Sharp pain radiates from my lungs. I’m certain death is imminent because I feel the wood splintering off, scratching against the throbbing muscles in my chest. I so desperately want to lie on my back, but I can’t. Something stops me.
I reach behind me and run my fingers against the opposite end of the branch. The wood piercing my chest must be several feet in length and is protruding from my back. I squeeze until it snaps.
I double-hand the branch at my chest and try to pull it free. The wood budges only slightly, but I scream in agony. The sound escaping my lips can’t possibly be my voice.
It scratches against bone, a pulse-pounding scrape that radiates through my entire body. I can’t shake the feeling, and I replay the sound over and over again in my mind.
Feeling weak and light-headed, I collapse and roll onto my back. I arch forward when my wound comes into contact with solid earth, and I inhale sharply, my lungs stinging against the foreign substance that’s making its way deeper into my torso.
I need to remove the branch or I won’t heal, but even the slightest budge is mind-numbing.
The moon and stars are bright above me, but something blocks them. I blink until my eyes focus, hoping Jasik or even Mamá has come to my aid. Instead, I stare into his familiar crimson irises.
He smiles, a deviant glare in his eyes that sends shivers down my spine.
He is the vampire who haunts my dreams, the one who stole my life from me. I knew he would come for me, that his lackeys’ constant defeat would prove too much for his pride.
“You missed my heart,” I hiss under my breath. I clench my jaw shut, struggling to hide my pain.
“Or maybe I have you right where I want you,” he says. His eyes betray his anger, but he chuckles.
Before I can respond, the rogue vampire grabs on to the branch that’s bulging from my chest and yanks it free.
Chapter Six
The gaping hole in my chest steals my breath. I choke out vague threats as my body struggles to heal itself. Flesh tethers together, threading new life from old, and the rogue vampire stands over me, mocking my pain.
He says something inaudible, and even though my senses are overloaded, I feel stronger. With each passing second, I slip further away from death and back to my painful reality.
I’m not paying attention to the rogue, and that must anger him. He kicks my side—once, twice, three times. I hear ribs snap as the sharp point of his boot makes contact with already wounded flesh. I scream through closed lips, hoping he can’t sense how much pain I’m in. I can show no sign of weakness.
“Ava, get up!”
Someone shouts at me, but my vision is blurred. I try to blink away the pain, but it’s no use. Just when I think I’m free, my assailant hits me again and again.
I roll onto my stomach and try to crawl away. Digging my fingers into the cold earth, I burrow beneath the grass, grabbing on to the land, and pull myself closer to Mamá’s house. I need to escape my attacker and allow myself to properly heal.
I hear him laughing behind me, and I feel his approach. It feels like a thousand needles pricking my skin at once, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening.
You need to get up!
I scream at myself internally, and I struggle to stand. By the time I manage to lift myself on all fours, the rogue is beside me, thrusting his leg into my side. He makes impact, and I’m flung several feet away. I hear the distinct crunch of my ribs cracking. A broken shard stings at my side, slicing through thin layers of muscle.
“I’m impressed that you so easily thwarted my earlier attacks, little one,” the rogue says. He licks his lips when I look at him, as if he’s already envisioning tasting me. The thought nauseates me.
The moonlight beams off his greasy bald head. He wipes the sweat that beads along his forehead and walks closer to me. He’s wearing a tight black T-shirt that looks about three sizes too small. His muscles strain against the fabric as he reaches down and grabs my neck. His hands are large enough to almost completely clasp his fingers around me.
Before I can react, I’m airborne. He’s lifting me closer to him and slams my frail body against the side of the house. With both hands, he grabs on to my throat and squeezes until I cannot breathe. I gasp for air, scratching at his hands, drawing blood from his skin and a smile from his lips.
He leans in close and whispers in my ear. His breath is hot against my flesh, and it makes me squirm beneath his grasp. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first time I saw you. Do you remember that day in the cemetery? I watched from the shadows as you fought those vampires with admirable conviction, but your confidence has gotten the best of you now. I’ve been watching, waiting, enjoying how you slowly went mad from fear.”
