I glanced up and found Jasik staring at me. His look was controlled, but there was something else there, a mixture of fear and longing. I’d seen that same look on my passport photo. I wondered how long it’d take for him to get over what I’d done to Sibyl. In all honesty, I thought he was being a bit dramatic.
“How did you get this made so quickly?” I asked, hoping to smooth things over.
He swallowed. “We have connections. I made the trip while you were in town with Sebastian. The picture… it’s from—”
“My college ID. I know.” I gave him a puzzled looking, hoping I wouldn’t have to ask just how he’d gotten it.
“Ever met a techie vampire, Avah?” Jeremiah said with a grin.
“Can’t say I have,” I answered.
“Eh, it’s probably better that way. They’re a double threat in my opinion. They can hack into computers and hearts.” Jeremiah laughed loudly at his joke, and I laughed at him. It didn’t matter if our world was falling apart; the optimist in him always loved life and would make the best of any situation.
I glanced back down at the passport, my eyes scanning the details. I stopped short on my name: Avah Lavery.
“Avah Lavery?”
Jasik inhaled sharply, and I arched my eyebrow at him. He was acting weird.
“Well, I guess I can’t be Avah Taylor forever, right? Where’d Lavery come from?” His irises glowed bright neon blue as he searched my eyes.
“That’s my name,” Jasik said softly. “Jasik Lavery.”
My eyes widened as the realization hit me hard. I understood his longing, his fear. In all his years—all seven hundred or so years—he’d likely never given a woman his name. I was the first, and I promised myself I’d be the last. I smiled and leaned forward, pressing my lips against his. Under my touch, he softened. I understood. His weird behavior wasn’t really because of what I’d done to Sibyl. It was because he planned to offer me something that he couldn’t take back if my reaction went south. The meaning behind the passport affected more than his mood: it affected our future as a couple.
“I like it,” I whispered, pretending the others weren’t awkwardly staring at us. “Avah Lavery.” I bit my lip.
Malik cleared his throat. “It’s safer to travel as a family. We won’t draw as much attention.”
I ignored Malik and his attempt to brush off this serious step forward in my relationship with Jasik. What he’d done was as good as a proposal in my book. I didn’t need the fancy words, expensive jewelry, or the exotic locations. I just needed to know that he was mine and I was his.
“It’s a two day trip from Bellingham to Ketchikan, and we’ll need to stay off top deck,” Malik continued.
I nodded, but I wasn’t really listening. I was sure I had a goofy grin on my face, but all that mattered was that Jasik’s look matched mine.
THE TWO DAYS on board the ferry went by quickly. The Hunters, Sebastian, and I stayed on the lower decks, wearing colored contacts and sunglasses. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able survive being completed surrounded by humans—especially going without food for more than a day—but I was able to control my hunger well enough. When I couldn’t, I fed from Jasik, an excruciatingly erotic experience when you had to share a room with four others. Our room slept six, and while I was happy to keep the Hunters and Sebastian close, I couldn’t ignore the anxiety I felt whenever I wondered where the hybrids were. To get on and off the ferry, I had to show a form of ID, so I was grateful for the passport. Every time I saw it, I smiled, and more times than not, I found Jasik gazing at me lovingly when I did so.
Now, I sunk to the ground, licking my fingers. Before me, the hybrids and Hunters messily slurped the last drops of the wild animals we’d hunted for food. We hadn’t eaten in two days, and though we weren’t necessarily weak because of it, we were nervous about our impending Rogue encounter. We weren’t kidding ourselves: It usually took four well-trained Hunters to take down one weak Rogue. We decided refueling, just in case, was the best option. I still wore the skin-tight black leggings, sports bra, and over-sized sweater that Jasik insisted I wear aboard the ferry. The others hadn’t changed, either, and I figured they wouldn’t. Once we got Amicia, we’d need to blend again, so there was no point in changing. I hadn’t mentioned our lack of weapons. I was used to fighting with blades, though my strength and abilities would make me just as lethal of a killer without them. I silently thanked Sebastian for teaching me to semi-control my powers, and briefly, I wondered if he’d known all along that I wouldn’t have my trusty seax with me during battle.
“We should regroup,” Malik said, and Jasik nodded in return.
A high-pitched whistle pierced my ears, and I squinted at the sound.
“Jeremiah! Way to announce our location to everyone, you idiot!” Lillie scolded. Jeremiah’s face fell at the realization.
I shrugged. “Chances are, they know we’re here.” I offered him a reassuring smile, though I doubted it helped him feel better.
The hybrids circled us, and Jasik began hashing out details. “We’ll span out in teams. At least one hybrid with one Hunter at all times. Once we find her, we’ll signal to others, spreading the word. We want to avoid confrontation until we have Amicia, if at all possible.”
The Hunters nodded in unison.
