by G. K. DeRosa
Declan’s furrowed brows and intense gaze confirmed I wasn’t imagining the light show.
A searing pain sliced through my chest, and the ball of light concentrated into a spot on my left side just above my heart. I squealed and slapped my hand over the area.
“Liv, are you okay?” Declan finally rasped out.
The pain decreased to a dull ache, and I moved my hand. “I think so.”
He darted to my side, his eyes fixed on my chest. He tugged at the strap of my tank top, lowering it.
“What are you—” I cut myself off when my gaze fell on my birthmark.
The little heart-shaped mark above my heart pulsated with light. “What the hell?”
Declan’s lips twitched. “More like what in the heavens.” He brushed his finger over the sensitive skin, and I winced. “Have you always had this birthmark?”
“Well, yeah, but it never glowed before.”
His eyes were wide, an unreadable expression on his face. “I need to show you something.” He took my hand and pulled me closer to the couch. Leaning over his mother, he gently pulled down the collar of her shirt.
My jaw dropped.
An exact replica of my heart birthmark stared back at me. Even the location was the same—just above the heart.
My head spun as crazy thoughts rushed through my mind. What did this mean? Were Sammarah and I somehow related?
Declan blew out a breath and sat beside his mom. He swept a few wild strands from her face. “Mom, I think there were a few things you forgot to mention.” His expression fell, and a tear rolled down his cheek.
A million questions sat at the tip of my tongue, but I kept my mouth shut. We could figure out what this meant later. Declan had to grieve for his mother. We both did.
Before the vampires came back for us.
The walk back from Riverside Park was a quiet one. We strolled side by side, our fingers intertwined, but neither one of us said a word. A myriad of thoughts circled my brain like bees on a honeycomb. The constant buzzing in my mind blocked out everything else.
Declan had spent most of the afternoon sitting with his mom. After not having seen her for ten years, I understood his need to spend as much time with her as possible. Even if she wasn’t really there anymore.
He had abruptly stood up, glanced out the window and announced it was time to bury her. He’d chosen a peaceful location in Riverside Park along the water. It had been a quick but heartfelt funeral. The anguish written across Declan’s face as he lowered her into the ground still gnawed at my insides.
She didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to suffer.
None of us did.
I glanced at Declan from the corner of my eye. His shoulders slumped forward as he walked, his expression grim. I’d held my tongue for hours, but I didn’t think I could last another minute. I decided to spit it out. “Why are the vampires coming back? What do they want with us?”
He grunted. “Probably information. Razer assumes I know something since I’m a nephilim.”
“Mohawk guy?” I didn’t think he’d ever introduced himself. “How do you know his name?”
“I’ve seen him before—during the war. I don’t think he knows who I am though.” He ground his teeth, the tendon in his jaw twitching.
“Nathanael’s son.”
He nodded.
“Your father is the head angel, isn’t he? He’s not just one of the top guys.” It was about time to get it out in the open.
He stopped and turned to me, squeezing my hand. “He’s the Archangel, the highest of all angels on earth. Only the Seraphim in heaven stand above him. I assumed you’d already figured it out. I didn’t want to bring it up and pour salt on old wounds.” A fury of emotions swirled in his maroon irises.
“Or you could have been honest with me from the beginning.” I jerked my hand out of his grasp and crossed it against my chest. Assuming he had been lying to me and hearing him admit it were two different things. I couldn’t help the hurt that pricked my heart.
“Because that would have gone over so well…”
I speared him with my steeliest gaze. “You can’t lie to avoid upsetting me. How am I ever going to trust you?”
“I’m sorry.” He reached out his hand, but I squirmed away from his touch. “I’m not good at this stuff. I’ve kept my life a secret from everyone for so long, it’s hard to open up. I’m scared to lose you—you couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to live with that constant fear.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. All the anger brewing inside evaporated at the ferocity in his words. I was very familiar with that fear. I hated that Declan lied to me, but he was all I had left. As much as I dreaded admitting it, I cared about him. A lot.
Probably too much.
“So that’s it, then? No more secrets?”
His dark eyes narrowed. “Well, there’s one thing—”
A blast of icy wind rushed by cutting Declan off. I blinked my hair out of my eyes, and Razer and his vamp squad surrounded us.
Chapter 12
Walking between the massive marble columns and into the impressive atrium of Grand Central Station, I couldn’t help my jaw drop open. In spite of the intimidating group of vampires escorting us, it was impossible to step into this striking building and not be moved.
I stared up at the towering vaulted ceilings, the dim rays of light shining through highlighting the vibrant turquoise shade. I hadn’t been inside the legendary train station since my sixth grade field trip over five years ago. Somehow I hadn’t appreciated its beauty back then. Maybe it was the thousands of commuters clamoring about. Now empty and silent, it took on a whole other quality.
Razer cleared his throat, the grating sound snapping me back to the present. Closing my mouth, I averted my eyes from the ceiling to the grand marble staircase to our right. Dozens of vampires occupied the stairway, some sitting on bannisters and others stretched across steps. I was suddenly very happy I’d held onto Sammarah’s dagger. The cold blade rested against my thigh, concealed within the waistband of my jeans.
