by K. A. Last
The good memories hurt more than the bad ones.
She chose Seth.
No amount of happy memories would make up for losing her.
Grace bit her lip, and tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She stepped towards me, and I wished she wouldn’t. She would only make it harder. The best thing I could do was to forget about her, and get on with my sorry existence.
She reached up and placed her hand on my cheek. “I’m sorry for everything.”
I wanted to yell at her, to scream that it wasn’t fair, but what good would that do? It was already hard enough. What had Seth told me? Angry gets you nowhere.
“You told me to fight, but if I’m fighting for you, I’m fighting a losing battle.” I looked over the top of her head at Seth. He clenched his jaw and fixed me with a mean stare.
“I won’t lose you completely,” Grace said.
“It’s already too late.” I pulled away and stepped back.
The park filled with early morning sunlight, and I turned my face to the sky. At least one good thing to come of all this was that I didn’t have to hide during the day anymore. I hated being confined to the terrace. Getting out would make things easier.
I was about to turn away and never look back when Justice spoke.
“We have a bit of a problem.”
Everyone looked towards the steps of the war memorial. A group of vampires had assembled under the portico. Cain stood at the head with Lilith in his clutches.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Grace
Josh’s jaw clenched and I followed his line of sight to where Lilith stood with Cain and the other vampires. Josh wanted Lucas’s blood, and I didn’t blame him. I wanted it, too. But Lucas was nowhere in sight.
Angelica struggled with her bonds. “Untie me, Michael. Annie and I can help.”
“I don’t want her helping us. We can’t trust her,” I said.
Michael nodded. “Sorry, Angelica. You’ve got the Council to answer to. We can handle this.”
Her eyes grew wide as Michael placed his hand on her shoulder. She disappeared like the other angel had, in swirling balls of light. “Try to keep her in line up there.” Michael sent Annie next, before she had the chance to protest.
I could imagine how annoyed Annie was, after being locked up for so long, and getting thrown into the middle of everyone else’s problems. Still, I had more important things to worry about.
With a hard shove, Cain pushed Lilith into the early morning sunlight, making sure he and the rest of the vamps were protected by the shadows. Josh cried out, but when she didn’t burn he snarled. Soft beams filtered through the trees in the park, casting dappled patches of light onto Lilith’s skin. She shrieked, her eyes widening, and her hands shaking at her sides.
“She’s the test,” Hope said.
Justice flexed his fingers around his stake. “Looks like it worked.”
“We need to get Charlotte out of there.” Archer said.
I couldn’t have agreed more.
The vampires behind Lilith stepped into the sunlight.
Seth cleared his throat. “Something you want to give me, Michael?”
Michael flicked Seth’s ring into the air, and Seth caught it in his right hand. His eyes never left mine as he slipped it onto his finger. Instantly, his mind opened up to me and let me in, and it felt like coming home.
Seth itched to unfurl his wings, but we were out in public. Several people had come into the park, probably cutting through on their way to work. The number one priority was to stop the vampires before any of them attacked someone innocent, or got away. Going for a fly would have to wait.
“No human casualties,” Michael said. “I’ll worry about clean-up. Get them down as fast as you can. And don’t forget to protect each other.” He looked at each of us in turn. “Even Josh.”
Michael’s willingness to bend rules made me smile. For an archangel he was pretty cool, but something told me I’d have plenty to answer for once all of this was over.
We formed a tight group and made our way towards the vamps.
“If we want to end this, we need to get inside,” I said.
“How do we do that?” Hope asked. “The entrances are pretty well guarded.”
“Kill everyone but Cain,” I said. “He’ll take us in.”
Josh growled. “If any of you kill Lilith—”
“We won’t.” I pursed my lips. “For now.”
The vamps circled around the edge of the park, cutting across the grass to meet us in the middle. All of us were completely exposed. Cain thought it was a good plan, and I resisted the urge to laugh when I heard the thought in his head. He was under the impression that we would hold back with plenty of witnesses around. But Michael had said he would worry about cleaning up. I imagined ‘cleaning up’ involved altering the memory of anyone who happened to see something they shouldn’t.
