Isis growled her rage and, despite her earlier logical reasoning, she charged at him, baring her fangs. Only inches from him, he laughed and gripped her by the hair and yanked it, hard. She grunted in pain and twisted in an attempt to break free.
He caught her by the throat and pulled her to him, her back hitting his chest. He grazed his fangs against her neck and she struggled against him. Antonio ran to her aid, his silver dagger—that she was sure he had hidden within his boot—gleaming with a vengeance in his right hand.
“Take one more step and I’ll put her in your path,” Caesareon warned. Antonio stopped. Isis groaned. Caesareon laughed. “Oh, Isis, you were always such a fool…”
“Fuck you!”
He smiled against her flesh, pulling her hair to the side, baring the right side of her naked throat. “I remember when I first changed you.” He kissed her throat. “Your blood was marvelous…” His fangs nicked her, she felt a sharp sting, and blood. “Do you know why I chose you?” His tongue darted out and licked her blood. Isis shivered with revulsion. “I chose you because, even as a human, you were able to resist me. Nothing has changed. You are the most tempting creature I’ve ever come across.”
“And you’re the most nauseating creature I’ve ever come across.” Isis grabbed his hand and used it to lever herself off the ground, swinging herself upwards in an arc in an acrobatic stance, causing his hold on her to loosen. She held onto his shoulders for leverage and landed behind him on her feet. She brought her knee up and jammed it against his spine.
Caesareon bent over but didn’t cry out. Isis hadn’t expected him to. She jumped on his back and grabbed him by the sides of the neck, prepared to twist, and he flung her off of him. She fell back, skidding across the tiled floor.
She sat up and saw Antonio lunge for him, silver dagger in hand. Caesareon faced off with him, gripping his bone handled knife—no, not his bone handled knife, but hers, her little brother’s. She had only a moment to wonder how he had gotten it.
Caesareon swung the knife at Antonio’s chest, snagging his T-shirt, tearing a hole in it. Antonio’s foot lifted up into a kick on Caesareon’s chest that sent him stumbling back. Isis hopped to her feet and went to join Antonio in the battle.
She splayed her foot out to knock him over. He jumped up dodging easily, performing a perfect back flip and landing behind Isis. He kicked her in the back of the knees and as she fell forward, grabbed her by the back of the collar. He stabbed the bone handled knife into her shoulder.
Isis screamed in agony. Behind her, Caesareon laughed and twisted the knife around in her flesh before pulling it back out. Isis clutched her shoulder, the pain sent a spit of fire down her entire side.
“Isis!” Antonio called out to her. Isis paid him little mind. She was gripped with her own cold fury. She was letting him get the best of her and she couldn’t let him do that. She was forgetting how to fight, keeping her mind angry and therefore narrow. She needed to focus…focus…
Slowly, Isis stood up and turned to face him. Her wound had already begun to heal; she could feel it knitting together. She controlled her breathing, glared her Master down. He was smiling at her in that wicked way, one side of his mouth tilted past his gums only to reveal the glint of sharp teeth.
“Fighting is futile, my warrior. You cannot rise against me; no one can.” He brought the blade of the dagger up to his lips and he swiped his tongue across it, wiping it clean.
Isis sneered just before she sprang, her eyes glued to the weapon in his hand. Everything was happening in slow motion and she kept up with it fairly well. He smiled maliciously and threw the knife in the air. It spun and fell back down into his open hand and he slashed out at her. Fortunately for her she saw the direction from which it was coming and twisted to the side, dodging it and gripping the wrist that he held it in.
In one swift, clean movement, she snapped his wrist back, breaking the bones and causing the knife to fall from his grasp. Isis pulled his arm straight out and slammed at his elbow, disconnecting the bones there and left his arm hanging limply.
She struck her claws out to his neck, digging her fingernails there, prepared to rip his throat out when he brought his uninjured arm smacking onto her face. Tears sprang to her eyes, momentarily blinding her from her surroundings, but she kept her fingernails deep in his neck, refusing to waver.
