by Nicola Rose
14
Jess
Redemption?! I was supposed to take my own place in the witch community and redeem Beatrix of her sins… by wiping out the Elwood vampires… and the Bael… with another fucking Legacy?!
Just a small task, then. I could add it alongside the other things I was destined for — because of course I was also supposed to be Zac’s sanguine mate; fated to belong to him, to be owned by him.
And yet, here we find that I was also fated to kill him.
Fuck this shit.
“You’re telling me that all this time Zac was the one who should be afraid of me?” I scoffed.
“I imagine he has always been afraid of you, Jess. The sanguine revelation makes sense, in a way. You’re tied to him in the same way that Beatrix is to Laurance and Francis.”
Laurance and Francis.
Constance studied my face. “They can obviously feel it – that pull towards you, even if they can’t understand it. Perhaps it’s the destiny spell, to ensure that your paths would cross. So that you could carry out the task you were born for.”
They can feel it. Zac and Alex?
“I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to buy into all the prophecy shit.” I set my coffee down and tried to shake thoughts of Alex from my mind.
She smiled serenely. A tight smile. One that made me think she actually wanted to roll her eyes, but was using every bit of her will to stay composed. Sofia remained silent, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
“It matters not if you believe it, child. Fate is fate. Destiny will find its way.”
“Not if I choose to fuck it in the ass. I could deliberately go down every opposite path.” I bit my lip. That was no way to talk to an old lady, even one dressed in a killer power-suit. My distant Grandma.
“It’s already done,” she dismissed. “You’re in love with Zac and Alex, and they with you. The strands of your lives are woven. You cannot unpick them.”
“Look, Constance, let’s cut that crap and get to the point.” In love with Alex! She was clearly insane. She didn’t even know us. “I want your help with unlocking my magic, but not at the downfall of Zac. I won’t turn against him. And what about Elwood-sired vampires? Would they be affected? What of Anna?”
“The magic will only target bonded Elwood twins, those for whom the mark appeared. She’ll be fine. But don’t you want him to be free from the Legacy bond? He’s unique amongst the Elwoods, he actually didn’t want it. That’s never happened before. I can help you free him from the curse—”
The door flew from its hinges and landed on the floor with a resounding crash.
“Curse?” Alex narrowed his eyes on Constance, stalking towards her. Sofia yelped and jumped behind my chair. Way to make an entrance, dickwad.
Constance raised her hand calmly and I felt the static force of her power as it filled the room. Her face remained serene, but the warning was clear in the crackle of the air. Alex paused before her.
“You will cease this,” he said. “There will be no destroying the bond. I’ve waited a long time for this and I assure you that some geriatric witch is not going to take it from me.”
The thrum in the air magnified and buzzed under my skin. I realised that my own power was singing, merging with hers. It was like she was pulling it out from me.
“Well then, we have a problem, Mr Elwood, because I assure you that this geriatric witch will be finishing what my sister started over three hundred years ago. I’ve waited a hell of a lot longer than you.”
Alex clicked his neck and vanished, reappearing behind Constance a second later. Less than a second, really. He was in front, then he was behind, without any perceivable lapse in time. His fangs sank into her neck and a moment later he hissed and recoiled, spitting on the floor, like his mouth was on fire.
She turned slowly, shaking her head. He growled and moved back toward her, this time at normal speed. She sighed and nodded, sending him flying back against the wall on an invisible wave, a picture frame crashing down from above and smashing onto his head.
Wild fury exploded from him. He was on his feet in a heartbeat, raising his hands and clenching his fingers into his palms. Constance’s smile faltered as she took a step back, holding her throat. With a snarl Alex was on her again, and this time she looked beaten. No… not beaten, but at a stand-off. They faced each other, their powers fighting an invisible war. I could feel it though, under my skin, and making the air heavy to breathe.
It dawned on me then – that I hadn’t yet said a word, or tried to intervene. I spurred myself into action and threw my own power towards them with as much force as I could muster. It made my bones ache as it hurtled towards them in a fiery blast. When it reached them it faded to nothing. They simultaneously cocked their eyebrows and halted their face-off to look at me with amusement.
“It’s not funny!” I yelled. “If my lack of power is a joke to you then you can both eat my fucking ass. Sorry for the interruption – carry on, you go ahead and kill each other.”
Back outside, I paused to perch against the seat of my bike and tried to calm myself, shake away the irritation. It was hard when the muggy air was making me sweat. I swatted angrily at the hair plastered to my neck.
“Seriously, that’s all you’ve got to defend yourself from vampires, witches, hunters—” Alex swaggered over, hands in his pockets.
“The victor emerges. Is she dead?” I asked, surprising myself with my lack of emotion on the subject.
“Not yet.”
“Anyway, I wasn’t trying to defend myself, I was merely trying to attract the attention of the posturing egomaniacs in the room.”
“Really? Because the way you’re sagging against your bike right now – it looks like it took a shit-tonne of effort.”
