybe not with Paletyn as the emperor. Maybe not with the factions as divided the way they were. But perhaps things could change. At least, there was a potential for it to change.
And maybe, just maybe, her pain was a good thing. Perhaps meeting Thyos and being punished for her time with him was a good thing, too, because it showed these humans and these witches and these vampires that a bond between a vampire and a witch was possible. That such a bond was not something to be feared, but something to strive for. Because such a bond was useful for their survival.
She breathed a sigh from her nose. This was not the time to be thinking about such things. Later, if she was able to survive this.
Not now.
Right now, she needed to focus on getting them out of here, both Thyos and herself. She did not want to harm her sisters, but she would stun them if she needed to. Her survival and his was of the utmost importance right now.
She closed her eyes and groaned, pushing out with her right hand. Her sisters were pushed down, surprised by the power.
“Where did this power come from?” Augusta called from outside the protection shield.
Augusta, the beautiful sister, the sister who had been least offensive to Aurelia (though that did not mean the most kind) stared at Aurelia in wonder. Aurelia almost felt sorry for her that she had to be part of this, that she was part of the emperor’s guard, just like every witch in the family for the past thirty years. She was too tender-hearted for this work.
“You would not believe me if I told you,” Aurelia murmured. She did not know if Augusta heard her.
Adela snorted. “So your powers manifested finally,” she snapped. Her voice was piercing and annoyed, making her sound like a banshee more than anything else. “Did they manifest naturally? Or did you need to take something in order to achieve your success?”
Aurelia took a breath. She would not let her sister have this power over her, would not allow Adela to cause her to react with anger and hostility. It would drain her energy, and she needed all she had in order to keep a protective shield around herself and Thyos.
After watching him be drained by the light spells, Aurelia found herself helpless. The last thing she needed to be was helpless in this situation. She did not know how it was possible, but something inside of her snapped into place. Though the woman was cool and distant, Aurelia was grateful for her mother forcing her to learn spells just in case her powers manifested. She did not have to wonder how to do something or what incantations to chant. She knew it all. And since she could not practice her ability, she’d learned as much as she could. While her sisters played and practiced, Aurelia was in her room, reading everything she could about witches, the Rift, and of other witches
whose powers never manifested.
She could not give up on herself because she felt the power deep inside of her. She knew it was there, she just needed to get it out.
And it was Thyos who was that catalyst, who brought her powers out of her.
“You will move,” Aurelia said, looking at Ashana as she spoke. Adela was too hotheaded, and Augusta did not seem to take her very seriously. But Ashana, Ashana would know that Aurelia had a warning in her tone.
“You barely manifested your powers,” Ashana said slowly. There was something inside of her that didn’t quite trust what was going to happen. That she knew Aurelia was much stronger than she appeared. However, she needed to keep an indifferent face in front of her sisters. Why admit that the runt of the family was more powerful than the three of them combined? “I highly doubt you have the capacity to overtake three grown witches who have been practicing magic for twenty years.”
Aurelia found herself disappointed but not surprised. She nodded her head, almost as if she were accepting Ashana’s decision.
“So be it,” Aurelia said. “I did warn you, Ashana. I will be leaving with Thyos unharmed. If anyone tries to stop us…” She let her voice trail off, letting the threat hang between them. In all honesty, Aurelia did not know how to finish that statement.
“You overestimate your power, sister,” Adela said.
“And you underestimate me and my determination,” Aurelia said. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. Then she murmured a simple incantation that she had learned when she was younger, one that always tricked her while playing hide and seek. She made both Thyos and herself invisible.
“Aurelia!” Augusta screamed, looking around. “Where did you go?”
Adela did no such thing and decided to act. Using her fingertips, she drew a ball of fire from the air and shot it in Aurelia’s direction. If Aurelia had not taken one step back, the fireball would have hit her shield and revealed where she was. It probably would have broken the shield, if she was being honest with herself.
Poisonous Temptation: Division 2 (The Berkano Vampire Collection) Page 8