ReAwakened

  Charlotte managed to pry the dagger out of the bed cushion and was once again looming over me. As she attempted her second strike, I forced my legs to work. Gritting my teeth, I kicked up into her stomach. She groaned, flailing her arms around as she fought to regain balance. With great effort, I willed myself to move. Grabbing onto the side of the bed, I pulled myself up to my feet, readying for a fight.

  As I stared into her icy blue eyes, the predicament of my situation became very clear. The roles had been reversed. Charlotte now had my power. My movements were slower than usual, and my thoughts only able to convert into actions after a moment’s delay. Biting down on my lip to dispel the painful stinging pulsating through me, I kicked my leg out, driving the dagger from Charlotte’s hand. She yelped in surprise as the weapon clattered to the floor.

  “Why won’t you die?” she growled, thrusting out her hand.

  Her eyes darkened as her body began to vibrate. She screamed out in rage, and a wooden cabinet dislodged from the wall, smashing down on top of me, splintering into countless little pieces. I buckled under the impact. My knees wobbled, but determination to put an end to Charlotte’s tyranny forced me to remain standing.

  “You first,” I told her, readying for another strike.

  There was no way that I would let her win. Her little game had destroyed too many innocent lives, hurt too many people.

  All around me, chaos ensued. Sebastian, having taken down the werewolves was now grappling with a group of vamps. Razor had rushed to Brooke and Sophie’s aid. Seth and Hunter were protecting Dr. Carter as they warded off vampire assailants. Smoke began to drift through the crack in the bottom of the door, filling the infirmary with a stifling gray cloud.

  If any of us were going to make it out alive, we had to triumph quickly.

  Charlotte shot out her hand again, drawing the dagger back into her palm. She tightened her fingers around the handle and then thrust it at me. In that exact instant, Aurora’s scream echoed in my head. She had slipped through the cracks in my barrier, forcing herself upon me with a pain so blinding it caused me to momentarily black out. It didn’t matter that Charlotte had grounded Aurora, she was still capable of tormenting me.

  Aurora and Charlotte were fighting side-by-side, one in front of me, the other inside my mind.

  Charlotte shot out her other hand, an otherworldly grip on my throat, while Aurora clawed at my brain. I gasped for air, shoving away the pain, tearing Aurora’s hold as I fought Charlotte’s tight grip.

  “No more!” I shouted at them both. I ripped away from Aurora’s clutch, dodging the dagger in Charlotte’s hand, blocking her arm as I forced her elbow up and out. “No more!” In my mind, I heard Aurora cry out as I slammed the door on her. “No more!” I repeated as my knee embedded in Charlotte’s stomach.

  I placed everything I had left into avenging those they’d hurt. Sophie. Julie. Little Sammy and all of the other drained children. Sebastian. Lena. My team. My punches were filled with rage over the lost lives, my kicks eager to put an end to months of pain and suffering.

  As Charlotte finally collapsed to the floor, my dagger embedded deep in her heart, an eerie silence came over the room. Glancing around, I realized that the rogues had been defeated. One by one, the team members limped, shuffled, and crawled over to me. Death and destruction surrounded us. We stood in a silent huddle for a moment, taking a unifying breath.

  Then, as if someone pressed Play on a frozen tableau, we began to move.

  “The building is going to burn down!” Sebastian shouted. “We have to get everyone out!”

  Evacuating an entire ballroom full of unconscious and woozy vampires was easier said than done. Razor, Seth, Hunter, and Sophie focused on accomplishing the near impossible task while Sebastian, Brooke, and I searched the building for stray victims. Sebastian went after Twitbrook and his family, Brooke tended to a young couple waking up from their blood poison-induced slumber, while I set out in search of Elisa.

