Betrayal (Blood Haze: Book Three) A Paranormal Romance

by Shuler, Tara

  “Relax, darling,” I whispered. “Close your eyes.”

  Alexi closed his eyes, and he sighed contentedly. I continued to stroke his hair with one hand, and I let my other rest on his chest. He clasped my hand in his, and squeezed it gently.

  “Join me,” he pleaded.

  I quickly slipped out of my clothes and cast them aside, stepping into the hot water and snuggling against his skin. I put my head on his chest and was lulled into a near trance by the rise and fall of his chest, and the rhythmic thumping of his heart. His arms were strong and comforting around me, and despite the looming threat of the wraiths, I felt content.

  “Alexi?”

  “Yes, my love.”

  “I believe in you.”

  “I know that, now. There was a time when I never thought you would, but I know now that you do.”

  “No matter what this does to you, I know it’s not you. Please don’t worry about me loving you any less. I promise you that I’ll never give up on you, no matter what happens.”

  “That is the only thing that gives me the strength to do this. Knowing you believe in me, and knowing you will be there when I return – is the only thing that I have to hold onto.”

  I shifted my body so I could look up into his eyes, and I placed my hand on his cheek. I was afraid. Not because I remembered the evil I felt in my vision. Not because I was worried Alexi couldn’t fight his way out of the darkness if it managed to overtake him. But because I was afraid my plan would somehow fail. I was terrified it would all be for nothing. I couldn’t lose him. He was everything to me.

  I remembered Barnabas’ vision of our marriage, and of me saving Alexi’s life after we were wed. I hoped it would never come to that point, but if it did, I prayed I would have the strength to do it. Alexi said the bond between married vampires would make it easier for my Grace to save him, and more than anything, I hoped that would be true.

  Chapter Seventeen – A Shocking Turn

  We slept for hours. Lying there in his embrace, it was all too easy to be lulled into a false sense of security – to almost forget the threat that loomed ominously in the distance. It was just hours until we would attack Dmitri’s compound, but Alexi’s touch was so enthralling, it was easy to become lost in it.

  When I finally woke up, I didn’t want to move. I wanted to keep lying there. I wanted to stay there with him, and never leave. I wanted to forget Dmitri, forget the wraiths, forget the world. I was motionless, nearly breathless. Finally, Alexi stirred.

  “Good morning, darling,” he murmured, nuzzling my neck.

  “Good morning, my love,” I returned, squeezing him tighter.

  It was at that moment that the reality of the situation began to press in on me. As I felt the warmth of his body against mine, and the softness of his breath on my skin, the terror seized me and refused to let go. I tried to hide it, to choke it down and lock it away somewhere deep in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t want to ruin what might be our last moments together. But it all hit me like a tsunami of emotion. It ravaged me, dashing me against the jagged rocks like a thunderous wave, and it all came crashing down.

  I dissolved. Burying my face in his chest, I released everything in a great wave of sobs. I felt Alexi’s grip tighten around me, and he whispered gently into my hair.

  “Darling, it is going to be alright,” he comforted me. “As long as we are together, nothing can hurt us. Please do not cry, darling. Please.”

  “Alexi!” I sobbed, my voice muffled by his flesh. “Oh, Alexi! I can’t bear to lose you! I can’t!”

  “You are not going to lose me,” he promised. “You said you believed in me. If that is true, you must know that I can do this.”

  Somewhere inside me, I knew what he said was true. I believed in him. I knew he wouldn’t let me down. Yet, the ever-present fear would not be quelled. It bubbled over and rushed against me, choking me.

  “I can’t live without you!” I cried.

  “You will not have to, love,” he vowed. “I promise.”

  Alexi held me close as I trembled and sobbed for what felt like hours. In reality, it must have been only a few minutes, but the terror I felt made it seem like an eternity. I felt his kisses on my hair, his lips brushing against my forehead. His strong arms encapsulated me like a warm shield, and soon I began to relax. Finally, logic stepped in and guided me out of the bleak darkness.

