“Yeah, and do you know what else is interesting?” Rose asked sharply. She stepped forward, glaring at him. “Erik lied to me last night. He told me that he’d seen Kara with Elise, but Kara was never with Elise last night. She was with Alana…which also happens to be who Erik was with last night. By your orders.”
“Erik is in love with Alana,” Aaron said. “Maybe he betrayed us.”
“Or maybe Alana has taken control of his mind,” Rose snarled, “which is something you knew would happen when you ordered him to go to her alone.”
He shrugged unapologetically. “It’s a risk that I had to take.”
“Look, I get it,” Rose said, nodding. She spread out her arms. “This war is just a chess game to you. A power struggle between you and Alana. And all of us are just pawns in your game. You don’t care what happens to us. As long as you win.” Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously. “But you need to start caring.”
Aaron’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh? And why is that?”
She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. “Because if something happens to someone I care about because of you,” she growled, “you’ll regret it.”
“Are you threatening me?” he asked. He smiled, as if he were amused. He stepped forward, forcing her backward until he had her cornered against the tombs. “I am four thousand years old, Rose. You don’t want to piss me off.”
Rose leaned back against the wall and smiled at him. “I can rip you into a billion pieces with my mind,” she said. Her blue eyes changed, transforming into that dark red that flashed and swirled. “You don’t want to piss me off.”
21
The Weird Advice
“I gave her some wine to calm her nerves. I hope you don’t mind,” Elise told them as she returned. She froze, her jaw dropping. “Rose? Your eyes…”
“Are red,” Rose finished her sentence. “Yeah, I know. It happens.”
Aaron just stared at Rose, as if he couldn’t decide how to feel about her threat. On one hand, he seemed intrigued by her glowing, red eyes, but on the other hand, he obviously didn’t enjoy being threatened by a vampire thousands of years younger than him. “After you rescue Kara, have someone report to me.”
“After?” Rose repeated, surprised. “You’re assuming I’ll be successful?”
Aaron stepped back, his black eyes gleaming with amusement. “Well, from what I understand, you don’t take well to someone hurting the people you care about. I can only imagine what you’ll do to the person who hurt Kara.”
Rose’s lips twitched. “Once I save Kara and find Kallias, I’ll come back.”
“Well, I have a prisoner to question, so I better get started,” Aaron said.
“Please, don’t traumatize her any worse,” Rose sighed.
Aaron rolled his eyes at her. He turned and walked back toward the place where he’d set the two pieces of the gun. He gathered them up gently and glanced at Elise. “Be careful. Both of you,” he demanded. Then, almost as an afterthought, he glared at Rose and growled, “And don’t be a fucking martyr.”
“Potty mouth,” Rose countered immaturely.
The bewildered look on Aaron’s face afterward made it all worth it.
“Good luck with Nina,” Elise said as she moved to stand beside Rose.
Aaron frowned. “Who is Nina?”
“The woman you just traumatized,” Rose said with a disapproving look.
Aaron nodded and turned to head back into the mausoleum.
“Did you hear what I said about Osiris?” Rose asked before he left.
He turned back toward her. “Yes.”
Rose raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“And…thanks for the tip, but decisions of war aren’t based upon the feelings of little girls,” Aaron sneered in the most condescending tone possible.
Rose glared murderously at the back of his head as he walked up the steps. “Yeah? Well, you’re the one who looks like a college kid!” she countered.
He didn’t even look back at her as he stepped inside the mausoleum and closed the door behind him. Rose continued to glower long after he was gone.
“What?” Rose asked when she noticed the way Elise was looking at her.
Elise shrugged, her eyes wide. “You do realize he could kill you, right?”
“I realize that,” Rose assured her. “But my mouth doesn’t.”
Elise just laughed. “Are you ready to go?”
Rose nodded. “Lead the way.”
—
Elise tilted her head back, staring up the night sky, her skin bathed in bluish-white moonlight. “You have a strange effect on people,” she commented.