“This is going to be fun,” Cain said when he reached us.
“I don’t doubt it,” I said. “Last time we met was a ton of laughs.”
“If I remember correctly, I got away.”
“I won’t make the same mistake twice,” I said.
A vamp in the back of Cain’s group stepped out where I could see him. “Are we going to fight, or play chit-chat all day?”
“Fighting sounds good to me,” Archer said.
“You okay?” Josh asked Lilith.
She turned her face upwards and closed her eyes. The sunlight made her skin glow, probably an effect of drinking Charlotte’s blood.
“Never better.” She opened her eyes and smiled.
“Be careful, Josh. She isn’t like you,” I said.
Then it was on.
A passer-by walking her dog screamed when Michael staked a female vampire who had chosen to attack him. The vamp fell to a heap of dust at his feet and he went into damage control mode. An orb flew from his finger and hit the lady in the chest. She kept walking with a dazed smile on her face. Then Michael turned his palm upwards and light streamed out of it. It jettisoned into the air, falling down around us and enclosing us in a dome. When the light hit the ground it spread out through the park like a shockwave, washing over everyone within range.
“We’re good now. Don’t hold back,” Michael said.
Cain launched at me, his arms outstretched. I braced myself for the impact, ready to fend him off, but he knocked me off my feet. My back hit the grass as his weight came down on top of me with surprising strength. Last time we’d fought I’d gotten it over him easily. This time it was harder. I was in the process of flipping him onto his back when Seth grabbed him and tossed him off. Cain landed on his stomach, the side of his leg touching the wall of Michael’s barrier. On impact it burnt through his clothing, singeing his skin. He cried out, and Seth planted his foot into Cain’s back.
Seth adjusted his grip on the stake I’d given him earlier, and I misted to his side, grabbing his arm. “Don’t stake him. We need him to get inside the lair.”
Lilith turned and faced the vamps, protecting Josh. She planted a kick into the chest of one of them. Her willingness to attack her own surprised me, and I hated the fact I was grateful to her for looking out for Josh.
Archer loved getting his hands dirty as much as I did. The look of excitement on his face said everything as he dusted two vamps. It reduced the enemy and levelled the playing field. Justice and Hope got one apiece, giving us the advantage. I admired their fighting style. Still, their teamwork wasn’t as refined as ours.
“I heard that,” Hope said, smiling in my direction.
I laughed.
Seth pinned Cain to the ground, and I dusted a vamp mid-air as he launched at Seth’s back. Ash covered him and he shook it from his hair. Josh and Lilith hung back and circled the group, their hands linked together. I didn’t doubt that if given the opportunity they would run. And I didn’t understand why Josh wanted to protect her now he had his memory back. I didn’t think he would ever want to protect a vampire, eve
n though he was one. Then again, I’d thought the same thing about myself, and look where that had gotten me when I’d vowed to protect Charlotte.
Within the next few minutes, the rest of the vamps were dust. Josh, Lilith and Cain were the only ones left.
“Get up.” Seth kicked Cain, and he rocked onto his knees. When he stood, Seth pulled back his arm and punched Cain in the mouth. “That’s for touching Grace.”
I sighed. He hadn’t changed.
I have. Seth smiled crookedly at me. But not when it comes to you.
I planted my feet firmly in front of Cain. “You’re going to take us to Lucas.”
“No way in hell am I ever helping you.” Cain wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
“Where’s Charlotte?” I asked.
Cain laughed. “You’ll never find her.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. “You shouldn’t underestimate me. Last time you did that it caused all sorts of trouble.”
Ryan sat on the grass, out of breath, his arms resting on his knees. Josh and Lilith stood huddled together. Hope and Justice wanted me to kill Cain, but we needed him.
Hope, Michael, Seth. I have an idea. The three of them looked at me and waited.
So, spill, Hope thought.