“I’ll pair with Sebastian, Avah with Malik, Sibyl with Lillie and Jeremiah, and…”
Jasik had planned for us to stay in smaller groups while we scoped the 17 million acres. Once we’d found them, the news would spread like wildfire until we all met up again at the location. No one argued as we began to separate, so I assumed it was as good a plan as any. I gave Sebastian, Lillie, and Jeremiah the strongest bear-hugs I could muster, while whispering sweet nothings into their ears like “be careful,” “watch your back,” and “please don’t die.” They hugged me back and offered the same phrases. I turned to Jasik, and he scooped me up in his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist as his mouth crashed down on mine. His kiss was hungry, greedy, and passionate. He kissed me as if he’d never get the chance again. When we finally broke apart, nearly everyone had left.
“I’ve paired you with Malik. You’re the two most important people in my life. Don’t be reckless, Avah, please.”
I smiled at him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “Never.”
“Malik will keep you safe,” he said, his gaze lingering on Malik.
“As if she were my own,” Malik responded, bringing his arm across his chest in a close-fisted salute.
“And I’ll keep him safe,” I said, meeting Malik’s gaze. He nodded once and turned to give us privacy.
“I love you, Avah,” he whispered, his lips grazing my temple as I rested my head against him. “More than you’ll ever know.”
I closed my eyes, and for just a moment, I pretended all was right with the world. We weren’t in a race against time. We weren’t attempting the unachievable. We weren’t staring at death’s door. We were just us… Avah and Jasik. Two crazy kids who fell in love and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.
And then I opened my eyes, and reality sank in.
Jasik lowered me as I said, “I love you, too, Mr. Lavery.” I gave him a knowing wink. I stood on my heels, and he leaned down to meet me. I bypassed his kiss and brushed my lips against his ear. “And before this war is over, I’m going to marry you.”
He inhaled sharply, his head turning to meet my gaze. His eyes were two neon shades of burning blue, and they betrayed his hope, his love… both, for me.
MY FEET POUNDED against the frozen tundra that was rural southern Alaska. I struggled to keep up with Malik as he pushed forward, silently searching for signs of life. We saw no Rogue footprints, no broken twigs, nothing. I was beginning to believe we’d chosen the wrong direction when he came to an abrupt stop.
“What is it?” I whispered.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Bear track.”
I exhaled quickly. Glancing around, I took in our surroundin
gs. I could hear the steady stream of a creek in the distance. The tall, thick hemlock and spruce towered over us, seemingly rising for miles and miles. The forest was dense, providing much needed covering, though I doubted Rogues were lurking nearby. A fresh layer of soft snow coated the twigs that snapped under our weight.
“I heard what you said,” Malik said as he brushed his fingers across the stump of a tree. The branches stuck out at awkward angles, indicating something had come past. Was it the bear? Or could it have been something else?
“Oh?” I said, playing it cool. Clearly, I was an expert at nonchalant.
“He will, you know.” He kept his gaze downward, as if the branches he inspected would jump forward with information at any moment.
“What?” I focused on the knot that formed in my throat.
“Marry you.”
I swallowed, ignoring the giddy feeling that clouded my mind whenever I thought about Jasik and I together… forever.
“He’s different with you.”
“You’re different with Kat,” I countered.
He stiffened.
“Seriously? What’s the big deal?” I had never seen adults act like such children over mutual feelings.
He turned abruptly to face me. His hands were in tight fists at his sides, and anger fumed from him. I flinched as if he’d hit me. He must’ve noticed, because he softened quickly. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Why? Because I’m an outsider?” I used dramatic air quotes to make my point. “Because Jasik broke some ridiculous vampire law when he changed me? Because—”
“Because that’s not him. Jasik would never put himself or us in danger, and that’s what he did for you. He put you above all else—him, us, me…”
“And that’s why you hate me?”
He scoffed. “I don’t hate you, Avah.”
“Well, you’re pretty damn good at making everyone else think you hate me.”
“That’s your impression and nothing more. This is me. I don’t have time for games or ridiculous high school emotions. Every day, I fight to survive. Every day, I throw myself in front of danger because it is my duty. And every day I survive an attack, I remind myself that that’s what’s important. That’s why I’ve survived as long as I have. Jasik did the same. For nearly seven hundred years, we walked side by side, with nothing to come between us… until you.”
I released the breath I had been choking on. “Malik,” I whispered as I eliminated the space between us. I pulled him down into a tight embrace, resting my head in the curve of his neck. He stiffened at the show of affection, and I found myself believing he really had been so closed off for as many years as he recounted. “No one will ever replace you in Jasik’s eyes. You’re his flesh and blood. You’re his brother. You’re the most important person in his life. He would die for you, kill for you.”
Malik pulled away, his eyes hard. “You mean more to him than you realize.”
“I could say the same,” I countered.
He tried to brush away my admission with the wave of his hand. I was elated that he was finally opening up—to me of all people—and I couldn’t let him close himself off again, not when happiness was at stake.