Rose glanced at her. “What do you mean?” she asked, frowning.
Elise’s blue-gray gaze shifted toward Rose. “You just…change things,” she said with a curious smile. “Did you know that Aaron never allows anyone to feed from him? Blood bonds give you so much knowledge of someone. You become intimately acquainted with their emotions, and you could even use the blood bond to locate them… There are just so many ways that a vampire could use a blood bond against another vampire. It would make Aaron vulnerable, and he can’t allow that. And yet, he broke that rule to save your life. It’s interesting.”
The snow crunched and slushed beneath Rose’s feet, soaking the fabric of her Converse tennis shoes, leaving her shivering beneath her thin, hooded jacket. She shoved her hands deeper into the pockets of her hoodie. “There’s more to that than you realize,” she told Elise. “Aaron wants to use my power.”
Elise swung the battle-axe idly—and dangerously—by her side as they walked, and as they passed by a tree, the axe hit the tree with a booming, echoing thud. Rose jumped, startled by the sound. “Oops,” Elise muttered, tucking a curl behind her ear as she glanced back at the tree she’d so carelessly hit. The tree leaned to the left now, away from them, swaying unsteadily. “Anyway, it’s not just Aaron. Kara has these walls, these…rules, I suppose, that she doesn’t break when it comes to women. She never gets emotionally-involved. Maybe it’s because of Alana, or maybe it’s just because of her reputation of being a total badass. I’m not sure. All I know is that she never gets emotionally-involved. And yet, I watched her the night that you were injured. She paced the floors, wringing her hands, refused to get in bed, and then, spent all day pouring herself into her work. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would call that emotionally-involved.”
Rose looked away, her heart pounding so hard inside her chest that she briefly worried it might beat right out of that convenient hole in her chest. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” she muttered. “Kara and I barely know each other.”
“You don’t believe that any more than I do,” Elise said, smiling.
Rose dragged her fingers through her frizzy, red hair. “I just met her.”
“Some people just have that connection, you know,” Elise said, lifting her shoulders and smiling sweetly, like someone enchanted by a romantic story.
Rose scowled. “I don’t believe in love at first sight. That’s infatuation.”
“I didn’t say love at first sight,” Elise said. “I said…a connection.”
“You don’t believe in monogamy, but you believe in that?” Rose asked.
Elise shrugged. “I’m a carefree person. Exclusive relationships just don’t suit me,” she giggled. “Who knows? If I ever fall in love, maybe I won’t mind being monogamous, but that hasn’t happened yet. I’m a romantic at heart.”
“What?” Rose said, surprised. “You mean…you’ve never been in love?”
Elise lifted an eyebrow. “You make it sound like it happens every day. Who could I have fallen in love with? A human?” she scoffed. “I can’t fall in love with a human. Lafi? Ugh. While I admit that he was kinder to me than he was to others, he was still the worst kind of person. Kara? Well, she’s a nice—and very sexy—friend, but she’s not really the kind of person you fall in love with.”
“Why not?” Rose objected—a little too aggressiv
ely.
Elise’s eyebrows managed to arch even higher. “You disagree, I take it?”
Rose blushed as she realized what her objection had implied. “No, I just mean, I can think of many reasons that someone—not me—could love Kara.”
Elise’s lips twitched in amusement. “Someone,” she repeated.
“Yeah,” Rose said, waving her hand dismissively. “Someone.”
“Like…a friend of a friend?” Elise teased, clearly suppressing laughter.
Rose scowled. “I’m not in love with her, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Elise giggled as she lifted a tree branch out of the way so that they could duck under it. “Ah, how are you so adorable?” she exclaimed with a playful smile.
Rose stopped mid-step as she noticed a strange, sweet scent in the midst of all of the normal, woodsy scents. “Elise,” she whispered. “Do you smell…”
“A vampire,” Elise finished her sentence for her. Her blue-gray eyes widened, and she turned, glancing around the dark, young forest, searching for a sign of movement or an out-of-place shadow. “I don’t recognize the scent.”