  I found her in her room, comatose on the bed. The fire engulfed the room next door, causing the windows to explode. I dragged her to a seated position, leaning her torso against my shoulder. Slowly, I lifted her up, half-carrying, half-dragging her tall frame. On the way to the door, I passed by her desk. On top of it was an old journal, akin to the one my father used to document my mother’s forta in. The inscription on its leather cover said, Aurora. Next to the journal was a beautiful amethyst ring—Sebastian’s great-grandmother’s ring. The ring he’d proposed to Aurora with. I quickly tucked the journal into the back pocket of my jeans, placing the ring in my front pocket. Both items, armed with so many secrets, burned a hole through the fabric of my pants, scorching my skin. I didn’t have time to contemplate the findings as another explosion shook the building.

  The flames licked the floor as they slid through the doorway of Elisa’s room, brushing against my boots. I dragged her out of the room, limping down the dark corridors of the house, evading flaming beams and shattering glass. Finally we made it out of the smoke, and I reunited with the rest of the team on the grassy lawn outside. Placing Elisa on one of the emergency stretchers, I dropped to the ground, coughing up black phlegm.

  Brooke and Sophie collapsed next to me, our shoulders touching as we held each other up. Blood and soot covered their faces, staining the fabric of their dresses.

  “Everyone’s out safely,” Sebastian said, joining us on the ground. “Twitbrook and his family are going to be fine.”

  Razor plunged down beside his brother. “It’s over. It's all over.”

  Hunter and Seth followed his lead.

  We sat in silence, watching the red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles reflect off the building’s windows, mesmerized by the heavy streams of water that fought the raging inferno. The fire combined with the water to form an ethereal effect—it was like the sun and the moon had simultaneously inhabited the structure.

  Taking a deep, shaky breath, I watched my entire past wash away as every memory of my childhood went up in flames. I reminded myself that the important things—the people who truly mattered—were safe.

  After months of uncertainty, pain, and loss, it was finally over. All of it. We had succeeded in defeating Charlotte and Jacques. We were safe. The Born were also safe. At least for now. Nevertheless, trouble was brewing beneath the smooth surface of the calm; trouble that could easily result in many fatal consequences. Certain werewolf tribes, having heard about what happened to Quinoa’s clan, demanded power. The Made wanted fortas. Even hatred of vampires brought on by ignorant humans like Brooke’s nephew could be a potential threat down the road. An uprising loomed—that much was certain. The only question was, would it come tomorrow or years in the future? And who would bring it about?

  However, for now, peace held. Especially in my mind. No more Jacques. No more Charlotte. And most importantly, no more Aurora. I had found a way to silence the voice in my head. Now I just had to hope that whatever Charlotte had done to ground her would ensure that our paths would never cross. Although, even if they did, I no longer harbored any fear of an encounter. I was ready to face her. Despite making peace with Aurora, I had decided against looking through my father’s journal for the time being. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what it said in there. Not yet, anyway.

  Things were looking up for everyone. The Scarlet House was undergoing repairs. Our team had also spent some time recovering. After two weeks of cleaning up Charlotte’s mess, I was finally able to give relaxing a chance. The gang and I—and this time, since Amelia was doing better, our group finally included Ethan again—were hanging out at the cottage, leisurely packing for a trip to visit Lena at her father’s estate in Mexico.

  Upon learning about the fiasco with Charlotte and Aurora, she had invited us to stay with her for a while as a way to pay us back for everything we’d done for her family. It would be my first trip abroad, and I was looking forward to trying out my Spanish. Not to mention, Lena’s father had one of the best training faciliti
es in the world. I couldn’t wait to put his weapons to the test. Although I did promise the team some time to rest—they’d earned it.

  The night before our flight was scheduled to take off, I was surprised to find Razor at my doorstep. I had arranged to meet Sebastian at the airport, and as far as I knew, he was the one in charge of bringing along his annoying, older sibling.

  “My little brother would like to see you,” Razor announced when I greeted him. “He asked that you meet him by the gazebo at the park, and judging by his fancy outfit, I suggest that you dress for a special occasion.”

  In an attempt to get away from the late-night packing commotion going on inside the cottage, we walked out to the meadow, settling on one of the wooden benches by the fire pit. I tried to extract some information about Sebastian’s unexpected invitation, but Razor feigned ignorance.

