by J. J. Bonds
She steps toward Nik in a crouch, feinting to the left. Before she can take a swing at him, Nik sweeps her legs out from under her. Gusarov buries a knife in her belly as soon as she hits the floor. He drives it deep, cutting right through her until the blade scrapes the stone floor. Blood seeps from the wound, staining her dark shirt. Her pain is momentary. Nik finishes her off, removing the head, with focused determination.
I remain close to Viktor as our unit spills into the chamber. Anxious to join the fray, Wang and Xu corner the other vamp and behead him with a flourish. The body hits the floor with a thud, but we’re not finished yet. From the sounds of it, Alex’s team is deep in the throes of battle as well. The difference is they’re retreating down the corridor toward the main chamber. Skilled as they are, they’ve lost the advantage. Not a good sign.
They back into the chamber, weapons at the ready. The other Linkuri join their ranks, and I notice there are only five on Alex’s team. She’s lost a vamp. One of the Americans. Dalton. What did they find down that corridor?
I don’t have to wait long to find out as the vamps of the Order emerge, pursuing Alex’s team. There are only five of them. Alex’s team should have been able to take them easily. No way they’re as well trained or as disciplined as the Linkuri. So what went wrong?
Alex reaches for her comm, prepared to call Viktor for backup. It’s worse than I thought. Before she can even press the button to connect, the comm is knocked from her hand by a vamp with bright amber eyes. Ana. She’s impossibly fast. Which means she’s incredibly old and incredibly strong. The odds of us taking her prisoner look pretty damn slim. Not without reinforcements, anyway.
Ana’s hand shoots out in a blur, gripping Alex by the neck and lifting her from the floor. The Linkuri open fire, but she’s too fast for them. Ana is on the move and bullet-free as Alex’s body slams into the stone wall with a loud crack.
I scramble to the floor and grab the comm. The chamber is a cacophony of sound and movement as the Linkuri battle the Order. It’s too much to process. There’s only one thing I know for certain. Although we have them outnumbered, we’re outmatched with Aldo in his weakened state. “Viktor get your ass in here now!” I scream.
When I look up, Ana stands over me. Her eyes are cold, and the smile that spreads across her face chills my blood. “I knew you’d come for him eventually.”
I jump to my feet, pushing backward to put some distance between us. It’s not enough. Ana’s right hand cracks across my cheek, shattering the bone, as she backhands me into the wall. I lose my grip on the crossbow, and it clatters to the floor. My head slams against the stone, and I see stars. Literally. I shake it off and climb to my feet again, using the wall for support.
What is that in Ana’s left hand? My hands fly to my chest, confirming that she holds my bloodstone amulet. The smug grin on her face cuts like a knife.
And then Aldo is between us, shielding my body with his. No! He can’t. He’s too weak. I have to do something.
“Enough, Anastasia.” He raises his palm, cautioning me to stay back. “It doesn’t have to be this way, sister. We’ll find another way.”
Anastasia? Sister? It can’t be. She’s dead. Has been for hundreds of years. But she has Aldo’s eyes. And now my amulet. Her amulet. Is it possible she’s been cultivating her revenge for centuries, hiding from her pureblood kin and preparing the mixed-bloods for revolution?
She snarls, bearing her fangs, and the cold hard truth slams through me. She’s waited centuries, masked in shadows, to avenge the death of her mixed-blood lover. The one her own callous father murdered to preserve his bloodline. I’ve always wondered how a father could be so heartless, but as it turns out, his one act of mercy, sparing his only daughter, will be the demise of his legacy. Talk about irony.
“There is no other way,” Anastasia spits, balling her hands into two of the most powerful fists on the planet. “You’ve made your choices, and now you will pay. All of you will pay!”
Aldo remains calm, but his next words send an icy sliver of fear straight to my heart. “I will not let you hurt her.” For the first time in my life, I know the meaning of “paralyzed by fear.”
