Diana would come and attack her. That was certain. That Kira would not be able to stop her for what might as well be hours was another certainty. The only unknown was Tristan. Had Diana managed to turn him? Would he come looking for her blood or Diana’s?
Kira sighed and reached for the drawings of his she had kept hidden in her bookshelf. All were of her. She had a collection of these portraits now. Kira looked through them until she reached the one Tristan had crafted when he had been secretly watching her in Battery Park. She took note of the flowing skirt and tank top she had worn and searched for them in her closet. She opted for a long-sleeve shirt instead, because even in South Carolina, December brought cool air.
On the drive home from Luke’s, Kira had tried to think of a game plan, and like a typical girl, the outfit was a huge part of that. Would she go hardcore like Buffy the Vampire Slayer in nineties cargo pants and a tank top, maybe with a bomber jacket? Would she play it innocent to make Diana think of her as helpless and maybe gain some small upper hand? Or, would she appeal to Tristan and the human parts of him she knew existed? He was her last hope. Unless Tristan could fight Diana, Kira knew she was doomed, so she decided to wear the same thing she had worn when they had shared their first kiss and when he had first decided to open up to her and to let her inside his secret world.
By the time Kira had finished brushing her hair and getting ready, Luke had arrived. He came dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, deciding to downplay the situation just like she had. Kira tried to change her morose mood, but when she saw his face and the worry lines creasing his forehead, she allowed herself to be sad.
"What did the council say?" Kira asked as she led Luke through her house and out to the back steps where they had decided to wait for Diana to make her move.
"They said we should run. Ordered it in fact, because of how dangerous your capture would be. I told them to go to hell."
Kira laughed. Luke always had been a charmer. "I bet they loved that."
"Actually, I hung up as they were screaming at me. Assuming we survive, we’ll definitely have some things to answer to."
"No point to live if not dangerously," Kira replied as she sat down to wait.
"When did that become your motto?"
"About the time I moved to Charleston." Kira let her tone become darkly humorous. Had she listened to Luke in the beginning, none of this would be happening. But it still all seemed worth the risk. She knew Tristan would be trouble from the start, but she guessed with boys, you never really could know how much trouble until it was too late and you loved them enough not to care about the consequences.
"If you could take it all away and go back to New York, would you?" Luke shifted his gaze from one of her eyes to the other, earnestly searching for the truth in her answer.
"No. I suppose I would have been a target no matter where I was. At least, down here in South Carolina, I had you."
"Have, you have me." He reached out his hand.
Kira squeezed it, letting him know she loved his support, but then released him. "I wish you would go and save yourself Luke. We don’t know what’s going to happen here, and I don’t want you to die for me. Please, just go."
"You know I won’t." He settled down, stretching his hands up toward the sky, acting brave and like he had no worries in the world.
And just like that, there were no words left to say. Kira knew Luke loved her, and he knew she loved him too. She could beg him to leave and fall into hysterics, but it would be useless and mentally draining. So instead, the two of them sat in silence, watching the sun rise higher, waiting for it to disappear.
Chapter Fifteen
Before long, Kira heard a rustling in the trees. Luke did too and he sat up from the hammock, instantly alert. They moved as one person to the edge of her porch, four hands resting on the white painted banister, searching the woods at the back of her house for any movement.
Out of thin air, Diana appeared in the middle of her yard. She was dressed in a sequined, black party dress, one that reminded Kira of the pictures she’d seen of flappers in her history books. Her black hair flowed freely in the breeze, and her skin was like harsh marble, starkly white in the sunlight. Her sudden appearance struck Kira more like a magic trick than a natural movement. She had little experience with the special powers vampires possessed, and Diana seemed faster than even the wind. Luke’s muscles tensed beside her. Diana was far quicker than they could hope to be, but Kira knew a lot of it was for show, to intimidate her and Luke before the real fight even began.
