Betrayal: The Awakening

by Kira Hillins

After a period of silence, he gave a long drawn-out sigh. “I’m not sure where to begin.” He shrugged.

  “Start when you got to my hotel. What happened there?”

  “OK.” He narrowed his eyes. “For one, you hung up on me.”

  “Oh, come on. I thought we were past that.” Anna shuddered at the memory. If she had just let Tristan take her back to the hotel, none of this would’ve happened.

  “Yeah, I know.” He stared into his cup of tea. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought maybe you were cheating on me or something. And when we went to Madeline in Scotland, I learned about all of this.”

  “We?”

  “Sheriff Hershel came to the hotel looking for you. He claimed he knew where you were, so, of course, I went with him.” He set his cup on the footstool near the window. “I never believed darkness existed until I met her. She made me do things against my will. I was out of control, possessed or something.” Tears fell from his eyes. “I’m so god damned ashamed, Anna. I wanted her, and I couldn’t stop it.”

  Anna covered her mouth with her hand. “You had sex with her?”

  Jack nodded. “If I just would’ve listened to you, if I’d stayed home. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. She had me under a spell.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize. Everything that happened to you is my fault.”

  “No, Anna. You should be furious with me.”

  “But I’m not.” How could she be when she’d given her body to Tristan of her own free will? Keeping that a secret would be a terrible thing to do, but Jack wouldn’t understand, not now, not after this confession. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

  “If it meant saving you, Anna, I would’ve let her take me for all I was worth.”

  Her gut churned with guilt. “Don’t say that.”

  “That’s how I feel.” He raised her hand to his lips. As he kissed the back of her palm, he looked her straight in the eye. “I’m just glad Tristan didn’t make you do such horrible things. I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.”

  “He didn’t make me do anything.” She stared forward, avoiding his gaze, trying hard to keep her secret buried, but Jack was always too good at reading her expressions.

  “Did he do something to you?” After a moment of silence, she caved in and looked at him. She’d never seen him look so angry. “Oh, Anna, no. You and he…”

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She rose from the swing. She set her cup on the porch banister as she made her way to the top step.

  “You are not walking away from this.” He grabbed her hand and swung her around to face him. “You wanted to talk about it. So we’re going to get it all out right here, right now.”

  “There’s nothing for me to tell. You and I were caught up in an unfortunate mess. It’s over now, end of story.”

  The myrtle wood clock ticking on the wall inside the front door hit her ears like a bass drum. The heat in her cheeks grew hotter as he stared. He would never believe her if she lied about her relationship with Tristan. Truth was she’d tried to suppress it. She’d lied to herself to get through all these months—Tristan was nothing more than a con. He’d always been a con. But truths always came out, no matter the lie. This one hurt like hell.

  Jack wished nothing had ever happened, and in a way, she agreed. But she would do it all over, again and again, just to see Tristan, to feel his arms around her as they kissed, to make love to him. Not a day went by she didn’t think of him, wondering where he was and if he thought of her too.

  Jack clutched her arms. “Anna.”

  She looked at him, shifted her weight to the other foot. Hold on to the lie. She wouldn’t confess out loud, otherwise her heart would remember, and his might break.

  She blinked back tears. “I can’t.”

  Jack’s eyes widened. He lowered his hands to his sides then took a step back. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it. You’re… you’re in love him, aren’t you?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” She descended the stairs. When she reached the gravel driveway, he stepped in front of her, stopping her from making her escape.

  “I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until now. You are in love with him. Damn it!” He swept his hand through his hair. “We’re supposed to get married, Anna. But how can we when you’re not in this relationship?”

  “It doesn’t matter how I feel about him now. It’s over.”

  “Tell me, Anna. While I was being tortured and brainwashed, were you off fucking him? In that god damn castle?”

  “I thought you were home.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I didn’t know.”

  “I begged him to help me get away from her, but he refused. And now I know why. He was afraid if he saved me, he couldn’t have you anymore.”