He attempted to throw her off but failed when Antonio advanced to help her. With an annoyed tsk, Caesareon flung Isis to the side, gripping her forearm. As Antonio approached, Caesareon kicked his leg up, sending the silver dagger Antonio held flying in the air above them. When it fell back down, Caesareon caught it with his teeth, twisted his head to the side, and spit it out, sending it flying towards Antonio, who tried dodging it, only to get it implanted in his chest.
With that out of the way, Caesareon flipped Isis back to him, releasing her, one of his arms hanging limply at his side, and with his good one brought it crashing down on her face again. Without giving her time to recuperate, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down to the floor. Her head banged against the tiles of the floor, making stars damn near dance behind her eyes. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her head.
“Did you really think you could kill me, Isis?” he spat in her ear, lifting her up by the neck and banged her head back down. She could feel her skull begin to crack. She gasped. “Did you really, truly think that you could be a match for me, Isis?” He repeated the process. “Did you really think that I’d be foolish enough to allow such events to unfold?” He picked her up, again by the neck, and stood with her, squeezing the life out of her while her feet dangled helplessly beneath her. Blood seeped out of the back of her head; she could feel it trickling down the back of her neck.
She gasped to catch her breath, to fight away the pain that threatened to knock her unconscious. Where was Antonio? Was the knife still embedded in his chest? She needed his help…desperately.
“You…” she sputtered. “Took…everything from me…” And he was still. He was trying to wreck the life she had built away from him. It wasn’t enough that he had taken away her birth family, robbed her morals, converted her into a murderer, but he wanted to take away the family she now had, the family she had come to find in hiding from him. And in a way, she thought, she was almost glad. If it weren’t for him, she’d had been buried in the ground years ago, mortal and dead. Now, she was a vampire, with a family that loved her, with friends that would go to the ends of the earth to protect her. And she was stronger. Stronger than she had been before, which she had proved by breaking his hold on her. And she wouldn’t let him get the best of her. Not now.
Caesareon laughed. “You are so very daft, Isis. It was your own nature that sucked your brother dry. But tell me, do you really believe that I took everything from you?”
But you did, her mind screeched just before she lifted her knee up to strike him where every male feared to be struck, human and vampire alike. His hold on her loosened and she sank her fangs into his hand. He cried out and released her. As she fell to the floor, she splayed her leg out, causing him to fall backwards. She jumped on him, her legs straddling his sides. He reached a hand up and grabbed a fistful of hair, tugging it down so that her lips were an inch from his.
“You only believed what I made you believe. And I will tell you that I did not take everything away from you,” he smiled evilly. “You only believed that I did…”
23
Maria mentally cursed herself for letting Ezzy go on alone. She had been too shaken up to stop her, too heartbroken and too tired. She had been tired for a while now, the death of Damien had weighed down a great deal upon her shoulders and she had finally cracked.
When Esmeralda had first arrived at the mansion, Maria found that she hadn’t minded. No, not in the least. And then they said that Damien and Esmeralda were Soul Mates and she found that she minded. Just a little bit. She was the baby of the family, and she wanted things to remain that way. With Esmeralda in the
picture, everyone paid her so much attention that Maria had been temporarily forgotten.
And then Antonio had returned, causing an uproar. It turned out that Damien had created the Blood Drug and that he had murdered Esmeralda’s parents and that Antonio had been, in fact, Ezzy’s true Mate.
Since it was inevitable, Maria pushed aside her jealousy and decided to roll with it, keeping her emotions bottled up. It was no use trying to convince anyone to drop Esmeralda like a ball; it would have been foolish and completely selfish. They adored her. And it wasn’t as if Maria hated the girl; she was really friendly and the perfect match for Antonio but she felt as though everyone had overlooked the little fact that she had aided in the events of Damien being murdered.
Granted, Antonio had been the one to kill his twin brother and she had no doubt that it was eating him up inside, but he never would have done such things if it weren’t for Esmeralda Ortiz.
Bitterness had grown inside of Maria Santiago that she couldn’t shake away.
