by Sophie Stern
Vampires are dying one by one, fading into the corpses they were meant to be.
No one is supposed to be immortal.
No one is supposed to be able to live for an eternity.
No one is supposed to be able to do any of that.
In many ways, I watch as the world rights itself again. The creatures who wanted the power, who wanted the strength, who wanted everything: they’re gone. They’re dead now. They’re dissolving back into piles of bones and that’s how it should be.
“You did it,” Daisy’s voice sounds in my ear, loud and clear. “You seriously did it. They’re dying. Songbird, that was you.”
“It’s not over yet,” I murmur, reaching for Edith. I touch the sword, rubbing my hand over it. I’m so close to being done. I’m so close to finishing everything, but first...first I have to say goodbye to the vampire who started it all.
First, I have to kill the Vampire King.
I go back into the hallway where Harrison is fighting off the last vampire. He slugs him, dropping the vamp to the floor. Then he turns to me and smiles.
“You did it.”
It’s not a question.
“I did it,” I confirm.
He strides across the hall, stepping over the vamps littering the hallway, and he pushes me against the wall. Harrison kisses me hard, passionately, deeply. He kisses me like he means it.
“All right, lovebirds,” Daisy says in our ears. “It’s time to get moving. The asshole lord isn’t going to stay in one place for long. He’s up one floor. Go now and you should catch him before he realizes what you’ve done.”
We look at each other and nod.
It’s time to move.
We scurry to a nearby staircase and run up. We take the stairs two-at-a-time. We’re tired and sweaty and worn out, but we’re ready for this nightmare to be over. I am, at least. Derek has stolen so much of my life. I’m ready for him and the other vampires to be gone.
I’m ready for them to stop terrorizing the city, for them to stop bringing chaos wherever they go.
I’m ready for a fresh start.
I’m ready for tomorrow.
At the top of the stairs, there’s another hallway like the one downstairs.
“Which way do we go?” I ask.
“Follow the blood,” Harrison says. He points to a line of blood that leads down the hallway to the right. I don’t what to know where it leads or where it goes, but he’s right. It seems like the best way to figure out our next move is to follow the visualization of death that seems to be fucking everywhere around Derek.
We move quietly, silently.
“There are no guards up here,” I whisper aloud.
“There won’t be,” Daisy says. “Most of the vampires are dead. I’m seeing reports and videos from all across town, Songbird. The angels, demons, shifters, and humans are all uniting. They’re all killing off the vampires who ran inside to hide. They’re taking back the city.” I can practically hear her tearing up. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
“No,” I shake my head. “Not thanks to me. It was a team effort. This is thanks to all of us.”
“She’s right,” Harrison says to Daisy. “Without you, we wouldn’t have made it this far.”
“It’s time,” Daisy says. “It’s time to end this. Do it for me,” she says. Then she adds, “Do it for my baby.”
The line goes dead, and I know that Daisy has peaced out. She’s not going to listen to us killing Derek. She’s not going to listen to what happens next, and I don’t blame her. Daisy has heard more than enough death in her life to last her a lifetime. She doesn’t need more.
We follow the blood-covered floor down one hallway and then another. Finally, we arrive in front of a large stained-glass door. The image on it is of a vampire wearing robes. It looks like something you’d see in a church, but this is no place of worship.
“Pretentious,” I murmur, and I push the doors open.
Harrison and I walk inside.
Chapter Fifteen
Harrison
“I was wondering when I should expect you.”
Derek is by the window when we walk in. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t turn. He’s facing the window that overlooks the city. He thrives on this chaos, this ruin. He loves just how wild and horrible everything is in this moment.
That’s what vampires do.
They create chaos, and then they revel in it.
“Fuck you,” Amy says, standing beside me.
That brings a deep, low chuckle, and Derek finally turns around. He’s taller than I expected, and younger. He looks like he’s close to my age, or was, once upon a time. Who knows how long he’s been a turned vampire? Who knows how long he’s had his sights set on ruling the world? Too long.
That ends now.
“Now, is that any way to talk to your lord and master?” Derek clucks his tongue, as if correcting a petulant child. I can sense Amy’s frustration in this moment and I know that Derek can, too. It’s what he wants. If he can get her angry and frustrated, he can kill her easily. The reality is that Amy is a human and Derek is a monster.
He has the upper hand here, or at least he thinks he does.
He doesn’t realize she has the fucking sword of wonders with her.
“You are not my master,” she says. “And you never will be.”
“And you’ll never be anything but a thief, I’m afraid,” Derek says, shaking his head. “You know, when you broke into my home, I should have expected that you’d come back for more goods. Tell me: how did Zax like the weapon you provided him with?”
If Amy is surprised that Derek knows all about her stealing the weapon or her intention to sell it to Zax, she’s smart enough not to show it. Instead, she continues to stand with the same posture. She doesn’t give any her thoughts by shifting or adjusting her position. She doesn’t reach for the blade. It’s still small, still hidden. She bides her time, and she’ll whisper the magic words to bring the blade to its true size when the moment is right. For now, she’s patient.
