The Assassins of Light

by Britney Jackson

  “My weakness,” Rose said with a sad smile. “That’s what you called it.”

  “It is,” Kara said, instantly remembering when she’d said that—the night that Rose went after Alana by herself. “In the practical sense.” Affection burned brightly in her icy blue eyes. “But it’s also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Rose raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” she teased. “Because you have this reputation for being the kind of person who has seen a lot of beautiful things.”

  Kara laughed. “Oh, I have,” she bragged playfully. But then, her smile faded a little, intense emotions cracking through the playful façade. “But Rose, I can assure you: no beauty has ever enthralled me in the way that yours has.”

  Rose blinked in shock. She didn’t know how to respond to this side of Kara—the honest, vulnerable Kara. Lying, mischievous Kara was easy to handle, but this Kara—so soft, so affectionate, so open—Rose wasn’t sure how to handle this Kara. This Kara had a way of splitting her heart open and climbing inside it.

  Kara ran her fingers through her sleek, black and blue hair, breathing out a shaky sigh. “Sorry,” she mumbled, suddenly guarded again. That smile curved at her lips again—her metaphorical armor. “The sun’s up. It makes me crazy.”

  Rose watched her, studying every detail of her face, every beautiful detail, as she tried to make sense of it all, as she tried to figure out what was happening between them. “I should go back to bed. I don’t want Kallias to worry,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Kara sighed, leaning back in the bed. “Goodnight, Rose.”

  12

  Needed

  The sun set around seven in the evening the next day, and by that time, Rose had already showered and returned to bed. She slid her arms around Kallias and kissed him on the shoulder, pressing her lips against the tattooed flames.

  He stirred a little, shuddering at the gentle kiss. Then, he turned slowly toward her, a drowsy smile curving at the edges of his lips. He leaned forward, as if he were about to kiss her, but he stopped. He stared at her for a moment, his jaw tightening, and the anger that she’d seen in his face the night before returned.

  “You still smell like her,” Kallias said with a cold glare. Then, he pushed her arms off of him and crawled out of bed. He headed toward the bathroom.

  “What?” Rose sputtered, her stomach sinking. “I…I just took a shower.”

  “Not your body,” Kallias corrected. “Your blood. She’s in your blood.”

  Rose sat up in bed, a mixture of frustration and hurt twisting at her chest. “You can’t blame me for feeding from her. I was drained. And dying. And unconscious. I couldn’t have stopped myself from biting her, if I’d wanted to.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t want to, did you?” he accused. “You’d feed from her again, if you weren’t trying to make things work with me. Wouldn’t you?”

  Rose frowned. “But I am trying to make things work with you,” she said slowly. “Are you really angry at me for a hypothetical situation I’m not even in?”

  “I’m not angry at you,” Kallias said, even as his eyes darkened with anger.

  Rose climbed out of bed and walked over to him, her bare feet padding softly across the rough, hardwood floor. She reached out and took his hands into hers, squeezing them affectionately. “Kallias, you’re acting a little…possessive.”

  He pulled his hands out of hers, rejecting her attempt to soothe him. “Don’t I have reason to be? Look at what keeps happening between you two.”

  Rose looked away, the pain and guilt seeping deeper into her heart. “Well, there’s a simple solution, if you’re this bothered by the fact that I’m bound to her. You could break the bond. If I feed from you, her scent won’t be in my blood.”

  “I think you’ve had enough blood,” Kallias snarled, “don’t you?” Then, he spun around and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

  Rose threw her hands up in frustration. “Ode to Jealousy,” she said dryly, “logic and reason elude thee.” With a defeated sigh, she finished dressing and headed downstairs, hoping to find some distraction from the pain in her chest.

  —

  “Good morning,” Rose said as she stepped into the living room, where she found Owen, Audrey, and Zach lounging on the sofas, watching television.

  Zach raised both eyebrows and glanced meaningfully at the clock on the wall. “It’s 7:18 at night,” he read aloud. “Since when is that considered morning?”