“What are you even doing in Dallas” I snapped, straightening myself up.
“You ran. I followed.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Seems that’s my new role since I took the job from Zachariah. Looks like I got here just in time, too. What an interesting twist in our tale. An ancient immortal witch with a single goal.” He let out a long whistle. “The Bael are going to be mighty pissed about this.”
“You can’t tell them!”
“Why not? She wants to undo my new-found strength. I either kill her, or let the Bael do it. You should distance yourself from her immediately, before you get caught up in the shitstorm.”
That peaked my interest. If he didn’t want me working with her, then for some reason I wanted it more. I needed it. I’d felt the way my magic came alive with hers. Not enough for me to make an impact, but the possibility was there. She could help me.
“You need to stop underestimating me, Alex. I’m picking my own destiny, and if Constance can help me get to where I want to be, then I’m sticking to her side.”
“Underestimating you is one thing I’ve never been guilty of, darlin’,” he paused, assessing me. “Well, I guess I better find myself someplace to crash if we’re staying in Dallas?”
His grin stayed in my head for the whole night, no matter how hard I tried to boot it out with anger.
15
Jess
After a brief Google search, I checked myself into the most expensive penthouse suite I could find. Since Zac had deposited such an obscene amount of money in my bank account, and Alex had handed in my resignation from the firehouse – why not? It felt like one small step in taking back control of my life, since everyone was so determined that my fate was in their hands.
It might have been Zac’s money, but I’d bleed that account dry if it would get him to wake up and snap out of his Bael subservience. Not that he would give a flying fuck about the money of course. Maybe I was just trying to find different ways of justifying it to myself – all of them failing.
I kicked my boots off and began the ‘new hotel’ ritual of opening every drawer and cupboard to check what was there. The place was huge, with separate living and dining areas, a kitch
en, two king sized bedrooms. I stood in the centre of the space – all warm, neutral tones, peaceful and modern – and wondered what the hell I was going to put in those drawers. I had nothing with me apart from some basic toiletries (which I needn’t have bothered with since they provided it all here) a few clothes, my laptop… that was pretty much the sum of my existence.
Pushing open the balcony doors, I stepped out into the humid night and drank in the impressive view of downtown Dallas. I was almost enjoying it – gazing at the way the city lights sparkled, wondering what it would be like to have a normal life like all those thousands of people below –– when Alex appeared. Silent. Predatory.
He was standing so close behind me that his chest touched ever so slightly against my back, his lips hovering over my neck, causing shivers to erupt along my spine. His sudden proximity ripped a gasp from my throat.
“I could have killed you before you even knew I was here,” he whispered in my ear, as if it was a romantic moment and his words were sweet nothings.
I snorted in response.
He chuckled and shrugged away, leaning back against the balcony rails and grinning at me like an idiot. “Just making the most of my new powers. You know, before you and the wicked witch of the South try to take them from me.”
I leant forward over the rail, mainly so I wouldn’t have to look into those sparkling, mischievous eyes. My head dropped into my hands. “I’m not going to help her, but I need her. I have to use her to get what I want.”
“If you think it’s that simple then you clearly have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Best case scenario – she helps me with my power and I walk away. Worst case – I have to help her break the bond. That still works out pretty good for me and Zac.”
“Wrong,” he stated. “Best case – the Bael, or the other witches, or whoever gets to you first, kills you quickly and painlessly. Worst case… well, the opposite. You die slowly and painfully as they torture you for kicks. And where do you think Zachariah sits in all this? I’ll tell you where… he dies too.” He paused and shrugged, clearly weighing up whether that was in fact a best case scenario.
“Constance said it can free him from the bond. I owe him this. I have to help him.”
“And what about me?”
“What about you?”
“Ouch,” he mumbled, and I glanced sideways to see him put a hand over his heart and grimace in pain.
“Would you like me to plead with her to spare your life too?” I asked.
He bit his lip, his smile lopsided and irritatingly cute for such a dangerous man. Then he blinked and the smile dropped. “The Legacy bond isn’t to blame for the monsters, Jess. The Bael – they’re already that way, regardless of any Legacy members. And look at me… I’m supposed to be the bad guy, but do I look like a rabid animal? I’m in control. You don’t need to break the bond in order to break the Bael. Trust me, I have another way… a better way.”
“Why would you have any interest in breaking the Bael? They’ve handed you everything – you got the bonding, and you got Zac out of the way.”
“The Bael took Tobias from me. They tortured me to try and break Zachariah. And they are fucking nuts. They have grand plans for the human race, and despite my contempt for your kind, I do not agree with their proposal. I want them gone.”
I studied his face, looking for any sign that he could be speaking the truth. Could I really trust him?
His dark hair was messed up, almost long enough to flop over his eye – the one that a silver scar ran beneath. It was a delicate, silvery line against his pale skin, running from his eye and right across his cheekbone. Before I realised what I was doing my hand had come forward and my finger was tracing the line. He flinched, almost imperceptibly, eyes narrowing.