  “I have no idea what he wants. Maybe he needs to remind you to pack your skimpiest swimsuit.” He paused. “Oh, wait, no. That’s me.” He grinned as I rolled my eyes.

  “Why do I even try to have normal conversations with you?” I asked him.

  “Because you like talking to me.” He winked, but immediately after, his smile wavered. “Teasing aside, how are you doing?” he asked, his eyes intent on mine.

  “Good,” I said truthfully. “For the first time in a very long while, I’m truly great. So great, in fact, that I don’t even feel guilty about going on vacation.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, Razor.”

  “You know…you can call me by my real name if you’d like,” he murmured. I glanced at his face, expecting another joke, but he appeared completely genuine.

  “I thought that you said that your name was reserved only for family.”

  A small smile broke through his stoic expression. “The way I see it, even if you don’t come around and realize that you can’t resist my striking looks and enticing charm, and that you desperately want to spend the rest of your life in my arms—”

  “Which will never happen…”

  “—you’ll eventually end up with my silly little brother. Who, just to warn you, despite being a great guy, is nowhere near as handsome and charming as I.”

  “No doubt.” My words were laced with sarcasm.

  “It will be a mistake—”

  “I’m sure.”

  “—but regardless, I’ll be happy to have you as part of our family. No matter what.”

  I mulled over his declaration, secretly touched by his unexpected invitation. In spite of the fact that it was delivered in a very Razor-like manner, the words part of our family held a note of delicate sincerity. A tiny ember of warmth ignited in my chest as I contemplated the offer.

  “You know what, I think I’d like to stick to Razor,” I finally said. “The nickname has kind of grown on me.” It was the truth. Razor was just Razor. Unique in his own way. I didn’t want to know him as anything else.

  “Okay, good.” He nodded, smiling.

  “But that doesn’t mean that it’s not a stupid nickname,” I added, laughing. “It just…suits you.”

  “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted,” he said. His voice was firm, but laughter spilled over into his eyes. “I guess it doesn’t matter. We’ll be Razor Boy and Dagger Girl forever. Our own little superhero team.” He gave me a gentle jab on the arm. “And Seb can be something emo like…Shady Guy.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be flattered to hear that.”

  “Speaking of my little bro, you better go see what he wants.”

  I stood up to leave, but then turned back to face him. “Um….I was thinking…” I began.

  “Uh-oh. I’ve been around long enough to know that when you start a sentence with ‘I was thinking,’ we’re in for a world of trouble.”

  “I was thinking about Hannah’s mom,” I told him. “I was thinking that maybe, just maybe…” I took a deep breath. “Maybe I could try to heal her.”

  “No!” he snapped.

  “No?” I asked, a little hurt. “Just like that?”

  “I told you, you can’t. Not because I don’t want you to.” He clenched his fists. “Heck, I came here looking for your blood.”

  “I thought you came here looking for your brother?” I asked.

  “Yes, but it didn’t hurt that Hannah told me about this hot chick who could give me some Born blood,” he replied. “Kidding aside, you really can’t heal anymore. Every test that I’ve done on your blood says that you don’t have any more to give. I don’t even know how you managed to make it through everything Charlotte did to you. If you’re drained one more time, either by saving someone or by getting hurt, you will die. A Born needs blood to live and grow. You don’t function the same way as the rest of us. If you give away any more of yourself—even the tiniest little bit—you’re done.”

  “And, you’re sure about this?”

  “That’s one thing I would never joke about, D,” he whispered, looking away. “Despite everything I told you, I do care about some things.”

  “Yes, I remember: not dwelling on the past, present, or future, having fun, and never falling in love.”

  “Yes…” His voice was barely audible, his eyes stormy. “But maybe it’s time to add to that list.” The intensity in his gaze halted my breath. I quickly sobered, inhaling sharply.