  “Sorry,” Rose said dryly. “I just thought that saying ‘good morning’ was easier than saying, ‘Hey, it’s nightfall, but I just woke up, which means it’s like morning to me. So, good whatever-you-say-at-night-when-you’re-happy-to-see-someone-after-you-wake-up.’”

  Zach rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. “I have no idea what you just said.”

  “Exactly,” Rose said as she sat down. “Thanks for agreeing with me.”

  Zach frowned at her for a few moments, as if he were replaying the entire conversation in his head to see if he really had agreed with her. “Yeah. Whatever.”

  “It’s so weird that you sleep all day now,” Audrey commented as she slid closer to Rose. She smiled. “You’re like a partier now. But without the partying.”

  Rose looked at Audrey. “A partier without the partying isn’t a partier,” she said, her eyebrows lifting. “I mean, that’s kind of the definition of the word.”

  Audrey clasped her hand over Rose’s mouth. “Quick. Someone get the duct tape,” she hissed at Owen and Zach, “before she corrects someone again.”

  Rose pushed Audrey’s hand off of her mouth. “What are you watching?” she asked, dodging Audrey’s hand as Audrey tried to cover her mouth again.

  “It’s a Sci-Fi movie,” Owen said absently. “It’s pretty good, actually.”

  “Eh,” Zach said with a grimace. “It’s all right. It’d be better if there was more action and less,” he paused, waving his hand at the television, “science.”

  “Sci-Fi is supposed to have science,” Rose said slowly, “hence the…Sci.”

  Zach gave her a peeved look. He leaned forward, his bright blue eyes shifting toward Audrey. “Where is that duct tape that you were talking about?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll go ask Erik,” Audrey said as she attempted to stand.

  Rose grabbed Audrey’s arm and jerked her back down. “Have any of you watched the news today, by any chance?” she asked, ignoring Audrey’s glare.

  “Earlier,” Owen said seriously. He ran his fingers through his spiky hair. “They’ve been pretty quiet about the attacks in Europe. Suspiciously quiet. But they did say that some of the world leaders are meeting for some kind of briefing.”

  Rose leaned back in her seat. “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

  “No,” Owen said. He picked nervously at a loose thread in his blue jeans. “The Assassins of Light have spent centuries preparing for a war with vampires.”

  “Do you think they have connections to the government?” Rose asked.

  “Of course they do,” said a familiar voice—a low, accented, male voice.

  Owen straightened, his skin turning a shade or two paler. There was a hint of attraction and desire that burned in his hazel eyes—side effects of the vampire’s allure—but there was also fear. He was afraid of this particular vampire.

  And Rose didn’t blame him. “Hey, Aaron,” Rose muttered without even turning to look at him. Thanks to that brief blood bond that she’d had with Aaron, she knew his scent now, almost as well as she knew Kallias’s and Kara’s.

  “Have you spoken with Kara yet?” Aaron asked in his usual, bored tone.

  “Uh,” Rose stammered. She turned around to look at him, blushing as she thought about the very personal conversation that she’d had with Kara earlier in the day, after Kara’s nightmare. “What was I supposed to talk to her about?”

  “Just go talk to her,” Aaron said dismissively. “I don’t have time for this.”

>   Rose frowned as he disappeared back into the foyer. “I mean, you were the one who brought it up, but sure…act like I’m the one who was annoying you.”

  “Who is he?” Audrey said quietly, “and why is everyone afraid of him?”

  “He has some kind of authority over the vampires here,” Zach answered. “That much is obvious. Everyone here listens to him, even if they don’t want to.”

  “Aaron is the oldest vampire alive,” Owen said. “He’s very dangerous.”

  Audrey looked at Rose. “Are we in danger, Rose?” she asked worriedly.

  “No, no. He won’t hurt you,” Rose mumbled distractedly. She stood up, running her hands over her blue jeans. “Sorry. I need to find Kara. Apparently.”

  They all watched with bewildered expressions as Rose turned and left.

  “See?” Zach muttered, waving his hand. “Even Rose listens to him.”