He leans back and slams my body against the wood siding again and again. The house protests, a dull ache cascading through its walls and out the open windows. If he wanted to, he could force me through, and what would happen then? Would he stop at killing me, or would he finish off my coven as retribution for all the men I killed while he played his twisted mind game?
I thrust my hands up, jabbing his wrists, but he doesn’t release me. Instead, he laughs at my pathetic attempt to free myself. To no avail, I try again and again. Distraught and in desperate need of oxygen, I smash my forehead against his chin. He’s too tall for a nose shot, and all I really accomplish is giving myself a splitting headache.
My chest burns, so I reach forward and shove my thumbs into his eye sockets. I dig deeply and nearly lose my breakfast as my nails squish into something soft. The rogue screams, and I fall to the ground. He covers his eyes with his hands, rubbing his fresh wounds, and I scurry across the ground, clutching my chest. Fresh oxygen is like acid in my lungs.
By the time I make it to my feet, someone is behind me. The rogue grabs on to me, wrapping his arms around my torso, caging me between his thick arms. I try to wiggle free, but it’s no use. He’s clasped his hands together, threading his fingers, and my arms are still dangling at my sides.
I feel his breath on my neck, and a jolt of electricity shoots through me. His fangs grace my skin, and I scream. He hasn’t bitten down, but I’ve never felt so terrified in my life. I can’t help but bellow for help. I jerk around, thrashing my head from side to side, back to front. I know the moment he sinks his fangs into my neck, I’m dead. A vampire can drain his victim in seconds, though most prefer to treasure the moment and drink slowly. I know he plans to suck me dry in the blink of an eye and then turn to my friends.
“Can I tell you a secret, Ava?” the vampire taunts.
I’m still screaming and thrashing and praying to whatever god or goddess will hear me. I ball my fists and try to punch his legs, but I can’t move my wrists more than an inch or two. I try to scratch at his legs, but his jeans are too thick to penetrate. I slam my head back once, twice, and then again. Finally, I make contact. I feel a hot, sticky substance squirt onto the back of my neck and trickle down my spine. I shiver as it seeps beneath my T-shirt. The rogue laughs and then leans forward and wipes his nose along the curve of my neck. His blood coats me, and bile rises in my throat. I feel marked.
The rogue latches his tongue onto my ear and sucks it into his mouth. I shriek as he bites down, drawing blood. He pulls away before I can shout for him to stop, to release me, that he will die for this. I’ve never felt so abused, so violated.
“There is no witch,” the vampire whispers.
I’m silent. I stop fighting and fall limp in his arms. I lean against him, and he waits for his words to sink in. Immediately, I understand what he’s admitting.
There is no missing witch.
This was a setup.
This was part of his sick game.
No longer fearing for my own safety, I take in the scene before me. He’s holding me so I face the massacre. Rogues are everywhere. The bloodbath ensuing mirrors the one shed during that fatal full moon ritual two months ago.
Witches are dead, their lifel
ess carcasses staring at me accusingly. They ask me why I let this happen, why I didn’t protect them, why I came here to begin with.
I search the bodies for Mamá, for Liv, but I only see strangers. The woman from earlier is among them. Her blue eyes are now completely void of life and have turned slate gray. Her curly red hair is frayed and coppery, lifeless. Her skin is pale white save for her crimson neck, where two tiny pinpricks betray the vampire’s mark.
Tears burn behind my eyes as I search for my friends. I see Hikari and Jeremiah, but Malik and Jasik are missing. If they were killed, they would have turned to dust. There wouldn’t be a body to mourn and bury. I wouldn’t be able to find their lifeless corpse and know the truth—that they died trying to protect everything they stood for. They would simply be gone.
For the second time in my short life, his fangs pierce my skin and dig into my flesh. They penetrate muscle, ripping what’s been newly threaded. I gasp, sucking in a sharp breath before I’m flung from his arms and soaring through the air. For several steady seconds, I’m flying, no longer rooted in what is surely my living hell. But like all flying creatures, I eventually land.