An immense golden throne with intricate carvings sat on the first landing. A handful of vampires surrounded it, their bodies rigid and expressions hard. A man lounged leisurely on top of it, a bored look on his face as he fiddled with the collar of his cape.
Crimson-hued irises under a curtain of jet-black hair bored into me as we moved closer. My heart jackhammered against my chest, trying to escape its skeletal prison. My brain urged me to run in the opposite direction and yet my feet continued to propel me forward. Those eyes—they pulsated with power and authority. I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
“Enough,” hissed Declan, his fingers tightening around mine. “Release her.”
The vampire averted his dark gaze to Declan, and the fog I hadn’t even realized had come over me lifted. A wry smile pulled at the handsome man’s thin lips as he regarded my nephilim protector. “So nice of you to come visit us in vampire territory, son of heaven.” The words flowed like molasses, smooth and sickly sweet.
Declan’s eyes darted toward Razer then back to the man on the throne. “It wasn’t intentional, I assure you.”
He smiled, but it looked more like a sneer, his fangs peeking out from under his lip. “I understand you had an unhappy encounter with some of Nathanael’s soldiers when my brethren found you.”
Declan’s lips pursed, his teeth grinding. Fury rolled off him in scorching waves. “We were attacked by the nephilim for no reason,” he spat. “As I explained to your men, I am not one of them. We were merely passing through to head further north.”
“Hmm.” He narrowed his crimson eyes, scrutinizing Declan from head to black boots. “Yes. I am sorry for the loss of your mother. Though I’d never met her in person, I’d heard she was a remarkable woman.”
Declan’s lips twisted into a snarl. How did he know Sammarah?
“You have no idea who I am, do you?” the vampire prodded.
Declan arched a b
row, a glimpse of his trademark cockiness breaking through the tense scene. “Well, it seems fairly obvious to me. You must be the king of the vampires.”
The man chuckled. “Very astute. I left my crown in my chambers so I wasn’t sure you’d recognize me. They call me Zeke.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “But perhaps you’d recognize my given name—Zekiel.”
Why did that name sound familiar?
Declan’s face paled and for a moment I was scared he would puke. He shook his head, his maroon eyes fixed on the sneering king draped across the lavish throne. He staggered back as if he’d been punched in the gut. “It can’t be,” he rasped out. “Father said you were dead.”
He hopped up and pranced across the platform, his black cape billowing behind him. “As you can see, I am alive and well. Sort of anyway.” He flashed us a toothy grin.
Declan’s jaw still hung open, and I still had no idea who this man was. Although there was something vaguely familiar about him. I tugged on Declan’s arm, forcing his gaze away from the creepily attractive man. “Who is Zekiel?”
“My dead uncle.”
Azazel’s words came flying back at me. There had been three brothers: Nathanael, Azazel and Zekiel. But the man standing in front of us looked more likely to be Declan’s brother than his father’s sibling. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and if I wasn’t so repulsed by the fact he was the vampire king I’d go so far as to say he was damned hot.
“What happened to you?” Declan finally asked.
“Now’s not the time for all the gory details, but suffice it to say I was an angel and then I wasn’t. What’s your story?”
Declan’s eyes cast down.
“Don’t be shy, nephew. We’re all blood-family here.” He raised his hands and all the surrounding vampires shot us ominous grins. Zeke’s gaze bounced from Declan to me and back. “Wait. I think I understand now. She doesn’t know, does she?”
Ice filled my veins. What else was Declan keeping from me?
Declan pinned his uncle with a narrowed glare that would’ve had me heading for the hills. “There’s nothing to tell.”
Zeke grunted and slumped back into his throne. “As you say, dear nephew.”
“So you and my father were the ones that started all this? The great angel-vampire war was nothing more than sibling rivalry?”
I’d been thinking the exact same thing, but for once had kept my mouth shut. Man, did I know how to pick them. How was my last friend/boyfriend on earth a direct relative of the ones responsible for the apocalypse?
Zeke shrugged, his lips pulling together into a pout. “If anyone is to blame, it’s your father. He was the one that banished me. What I’ve become is a direct result of his doing.”
This was unbelievable. More than half of the human population was dead because of this little spat, and the majority of the remaining half were either imprisoned or forced to spend the rest of their miserable lives as slaves to the immortals.
“I just wanted to have a little fun,” Zeke continued. “I didn’t know Nathanael would unleash all of heaven’s army on my undead brethren.”
“A little fun? You ate the entire population of Manhattan!” I couldn’t help myself, the words popped out before I could stop them. This was all just a joke to him. Millions of lives lost and he wore a self-satisfied grin.
“Ooh, she’s feisty.” He turned his maniacal gaze on me and thousands of goose bumps prickled my skin. “What’s her deal?”
I was standing right there. Declan wasn’t my keeper. I opened my mouth to tell the king as much when Declan yanked me into his side.
“She has nothing to do with any of this.” A menacing growl vibrated in his throat. “Like I said when we first got here, we were only passing through. We’re heading north and want nothing to do with you, my father or this war.”
“Does he know?” Malice danced across his crimson-hued pupils.