And then Esmeralda went around and joked about how Damien talked to her in her dreams. Why would he want to? She was the one responsible for his death. So she did the only thing she could do, the only thing she knew how to do: sent her away.
She stood there in that kitchen afterwards, thinking up a storm and she had realized a lot of things. First, that she had lost a brother and it hadn’t been entirely Esmeralda’s fault. Second, that if she didn’t go help get Esmeralda back she was likely to lose another brother.
Pushing aside hatred, bitterness and sadness, Maria ran off to find the girl.
As she approached the mall, she hoped she hadn’t been too late. Bodies were strewn everywhere. With a heavy heart, she looked at each face, to make sure that it was no one she knew. She ran across concrete and nearly ran into a man.
She looked up, afraid he might attack her and realized, with a start, that it was that FBSI agent, Terrance, and in his arms he was holding the other agent, Victoria Phillipe. Her veins were black against her pale skin. She had only a moment to gape in horror before Terrance snarled angrily at her and ran past Maria.
Maria lifted her nose in the air and sniffed, trying to locate Esmeralda’s scent. A vague scent of it was coming from Terrance. She turned to the direction from which he had first appeared and followed it.
And then she saw her.
She was running as if the devil himself were chasing her, arms pumping angrily at her sides, and she was heading to a closed off section of the Plaza. Maria caught up to her in no time, grabbing her by the back of the sweater and pulling her against her chest.
Esmeralda thrashed around wildly in Maria’s arms.
“Calm down!” Maria spat.
Ezzy relaxed instantly and tensed again. “I have to get Antonio. He went to get Isis and Caesareon.”
Maria tensed herself. “You can’t go there, it’s too dangerous.” She spun the girl around and held her by the shoulders. “Let’s get you to safety, okay?” She started to pull Esmeralda away but Ezzy pushed Maria with a force that sent her tumbling back. Maria gaped.
“I won’t!” she shrieked. “I have to help him! He needs me.”
Maria reached out for her again but Esmeralda swatted her hand away. Maria grew instantly annoyed. “Esmeralda, I’ve put up with a lot of your shit, but don’t piss me off any further. Now, think rationally. You have a child to protect and you can’t risk either of your lives. Understood?”
Esmeralda’s eyes flared vampire red in anger. “No! I have to help him! He needs me!” She began shrieking like a madwoman and struck at Maria, her hands flailing in all directions. Maria dodged the blows successfully. Her hormones were making her crazy and the enhanced vampire powers the baby was supplying her with made her stronger. Maria saw no other option.
“Ezzy, I’m truly sorry about this…” Maria’s arm jumped forward, striking Ezzy on the side of the head. The blow wasn’t strong enough to kill her, only to knock her out. Esmeralda sagged and nearly fell to the floor but Maria caught her before that could happen.
The distant wail of ambulance sirens sounded in her ears. Maria smiled at the timing and smoothed out Ezzy’s hair. She easily picked her up in her arms and began to carry her towards that direction, feeling only slightly guilty about how good it felt to finally knock Ezzy’s ass out.
“Shut up!” Isis slammed her fist down on Caesareon’s face. His lip split open and blood swelled forth. He smiled, the blood running down his chin and staining his teeth. “My mother is dead! You killed her!”
“Oh, I will not deny that I did, though her blood wasn’t nearly as satisfying as yours, my warrior. But tell me, can you even remember their names?”
Isis punched him in the jaw, but he made no move to defend himself or hit her back. He seemed to be enjoying this little game he was playing. He was always wrapped up in some game and frankly, Isis was sick of it.
One side of his face began to swell, sealing his eye shut from the force of her strength. “Shut up!” Isis barked, feeling tears spring free from her eyes.
Caesareon’s laugh pounded in her ears. “Your mother is dead, yes but—”
“SHUT UP!” Isis grasped his head between her hands and slammed it into the ground. Immediately, a pool of blood formed under it. Caesareon frowned.