I fall against a solid surface and wince as my broken body makes contact with something hard. Pain surges through me, and I squeeze my eyes shut until it passes. When I open them, I see Jasik staring down at me. I’m cradled in his arms. Relief washes over him as I whisper his name, and I pull him down to me. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face into his skin. He smells like peppermint and sage and…blood.
I push away until he releases me. Turning, I search for the rogue. He’s now battling with Malik, who must have helped Jasik tag-team him to free me. Malik is an expert warrior and easily matches the rogue’s moves, but he is the weaker vampire. Rogues are naturally stronger predators, for they feed directly from humans. Fresh blood is coated in a living person’s life force, and that essence resides in each drop. The moment this rogue gains the upper hand, Malik will surely succumb to the stronger predator.
“We have to help him!” I shout.
Before I can aid my friend, Jasik pulls me back. I yank my arm free, but he stops me again. I thrust my arm forward, striking Jasik in his chest, but I’m too weak to cause any real damage. He barely shifts under the weight of my attack.
“You must feed, Ava!” he shouts.
“There’s no time!”
As I try to run away, I realize how weak I truly am. My limbs are heavy, my chest aches, my head is spinning… Jasik is right. I’ve lost too much blood, sustained too many injuries. I need to be at my best to help my friends. Until I feed, my body won’t properly—or quickly—heal.
But how can I feed? There are no blood bags here, and I can’t leave the battle to find a stray animal in the forest. Surely the witches won’t offer sustenance. I glance back at Jasik, certain my eyes are betraying my fear and hunger.
As if reading my mind, Jasik pulls off his jacket and withdraws his dagger. He slides the blade across his wrist, and the sweetest aroma enters my nose. It’s like nothing I’ve ever smelled before. My body twitches in response, and like a zombie, I walk toward him and latch on to his wrist.
Jasik doesn’t need to tell me that this is taboo, that feeding from him won’t sustain me for long, that doing this is going to change things between us. He doesn’t tell me these things because they don’t matter. I can’t stop myself from tasting him. I accept his offering and sink my fangs into his flesh.
Feeding from a living—or even an undead—creature is nothing like sipping from a blood bag. I suppose that’s why the vampires choose to drink from a mug. They’ve turned feeding into a stale, automatic experience. They’ve eliminated the predatory drive. But now, as I slice through Jasik’s flesh, feeling his body firmly pressed against my own, feeding feels…different. It’s exciting, arousing, and I never want it to end.
I latch on to Jasik’s T-shirt and run my hand up and down the length of his chest. The harder I suck, the faster his heart beats. I listen to the steady thrusts of his overworked muscle and imagine sinking my fangs into it.
The chaos around us falls away, and silence envelops the world. I had no idea blood could have such control over me, over him, over our emotions. In the midst of a war, all I see is him.
Jasik whispers my name. His voice is soft, pleading, as if he’s telling me I need to be the one to stop, that he isn’t strong enough to pull away. The feeling of having such control over the one who granted me this life is euphoric.
I take one last hard suck, relishing in the way Jasik moans my name, and pull back. I stare into his eyes, and they’re glowing. His crimson irises are shimmering and neon and full of such devotion and lust. He doesn’t want me to stop. He wants me to feed from him until he takes his last breath. And I want to. I want to relish in his blood, in his body. I want to feel him give way to my strength.
He’s so close. We breathe the same air. I lean against him, angling my head up, and he understands, leaning down. Our lips brush, and everything explodes.
Before we kiss, someone screams my name. I jerk away, stumbling backward until I fall on my butt. I look from the battle to Jasik and back again. My cheeks heat with embarrassment. I can’t believe I was so caught up in my blood lust that I neglected to aid my friends. How could blood make me ignore the world around me so completely?
Malik screams a blood-curdling howl, and it has me pouncing to my feet in a flash. Jasik has already left me and joins his brother. He grabs on to Malik’s arm and pulls him from the ground just as the rogue’s fists come crashing down. The two miss each other by mere seconds.