Rose lifted her face to the wind, inhaling the icy, cold air, trying to better discern the scent. “I don’t either,” she whispered. “It smells awfully sweet.”
“You’re smelling the vampire’s power,” Elise explained. “Power smells sweeter, more appealing. Whoever this vampire is—he’s extremely powerful.”
Rose frowned. “How do you know it’s a man?”
“It’s just a guess,” Elise said quietly. “I smelled a hint of aftershave.”
Rose nodded. “So, do you think we should be concerned?”
Elise ran her hand through her hair, pushing the blonde curls out of her face. “Well, we’re on the brink of war with a powerful vampire…who has an army of powerful vampires. So, I’d say yes. We should proceed with caution.”
Rose frowned as she noticed a silhouette in the trees—a tall, slender man in a long coat. “Hey! I see you!” she called out. “Why are you watching us?”
“That is not proceeding with caution,” Elise muttered.
The figure began to approach them, moving silently through the trees, until he finally emerged from the shadows. He bent forward at the waist, bowing formally, his long, pale blonde hair falling around his face. “Hello, my Eklektos.”
“What the hell is an Eklektos?” Elise mumbled, her brows furrowing.
“Erastos?” Rose asked, her bright blue eyes widening in shock.
Elise frowned. “I thought you said that you didn’t recognize his scent.”
“I didn’t,” Rose told Elise, not taking her eyes off of Erastos. “I was still human the last time I saw him. I couldn’t smell his blood when I was human.”
Erastos straightened, his long black coat swaying in the wind. The black clothing contrasted starkly with his ghostly pale skin, his white-blonde hair, and his pale blue eyes. He looked even more inhuman than he did the last time she’d seen him. “The vampire body suits you,” he said in that cold, eerie voice of his.
Elise leaned toward Rose. “Was that his way of calling you hot?”
Erastos frowned at Elise. “I doubt she is hot in these temperatures.”
“Oh, yeah. Something you should know,” Rose said to Elise. “This guy doesn’t understand metaphors, sarcasm, or colloquial terms. He’s very strange.”
“That’s an understatement,” Elise muttered, her eyes wide.
Rose shifted her gaze back toward Erastos. “While I appreciate your extremely creepy habit of randomly popping up in every country I’ve ever been in and making some kind of vague, nonsensical statement before disappearing again,” she said, her voice sharp with sarcasm, “I really don’t have time for this.”
“What?” Elise sputtered. “Is he like some kind of stalker or something?”
Rose glanced at Elise. “I’m not really sure what he is, honestly.”
“I told you that I would return when you needed me,” Erastos stated.
“Great,” Rose said. “Then, come on. You can help us save our friend.”
“You will not need my help to save Kara Unnarsdóttir,” Erastos stated.
“How do you know about Kara?” Elise asked worriedly.
“Brace yourself for a vague answer,” Rose whispered to Elise.
“I have been given certain knowledge,” Erastos answered.
“Told you so,” Rose muttered.
Elise’s brows furrowed. “Er…and who gave you that knowledge?”
“You’re wasting your time,” Rose informed her.
“It isn’t important who gave me the knowledge. It is only important that the Eklektos receives certain knowledge from me at certain times,” Erastos said.
“I’d rather have all the knowledge right now,” Rose complained.
“I’m so confused,” Elise whimpered. “What on Earth is an Eklektos?”
“It’s Greek for chosen,” Rose provided.
Elise frowned. “Chosen for what, exactly?”
“Being stalked by a creepy, pale guy, apparently,” Rose muttered.
“I don’t stalk you,” Erastos argued. “I just know everything about you.”
Rose stared blankly at him. “Oh. Is that all?” she said dryly.
“The knowledge that I have about you is for your benefit,” Erastos told her, his voice eerily sterile. “I know what I need to know in order to help you.”
“But for some reason, you get to decide when I need help,” Rose said. “Personally, I find it a little weird that none of the times I’ve almost died or actually died made the list. I mean, if dying doesn’t qualify as needing help, then what does?”