  —

  Rose hesitated when she reached Kara’s door. She heard the rustling of fabric inside the room, and the sweet, enticing scent of Kara’s blood drifted out toward her, calling out to her. She knew that Kara was just inside the room. Their closeness caused chill bumps to scatter across her skin, and it caused her throat to burn with ravenous hunger. The room smelled of violets, water, and…Kara.

  “I know you’re out there, Rose,” Kara said suddenly. She spoke softly, but Rose heard every word clearly. “I can sense you, just as you can sense me.”

  “Sorry,” Rose mumbled, blushing, and then, she turned the doorknob.

  She’d already stepped inside and closed the door behind her before she registered the sight in front of her. She looked up slowly, opening her mouth to ask about what Aaron had said to her, but when she saw Kara’s mostly bare, wet skin, the words died on her lips. She involuntarily trailed her gaze over Kara’s tall, athletic body, over her lean muscles and slight curves. The long, black dragon tattoo that snaked down Kara’s spine disappeared beneath the blue towel that she held, wrapped around her body. When Kara bent over her bag to grab a pair of underwear, that towel slipped up a little, revealing the curves of Kara’s backside.

  “Oh my word!” Rose managed to squeak out, finally. She spun around toward the door and covered her eyes with her hands, too, just for safe measure.

  Kara turned toward her, raising an eyebrow at Rose’s unusual behavior. “You seem to be really trying to catch me naked today,” she teased, smiling as she noticed the blush creeping up Rose’s neck. “First, you crawl into my bed in the middle of the day, and then, you come into my room while I’m getting dressed.”

  “That’s completely out of context,” Rose said defensively. “My eyes are covered. I’m obviously not trying to see anyone naked. Also, you could’ve warned me that you weren’t dressed yet. You pretty much just told me to come on inside.”

  Kara laughed. “Well, there was no sense in you standing out in the hall, longing for me,” she said playfully. Her voice sounded much closer than it had before. Rose squeaked in surprise as Kara grabbed her arm and spun her around. She reached up and pulled Rose’s hands away from her face. “If you want me, go ahead and take me,” Kara murmured seductively. “Say the word, and I’m yours.”

  Rose stared blankly at Kara, her eyes wide. “Now, I know how Samson must have felt when he was seduced by Delilah,” she muttered under her breath.

  Kara laughed. “Well, I won’t cut your hair,” she said playfully. She leaned in close, a smirk tilting at her lips. “But I might tie you up. If you’re into that.”

  Rose’s eyes managed to widen even more. “Uh…” she stammered.

  “Do you want me to take off the towel?” Kara asked, reaching for it.

  “No!” Rose squeaked, grabbing Kara’s hand to stop her. Unfortunately, Kara’s hand was already near the top of the towel, so that caused Rose’s fingers to brush against Kara’s chest. She blushed profusely. “Uh, sorry,” she mumbled, quickly pulling her hand away. She looked down in an attempt to avoid Kara’s gaze, but that only resulted in her staring at Kara’s long, lithe legs, watching the drops of water slide down Kara’s thighs. “Umm…I should…uh… I should go.”

  Kara watched her with an amused smile. “I thought you had something you wanted to talk about. Unless you really were just trying to see me naked?”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “What? No!” she sputtered. “I did have something to tell you. Or ask you, really.” She swallowed. “Aaron told me to talk to you.”

  “Ah,” Kara said, nodding in understanding. “I don’t need to talk to you.”

  “Oh,” Rose said with a frown. “Then, what do you need from me?”

  “Not at this moment, but soon,” Kara told her, “I’ll need you to come.”

  Rose didn’t catch the double-entendre at first, but when Kara smirked and lifted her eyebrows, it clicked in Rose’s head. “Wow. You’re as bad as Erik.”

  Kara laughed. “Ah, come on. I know you like puns,” she said playfully. She grinned. “I always get that cute, little giggle from you when I make them.”

  “The G-rated kind, maybe,” Rose said, but she giggled as she said it.

  Kara’s smile deepened. She turned and strode over to the black, leather bag that lay opened on her bed. “Don’t leave just yet,” she said, sifting through her clothes to find something she’d hidden. “I need to give you something.”

  Rose tried not to stare too blatantly at Kara’s backside as she waited.