A dagger is protruding from Malik’s gut, and Jasik yanks it free. With these two safely away, I set my sights on the rogue vampire.
With the taste of Jasik’s blood still on my lips, I charge the rogue, roaring like some wild beast with each step I take. My footfalls radiate through the earth and echo all around me.
In a flash, Jeremiah is in front of me. He takes a knee and throws his arms out before him. They’re two solid slabs of muscle, and I know exactly what he expects me to do with them.
I run faster, putting every ounce of energy into my legs as I can. I leap, jump onto Jeremiah’s arms, and he propels me forward. Once again, I’m flying. I spin through the air fast enough to surprise the rogue and plant a solid two feet against his chest. The force behind impact is so harsh, he is flung backward and doesn’t stop until he slams into the base of a thick tree several dozen yards away.
Back on my feet, I unzip my jacket’s inner pocket and unsheathe my stake. I withdraw it and clench it tightly in my hand. The rogue is jumping back to his feet in time to watch me point the sharp end directly at his heart. I smile, a wicked threat on the tip of my tongue, but he doesn’t give me a chance to speak.
He’s running toward me, and I pounce into the air, curving my spine until I backflip right over him. When I land, I spin and thrust my leg outward once, twice. I swing my arms around and hit him over and over again. I use the stake as more than the deadly weapon it is. Each time I hit him with my right hand, the pointed dagger skids across his skin, leaving crimson slashes in its wake.
He lashes forward, desperately trying to grab on to me, but I’m too fast. I sidestep all of his attacks just like Malik taught me. If he weren’t slowly bleeding to death, he’d be proud of how much I learned.
I smash my fists against his wrists, and his arms fall numb at his sides. I spin and thrust my stake into his chest, making impact. His eyes bulge from their sockets, but he stops me from making a kill. Surprised, I hesitate and offer him enough time to save himself.
His fist smacks into my jaw with such force, I’m certain it’s broken—again. I fly backward and land in a heap on the ground several yards away. I scurry to my feet, wiping away the blood that dribbles from my mouth. I swallow down a mouthful of the thick liquid and run my tongue over my fangs. Nothing seems to be broken.
The rogue withdraws my stake and playfully spins it in his hand. Appare
ntly I didn’t account for the extra layers of muscle he has protecting his rib cage. I won’t make that mistake again.
He pretends to throw the stake at me, and I flinch in response. He smiles a wide, toothy smile, and I die a little on the inside. I hate that he can bring such fear out of me even when I feel so strong.
“Did you really think this little thing would be my end?” the vampire asks. He lifts the stake and holds it loosely between two fingers.
Suddenly a quick whip of air rushes toward us. The stake is flung from the rogue’s hand and is slicing through the air before landing in the hands of a witch. She uses it to stake a rogue vampire before turning to aid her fallen comrade.
While I’m happy the air witch used my weapon to eliminate a rogue, I’m slightly annoyed she left me to fend for myself. The rogue must read my thoughts on my face because he offers a sly grin before dashing toward me.
Weaponless, I have only minutes to decide my exit strategy. I can only run for so long. If I don’t end this tonight, he will find me, and next time there really will be a missing witch—or worse.
Clenching my hands at my sides, I try to force myself to use the same magic from earlier. I don’t know how to tap into it, but my odds are similar. Like earlier, I’m surrounded by rogues. Witches are dying, and my allies are weak. We’re severely outnumbered, and they need me. I need me.
You can do this, Ava.
I have only seconds to clear my mind and search for the foreign power within me. By the time it surfaces, it’s too late. The rogue is upon me.
We’re thrown backward, and my head thrashes against the scratchy bark of the very tree I sent him crashing into just moments ago. Before I can stop him, the rogue thrusts his hand into my gut, using the same weak opening created earlier tonight.
I scream as I latch on to his wrist. With both hands, I fight against him. Slowly, he makes his way deeper into me. His hand is stretched, and his fingertips tease the bones of my spine. I gasp from realization.
Dark Magic (Darkhaven Saga Book 2) Page 7