  Alexi was strong. He was capable. He loved me more than anything. It was true. I believed in him. If anyone could do this, it was Alexi. I looked up at him, and he brushed a tear away from my face.

  “I do believe in you,” I said confidently.

  “Then let us go and finish this,” he urged.

  I nodded, and I dried my face. I pressed my lips against his, and I managed to lose myself in his kiss for a few moments. There was a chance, however small, that it would be that time I would be able to kiss him. I would hold it with me forever, even if the worst should happen.

  “Let’s go,” I said at last.

  We filled ourselves with a quick breakfast, and we fuelled ourselves with blood from the volunteers. After discussing our plan one last time, we all piled into the new Guardian, and we were on our way.

  Alexi gripped my hand comfortingly in the car, and I fought to remain stolid. All of them needed my strength, and no matter how terrified I might be inside, I would be the rock they all needed.

  We arrived at Dmitri’s compound, and Alexi instructed the driver to crash through the gates. It had to appear like a real attack. Everything hinged on our ability to keep the wraiths distracted. The car came to a screeching halt in front of Dmitri’s massive house, and the driver blasted the horn dramatically.

  We all jumped out of the car, and I stood at the bottom of the steps and shouted, “Dmitri! Get out here, you coward!”

  I stood in front, with Alexi and Father Jacobs flanking me. Kai stood ready to attack, and my mother, Will, and Jamie all stood behind me. Their job was simply to make our numbers look a little more impressive. In reality, we could have brought any number of acolytes from the Council, but we needed the wraiths to feel like it would be an easy fight for them – just not unrealistically easy.

  Dmitri soon appeared at the front door. At first, his face was awash with confusion, but then I thought I noticed a twinkle of understanding in his eyes.

  “What is the meaning of this?” his voice boomed.

  “You know what this is about, Dmitri! It’s payback time!” I shouted defiantly.

  “You have an awfully small group for such an attack, little girl,” Dmitri growled. “Do you really think you stand a chance against me?”

  “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” I asked, grinning wickedly.

  I heard the familiar whispery hiss of the wraiths. They were somewhere nearby, but I couldn’t see them in my field of vision. I figured they were closing in behind us. I listened carefully, trying to ascertain their location and their proximity. I could hear their whispers growing closer, and the sound seemed to be coming from behind us. I waited patiently for the right moment, trying to control my frantically beating heart.

  “Now!” I shouted, when their whispers seemed to be right on top of us.

  Kai lunged at Dmitri, knocking him over. The two of them began to wrestle, and they tumbled down the steps. Kai threw a flurry of punches at Dmitri, but I knew his control was precise and accurate. Dmitri was in no real danger, but it certainly looked as though he was.

  Alexi’s eyes narrowed, and his hands balled into tight fists as he concentrated on gaining control of the wraiths. The flesh under his right eye twitched, and I could tell he was having difficulty. He could not see them, but I knew he could sense their presence through the dark magic coursing through him.

  Father Jacobs had already begun reciting the exorcism. I watched the wraiths, and they seemed to be undeterred. They formed a perimeter around us, closing in slowly as though they were toying with us. I could tell they had their sights set on Father Jacobs
. Alexi was unable to gain control.

  “Alexi, what’s wrong?” I asked quickly.

  “I do not know! I cannot make a connection!” he said, his voice tainted with anxiety. “I cannot concentrate!”

  Instinctively, I reached out and took his hand. I meant it only as a gesture of comfort – to let him know I believed in him, and trusted him. But the moment our hands touched, I felt a surge of electricity strike through me like lightning. I gasped aloud, and Alexi mimicked me.

  Whatever power I had inside me was amplified by his touch. I could feel it surging through me. It tingled and burned, but somehow, it was not unpleasant. It was empowering.

  The wraiths began to whisper frantically. Their voices sounded lost and confused. They paused to regroup.

  “It’s working!” I whispered, and Alexi nodded in acknowledgement.

  Father Jacobs continued reciting his exorcism, and his voice crackled with panic. He faltered, forgetting the words. He shook his head to clear it, and continued.