"My dearest little Kira, how are you on this fine winter’s morning?" The words rolled from Diana’s tongue. She knew she had complete control over the situation, and she lazily walked forward, trying to stir fear in Kira’s heart.
"Diana," Luke said tersely. Kira remained silent, not wanting to give Diana the satisfaction of a response.
"Well, what a welcome. I hardly think you’re even excited to see me."
"What gave us away?" Luke let the biting remark out evenly. Kira recognized his self-defensive sarcasm and used it to give her strength. She would resist for as long as possible, just like Luke planned to do.
Kira let a small flame rise on her palm, letting her power heal any weakness Luke and she carried, before firing it at lightning speed toward Diana’s face. It struck before Diana had time to move, and she was thrown backward as if punched. Kira let herself have a moment of satisfaction. She and Luke knew some cool tricks, too.
Diana stood slowly, her hand to her cheek and malice in her eyes. Kira watched her battle to keep her emotions in check, and Diana’s weakness became all too clear. She wanted to draw this out and make Kira suffer. So Kira wanted to make it as quick as possible. She fired another shot, a long stream of fire she knew in her bones was meant to kill. She heard Diana whimper in the onslaught and watched as Diana retreated back into the trees and out of Kira’s range.
"Bitch!" Diana yelled from the forest. "Do you have a death wish? I’m here to kill you, you know. Do you really want to egg me on?"
"I think I’m the one who almost killed you, Diana. Care to come out for another go?" Kira found her voice and her defiance. She was ready to fight, eager for it almost.
"I hope you don’t think your boyfriend is going to save you, little Kira." Diana rushed out again, her calm demeanor returned but her hair clearly worse for the wear. The imperfection gave Kira a jolt of pleasure.
"I can handle myself, thanks."
"And what about when you can’t spit that little flame of yours and chase me away? What then?" Kira shrugged, playing it cool, but was actually wondering the same thing herself.
As if on command, Jerome and John walked out of the forest slowly, with Tristan chained between them. Kira gasped. She couldn’t help herself.
Tristan was shirtless and covered in blood. The streaks started at various points of his chest and arms, flowing from wounds that had since closed up because of his quick healing. Only another vampire’s nails or teeth could have caused that damage. Jerome and John had broken his arms, the same way they had in the auditorium so long ago, and Kira knew they had only been able to catch him with those cheap tricks. They had twisted Tristan’s limbs free of their sockets, tying his forearms to the stick they were using to carry him forward. His feet were chained too, but he still tried to put some weight on them, refusing to let his former friends drag him helplessly along the ground. He was trying to be strong, even though his face was the only thing not trapped in constraints.
When his eyes met hers, Kira wanted to rush to Tristan. They were full of pain, both physical and emotional, and Kira knew he was killing himself over his failure. He had been her last hope and though she hated to admit it, the will to fight left her a little bit.
Diana saw the opening. "What? Did you think he would come in and save the day? I told you already, you stupid girl, he is going to kill you, and he is going to like it. Isn’t that the promise I made?"
Diana walked in front of Tristan
and held his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. With her other hand, she slapped him across the cheek, and Kira heard the crunch of his neck breaking and saw his limbs go fully limp. Jerome and John didn’t even flinch. Tristan groaned, trying hard to clench his lips together to keep a scream from escaping. Even vampires could feel pain, especially at the brutality of their own kind.
A minute later, his neck snapped back in line. Diana leaned back for another slap.
"No!" Kira yelled. Diana stopped her hand, just barely. More than anything, Kira wanted to throw her fire like a huge blanket, smoldering them, but it was too risky with Tristan so weak and so close to the others.
"How sweet. A lover’s plea." Diana clapped like a little child playing with her favorite toy. Everything was working out just as she had planned.
And as if on cue, the sky darkened just one shade, but it was enough. All six of them looked up, despite the blinding light, to take note of that small sliver of black piercing the sun's surface. There wasn’t much time before her powers would be useless. Five minutes, maybe. Kira started forward, but Luke grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"You can’t save him now. We have to get out of here," he whispered.