Good.
That’s what we need in this moment.
“You’re trying to destroy the humans,” she says instead.
“Not trying, dear. I’m succeeding. Marvelously, too. Oh, I see that you managed to knock down my darkness,” he motions to the window. Obviously, it’s protective glass that doesn’t allow UV rays inside. Otherwise, he’d be as dead as everyone else. “A minor setback.”
“You idiot,” Amy shakes her head. “It’s more than a setback. It’s done. Besides, don’t you realize that killing humans means you’re killing your food source?”
Derek laughs. “Killing? Why, whoever said anything about killing, darling?”
Amy doesn’t seem to understand what he means, but I do.
“You’re catching them,” I say. “Turning them into food on demand.”
“Humans had fast food for nearly a hundred years,” the vampire shrugs. “Is it so wrong that I want my people to have a taste of the same thing?”
“It is wrong,” she says.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one,” Derek tells her softly. He walks around his desk and leans on it, looking casually from Amy to me and back again. He doesn’t seem threatened or scared, but that’s not a good thing.
His lack of fear means he knows something that we don’t.
Amy has the sword.
She’s the one who can wield it, the one with all of the power.
She’s the one in charge here, but that’s okay because I absolutely trust her with everything I’ve got.
But I also know that a distraction never hurt anyone, and if Derek thinks he has the upper hand, then he is so, so damn wrong. I’m not about to let him destroy the one good thing in my life. Amy saved me and I owe her everything now. This is my chance to prove it.
“Hey, fang-face,” I say. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”
“Pick on someone?” The vampire says. He turns
his full attention to me, and if I’m not mistaken, he seems angry. Really angry. Being called a stupid name will do that to someone.
“Yeah. That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it? You’re bullying the humans? Capturing them? Torturing them? If you want to be a jerk, why don’t you level the playing field?”
“What are you suggesting, demon? That I play with your kind?” He waves his hand as if it’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “How trite. I did that for centuries. I’m ready for something a little less...” He licks his lips. “Salty.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, the vampires are gone,” Amy points to the window. “We stopped you. Them. They’re dead or dying.”
Derek seems unbothered. He waves his hand. “They can be replaced easily. I have more of them downstairs. Besides, turning a vampire isn’t hard.”
“That’s just a lie,” I tell him. It takes time, effort, and dedication to turn someone into a vamp. If they don’t die in the process, they’re weak and sickly for days, sometimes weeks. The vamp who sires them has to make sure he’s present and able to care for them. Otherwise, they just wither away and die.
“And you’ve never lied, is that it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
I back up and Derek moves toward me. Amy is slightly off to the side. She moves back a little bit more. Her movement is so slight that Derek doesn’t seem to notice, but little gets by a vampire. He steps toward me again and Amy reaches for her waist. Derek’s head turns just the slightest bit toward her.
Does he know she has the sword?
Does he realize what she’s about to do?
Then his nostrils flare, and he turns back to me with a smirk.
“Humans have the sweetest scent, don’t they?” He asks. “This one is special.”
He steps toward me again.
I back up.
“She’s sweaty, so her scent is stronger.”
Another step.
“She’s been played with recently, so she’s still slightly aroused. That is, unless violence excites her, which it might.”
Another step forward.
I take another one back.
I’m almost pressed up against the wall, but Amy is behind Derek at this point, and as his gaze is focused on me, I see her slide the weapon from her side.
Slowly.
She doesn’t attract his attention.
“She’s not for you,” I say, glaring at him.
“She’s not yours to keep,” he responds with a scoff.
He steps forward again and this time, I back up directly into a wall. I’m trapped, but that was his plan all along. He’s between us now and there’s no escape for me. I’m an Earthborn demon. I have no powers, no plan. My only hope now is that Amy will be the badass I know she is and save the day.
Sometimes the prince needs to be rescued, too.
“I’m going to enjoy you, demon,” the vampire says. He lifts his palm to my cheek and runs a nail down. I feel nauseous at his touch, at his scent. “I so rarely drink from other species, but today is a bit of a special occasion, don’t you think?”
Amy moves behind him and I see her lift up the blade.
Confidently, I nod.
“Oh, yes, Derek. It’s a very special occasion, indeed.”
His fangs come out, long and sharp, and just as he moves to bite me, she starts to sing the song.
“Where angels lie...”
She recites the poem quickly, breathing it out almost instantly. The blade shifts into its true size, and before Derek can move, she brings the weapon down. It blazes into his back, piercing him. His eyes go wide as he realizes too late what is happening, and he cries out. He dies instantly and starts to fade into nothingness.
I step aside as she plunges the weapon deeper into him. It comes out his stomach and I manage to get out of the way just before it hits me, too. Apparently, Amy doesn’t mess around when she kills someone.
Then he falls down with a loud thud.
It’s over.
I look up at Amy and she’s got tears streaming down her face.
