by Nashoda Rose
A Long Neck came at me. I shifted right, flipped to my hands, and then kicked out, sending him backward into one of his buddies. I swayed as my vision blurred.
Putting my hand to my head, I staggered, and then fell to my knees.
Christ, I was outnumbered, wounded, and had one knife against seven assholes and a Lilac.
I lifted my head and searched for Rayne.
“Kilter!” She ran toward me, but the Long Neck who dragged her from the SUV, grabbed her arm and whirled her backward. She flew through the air and crashed into the hood of the car. Blood ran down the side of her face and her lower lip.
Fuck. No. “Rayne,” I yelled.
I pushed off the pavement and climbed to my feet. Fuck, I had to get to her. I took one step toward a vampire preventing me from doing that when webs looped around my legs from behind and I crashed forward.
No.
“Rayne,” I shouted. “I’m down. Rayne. Lilac has her.” There was no response. No one was close enough, damn it.
I shifted to my right side and slashed at the webs with my knife. It was pointless.
I knew I was fucked.
The Lilac laughed then ordered, “Secure him.”
Three vampires jumped me, pinning my body to the ground, one on each shoulder, the other crushing my windpipe with his knee.
“Kilter,” Rayne shouted.
I managed to free one shoulder and punched my fist into the balls of the vampire cutting off my oxygen. He dropped, curling into a fetal position, screaming in agony.
Didn’t matter much. The others had me down and I was fading—fast.
I looked toward Rayne. She stood standing over the Long Neck.
No blood. No wounds. He was dead.
Fuck. She’d used her ability. She killed him.
Good girl.
She looked in my direction then to the Lilac.
A wave of dread shifted through me. I knew what she was going to do. Oh fuck, no. She couldn’t defeat a Lilac. She’d never get close enough to touch her and use her ability.
“Rayne, no,” I said, but my words came out a ragged whisper as I struggled to breathe.
She walked toward the Lilac. Christ. She had no idea what these bastards would do to her. Then the name hit me. Jasmine. Lilac Jasmine. Jesus Christ, she was the one who imprisoned Waleron for over sixty years.
“Let him go,” Rayne said. Then she pulled a gun—the gun I’d dropped—from behind her back and pointed it at the Lilac. “Tell your pets to let him go.”
My heart thumped harder and my chest cramped as I watched and could do fuck all.
“Are you going to shoot me, Rayne?” the Lilac replied. “I saved your life. Did you know that?” A vampire shifted to block my view of Rayne.
“Kilter saved my life. I was an object before him.”
Everything in my body stilled.
“You think a bullet will stop me?” Jasmine said. “You were always a pathetic, naïve girl, Rayne.”
I jerked as the gun went off.
The vampires hissed and two moved toward Rayne.
The gun went off again. I couldn’t see what she was shooting at, but I heard a body thump to the ground.
“Wait,” Jasmine ordered.
“Kill him and the next bullet goes through my head before any of your pets can get to me. Or let him go and I walk away with you and no one gets hurt.”
What? What the fuck was she doing?
The two vampires holding me down each grabbed an arm and yanked me to my feet. I struggled against their hold, but with the webs around my legs, I couldn’t move.
My head was forced back as a thin wire cut into my throat.
“Rayne, no,” Roarke yelled.
I could no longer speak, so I used my telepathy, hoping her shields were down enough for me to break through to her. “Babe, no. Don’t do this.”
Her eyes darted to me then back to the Lilac again. But I saw the trembling in her hand as she held the gun. A gun that was pointed at her own head. My stomach churned.
“If you kill yourself, then he dies,” Jasmine said.
Rayne glared. “If you want me alive, then let him go.”
Fuck. “No.” The wire tightened on my throat and I could no longer breathe. “Jesus, Rayne, I’m not worth it.”
“You’re worth everything, Kilter,” Rayne replied.
I was shocked to hear her speak telepathically with the clarity of an Ancient.
“Let him go. Now,” Rayne repeated.