  Kara returned to Rose with a black, hooded jacket in her arms. “You left it in my room,” she said as she held out the hoodie, “back at the Tomb of Blood.”

  “Oh. Thank you,” Rose said, taking the proffered jacket. She turned it over in her hand, noticing the dark patches of dried blood. “I need to wash it.”

  “It smells wonderful, actually,” Kara murmured. “It smells like you.”

  Rose looked up at Kara, suddenly. Sadness and guilt washed over her as the memory of what Kallias had said to her earlier came, unbidden, to her mind.

  Kara straightened, her brows creasing with concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked gently. She lifted her hand and touched Rose’s face. “What did I say?”

  Kara’s hand felt cool and damp, still, against Rose’s face, and it elicited an instinctual reaction inside of Rose. Rose closed her eyes and leaned into Kara’s hand, relishing the comfort of Kara’s touch, feeling the trust and affection that flowed through her in response. “No, no, it wasn’t you,” she mumbled. Desire and hunger burned under her skin—another instinctual reaction caused by Kara’s touch. She stepped back. “It just reminded me of something that Kallias said.”

  Kara crossed her arms, and her eyes narrowed. “What did he say?”

  “Nothing,” Rose said quickly, stunned by the protectiveness that she saw in Kara’s cornflower-blue eyes. “I shouldn’t talk about it. Not with you, anyway.”

  Kara nodded in understanding. “He’s jealous,” she realized.

  “It’s not like I haven’t given him reason to be,” Rose muttered guiltily.

  “That doesn’t give him a right to treat you like shit,” Kara told her.

  Rose offered her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. He hasn’t said anything to me that I don’t deserve,” she said. She laughed. “Now, please, wipe that I’m-going-to-fight-someone look off of your face. You’re only wearing a towel. It’s…weird.”

  “I don’t need clothes to kick someone’s ass,” Kara said with a smirk.

  Rose frowned. “You say that like you know that from experience.”

  “I do,” Kara said, earning a shocked look from Rose. She spun around and headed back toward her bag. “I should finish getting dressed. You can watch, if you want.” She raised an eyebrow. “Or you can run away, like you usually do.”

  Rose narrowed her eyes at Kara’s teasing. “I need to put this jacket in the washing machine, anyway,” she said indignantly. She placed her hand on the doorknob. “So, at some point tonight, you’re going to want me to…follow you?”

&nb
sp; “Yes,” Kara said with a flirty smirk. “I’ll need you to come with me.”

  Rose suppressed a smile. “Right,” she said as she slipped out of the room.

  The laundry room was a tiny, closet-like room, connected to the kitchen, which meant that she had to walk through the kitchen in order to get to it.

  But when she stepped into the kitchen, she suddenly regretted coming downstairs at all. Because…apparently, Erik and Audrey thought that the kitchen was a good place to make out, even though the entire house was full of people.

  Rose wrinkled her nose at the disturbing sight of her best friend making out with her other best friend. “On this episode of The Twilight Zone, Rose’s friends are all having sex with each other,” she muttered, as she walked around them.

  Audrey giggled when she saw Rose walk past, but she didn’t even bother taking her hand out of Erik’s pants. “We should go upstairs,” she said to Erik.

  “You think?” Rose called out as she stepped into the laundry room.

  She closed the door. She shouldn’t have closed the door. She never closed the door when she came into this room. It was too small. It was only a little larger than a closet. She braced her hands on the washing machine and inhaled deeply as she tried to calm herself down, but the adrenaline poured through her anyway.

  The room smelled of detergent and fabric softener—a nice, comforting scent—and yet, comfort was the last thing she felt at the moment. She lifted the lid of the washing machine and tossed her jacket inside, reaching blindly for the detergent. Her vision blurred, and she accidentally knocked the detergent off of the shelf. But she never heard it hit the ground. Someone caught it, just in time.

  “Come here, love,” said a familiar, lilting voice.

  Two long, lean arms encircled her, embracing her tightly, and Rose, too disoriented to resist, leaned her head against the person’s shoulder, inhaling the sweet, soothing scent of violets and leather, waiting for her erratic pulse to slow.