  Whatever Alexi was doing, it had the wraiths befuddled. They still stood motionless, their voices swirling around me frantically as they tried to understand what was happening.

  One of the wraiths broke away from the others. It flew at Father Jacobs, knocking him down. Without releasing Alexi’s hand, I drew a vortex down from the sky and hurled it at the wraith, knocking it back.

  Looking visibly shaken, Father Jacobs continued his recitation. The wraith recovered from my vortex, and it flew at him for another attack. Once again, I knocked it back with my vortex.

  Then, another wraith broke away from the pack. It joined the other, and the two of them flew at Father Jacobs. I didn’t think I could hit both wraiths with a single vortex, but if I released Alexi’s hand, it could break his connection to the other wraiths.

  I didn’t know what to do. I knew Alexi was keeping the others from attacking, and I wasn’t sure he could do so without my power boosting his. Even with my power, the connection could be broken at any moment. However, without Father Jacobs, all was lost. He was the only one who knew the recitation to exorcise the wraiths.

  I made the quick decision to release Alexi’s hand. I trusted him with all my heart, and I put all of my faith in him. I brought a second vortex down from the sky, and I hurled each of them at one of the two wraiths. They were knocked back, but they quickly recovered. And then they were joined by a third.

  “I am losing them!” Alexi shouted.

  “It’s almost over,” I urged him.

  Father Jacobs was still reciting, but I recognized how close he was to the end. Another minute, and it would all be over. We only needed to buy him another sixty seconds or so.

  I brought my hands together, merging the vortex into one. I brought it down like a protective shield around Father Jacobs. I could use it to knock back any wraiths that neared him. It was almost over.

  Another wraith broke away from the pack, but I barely noticed. I was concentrating so intensely on protecting the priest, that I hardly perceived the fourth wraith’s actions. The group of three wraiths neared Father Jacobs, and I thrust the walls of the vortex outward, propelling them away from him. It was then that I heard the sickening slurp of something piercing flesh, and I heard Alexi grunt in agony.

  All of my attention was instantly diverted to Alexi. The fourth wraith had hurled a broken tree limb at Alexi, and it was now lodged firmly in his chest. He collapsed into my arms, and I lowered him gently to the ground.

  In the seconds following this diversion, things happened to quickly it was hard to understand what was transpiring. Alexi was all I could see, but I was vaguely aware that the other three wraiths had descended on Father Jacobs. He fell silent. Without him, all hope was lost.

  I held Alexi in my arms, trying to decide what to do. Alexi might have only seconds to live, but if I didn’t gain control of the wraiths we would all die. All I could see was Alexi. Nothing else mattered. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my mother, my brother, Jamie, Will, and even Dmitri. It was that my mind literally would not focus on anything else. Everything else was blotted out by some giant black screen, and he was the only thing that existed.

  The terror that I might lose him enveloped me, and I began to tremble violently. My field of vision erupted into the familiar Blood Haze, and I tore the branch from Alexi’s chest and hurled it away.

  Time nearly stopped as his head lay cradled in my lap. His violet eyes looked up at me with pure adoration – and trust. He knew I would save him. The pain began to creep over my body, and my hands closed over his wound. I closed my eyes, and concentrated on funneling my energy into him.

  I could now hear the last words of the exorcism being uttered, but they came not from Father Jacobs. Jamie was reciting them. Through working with him to help him memorize the words, Jamie had learned them, too. In slow motion, I heard her voice – deep and slow, saying the last word.

  I looked down at Alexi, expecting him to be recovered. Instead, his eyes were closed and he lay motionless on the ground. I fought desperately to funnel my life into him, but nothing happened.

  “No!” I shrieked. “Alexi! You said it would be easier! You promised!”

  Tears began to sting my eyes, and pain seized my body in a way it never had before. I couldn’t keep going much longer. I could feel my own life force draining for my body, yet something was blocking it from entering Alexi. Something was preventing my life from saving his. My mind raced, frantically trying to understand.