The Lilac raised her brows, her fingers tapping on her thigh. “And if I do, you will come with me? Willing?”
The wire cut deeper into my throat as I arched against the vampire’s hold of me and I could no longer breathe.
“Very well…” She said something else, but I couldn’t focus anymore as my vision and hearing faded.
Suddenly, I was released and fell to the ground, collapsing onto my back.
Then Rayne was on her knees beside me. Her palm on my cheek, tears in her eyes, and a choked sob escaped. “Oh, God, Kilter.” Her eyes shifted to my wound.
I knew what she was thinking, and she was right. It was fatal if I didn’t get to a healer soon. “Her heart. Aim for her heart. Then run.”
She shook her head defiantly. “Don’t give up. Don’t you dare give up.”
“Babe… not giving up.” I could barely get the words out, and she rested two fingers on my mouth. “But you can’t go with her… too dangerous. Damn it, shoot her. I can hold the others off while you run.” It was a chance. That’s all she needed. A chance to get away. Once the Lilac had her, she’d disappear and, even if I survived, the chances of finding her were slim.
“I love you,” she whispered. A tear trailed down her cheek then slipped off her chin to land on my chest.
Didn’t she understand that if she left me and I survived, there would be nothing for me except destruction? This would obliterate me.
“Rayne—”
“No touching,” Jasmine said as she casually strolled toward us.
Rayne stiffened and lifted her gun.
“Baby,” I whispered, then closed my eyes. “Don’t…”
“They would’ve killed you.”
Most likely they still would, if I didn’t die first.
Danni’s voice plowed into my head. “Kilter, where are you? Jedrik and Delara are at the gallery looking for you and Rayne.”
“Rayne….”
“Tracking you,” Danni said.
Fuck, it would be too late.
I STOOD. I DIDN’T know what I was doing, except trying to save Kilter’s life. My guess was Jasmine wanted me alive, and that was my playing card.
I trembled.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt, and I was terrified this wouldn’t work. “Call your pets off.”
Jasmine nodded to the vampires and Long Necks and they backed off.
I half-smiled, at least I tried to fake a half-smile. “If Kilter dies, I will fight you for eternity.”
Kilter’s half roar sounded agonizing like a crackled, ragged shout. I tried to block it out as tears welled.
Jasmine raised her brows, smiling. “You won’t know if he lives or dies.”
“But I will.” I glanced at Kilter. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “You know what I am, Jasmine. A Reflector. And my connection with Kilter is powerful. I’ll know.” It was a lie. I wouldn’t know, but I was a Reflector and what I shared with Kilter was strong.
“Rayne, you don’t understand,” Roarke shouted in gasping breaths. “Damn it, she will use you against the Scars—” His words were cut off as Jasmine nodded to a Long Neck and he dove on top of Roarke, putting his long, filthy fingernails into his chest like five daggers.
“No,” I screamed and ran to him. A hand latched onto my arm, stopping me, and I whirled, squeezing the trigger. There was no sound as the bullet went through his forehead and he collapsed to the ground.
Jasmine stepped back. “Your Roarke will recover, but he
won’t.” She nodded to Kilter. “He is dying. If we stand here any longer, you won’t have any bargaining power.”
I saw her fingers twitch, and I was ready to dive to the side before her webs caught me in a snare.
“Rayne, Christ, no. Don’t. Delara is on the way.”
I ignored his words. My card had been dealt, and if it meant Kilter’s life, then I was willing to do anything. I’d never had the opportunity to save anyone, never had anyone to care enough about. Now I knew what it meant to love another.
Jasmine smiled. “Shall we go?” She nodded to the three remaining vampires and CWOs and they scattered.
“Fuck. Noooo.” Kilter’s voice screamed in my head.
I peered at him, needing to see him one more time. But not like that. God, Kilter, stop fighting. He struggled against the webs, but they only tightened around him as the blood seeped faster from his wound.
“Please, Kilter. Don’t. Let me go knowing you’ll live. I need that.”
He didn’t respond.
“Get in the car,” Jasmine ordered.