We need to get Cain to think about where Lucas is, and where they’re keeping Charlotte. I pressed my lips into a thin line.
Ryan flopped back onto the grass and sighed. “When you’re finished, fill the rest of us in.”
We can all orb or mist. If we can see the place in his head, we should be able to lock onto the location enough to get there.
You’re a genius, Gracie, Archer thought. He couldn’t hear the others, but he could hear me.
Why did you never think of that? Justice frowned at Hope.
She shrugged.
Seth smiled, and turned to Cain. He folded his arms over his bare chest and studied the vampire. “I’ll bet you have Charlotte locked up pretty tight.”
“She’s probably guarded well, too,” Hope said.
“I don’t think she would be,” Michael said. “Lucas isn’t that smart.”
Cain furrowed his brow and snarled. Our plan was working. He had formed a pretty clear image in his head of Charlotte. Her wrists hung from chains bolted to a stone wall. A film of moisture covered the rock, and a naked bulb lit the cramped space. The images in Cain’s thoughts were enough for me to get a good lock on Charlotte’s location.
What about Lucas? Hope thought. Can we get anything out of Cain on his whereabouts?
“Lucas sent you out here as test dummies, didn’t he?” I asked.
“And Lucas is in his lair, all nice and cosy,” Seth said, “while you’re out here doing his dirty work.”
Cain’s mind filled with thoughts of Lucas. He didn’t particularly like him, but Cain and Lucas had one thing in common—their hunger for power. Without knowing, Cain showed us exactly where Lucas was, sitting on his throne, waiting for his small test army to return. Lucas was about to get more than a bunch of idiot vamps coming back. He would get us.
“I’m not telling you anything,” Cain said.
Seth laughed, and the sound made my heart swell.
Grace and Seth, you take Archer, Ryan, and Lilith, Michael thought. I’ll take the others. I want to split Josh and Lilith up. I don’t trust her, and you can use her since she knows the lair.
Lucas or Charlotte? I stared at Michael.
Who do you want?
Charlotte. I reached out and squeezed Archer’s hand.
I wasn’t the only one fighting for the people I loved.
TWENTY-NINE
Josh
We stood in a loose circle. Grace, and the other angels, stared at each other, not talking. At least, not out loud. When Angelica shoved my memories back inside my head, I remembered all the mind-reading stuff.
While they had their silent pow-wow, I glanced around the park at the people walking by. Most of them were dressed in suits, but some jogged past in their gym gear. None of them noticed us trapped inside the bubble Michael had created.
“What are they doing?” Lilith whispered.
“Deciding our next move,” I said.
I was glad Lilith couldn’t read my mind. Now that I remembered everything, there were a lot of things I was unsure about. Lilith, Grace, Seth … I looked at Ryan sitting on the grass, and guilt punched me in the gut.
He had been my best friend, and I’d tried to eat him.
I walked over to Ryan, Lilith in tow, as she wouldn’t let go of my hand. He turned his head slightly when I stopped near him, looking at me with that expression I knew so well. The one that said it doesn’t matter what’s happened; it only matters what we do next.
“I’ll have your back from now on,” I said.
“I never doubted you wouldn’t.” Ryan crossed his legs, picking at the grass.
Lilith’s hand tightened around mine.
Ryan laughed, a short, sharp, sound. “Your girlfriend looks like she wants to eat me.”
Lilith growled, but she let go of my hand and went to the far side of the dome, as far away from Ryan as she could.
“She can’t help it,” I said.
“I know.” Ryan smiled. “I don’t blame her. And I don’t blame you.”
Ryan was far too forgiving. He forgave me.
I wouldn’t forgive me.
Ryan stood and we watched the others. Grace looked at me over her shoulder a few times, and each time she did it made my insides feel like someone was stirring them with a hot knife.
I wanted to wash my hands of her, but something inside me also wanted the opposite. The more I tried to ignore it, the more it tormented me. I wanted to convince myself I hated her, but it wasn’t working very well. The memory of being with her was the most tormenting. How she’d felt in my arms, her soft skin.