Anastasia raises her arm to strike, but Aldo blocks her. She strikes again and again, punching and kicking, a relentless blur of violence. I can barely track her movements. I don’t stand a chance of defending against them. Aldo counters, meeting her every blow, but he’s too slow, too weak. He won’t be able to hold her off for long. Where the hell is Viktor with our reinforcements?
Aldo misses a block. And then another. Ana slams her knee into his gut, bringing him to his knees. No! This can’t be happening. She wouldn’t dare. They’re family. Twins! Bile rises in my throat. I dive for the crossbow and bring it to my chest, putting the weight of it into my shoulder. As I take aim, Aldo turns to me.
No, please! No!
The look in his eyes, the love, the compassion, the pride. He’s going to sacrifice himself for me. But to what end? I can’t carry on without him. I know what he wants, but I can’t do it. I can’t!
I hardly recognize the guttural growl that rips from my throat as I pull the trigger and send the Annihilator flying. Anastasia lunges forward. The bolt grazes her shoulder, taking a chunk of flesh, but it’s not enough to derail her aim. Her flattened hand sinks into Aldo’s chest like a knife, gripping his heart and ripping the life from his chest.
“No!” Viktor’s cries echo through the chamber as his team rains fire down on Anastasia. They’re too late. It’s done.
Ana and what remains of her vamp entourage retreat down the tunnel from where they came with the Linkuri close on their heels. It doesn’t matter. Aldo is gone. I crawl to his body, lifting his head and cradling it in my lap as his blood pools in his chest and spills onto the floor.
I don’t know how long I sit like that, holding him. Eventually the gunfire ends, and the deadly silence of the chamber returns. I don’t have to look up to know that all eyes are fixed on me. Viktor. Alex. Nik. All of them.
“Leave me,” I order them, keeping my gaze fixed on Aldo’s dead eyes. I can’t bear their looks of pity right now. It’s too much. Especially knowing what I have to do next.
“Katia—”
“Leave me,” I repeat more forcefully this time, raising my eyes to Viktor’s. The pain I see reflected in his eyes cuts me to the core. He and Aldo were very close for so many years. He’ll never be able to forgive himself for this.
“The Order is gone,” Alex says. “We can give her a few minutes.”
“Very well,” Viktor agrees reluctantly. “We’ll be right outside.”
That last part is meant for me. But I don’t need their pity or their support right now. I just need privacy. Privacy to say good-bye. Privacy to protect Aldo’s bloodline.
Once the last of the Linkuri have left and the door has been shut, sealing Aldo and me in the chamber alone, I allow the tears to fall. Wet, salty, and ugly. I cry them all, embracing the pain that threatens to tear me apart.
The ache in my chest is like a thousand tiny wasps stinging my heart. Over. And over. And over. If I succumb to it, the grief will pull me under, drowning me in a black sea of despair from which I’ll never escape. It’s happened before. When I lost my parents. I shake it off. There will be time for self-recrimination later.
“Oh, Aldo. Why me?” I wipe a tear from my cheek. “I don’t know why you chose me, but I will do my best to honor your memory and make you proud. I will never forget what you’ve done for me, the second chance you offered. And as long as my heart beats, I will do everything in my power to make things right.”
When there’s nothing left to say, I lower my fangs to his neck and bite down. Fulfilling Aldo’s dying wish, I drain his body, taking every last drop of blood that remains. He’s too old, too powerful, his blood too fresh to take any chances. As I drink, I feel his power coursing through my veins, making me more than I am, more than I’ve ever been. In me, Aldo’s bloodline will continue.
I call for the others and instruct them to prepare Aldo’s body for transport. We will not leave him here like this. He will be brought home for cremation. Before they wrap him, I slip the bloodstone ring from his finger. It’s the least I can do for Lissette.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The night of Aldo’s vigil is unseasonably, oppressively, hellishly warm. The steamy air presses in on me, clinging to every part of my body, including my curly hair which refused to be straightened. The sky though is a thing of beauty. The soft glow of the moon is reflected on the lapping waves of the lake, and the stars shine bright, reminding me of the millions of souls who came before.