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Walking away from him. Not knowing if he was going to survive.
I wanted to leap out of the car and run to his side, hold him in my arms, protect him. Kilter needed someone to protect him for once.
In the distance, I heard sirens. Someone must have reported the gunshots.
I closed my eyes as the door slammed shut and the SUV backed out of the alley. I didn’t know if he was near enough, but I had to try. He was the one person who would know what to do. Who could help Kilter and get him to Anstice.
“Waleron, Kilter is in trouble.”
Silence.
The tires screeched around a corner and horns blared.
“Waleron, please.” What if he wasn’t close enough to hear me? I was uncertain how far my telepathy reached. “Waleron, please, Kilter is hurt.”
“You’re using your telepathy and it’s a great distance,” Waleron said. “Only Ancients and a few rare Reflectors are able to communicate this far.”
I really didn’t care at the moment, so I ignored what he said. “It’s Kilter. He’s hurt. Please, don’t let him die. Promise me you won’t let him die or all I’ve done is for nothing.”
“What have you done, Rayne?” Waleron’s tone was hard.
I ignored him and continued, “He’s in the alley behind a condo building on Queen West. Across from the park.”
Waleron’s voice grew stronger and deeper. “Jedrik and Delara are on their way. Where are you, Rayne?”
I didn’t honestly know. I was concentrating on speaking telepathically and we were moving fast through the city streets.
“Rayne, we never leave one of our own behind. Where are you?”
“Then you don’t have to worry—I’m not one of you,” I replied. “But Kilter is. Save him. He needs to trust, Waleron. He lost it and he needs it again.” I lowered the shields on my mind and wrapped my arms around myself.
Jedrik and Delara would help him. He’d be okay.
A tear slipped onto my lap and made a small wet mark on my jeans. No matter what happened to me, I knew the Scars would look out for Kilter.
I knew with every part of my soul that I loved him. I loved how he walked in a room as if he owned it. I loved how he could be angry, but gentle at the same time. I loved how he was honest, even if his words might hurt. I trusted him because of that.
I knew what he was searching. Salvation from the one thing he’d lost—trust from those he loved. But he had mine. He had all of me.
“Babe.” I tensed, eyes widening as Kilter’s voice penetrated my shield. “Love you, too. Coming… for… you.”
More tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Never give up on me.”
I wasn’t. I wouldn’t. I’d given up once in my life already, and I’d never do it again. But the bitch Lilac didn’t know that.
I turned to look at Jasmine. “Why do you want me? What makes you think I have any value to anyone?”
She smiled and glanced at me briefly before back to the road. “You don’t give yourself credit, my dear.”
“If you plan to use me against the Scars, it won’t work.”
She sighed, her long red fingernails tapping on the edge of the steering wheel. “You were never Anton’s. Did you know that?” I lifted my chin and didn’t say anything as our eyes met in the rearview mirror. “You’ve always been mine. Right from the beginning.” She licked her lips. “Anton was just a minion. He was pitiful actually, but he kept you alive. He could do whatever he wanted as long as you stayed alive until I needed you.”
“What do you mean?” My stomach twisted. What the hell was she talking about?
“I made a mistake a long time ago. One.” Her voice was crass and harsh, while her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Now I will correct it. He will pay for escaping me.”
“Who?” I had no idea what the hell this woman was talking about.
The car pulled into a circular drive of a large condo building. She shut off the engine and turned to look over her shoulder at me.
Some of my confidence wavered when I met her thin-lipped smile. Shivers ran down my spine. This woman had no remorse, no soul, and for some reason, she thought she owned me.
“He will come back to me or he will live with the knowledge that I have you. I was planning on waiting a while longer, until your husband managed to produce a Scar offspring out of you, but—” she shrugged “—things change. Now, it’s time for him to know the truth.”
“Who?” I asked. “Who are you talking about?” Was Jasmine from Kilter’s past? Had she helped his brother torture him? What did she mean Anton was her minion? What was going on?