"Yes, run. It’s so much more exciting that way," Diana responded, hearing Luke’s request and playing off of his fears. Kira looked up again; already more of the sun had been covered. She needed to use the time she had.
With all the control Kira could gather, she shot flames at Diana, John, and Jerome and amazingly pushed them back. Jerome and John dropped Tristan in their shock, and Kira broke free of Luke to run to Tristan’s side. He managed to get onto his knees and she sunk down to her own, all the while keeping her arm outstretched, creating a wall of flames behind the two of them—one that was weakening with each passing second.
"I can’t hold it for long. Undo the chains now, Tristan!" She cradled his face with her free hand, trying to split her attention.
"It’s no use. I can’t. I’ve been trying. You have to run, Kira, now, before Diana has the chance to grab you. Go to your car and just start driving as far away as possible."
Kira shook her head. Tristan opened his mouth to argue, but she covered it with a kiss, breaking it off when her power weakened further. She pulled Tristan into a hug instead, looking past his shoulder at the three cowering vampires waiting for her shield to fall so they could pounce. Kira shifted her gaze to the sky, where the sun was now more than half covered by the black hole of the moon. The earth was being steeped in shadow, and even her light was dimming in the process. Slowly, like a ticking time bomb, the power seeped from her, until finally it winked out.
The total eclipse had come.
"I love you," was all Kira had time to whisper before hands grabbed her shoulders, throwing her like a rag doll away from Tristan. She landed, hearing the crunch of her ankle as a fierce shot of pain traveled up her spine, and let out a scream. Kira was satisfied that she at least had a moment with Tristan, a small sliver of time to say goodbye and to tell him she loved him. It was the first time those words had passed her lips, and Diana could never take that away.
"Kira, Kira, Kira," Diana purred and stomped her foot down on Kira’s chest, holding her to the ground and crushing her. "You should have listened to them both, because now it’s too late to escape."
Luke ran over and jumped at Diana, reaching out his hands to strangle her. Diana backhanded him like a fly. He sailed away, smacking into the porch and landing on the ground with a thud. He didn’t stir from the spot where he landed, and Kira screamed again. She stared transfixed at his immobile body, flailing her limbs like a mad woman trying to escape Diana’s hold. Luke was dying, she was sure of it. She needed to hold him, to help him somehow.
Kira used all her strength, but she couldn’t budge Diana’s foot. It was useless, and instead of helping Luke, she was just hurting herself. Kira prayed, for what seemed like her first true prayer in ages, that Luke was alive—knocked unconscious, but alive.
Diana seemed to sense Kira’s fading hope, because she reached down for a fistful of Kira’s hair and used it to drag her across the yard, dropping her in front of Tristan. Kira refused to make a sound even though it felt as though her head were ripping free of her body. The pain was excruciating, but even still, she wouldn’t let Diana win.
Jerome and John were holding Tristan again, but this time Jerome’s hand was clenched over Tristan’s mouth to stop him from uttering a word.
"Time’s up, Kira," Diana whispered.
And before Kira could move, Diana’s teeth sank into Kira’s neck and her blood flowed freely into the vampire’s system. She heard the gurgling of her own blood, felt the warm liquid seep down her spine where droplets spilled free of Diana’s lips. She heard Tristan struggle and scream protests even through Jerome’s hand, but Diana wouldn’t stop.
"Enough." Jerome’s deep voice startled Kira from the pain and the weakness spreading through her body from blood loss. Diana’s head jerked up, freeing Kira. "The time for games is done. We must use her to fix Tristan."
Fix him? Kira thought. He doesn’t want to be evil!
She wanted to scream the words at them, but Kira couldn’t find the strength to speak. Her limbs felt like butter. They wouldn’t do as she commanded, and Diana held her still.
John pulled a glass cup from his pocket and Diana took it. Kira barely registered the cool touch against her skin, but when they pulled the cup away a minute later, it was full to the brim with her blood. Jerome reached his hand down, soaking one of his fingers, and licked it clean with a flash of pleasure.