I stand stoically by Lissette’s side while she says her good-byes. I’ve already said mine. Her sobs are relentless, broken. Not surprising, since vampires mate for life and she’s just lost her soul mate. I try to comfort her, but it’s useless. There’s nothing I can say or do to console her because there’s nothing I can do to bring Aldo back. There’s nothing any of us can do.
My own grief is like a caged animal, fighting to break free and take control. I’m doing my best to keep it in check. I’m doing my best to be strong. For Aldo. For myself. For the coven I now serve in a permanent capacity. But every minute feels like a test. One I’m nowhere near prepared to take.
Lissette takes my hand, seeking support, when it’s time to spread Aldo’s ashes on the lake. I kick off my shoes and join her on the shore, the cool water of the lake licking at my ankles and proving much-needed relief from the summer heat. I force myself to look at her, feeling her pain as she prepares to let go. Her eyes are glassy and her bottom lip quivers. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this is for her.
“Good-bye, my love.” She sniffs as a tear rolls down her cheek. I squeeze her hand. “We will be together again one day soon.”
Lissette releases my hand and removes the top from the urn, setting Aldo’s ashes free on the lake he loved so much. A gentle breeze rises out of the west, carrying his ashes over the water.
When it’s done, Viktor escorts Lissette back to the house with the rest of our guests. The vigil was a small, private affair, but I’m not ready to face anyone, even our closest friends. I hang back, needing to be alone with my thoughts for a while. Although Aldo is gone and it feels like our world is ending, experience has taught me that life moves on. I don’t have the luxury of shutting down. We still have to deal with the Order.
Turns out Anastasia and the vamps that attacked Alex’s team were holding us off so the Order’s other leaders could escape through a secret passage. In the chaos that followed Aldo’s death, Anastasia also vanished through the tunnel and disappeared into the night. The Linkuri took down her soldiers, but Anastasia was long gone when they gave chase.
I pick up a smooth rock from the lake’s shore and roll it in my palm. It’s a perfect skipping stone. I pull back my arm and release the stone with a flick of the wrist, sending it sailing through the air and skipping across the lake into darkness. I bend to pick up a second rock. With my peripheral vision, I spot a pair of fluorescent orange sandals hovering at the edge of the forest. They can only belong to one person.
“I’m surprised you came.” I’m not angry, but I hadn’t expected Shaye to show since she’s made it perfectly clear we’re not on speaking terms and won’t be anytime soon.
She joins me on the shore, kicking up sand with each purposeful step. “Of course I came,” she says, perching an indignant hand on her hip. “I may be pissed at you for sending the Linkuri, but there’s nowhere else I’d be tonight.”
I’m not sure what to say to that. Am I supposed to apologize again? Beg for forgiveness? Fortunately, Shaye presses on before I can put my foot in my mouth.
“How are you holding up?” She kicks off her sandals and wiggles her toes, burying them in the grainy sand.
Wow, this is awkward. How did we ever get here? To a place where we can’t just be open with one another. Still, she’s trying, and even though I’m miserable, I know I have to meet her halfway. “Truthfully? Pretty sucktastic. I just can’t believe he’s gone. I keep expecting him to return and claim his rightful place on the Council.”
“It’s going to take time,” she says, nodding as if she understands. Hell, maybe she does. For all I know, Shaye studied the grieving process when she was diagnosed with a terminal case of otrava de sange. Lucky for her, she’s made a miraculous recovery with the help of Dr. Philips. “And it’s going to get easier.”
“I sure as hell hope so.” I give her a wry grin. “It can’t possibly get any worse.”
She pulls me in for a hug, catching me completely off guard. I’m not exactly a warm and cuddly vamp. But Shaye is, and the fact that she’s hugging me gives me hope. Hope that eventually we can get back to where we were. I return the hug, wrapping my arms awkwardly around her back.
“Stay strong,” she tells me, pulling away to look me in the eye. “If anyone can get through this, it’s you.”
I pull her in for another tight squeeze and whisper in her ear. “Thank you.”
“Looks like it’s time for me to cut out,” she says with a shaky smile. “There’s someone else who wants to see you.”