  “If that’s the case, Jack, then why did he leave?” She choked on tears she couldn’t hold back any longer. After months of suppressing her emotions over losing the man she loved, it all came flooding back. “If he loved me so much, then why did he leave me?”

  He pulled her into his arms then stroked the back of her head. “I’m very worried about you, Anna. This thing you carry for him, it’s not healthy. You need to get rid of it. He’s not like us.”

  She shoved him back. “I can’t let him go. Not when there’s a chance he can be saved.”

  He gave a condescending laugh. “Saved?”

  “If my blood holds the cure to his illness, there should be a solution we can find to save him. I’m not asking for your help, but—I know we can find it.”

  “That could take years of research,” he replied halfheartedly. “It’s not worth my time—our time.”

  For a long while they stood like strangers. Nothing would ever be the same now, but she’d expected this. Jack was hurt and angry. It was a wonder that he didn’t get in his car and go home.

  “Do you think they’ve found her yet?” he asked coolly.

  “I don’t know.” She pursed her lips. “I’m going for a walk. I need a few minutes alone.”

  He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Yeah. Me too.”

  She strolled down the gravel road under the full moon. If only Tristan was the old con man she thought him to be in the beginning, he’d be rotting in jail. She’d be marrying a wonderful man, maybe even planning her first child. Life would be grand.

  Jack was too good for her. She deserved someone with a dark heart, a soulless man with a miserable aura that made her happier than she ever should be and would ever be again.

  Tristan—she wished he would fall from the sky now and whisk her away in his arms. She needed him, wanted him, and loved him with every tear that fell from her eyes. Music played in her mind like a sad song repeating her entire life. It played through her heart, her body, and poured through the very veins that cried out for his touch.

  Through hazy eyes, she looked at Jack. He sat on the porch swing waiting for her to return. Maybe she could marry him. It would take time, but she would eventually put this behind her and move on, if not for her sake, then for his.

  Maybe Madeline’s obsession with her had ended. She wouldn’t need to worry about glancing over her shoulder anymore. No longer would she put her life on hold or wait for Tristan to come around when he never would. Instead, she would force him to the back of her mind and marry Jack. He was alive, and more importantly, he was here with her, waiting on the front porch.

  She headed back toward the house. Watching the ground as she walked, she imagined how their life would be. Rich in love, they’d continue through without another word about Tristan. In time, she’d forget what he looked like and how much she loved him. Maybe one day she’d write a book about him and stick it in the fiction section. She snickered at the thought.

  Something big landed in the gravel behind her. The sound of footsteps became prominent in her ears, and her skin rose with excitement. Everything about Jack was forgotten as she turned around in hopes of seeing Tristan there
with open arms, but found Gerard instead.

  His bushy red beard looked bright in the moonlight. That familiar chuckle sent chills over her as he walked around her. “Ah, lass, I have found you.”

  She swallowed apprehension. “What are you doing here?”

  “Sorry I have come unannounced.”

  “What’s wrong?” Her heart leapt to her throat. “Is Tristan okay?”

  “He’s fine.” His eyes glowed red as he walked toward her. “I hate that it has come to this, lass, I really do, but my patience is worn thin. I need to prove to Madeline that you’re just a normal human.”

  He grabbed her arm and jerked her up into the sky with him. She let out a scream, but it ended abruptly when he covered her mouth with his oversized hand. She couldn’t breathe. She fought him hard, but it wasn’t enough. He was too powerful, and now they were too far above the earth for him to let go.

  * * * *

  Jack jumped off the porch. “Anna!” He scanned the dark for her, but she was nowhere in sight. Had his biggest fear come true? Had the witch found her?

  In goosebumps, he ran toward the house. He drew his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car. He hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. A sense of dread rushed over him. He had no idea where to go, but damn it, he had to try.