Declan ground his teeth, searing his uncle with another glare.
An inane chuckle burst from his lips. “He doesn’t!” He clapped his hands like an excited little kid.
“Look Zekiel, not that I haven’t enjoyed this little family reunion, but we’ve answered all your questions now. Are we free to go?”
He furrowed his brows, tapping a finger to his chin as he considered. “You both look tired. Why don’t you get some rest, and we can talk more tomorrow.”
“We’d rather be on our way, uncle. We have a dog who must be crossing his legs by now.”
“Nonsense. You’ll stay with us for the night. I’m sure the animal will be fine.” He motioned to a pair of vampires on the top landing, and they zipped down the stairs in a blur.
When the form in front of me coalesced into a recognizable face, I gasped.
Crimson-streaked emerald irises stared at me, tiny flecks of green brilliant against the dark backdrop. His familiar lips curled into a smile, and my knees buckled.
Asher.
Chapter 13
I sprang forward, my arms wrapping around Asher’s neck. He stiffened for a moment before pressing his hands into my back. Tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking his black t-shirt. I inhaled, expecting his warm familiar scent, but it wasn’t there. He smelled different, foreign. I stepped back, reality hitting me like a bucket of ice water over the head.
Sharp fangs protruded from his upper lip as he regarded me. He tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It felt off somehow. I dropped my arms to my sides, the unbridled happiness from a moment ago vanishing. “Asher, is it really you?” My voice was shaky, and I hated how weak it sounded.
“It’s me, Liv.”
“No, it’s not,” Declan hissed at my side.
I ignored him, holding my hand up.
I stared up at my friend, and my heart constricted. He died. I saw it happen with my own eyes. I’d never forget the sickening crunch as his neck snapped when he hit the wall inside the sterile halls of angel tower. Killed by my only friend… boyfriend? I didn’t even know what Declan was anymore.
Asher’s fangs retracted and the unnatural crimson hue faded, leaving only the familiar green. For a split second, he looked like the old Ash. The Ash that reminded me of home. The Ash that was my home. Then his gaze turned to Declan, and the air crackled with intensity.
“What are you still doing with him?” Asher pierced me with a narrowed glare. “Don’t you know what he is?”
“You don’t know anything,” Declan growled, moving forward.
“Enough.” I shoved Declan back, right into the female vampire standing beside him. With all the Asher commotion, I’d forgotten we still had an audience. I looked up to find an amused expression splayed across Zeke’s finely chiseled face.
“What a happy coincidence that you found a friend.” The king’s inquisitive gaze bounced between Asher and me.
“Doesn’t anyone stay dead around here?” Declan muttered under his breath.
I rolled my eyes at him.
“How did you turn him?” Declan asked his uncle, tearing his gaze away from our reunion.
I was so flustered I hadn’t even considered. All I knew was that Asher had been gone and now he was standing in front of me. Who this new Ash was had yet to be determined, but any version of him was better than none at all.
Zeke tented his fingers together, a devious grin splitting his lips. “An unforeseen side effect of the augmentation.”
“What?” That made no sense.
“If a dead augmented human is reached in time—typically within twenty-four hours—and given vampire blood, they become this.” He gestured to Asher. “Stryx.”
That’s where all the vampire-human hybrids were coming from.
“So basically you have your men picking off discarded corpses?” Declan looked ill, and I was certain my expression mirrored his.
“Why not? Nathanael’s trash is becoming my army.” He paused. “Ironic, don’t you think?”
Army? My head whirled with all this new information, and i
f I didn’t sit down soon I was worried I’d faint. My knees were weak, my stomach roiling. I didn’t think I could take any more surprises for one day.
I staggered and strong arms came around me. Glancing up, I fully expected to see worried maroon irises staring back at me. Instead, familiar emerald ones bored into mine. “I gotcha, Liv.” For a moment, I could close my eyes and pretend it was the old Ash holding me.
“Get your hands off her, demon.” Declan yanked me out of Asher’s grasp, pulling me into his side. If I wasn’t so weak I would’ve wriggled out from under his arm, but he was the only thing holding me up right now.
Ash sneered. “What makes you think she’s any safer with you?” he snarled.
Zeke raised his hand, and the entire room fell silent. “Asher, Gaia, escort our guests to their room.”
Asher and a blonde female vampire who I hadn’t paid much attention to until that very moment flanked us. “Right this way,” she said.
“I look forward to speaking more to you both soon,” Zeke called out as Asher led us up a functioning escalator. He led the way down a corridor to a sleek elevator, punched the call button and crossed his arms against his chest.
How did they have power?
The blonde ran her bright hazel eyes over me, an amused expression highlighting her red lips. “Let me guess, Asher here is your old boyfriend and angel boy is your new one?”
The three of us hissed, “No” in unison.
“Give it a rest, Gaia.” Ash leaned on the wall, his eyes flicking back and forth between Declan and me.
The shiny doors slid open, and we stepped in. No one uttered another word until we reached the twenty-fifth floor.
We walked through the air-conditioned hallway of the attached hotel, my heart thrumming. Every few steps I looked out of the corner of my eye to make sure Asher was still beside me. I couldn’t believe he was really here.