“You do not wish to hear the truth?” he whispered as if it were a strain. “Fine, but I grow bored with this game fast.” His fingers dug into the side of her waist and flipped her over him. She scrambled into a standing position, as did he, though she noticed he swayed. The wound she inflicted on the back of his head wasn’t as light as he thought it would be.
Isis braced herself, legs standing firmly apart. Behind Caesareon, she saw Antonio’s body stir. Happiness swelled in her heart, but she kept her face neutral. He was alive, he was well, and that’s all that mattered. For now, she had to keep Caesareon distracted.
He swayed again, but smiled. “Dear, Isis, you remind me so much of him…”
She raised an eyebrow. “Of who?”
He laughed. “Why, your other half of course. Do you remember how I told you that he was an amazing public speaker? He spoke of loyalty and cowardice. Ah, I remember the words perfectly…” He smiled at her, though his gaze had grown distant, his lip twitched. Something was happening to him, something was seriously weakening him. Behind him, Antonio sat up.
Isis raised her eyebrow, having absolutely no clue what he was talking about. “I don’t give a fuck!”
He shrugged. “I only assumed you would want to know the truth of your own flesh and—”
But Isis didn’t wait to hear his next words because Antonio pulled the knife from his chest and tossed it to Isis. Isis caught the dagger with ease and rushed forward and sliced it through Caesareon’s neck.
His eyes went wide for only a moment with shock, his mouth opened to form a word, one word only. “Demetria.” And then his head fell from his body and to the floor. As it did so, Isis felt a string inside of her being cut. Just like that, she was free. The dagger fell from her hand and to the floor with a clang, splattering blood to her ankles. Isis fell to her knees. It was over. Caesareon was dead. She had killed him.
“My mother’s name was Halima…and my brother’s name was Azizi, you asshole,” she whispered, feeling relief course around her veins, but there was also sadness, though she wasn’t sure why.
Isis wasn’t sure how long she stayed in that position, hadn’t even realized that she was crying until Antonio’s hand gripped her shoulder. She leaned her cheek into his warmth, feeling the tears trickle from her eyes. She choked on air and blood and tears.
“It’s over,” Antonio whispered.
Isis nodded and reached for Antonio, needing something solid and permanent to hold on to like a life line.
“It’s over,” the echo of his accented voice was what cradled her into darkness, drowning Isis in air and blood and tears.
It’s over…
24
“Will she be okay?�
�
“She’s suffered a lot of external damage, but that’s healed fairly quickly. A lot of her damage is psychological, she only needs to rest. She’s suffering from exhaustion.”
Silence.
Someone touched her hand.
Isis wanted to reach out to the surface, to grip the person that was talking and drag them under with her, to hold that familiarity with her in the darkness that did nothing but envelop her.
“I like the name Katheryn, for a girl, but I’m not sure what Antonio thinks. He hasn’t really told me what names he likes. He was happy when I first told him but now he doesn’t even talk about it. I think he’s mad at me for rushing into battle in my condition.”
Condition? Esmeralda?
“Anyway, for a girl I like the name Katheryn, a lot. Or Josefina. It’d be nice to name a baby after my grandmother. Of course, I don’t even know if I’m having a girl yet. I haven’t gotten checked. I kinda want it to be a surprise.”
What the hell was she talking about?
“Isis, I wish you’d wake up. I miss you. Please, wake up…”
Isis was drowning in blood. Drowning in blood? Could that even work on a vampire? Well, she was drowning in it. The blood of all of those she had killed. And, hard as she tried to kick her legs and move her arms, she simply couldn’t reach the surface. It was like swimming through honey. Sticky and sweet. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but red, a veil placed over her vision. She opened her mouth to suck down air but all she received were swallows of blood.
And she saw images.
There was a boy, a twelve year old, scrunching his eyebrows together as he studied a bone handled knife. A woman with slanted eyes mixing scented liquids together. She saw flashes of every person she knew and cared about. Marco Santiago, accepting her into the Coven; Antonio, wrapping her in a headlock and giving her a brotherly noogie; Esmeralda, turning a confused face to look at her and then smiling in that cute way she always did.
My Master Page 19