My breath caught and I dropped my hand back over the rail, averting my gaze, trying desperately to ignore the hammering of my heart.
“Why do you hate Zac so much?” I asked.
“Do I?”
I frowned.
“He hates me, and likes to tell himself that the feeling’s mutual,” he clarified.
“He did that to you?” I nodded to the scar.
“The Legacy bond hasn’t made him this way, he was always this way. He just hid it exceptionally well for a while.”
“What was he like then? Before—”
“A psychopath,” he said simply. “When we were kids he beat me every day, manipulated everyone around us, tried to distort reality to fit with his own warped visions. He took everything that should have been mine. Then he got older and the petty shit took on a more sinister tone, burying me beneath his own agenda.” His posture tightened.
“Which was?”
“To be better than me. To get more attention. But his malevolence only brought me more attention, and that made him rage further.”
“Why did he have a need to be more than you? What was he jealous of?”
“Jess…” he paused, thinking. “Mental health awareness wasn’t the same when we were kids, so he never had a diagnosis, but let’s just say that the voice of the ‘Beast’ that Zachariah hears in his head was already there long before he became a vampire.”
I shook my head in confusion. “I thought that was just a metaphoric thing? To help me understand the vampire darkness—”
“Vampires have dark desires, yes, but we don’t have an actual beast in our heads that talks to us. His problem isn’t being a vampire, it’s being a schizophrenic.”
Schizophrenic? Was he serious? I was the one with the mental health labels, not Zac. “No, that’s not—”
“Yes, it is. It’s an issue he’s battled with his whole life. Becoming a vampire made it worse, but it was always there. He was always angry and disillusioned, but as for what he became once Tobias sired us…” he let out a low whistle. “That was something else. He took evil to new levels. Some people are born to be leaders – some good, some savage.”
“You’re falling prey to social stigma and stereotyping.” Lord knows, I’d encountered enough of that myself. “Not all schizophrenics are angry and dangerous.”
“No, they’re not. But this one is, and becoming a vampire only magnified it.”
“But he came good in the end. He controls it. Or at least, he did.”
His forehead crinkled. “How long are you going to continue swallowing that horseshit? He’s not good, none of us are. He played you.”
“So this is your payback on him? You follow him around making his life hell and trying to take his girl, as petty vengeance for his anger issues as a child?”
He scoffed, and his own anger flashed across those pretty blue eyes.
“Why haven’t you changed – like him?” I asked.
“The Legacy mark chose him for a reason. One I’ve had to come to terms with. No one knows for sure, but it certainly seems to choose the most blood-thirsty of us all. I tried to warn you that he was more dangerous than me.”
“You could have tried harder. Actually sat me down and told me the facts instead of dancing around with your games.”
“It was hard to get near to you, and what should I have said? That he had the potential to snap at any moment and turn into an uncontrollable monster who wouldn’t love you anymore? You knew this already. He tried to warn you himself, but you chose not to listen.”
My eyes stung. Zac did still love me. He had to.
“Why are you still here?” I asked, again. It was the main question that circled my thoughts ever since Zac ran off to play badass vamp and Alex had switched to the love-struck role. None of it made any sense.
He reached across and took my hand. I wanted to pull away, or at least, I knew I should, but I didn’t.
“I guess the bonding wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m not what I was expecting. Things have changed. Trust me, I’m not happy about it. In fact, I’m motherfucking furious that my mind is mush and my body aches for you.”
The intensity of his gaze made my stom
ach drop.
Move away from him, Jess, before he kisses you.
Kiss him.
He smiled then, and the tension dissipated. “I’ve no intention of kissing you yet, darlin’. It’s way too much fun watching you squirm first.” He was trying to brush away the confession he’d just spilled, but I could still see it in his eyes — the uncertainty, the anger, the need.
I snatched my hand and stomped back through my over-the-top penthouse.
“Okay, fun and games aside,” he said, following me into the sitting room and pouring a whiskey from the bar. “We need to talk business.”
Alex scanned the room for a while, nodding his approval at the decor, then dropped onto a luxurious leather sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table.
“Make yourself at home,” I grumbled, taking a seat opposite and eyeing up his whiskey.
New rules. No alcohol.
“I meant what I said about having a plan,” he said. “I don’t suppose Zachariah ever told you about the rogue faction of the Bael?”
“No, but Eva mentioned something once. She said they were powerful and you were sulking about wanting to join them. Another way to try and upset Zac… that about right?” I levelled my gaze on him.
There it was again – the cocky grin, biting his cheek, the look that said ‘give it to me, baby, I fucking love it when you’re feisty’ – and my underwear melted, despite my best efforts at keeping my thoughts clean. It would help if his white t-shirt wasn’t sculpted so tightly around his muscles… if those swirling black tattoos didn’t wrap so perfectly around his arms…
“Something like that,” he nodded. “But contrary to popular belief, I have bigger plans than destroying my brother. They call themselves The Unaligned, and they’re gathering enough force to take down the Bael.”