“We did it,” she whispers.
We did it.
Chapter Sixteen
Amy
There’s a part of me that can’t believe it worked.
It actually worked.
All of it.
We united the angels, knocked out the magic users, and defeated the ugliest fucking vampire in the universe.
And now it’s over.
It’s all over.
“Daisy,” I whisper. I use her real name over the comm unit. I can’t help myself. “It’s over,” I say. “Tell everyone. Make sure everybody knows. It’s completely over.”
I turn off the comm before she can reply, and I throw myself into Harrison’s arms.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, and he smiles.
“Better than okay,” he whispers. He kisses me and lifts me up, carrying me out of the vampire’s office. Derek is already a pile of ash. He was an old vampire, a strong vampire, but his reign is over. The city is safe now. We’re all safe now.
It’s going to take time to rebuild. It’s going to take ages. It doesn’t matter, though. Any future we have is better than what we had under the thumb of a vampire who wanted to eat us.
Harrison takes me out of the office and down the hall. I bury my head in his shoulder, relieved that it’s finished. It’s all finished. The sword is back to its normal, small size, and is tucked safely in my bag. I don’t have to worry about anything else anymore.
Not now.
Not for a long, long time.
Harrison takes us to an elevator and presses a button. The machine moves, lowering us, and I half expect we’re going to go home, but we don’t. Not right away. Instead, he takes me to the treasure room where it all started. When I finally open my eyes, I’m surrounded by silver and gold.
“Why here?” I ask.
“You’re treasure,” he says. “This should happen in a room of treasure.”
Then he sets me down and he kisses me long and slow. A tingle shoots down to my toes and I curl them inside of my boots, ready and anxious for this to happen. I need this. We both need this.
And it seems, somehow, like we’ve been waiting an eternity.
He runs his hands down my shoulders as he kisses me. I drop my bag gently to the ground and he slowly, carefully, unbuttons the jacket of my vampire uniform. I’m ready to be rid of it, anyway. I’m ready to be done with everything that happened today.
He pushes it back over my shoulders. The heavy fabric falls to the floor and drops, landing quietly. Then he strokes my shoulders and just looks at me.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt like this before.
I’ve kept myself away from relationships, away from monsters, away from everything.
I’ve thrown myself into work and adventures and making a future, but this?
This is something I never could have imagined.
This is perfection.
“Are you sure?” He whispers.
“I’m sure.”
“There’s no pressure,” he says, but I kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I pull him close and now it’s my turn to take control. I lead the kiss, showing him what I want, showing him that yes, I’m ready.
After a day like today, I’m ready to forget about everything except him and me.
Everything else can just disappear.
Harrison chuckles and reaches down, grabbing my ass. He pulls me close to him. I can feel his hardness through our clothes. Yeah, he wants this, too. Feeling brave, I reach down and grip him, stroking him over the pants.
“You know I love that,” he whispers.
“Me too. You’re so hard for me.”
“You’re fucking hot, baby,” he says, and he kisses me again.
He unbuttons my pants and pushes them down. Then Harrison reaches between us and begins to stroke me quickly, passionately. He plays my body like an instrument. The song he creates wells u
p inside of me and threatens to explode.
“Come apart for me, Amy,” he whispers, kissing me. “Let me feel you come for me, princess. You saved the world. Now come.”
He slides his fingers inside of me, pulsing, stroking. He bites my neck at the same time, covering me with both pleasure and pain, and I come undone. I cry out and he silences me with a kiss that takes my breath away again.
And then he lifts me, carrying me. My legs are still shaking as he moves us to a bench. Like everything else in the room, it’s gold. This one is encrusted with rubies. It looks far too pretty to have sex on, but something tells me that’s not going to stop us.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“You’re beautiful,” he counters. He sets me on my feet carefully, allowing me a moment to et my balance, and then he sits down on the bench. He pulls his cock out and strokes it as he watches me. He looks purely masculine, purely sinful. I want him in this moment. I want all of him. I kick off my boots and my pants and yank off my bra so that I’m totally naked in front of him.
“Amy,” he whispers.
“You look so fucking hot,” I say.
Dropping in front of him, I take his cock in my mouth. I lick and suck and tease. I rub my hands over his balls as I play with him, taunting him the same way he teased me just a few minutes ago.
I love the way he feels inside of me. I love the taste of him, the scent of him. Soon it’s not enough, though, and I want more.
I need more.
Now.
All of him.
I look up at Harrison to find him watching me, groaning. I climb up, running my hands up his chest as I do until I’m standing in front of him with my hands on his shoulders. He leans forward and nips at my breasts, biting and teasing.
Kissing.
Sucking.
I climb onto his lap, straddling him, and then I lower myself down. Harrison stretches me, filling me. It’s a tender feeling, but a good one. I groan as the sensation spreads. I feel so fucking full that I might explode. It’s been a long time since I was with another person and last time, it felt nothing like this.
This time it feels like it was meant to be.
This time it feels like perfection.