  He shifted into reverse and hit the gas. Rocks flew onto the front porch as he backed the car carelessly into Betty’s white picket fence. He shoved the gear into drive then punched the accelerator. The front of the car swerved back and forth, but for some reason wouldn’t budge.

  He hit the steering wheel then looked in the rearview mirror to see what kept his car from moving. Red eyes stared back at him. That tall dark form could only be one person—Tristan.

  Jack put the car in park then got out. Adrenaline pumped through him like wildfire as he stepped toward Tristan, hoping he’d get in at least one good punch before the fiend fought back.

  “You son of a bitch!” As Tristan bared his fangs, Jack tightened his fist. “What did you do with her?”

  Jack reeled his arm back then swung. He hit Tristan in the jaw then yelped in pain. The throb in his hand was excruciating.

  Tristan’s red eyes narrowed. “Jack.”

  “Why can’t you fuckers just leave her alone?”

  “It is not for you to decide her fate.” Tristan stalked toward him.

  Jack backed away, angry and a little frightened of what Tristan planned to do. He searched the ground for something he could use as a weapon and found a piece of the broken fence behind the car. A stake through the heart. He needed to keep Tristan busy until he reached it.

  “You’ve waited hundreds of years for her blood, but never planned on falling in love with her. So once you’re done draining her life, how will you be able to live with yourself?”

  “Gerard believes he can rehabilitate Madeline. He wants to show Madeline there is no cure. I tried to stop him, but he has taken Anna to her.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Jack lunged for the piece of wood beside him. He grabbed it up in his hand, but as soon as he turned around, his assailant was gone.

  Jack stood in the red glow of the car’s taillights. He looked from side to side, waiting for him to swoop down like a bat and attack. “I know you’re still here.”

  In a panic, he hurried to the driver’s side of the car. He peered out into the darkness. To know some powerful being stalked him right now, waited for him to let his guard down, was frightening.

  Tristan had probably planned this, a motive to kill him off and take Anna away from him forever. “You can’t have her! She doesn’t want to be with you anymore.”

  With a vow he’d find Anna and save her, he turned to get inside the car. As his right foot went in, cold fingers wrapped around his throat.

  Jack gasped for breath. The wood slipped from his hand. Splinters slid into his skin. He yelped in pain. He struggled to break free, but Tristan’s grip was too strong. He relaxed his body, waiting for death, but it never came. Instead Tristan released him.

  Jack fell to the ground. Breath labored, he glared at Tristan, who stood over him with fiery eyes. Jack clenched his fist tight, but before he could swing, Tristan lifted him up into the sky.

  It took Jack a moment to believe he was flying without a parachute, or a hang glider, to say the least. It was just Tristan, hanging on to his arm with one hand, letting him dangle beneath him.

  “This will be over soon.” Tristan looked at him. “When Anna is safe, I will end my life. Do not tell her until it is done.”

  Through the rage, Jack could see the love he held for her. In a way he respected it, but in another, he felt sorry for him. Tristan knew he couldn’t have her, but also carried no intentions of killing her. With that thought, Jack didn’t attempt to struggle, for soon he would be there to save Anna.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The Awakening

  Tristan growled. The familiar scent of the sea filled his lungs. Manzanita—the house he’d left behind years ago—carried the scent of Anna’s blood.

  As Tristan landed, he released Jack from his grip. He motioned with a wave of his hand for him to stay put. With a quick kick of his leg, he knocked in the front door. Pieces of wood flew into the foyer and scattered across the floor. He sneered, ready to kill whoever got in his way, but then stopped.

  Madeline stood in the sunken living room with her hands bound tightly around Anna’s throat. “I’ve waited long enough for my prize. So stay back, and let me have it!”

  “You are wrong.” Tristan approached her slowly. “Anna’s blood will not cure us.”

  Madeline dug her fingernails into Anna’s skin. Anna cried out. Blood dripped onto Madeline’s fingers as her grip tightened.

  “My father told me everything about my disgusting sister and her blood.”