  “Okay, fine. No more healing,” I agreed. “At least not until you figure out how to heal me.”

  “I’m not sure if you even can be healed. But if there’s a way, I’ll find it. I promise.” He pressed his lips together. “Now you better run to my brother before the clock strikes midnight and he turns into an emo pumpkin.”

  I stifled a smile. “Where do you come up with these things?”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a deep, deep well of awesomeness, D-Baby.”

  I groaned, but couldn't help the laugher bubbling up inside me. “I don’t even know what that means, R-Weirdo.”

  “It’s probably best that you don’t.” He laughed and made a grand gesture of kissing my hand as I set off toward the cottage. Right up until the moment I walked through the door, I could feel his dark eyes watching me intently.

  An hour later, I made my way across Hamilton Park, heading in the direction of Sebastian’s gazebo. The entire team—including Hunter and Seth—had insisted that I wear the white gown they’d gifted me.

  “You never had a chance to wear it to the ball!” Sophie exclaimed. “This is the perfect opportunity to show it off!”

  Brooke went a step further, forcing me to undergo a torturous hair and makeup session. It had been more than two months since my last encounter with her blush brush, so I had no choice but to give in. As she swept up my hair into a loose bun, pulling out a few waves to frame my face, I found myself relishing the moment. After all, I was together with my friends, and they were all safe and sound. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had felt so free, so relaxed…so normal. I’d brought along Sebastian’s great-grandmother’s ring to return it to its proper owner. It wasn’t a conversation I was necessarily looking forward to, but the small piece of jewelry was beginning to haunt me.

  As I neared the gazebo, my good mood intensified. The secrets, lies, and pain that defined my past shattered into little pieces, crumbling away from my mind. I was suddenly thrown into a fairytale. A world where, at least for a short moment, evil didn’t exist. A place where anything was possible.

  One where even emo pumpkins could turn into romantic princes, I thought with a smile, glancing around the breathtaking structure in the center of the park. Sebastian had hung twinkling silver lights all around the roof, then further wrapped the sparkling strings around the eaves of the gazebo. Big white bows adorned the entrance, their gauzy material flapping around in the wind, matching the rhythm of the flowing fabric of my long dress.

  I entered the empty structure, searching for traces of Sebastian. He was nowhere in sight, but what I did find was a note pinned to one of the bows. I opened the tiny pa
rchment, for a second expecting it to say that he’d gone off on yet another crazy mission without me. A slight tinge of melancholy began to bloom within my chest, but as I read the note it was quickly replaced by a much sweeter, more tender feeling.

  In the center of the paper, penned in Sebastian’s handwriting was the following question:

  Dear Dawn,

  Will you be my sparring partner?

  Check: YES or NO

  Sebastian

  I smiled and used the tip of my finger in place of a pen to tick Yes. At that exact moment, Sebastian emerged from the inn. I watched him approach the gazebo, drinking in the sight of his unearthly features—features which were now perfectly familiar to me. The angular curve of his jaw, the sharpness of his cheekbones, the tiny line in the center of his bottom lip, every fleck of white in the silver of his eyes, even the muscles underneath his black dress shirt.

  He mirrored my exploration, sliding his gaze across my face, pausing on my eyes as we shared a silent smile. He moved lower, gliding his eyes over my parted lips, inhaling sharply in response, then travelled even farther down, over my neck and collarbone, appreciating every inch of my body. By the time he’d made it to the center of the gazebo, my heart was hammering in my chest. If a simple smoldering look had the power to provoke such a reaction within me, his touch would wreak havoc—I was certain of that.

  He nodded at the note in my hand. “So, can we make it official?” he asked huskily.

  I smiled. “Yes, I agree to be your sparring partner.”

  “Forever?”

  “Forever.”

  “And perhaps even something more?” He closed the distance between us.

  “Yes,” I said. Goodbye, fear of the c-word. I could see myself in a relationship. In fact, I wanted to be part of a couple. Very much. As long as my counterpart was Sebastian. “I would like that.”