“I told you. Your death was necessary,” Erastos said, his pale blue eyes practically glowing in the dark woods. “You had to die in order to become this.”
Rose frowned suspiciously. “Actually, you said that I had to die in order to save my friends,” she reminded him, “and that my death was unavoidable.”
“That, too,” Erastos said. His pale blue gaze swept up and down Rose’s body, but it held no heat, only cold interest, like the gaze of someone appraising an expensive item they planned to buy. “A human body is inappropriate for the Eklektos. It is too fragile to host the limitless power that you possess. Your transformation into a vampire was good and necessary. It was meant to happen.”
“Meant to happen,” Rose repeated, a note of disgust in her voice.
“You’re beginning to sound as pessimistic as Kallias,” Erastos sighed.
Rose flashed a sarcastic smile at him. “Must be a side effect of torture.”
Erastos didn’t flinch—or even react—to that piece of information.
Rose nodded bitterly as she realized that he’d known that, too. “Was that good? Was that meant to be? The flashbacks—are they meant to be? What about the nightmares I have every night now…about drowning in the darkness?”
His pale blue eyes widened in surprise. “You dream about her?”
Rose frowned. “Her?” she repeated bewilderedly.
“Never mind,” Erastos said. He suddenly looked uncomfortable, which was actually the most emotion he’d shown throughout the entire conversation. “To answer your question…yes, everything that has happened was meant to happen. The Eklektos will suffer unimaginably, but it is for a greater purpose.”
“Funny,” Rose said. “You sound an awful lot like that crazy cultist.”
“But I am not like Peter Holcomb,” Erastos said, his brows furrowing. “Peter hated vampires. I am a vampire. Therefore, he and I are nothing alike.”
Rose raised an eyebrow. “Relax, Casper. It was just an observation.”
That only seemed to confuse him more. “Casper?”
“Because you look like a ghost,” Rose provided.
His frown deepened. “You’ve seen ghosts?”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Never mind,” she muttered. “Look, I really don’t have time for this tonight. If you reall
y want to help, at least tell me if we’re headed in the right direction. Is Alana holding Kara prisoner at the old asylum?”
“Yes,” Erastos confirmed. “And she has three vampires guarding Kara.”
“Now, that is the kind of help I’m talking about,” Rose praised.
“Uh…” Elise began, still not sure what to think. “Will Alana be there?”
Erastos didn’t even glance her way. “No. She is making preparations.”
“Preparations?” Rose repeated, frowning. “Preparations for what?”
“Many people will die tonight,” Erastos announced.
Rose blinked. “Ah…okay. Thank you for that very scary statement that doesn’t even remotely answer the question I just asked,” she said sarcastically.
“You should prepare yourself to lose many people,” he warned her.
“See, I don’t think you understand the idea behind preparing yourself for something. Because every time you use that phrase, it’s something that I couldn’t possibly prepare myself to do. I can’t prepare myself to die. And I most certainly cannot and will not prepare myself to ‘lose many people,’” she snarled, mimicking his low, emotionless voice. “I will prepare myself to fight. I will prepare myself to do everything in my power to save them. But if you want me to prepare myself to lie down and accept their deaths, I have news for you: that’s not who I am.”
“There’s nothing you can do to prevent it,” Erastos told her.
“That won’t stop me from trying,” Rose stated, her eyes narrowing.
Elise stared at Erastos with wide, blue-gray eyes. “Who is going to die?”
“He won’t tell me,” Rose said bitterly. “He never does.”
“It would negatively affect your plans for the night,” Erastos explained.
Rose clasped her hand over her chest and gasped, “Oh, the horror!”
Erastos tilted his head to the side, his white-blonde hair falling over the side of his black coat. “Is that sarcasm?” he asked curiously. “I sense…hostility.”
“Aw, yay!” Rose said with fake enthusiasm. “Someone’s a big boy now!”
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