  “I told you that was a lie, my love.” Gerard came in through the open door of the balcony. “Anna is, however, the last survivor of your family. If you kill her, there will be no one left.”

  Madeline glanced from Gerard to Tristan. Her grip loosened enough for Anna to drop to the floor. Confusion set in her eyes. Now was Tristan’s chance to destroy her.

  He made for her heart, ready to rip it from her body, but Gerard stepped in between them. He held his hand up and out, forcing Tristan to stop his advance.

  “Get out of my way!” Tristan gnashed his teeth. “She does not deserve to live.”

  “Not yet, son. I brought Anna here in hopes to make her understand. Give her the chance to back down on her own.” Gerard looked at Madeline. “After all, she is still my wife.”

  Tristan clenched his fists. “She will never understand. Her mind is too lost.”

  Madeline locked Anna’s arms behind her back and dragged her toward the balcony. “You try to lure me away, but I know the truth. My father would not lie to me.”

  Tristan followed Madeline to the open balcony door. “Please, Madeline. Let her go.”

  Gerard gave Madeline a sorrowful grin. “I have never lied to you before, my beloved. So please listen to what I’m saying. Let the lass go, and we’ll talk.”

  Madeline backed to the edge of the balcony then glanced over the edge. “This is the only way, my love. I will be a true wife to you once we are cured. Share in her blood with me so we might bear children. So we might grow old together and die in each other’s arms.”

  “No,” Gerard said softly. “Our humanity died a long time ago. And we can never get it back.”

  “I will show you then.”

  Madeline sank her fangs into Anna’s soft white skin. As she drew in her blood, Jack turned the corner with the remnants of the stone angel from the garden raised above his head. He threw it forward. It hit Madeline in the head and her skull cracked. The stone crumbled to the floor as she stumbled toward the edge of the balcony.

  Jack reached for Anna, but missed. Madeline’s wicked laughter rolled through the room as she gripped Anna’s arm. “If I can’t have her,
then no one can.”

  Tristan’s eyes widened. It was obvious what Madeline was about to do. His body pumped with adrenaline. He darted for the door at the same time Madeline pushed Anna over the balcony ledge.

  Tristan caught Anna by the sleeve of her shirt. He held on as tightly as he could. He tried to lift her to safety, but her shirt tore every time he pulled.

  “Hold on, Anna.” He cried out in desperation. “Grab my hand.”

  “Tristan!” She screamed as her sleeve ripped again. “Don’t let me fall!”

  Jack leaned over the railing to catch her arm, but the sleeve of her shirt tore off. As she fell into the darkness, Tristan dove after her.

  Madeline caught Tristan’s shoulder stopping him from his descent. With a frantic shout, he knocked her toward the ocean below. Gerard plunged into the violent waves after her.

  Anna hit the jagged rocks. Her body cracked as she tumbled several times then came to a rest on a flat boulder. Tristan landed beside her. He cringed as he knelt next to her. Blood poured from the corners of her mouth as she stared up at him with glazed eyes.

  He had seen the look of imminent death many times and there was no mistake. His beloved Anna was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her.

  Tristan scooped Anna up into his arms. Careful not to jostle her, he rose to the balcony. He carried her through the door and then laid her down on the living room floor. His heart stung. If only he’d gotten to her in time.

  “You cannot die,” he whispered as he leaned over her.

  Her frantic breath shortened. She choked on precious blood that would soon grow cold. Then, she would cease to exist in her world and in his.

  Tears welled in his eyes. Pain tore at his heart as he looked up at Jack, who had his hands clasped together behind his head. His breath rampant, he too cried as he watched his love die a painful death.

  “Tristan,” Anna whispered through her labored breath. “I…I can see you.”

  He wiped blood with the palm of his hand as he cupped her cheek. “You see me?”

  She gave a weak smile. “You have wings…like an angel. But they are…the color of your hair. So beautiful.” Her eyes closed. Her breathing grew into short, gurgling gasps.