I turn and see Nik approaching. His dress pants hang low, and he’s loosened his tie. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in anything other than cargos since we left Crossroads. Not that it matters what he’s wearing. Nik looks good in everything. He’s kind of annoying that way.
“I’ll see you around?”
Shaye nods. I sort of figured she’d hang around since Keegan won’t be leaving any time soon. It wouldn’t be safe for him. He’s stuck with me until this thing is over, but Viktor and I have agreed to move him out of the basement and into a guest room with light guard duty.
“Hey,” Nik says by way of greeting. There’s no sign of the cocky grin he usually wears. Instead, the boy who looks back at me is humble and solemn.
“Hey,” I return, dropping to the sand and digging my feet in. Nik sits down beside me and drapes an arm over my shoulder. We sit like that for a while, watching the water, not saying anything. At first I think it’s because there’s nothing to say. Then I realize he’s waiting for me to break the silence.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Always.” He looks to me, but I remain focused on the lake.
“Everyone keeps telling me to be strong,” I say, staring at the water. “I’m kind of sick of hearing it. Does that make me a jerk?”
“No.” He strokes my hair. “I think it makes you human, or you know, humanlike. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“It’s just so hard, you know?” I lean into Nik, resting my head on his shoulder. “Aldo had all this faith in me. Not that I deserved it. But still, it felt nice. He was so sure I’d always stand tall and do the right thing. He was the only one.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
I reach up and kiss Nik on the cheek.
“I just miss him so much. It’s like there’s this black, gaping hole where Aldo is supposed to be. It must be a thousand times worse for Lissette.”
“That doesn’t make your pain any less significant,” Nik assures me, rubbing my back for comfort.
“I just… How could she kill her own brother like that? Her twin brother!” I shake my head, sickened by the images of Aldo’s death that refuse to leave my head. “Family is the most precious thing in the world.”
“Agreed. But families can be complex and difficult, and sometimes we just can’t make sense of them no matter how hard we try.”
“I should have protected him.” I nearly choke on the words. They’ve been racing through my mind for days, but this is the first time I’ve said them aloud.
“No.” Nik twists around, grabbing me by the shoulders and forcing me to look at him. He’s as serious as I’ve ever seen him. “It was not your job to protect him. It was his job to protect you. Aldo chose that responsibility when he brought you into his family. You were his niece in every
sense of the word. Don’t you ever doubt it.”
“Maybe.” He releases my shoulders, and I climb to my feet. “It doesn’t change the fact that everyone close to me ends up dead. You should keep your distance unless you want to be next.”
Nik leaps to his feet, anger flashing in his blue eyes. “Sorry, babe. You don’t get the luxury of indulging in self-pity. You need to channel that anger and figure out what the hell you’re going to do about it.”
**********
Hell must be getting frosty because for the second time—probably in the history of its existence—the Council has reached a unanimous decision. Aldo’s passing required the selection of a new head for the Council, and we’ve just voted DeVanie to the position. It’s a bittersweet moment for me, but I am confident this is what Aldo would have wanted. DeVanie’s the first American to lead, and I hope the winds of change will extend to the next order of business as well.
“We must discuss the Order,” DeVanie says, kicking off the meeting.
Before any of the others can get started with the usual rhetoric, I jump in. “We need to revisit the Order’s demands. At the very least, we need to consider adding the two requested council seats for the mixed-bloods. It’s our best bargaining chip, and I say we cash it in because the strategy with the Linkuri isn’t working. It’s backfiring; just as Elder Garrott said it would.”
“We stay the course,” Vlahos counters. “We will break them.”
“Are you serious? They’ve killed two Elders, and there were three attacks on my coven this week alone.” I nail Cardoso with a hard stare. Viktor’s contacts say there’s talk of removing Cardoso from the Council within his coven and within his own family. There’s only one way for an Elder to be replaced, one that isn’t going to agree with him. If Viktor’s heard the rumors, Cardoso must be aware of them as well. “Five in Cardoso’s.”