Kira’s only hope was that they would lose control, that one of them would end her quickly before they had a chance to change Tristan. If all hope was lost for her, she wanted him to at least be spared.
But as quickly as that thought came, it passed, because John took the cup, jerked Tristan’s head back by his forehead and let her blood flow freely into his forcibly opened mouth. Kira saw him struggle, shaking his limbs against the chains, trying desperately to escape, and she wondered if he could fight the pull of her blood. Maybe all this time, Diana had been right—Kira would be Tristan’s undoing.
His body started to slump as the glass emptied. Jerome refilled it, passing it back to John, and this time, Tristan didn’t move while it was poured. When the third cup was filled, Tristan strained his head up, arching to get all of Kira’s blood, swallowing it willingly, and even in her weakened state, Kira knew a change had occurred.
Diana let Kira fall to the ground and walked over to Tristan’s side. They undid his chains and he stood quickly, faster than Kira’s eyes could process it. Her blood had strengthened his body. He stretched his arms over his head, the muscles of his stomach flexing with the movement, and he cracked his neck bones before leaning forward to look at Kira. All the fight left Kira’s body the moment their eyes met.
Tristan was gone.
A sob escaped her lips and tears dropped quickly from her eyes the longer she stared into his, which had become as hard as stone and colder than ice. She had never seen him look at her that way, like less than food, like vermin, even since the first time they had met. His pupils dilated, so the blue of his irises were almost paper thin. His fangs were extended, blood dripped from his lips and he licked it away, smiling the entire time. He hugged Diana, gave her a deep kiss, bit her, and then shoved her away, chuckling at her hurt expression. Quick as a bullet, he ripped Jerome’s T-shirt free of his body and used the rag to wipe the blood from his chest.
Then, as an afterthought, Tristan leaned over Kira, licking her open wound. With her blood fresh on his lips, he said, "Aren’t you going to run?"
Kira found the strength to back up. Diana she could handle, Jerome and John she could handle, but this Tristan was more than she could stand. How had her blood changed him so much? He was more than animal. He was evil and she was the reason he had changed. Kira stood, swaying on her woozy feet, trying not to feel stabbing pains in her heart as he lau
ghed at her struggles.
"Tristan?" she asked meekly, reaching her hand out as if she could recover some trace of the man she had lost.
"Yes, honey?" Tristan smiled, blood staining his white teeth. The word honey felt like a slap in Kira’s face.
The sky confirmed what she felt in her bones. The eclipse was still complete. There would be no refuge in her power. With one last look at Tristan, one final gaze to see if he was acting, one final search of the lines of his face for some sign, Kira turned and ran away from the sound of the man she loved laughing in the face of her death.
"I’ll give you a head start, little Kira," Tristan called. She winced as he used the name Diana had condescendingly called her but charged on into the woods beyond her neighbor’s backyard, into the darkness where the eclipse had stolen every hint of light that ever previously existed.
Kira limped on the ankle she was sure she had broken. With each step, a knife seemed to pierce her leg. She was dizzy from the blood loss and her vision receded, warping into a tunnel, letting her see only the leaves directly in front of her. Kira tripped on tree roots and leaned against giant trunks to stabilize herself. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath before pounding forward again. Self-preservation was all Kira thought about. Her instincts had taken over because her thoughts had become too much to handle. All she could do was concentrate on running as far as she possibly could.
And then she heard the cackling—a shrieking, high-pitched noise, right behind her. A finger, one she knew must belong to Diana, poked her back, sending her flying forward, and Kira kept running. A hand gently caressed her cheek, another slapped at her arm, another pulled on her hair, and Kira knew there was no escape. She felt like millions of ghosts were pawing at her, invisible but tangible, and Kira just stopped, tired of all the games, ready to see if this Tristan was so changed that he was willing to kill her.
The Complete Midnight Fire Series Page 19