Seth glared at me, his body tensing. A smile crept onto my face. He’d seen my thoughts. Grace furrowed her brow and avoided my gaze. She’d seen what I was thinking, too.
Seth slipped his hand onto Grace’s back, and she leant towards him, like a magnet. I may have been with her in a way he never had, but she’d chosen him. Seeing him touch her angered me. I clenched my fists, using all my willpower to keep them at my sides.
“You seem to be taking this pretty well,” Ryan said.
If only he knew.
“What choice do I have? She’s made her decision.” But at least Seth had another reason to hate me. Grace’s first would always be me.
“Time to go,” Michael said.
“I’m not taking you anywhere.” Cain backed away a few steps.
“Michael’s wall is still up,” Grace said. “I wouldn’t try to run unless you want to be a fried vamp.”
Grace, Archer, and Seth made their way over to Lilith.
“Ryan, you’re with us,” Grace said.
Ryan gave me a nod and joined the group, standing with Grace between him and Lilith.
Michael, Hope, and Justice moved with Cain towards me.
“Is someone going to let me in on the plan?” I asked.
“Hang on, and get ready to fight,” Michael said.
Grace’s group joined hands, except for Lilith. “I’m not going anywhere without Josh.”
“You know the inside of Lucas’s lair?” Grace asked. Lilith nodded. “Then unless you want me to stake you right now, you’re coming with us.”
I wanted to protest, but I didn’t. Trying to convince everyone I cared about Lilith wouldn’t change the fact that she was a vampire, and it wouldn’t make me love her more than I loved Grace. It seemed that loving both of them was impossible, but so was loving neither of them.
“You’ll never get in,” Cain said.
“And you need to stop underestimating us.” Grace smiled. She grabbed Lilith’s arm and the five of them disappeared in a cloud of black mist. Cain growled.
“Our turn.” Michael clapped his hands together.
“Will they kill
Lilith?” I asked.
“What are you going to do if they do?” Justice asked. “She’s a vampire. In case you haven’t noticed, most of the people here kill them for a living.”
There was no doubt Lilith was bad, but there was a part of me that wanted to believe she wasn’t. She’d been there for me when no one else had. I owed her.
“You owe her nothing,” Michael said. “And if you want to get out of this alive, you’ll forget about her.”
“I don’t like you,” I said.
“Not many do. And you need to remember the only reason I haven’t put a stake in your sorry ass is because of Grace and Charlotte. Now shut up, and hold my hand.”
Michael held his left hand out. I hesitated, but eventually took it. With his other hand he grabbed the scruff of Cain’s shirt and shoved him into the centre of the group.
“Why are we taking him with us?” Hope grimaced.
“He knows his way around the lair. Now come on,” Michael said.
Hope slipped her hand into my free one, a look of disgust on her face, and Justice gripped Cain’s shoulder, completing our circle.
“What do we do once we’re inside?” I asked.
Hope raised her eyebrows. “You’re seriously asking that?”
“Dust the vamps … find Lucas and kill him,” Michael said. “I don’t care which order we do it in. Just do it. Grace and the others will get Charlotte out. Once she’s safe, and Lucas is dead, this will be over and I can go back to my peaceful cloud field.”
“I’m guessing we need to be ready for anything,” Hope said, “since we’ll be landing in the middle of the lair.”
“Yep,” Michael said. “Be ready to fight as soon as we land.”
Cain laughed. “This should be interesting.”
“We can handle them,” Hope said. “If they’re as dumb as you, it should be easy.”
Michael stared straight at me, his fist tight in Cain’s clothes as he struggled. I didn’t like Michael, but I liked Charlotte, and I wanted to get her out as much as he, and Grace, did. She’d also helped me when I’d needed it. When Grace and the others had turned their backs on me, Charlotte had been there. At first I didn’t want to know, but she’d brought me around, and taught me a few things. I owed her as well.