Her brows rose. “You’ve been like a child to me, Rayne. I’ve watched you grow. Helped nurture you. Who do you think paid for all your private tutors? You’re well educated because of me. I was very disappointed when you lost all that weight.” Oh, my God, how did she know all that? “I must confess, I was concerned you may die.” She paused and smiled. “Do you know it was me who encouraged your husband to breed you with Roarke?”
Oh, my God. She was responsible.
She shrugged. “Roarke refused. A grave mistake on his part. It took little convincing when I told him, if he didn’t, then Ben would.” Holy shit, they blackmailed Roarke. She turned back around and opened her car door. “Come. We have some negotiating to do.”
A vampire emerged from the glass doors of the building. He escorted us to a private elevator that he accessed with a keycard and it took us to the top floor—the penthouse.
Liam. This had to be Liam’s place the Scars had talked about.
Jasmine led me through an elaborate mirrored foyer into a dark room with several spotlights on the abstract painting hanging on the white walls. Vibrant red throw pillows scattered across the white suede furniture. An iron spiral staircase led up to the second floor that overlooked the living room.
In the center of the room was a floor-to-ceiling gray stone hearth with a gas fireplace. A woman sat on a loveseat in front of it, and there was someone lying on her lap. She lifted her head and hissed.
I held in my gasp when I saw the blood smeared on her face.
My eyes darted to the person in her lap, realizing she’d been feeding on them.
Jasmine chuckled. “Riley, I’m certain Liam will be angry if you get blood on his furniture. Do be careful.”
“Riley, take your toy and leave,” a man said from the top of the spiral staircase.
The red-haired vampire smiled at me then shoved the unconscious, or maybe even dead, man to the floor. She picked up his leg and dragged him down the marble hallway and disappeared.
A door slammed.
Holy shit. My stomach churned and I wanted to run as fast as I could for the elevator, but it wouldn’t do me any good. I had a Lilac with webs shooting from her fingers and a condo full of vampires.
“Jasmine. Rayne.” The man s
trolled down the stairs, walked over to us, and kissed Jasmine on each cheek. Then he nodded to me. “I’m Liam.”
I glared and didn’t say anything. He laughed then turned back to Jasmine. “Everything go smoothly?” He briefly glanced at the wound on my shoulder.
“We had a mild hiccup at Keir’s house and had to track her. Roarke was with her.”
A vampire approached with three glasses of wine. He passed one to Liam and Jasmine and then waited for me to take the other one.
I didn’t.
“Take it,” Liam ordered.
I hesitated and his grin slipped away and I was met with an icy stare. I met it back, but when I saw his fangs and heard his subtle hiss, I took the wine.
“Let’s toast—to blood kin.” Liam raised his glass, as did Jasmine. “Family and those we love. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?”
I refused to lift my glass.
He took a sip then lowered his goblet and shifted to look at me. I had the urge to back away, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. His head tilted slightly and his brows furrowed. “You love him.” It was not a question.
Bastard had read my thoughts. “Does it matter?” My grip tightened on the glass and it shattered, red wine mixed with shards falling to the marble floor.
Liam snapped his fingers and a minion ran out of the room and into the kitchen. “It matters because he will come for you.”
Jasmine walked over to the fireplace and set her glass on the mantel. “It is highly unlikely he will survive.”
“You don’t know Kilter,” I retorted.
She raised her brows. “Mmm, true. He was rather determined to live.” Her finger casually swept across the mantel as if checking for dust. “But determination will get him killed.”
“Bitch!” I swung at her, but just before my fist made contact with her jaw, someone pulled me back, wrenching my arms behind my back. “You go after him, I will never give you anything you want. Never.”
Jasmine laughed, the deep, throaty sound like a harp playing in a windstorm. She threw the rest of her wine into the fire and the flames burst into an inferno for seconds, then calmed again.
“Oh, you’re mistaken, dearest Rayne. I don’t want anything from you.” She looked at Liam. “Set up the meeting. Tell him to bring your Abby, and then we shall see what Waleron will do when he learns the truth.”