  The darkness, I thought. Maybe the darkness has taken over, and it won’t let the light inside him. What can I do?

  “Alexi!” I cried. “What can I do?”

  My body still trembled violently, more so than ever before. The trembling and pain of using my Grace was interlaced with the terror that I might lose him. My teeth rattled together so loudly, it was almost deafening.

  The talisman, I thought suddenly. Maybe the talisman somehow absorbed the darkness, and it’s holding it inside him.

  I had no idea what I was doing, but I reached inside Alexi’s wound and began to search for the talisman. It had to be inside him somewhere, but I had no idea where. I didn’t know how much longer I had, but I was desperate to find it. Finally, my hand brushed against something cold and hard. My fingers closed around it, and I pulled.

  In my hand, covered in Alexi’s blood, was an ancient talisman. It was forged from a solid orb of gold, and it was carved with dozens of symbols I could not decipher. It hung from a golden chain. I glared at it for a second, and then cast it aside in angst.

  I placed my hands over his wound, and once again tried to channel my life into him. This time, my hands glowed brightly, and my Grace passed into him with ease. The trembling began to subside, and the pain that had wracked my body dissipated. I felt only the golden warmth of my life and Alexi’s melding together. It was pure, and it was beautiful. I felt him.

  His eyes opened, and I heard the familiar whir of time returning to normal. I gasped, and he looked up at me adoringly.

  “Alexi!” I cried, throwing my arms around his neck and sobbing gratefully into his hair.

  “Alice, my darling,” he whispered, still weak.

  I heard a devious chuckle, and I turned my eyes toward it. Dmitri bent down and his fingers grasped something. As he stood up, I could see the chain dangling from between his fingers. He put the chain around his neck, still dripping with Alexi’s blood, and he touched the golden orb fondly. I menacing grin curled up on his lips, baring his teeth as he snarled.

  “I knew it would work!” he growled. “You lot are pathetic. You fell for my little con, hook, line, and sinker. To think… you actually though I was afraid!”

  He cackled with glee as he thought of his deception, and then he turned his eyes down to Alexi.

  “Pity,” he growled. “I thought for sure you were a goner this time.”

  He glared at Alexi with contempt. I could hardly contain my rage. Alexi had almost died because we thought we were tryi
ng to help him, and Dmitri could not have cared less. I narrowed my eyes, preparing to attack him. He held his hand up and grinned at me with amusement.

  “Uh, uh, uh!” he warned. “I wouldn’t, little girl.”

  In a flash, he disappeared.

  I sat in confusion for a moment, and then I snapped back into reality. I looked around me, frantically searching faces to see if everyone was alive. Kai was lying on the ground a few feet away from where Dmitri had stood. He looked shaken, but fine. My mother, Will, and Jamie, were all crowded around Father Jacobs, who was lying motionless on the ground. I started to get to my feet, but my knees were wobbly, and they buckled.

  “You cannot help him, darling,” Alexi said gently. “You are too drained.”

  “I can’t just let him die!” I argued, trying once again to stand, but failing.

  “He’s already gone,” my mother mourned. “It’s too late.”

  “No,” I whispered, overwhelmed with emotion.

  Father Jacobs had done so much for us, and we had failed him. He had saved all of us at the cost of his life.

  “It is alright, darling,” Alexi comforted me. “He knew the risks.”

  “I failed,” I moaned. “I couldn’t see anything but you, and I failed him.”

  “It is over,” Alexi said. “There is nothing you can do. We can only look forward.”

  “What are we going to do about Dmitri?” I asked.

  “Let’s go home,” Alexi suggested. “We can talk about it when we get there.”

  Alexi hoisted me into his strong arms and carried me to the car, while Kai and Will carried Father Jacobs’ body. We would have to call his church and have them claim it for burial.

  It was a somber ride home, but I still felt intense relief. I did not know what was to come now that Father Jacobs was gone and Dmitri was armed with his talisman, but Alexi was still with me. I knew we could face anything as long as we were together.

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