He shook his head. "I wish I could, but I have my orders. She must be punished, and you need to see it so you will remember what happens to those who go against me."
He snapped his fingers. One of the men grabbed a fistful of Kristen's hair and yanked her head back.
"Stop!" I shouted. "You've hurt her enough!"
I stepped to go toward her, but Victor clamped down on my shoulder with his death-like grip. I nearly dropped to my knees from the instant pain.
Kristen's eyes shifted to mine. "I love you, Aris," she whispered, knowing I would hear her. "Remember who you are. You have a good heart."
I turned back to Victor. "I'll do anything! Whatever you ask!"
"Kill her," Victor said to his men, his expression blank.
I jerked as hard as I could, shaking free from his grip, and sprinted to the man holding Kristen's head back. He raised a knife high above her. I was close to passing Emma. Tears spilled onto her cheeks. I was too far away to get to Kristen in time and everyone knew it.
The knife came down and slashed across Kristen's neck. Blood spilled from the wound and ran down the front of her white shirt. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but the words never came. Her eyes glazed over. The man behind her shoved her head forward, and she fell face first onto the old, dirty boards.
Rage surged through me like never before. The darkness I had been taught to repress, I now embraced. Raw anger burned through my body, pumped through my blood until my mind exploded with fierce, uncontrollable power. I lunged for the two men near Emma first and snapped their necks before anyone realized what was happening. Then, as gently as possible for the way I was feeling, I tossed Emma into the water between two boats where she would be safe.
Bullets whizzed by me as I ran down the dock toward the man who had killed Kristen.
"Don't shoot him!" Victor's voice roared, but they didn't listen. They recognized the look in my eyes. None of them would live while I was still breathing.
I zig-zagged to avoid the bullets spraying through the air. One tore through my calf. Another drilled into my shoulder.
Just before I reached Kristen's murderer, I dropped into a roll and grabbed the dagger from my boot. I came up in front of him and stabbed it into his gut. I jerked upward all the way to his chin, filleting him wide open. Two more bullets drilled into my back. The one closest to my heart hurt the most.
Victor was still yelling, screaming at his men to stop.
I lunged for the next guard, slashing my knife across his throat. Blood sprayed the air in front of me. Blind with rage, I jumped through it and moved to my next victim, stabbing him into his ear.
I didn't need to become a vampire to become a monster. I just needed to get pissed off.
Another bullet pierced my thigh, and another plunged into my chest. I violently killed two more men while warm fluid filled my lungs. I gasped for air and dropped to my knees. Blood poured from my open wounds and puddled onto the wooden planks. I stared down at it as it ran through the cracks and into the water below.
Victor ran toward me, his hand outstretched. "Leave him alone!"
The Physician appeared at my side and pressed the barrel of a nine millimeter to my head. "We don't need him that bad."
I glanced toward the boats where I had thrown Emma. She had climbed up a ladder and was peeking over the edge, her hand to her mouth in horror.
If only I could have told her the truth. This was not the end for me. But it was the end of us. I would never put her life in danger again.
A loud crack filled the night air and pain exploded in my head. I fell over sideways, and my eyes closed. I expected it to be a quicker death, but I could still hear everything going on around me.
"You fool," Victor growled at the Physician. "You will pay for what you've done."
The Physician chuckled. "Bastian won't care. We already have what we need."
"Cops are coming," an unfamiliar voice said. "What do you want to do with all the bodies?"
"Leave them for the police," Victor said. "None of this is our concern anymore."
My mind began to fade as an approaching darkness snaked its way through my body. I could feel it all over, stretching as if it had woken from a long winter nap. It was cold inside me and wrapped around my heart. Was this death or me becoming a vampire?
The faint sounds of footsteps walked away from the pier, but someone remained. The presence was dark and familiar.
"If only I had found you sooner,” Victor said, close as if he were right above me. “Things would be so different. I'm sorry I failed you and your mother. I wasn't strong enough."
There was a moment of silence, then he turned and left me alone while the blood of the dead dripped into a sea of filth.
The darkness inside me grew, smelling of sulfur and burned corpses. I didn't struggle against it.
The time for being a hero has past. A monster must be born.
This was my destiny, after all.
* * *
The End
* * *
Continue on to book two, A Monster's Birth: Aris Crow Vampire Legend
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read this novel. I hope you enjoyed it! Please consider leaving an honest review, as they not only impact other readers’ purchasing decisions, but also help determine the success of my novels. Plus your opinion matters to me as well. I want to give you the best reading experience possible!
To sign up for release notifications for future releases, please visit my personal webpage at www.RachelMcClellan.com.
About the Author
About the Author
Rachel currently lives in New Hampshire, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four children. Her love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was …
* * *
Visit Rachel McClellan's website at www.RachelMcClellan.com to read her other many novels or to sign up for her newsletter where you will be notified of future releases.
@rachelmcclellan
AuthorRachelMcClellan
www.RachelMcClellan.com
[email protected]
A Hero's Death: Aris Crow Vampire Legend Page 25