“Malik, don’t you see? He’ll leave her for you.”
His eyes met mine, and I knew he understood. Jasik had been bound to Amicia for nearly a thousand years. She meant everything to him. She offered them an eternity when they had but minutes to live. She was their sire, and that bonded them. But he would walk away… for him. For Malik. For Malik’s love for Kat.
“You love her, and Jasik sees that. When we return, he’ll tell Amicia, and we’ll leave. He’ll do that. For you. For your chance at an eternal love. He’ll do that, even though it goes against everything he knows to be right, so you can have a chance with her.”
He swallowed hard but said nothing. The walls he forced back up were slowly crumbling again.
“Nothing will ever be easy for us, Malik. We’re undead vampires, for Christ’s sake! But our love for each other will always come naturally. You mean something to him, and you mean something to me. You’re more than a friend or a fellow Hunter or a roommate who has emotional issues.” His eyes narrowed, but I continued. “You’re a brother. You’re my brother. Maybe not by blood, but by faith, by loyalty. And I will never stand between you and yours.”
He nodded, and then in a moment of weakness, he yanked me back to him, pulling me into a tight embrace. “I can see why he loves you.”
“’Cause I’m totally easy to love.” I grinned as I felt the tightness in Malik’s body finally lift. “Life is going to be hard, but loving each other will never be difficult. Not unless we let it.”
I pulled away as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lingering lips. I had no sexual feelings for Malik—even though it could be argued that he was Jasik’s doppelgänger. It was obvious they were brothers. In fact, very few physical differences set them apart. To the average onlooker, it’d be easy to fall for either. But I never had that issue. When we first met, and from every moment onward, I only saw Jasik. I only ever saw Jasik.
“What?” he asked, puzzled, though a sly smile began to form. It might take him a century, but at some point, he’d realize that I’d meant more to him than he ever realized. But I planned to let him figure that out himself.
“You’ve shown me more emotion in the past five minutes than you’ve shown me in the last month! Wait… Scratch that. This whole trip has been like an episode of The Twilight Zone. What’s up with you?” I gave him a playful smile and winked.
He rolled his eyes and started to walk away.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me? That’s another emotion, Malik,” I said sarcastically.
He scoffed, stomping through the brush, eager to leave me behind. But when he thought I wasn’t looking, I caught the remnants of a smile he’d been trying to hide.
“I CAN FEEL her,” Malik whispered. We’d been walking around the woods for hours. We had run into a few other hybrids and promptly searched a new direction. There was no time for pleasantries. We were getting antsy and wondering if we’d chosen the wrong part of Alaska.
I closed my eyes, trying to sense her, but came up blank.
“You weren’t sired by her, Avah. You won’t feel the pull as naturally as I do.” I opened my eyes and found him staring at me.
“Oh.”
“Let’s keep moving. She’s near.” He was quick to change subjects, but his lingering emotion was there, in his eyes. He liked that I tried to sense her the way he could. He liked that I searched for that same connection.
I stalked behind him, staying as alert as possible and silently wishing I had my seax. We came to a clearing that broke off several yards in front of us. Malik hesitated while I sauntered closer, staying quick and quiet on my feet. When I reached the edge of the cliff, I glanced down and stumbled backward. Before I hit the ground, Malik was behind me. He pulled me up, and I rested against his frame, shaking.
“What—”
I reached forward in a flash, pushing my hand against his mouth. With wide eyes, I shook my head. When I removed my hand, I pointed down the cliff.
Rogues, I mouthed.
He released me and sidestepped so he could look down. His face hardened when he’d seen what I’d seen.
There were hundreds, maybe thousands. They sat, they talked, they rested, they ate, they killed. There were small huts, which I found interesting. How long had they been here? Their numbers were impressive, so I assumed this had been in the works long before I joined the vampire ranks. Even so, I found myself wondering: Why? How? When? Rogues weren’t smart creatures. They lived for the blood, the kill. They didn’t think things through. They were erratic and impulsive. But someone had to be leading them, keeping them in their place while plans were drawn. I shivered at the thought of someone powerful enough to control this many Rogues.
This secret society of Rogues had my head
spinning and gut wrenching. Malik stepped back, scooped me up, and ran. It may have been a bit dramatic on his part since I didn’t need the lift, but I closed my eyes and sank against him, inviting the comfort. When he stopped abruptly, I heard him bark out orders before he set me down.
“Avah?” a familiar voice asked.
I turned to find Sebastian and Jasik behind me.
“We… found them.” I closed my eyes, clearly pictured what I’d seen, and temporarily lowered my shield. My eyes shot open as Sebastian exhaled sharply. His hand was to his mouth, and his fear was plastered across his face. Jasik’s worry matched Sebastian’s as I explained what Malik and I encountered.
“Holy fuck,” Sebastian said. “We’re seriously outnumbered.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Sibyl said as she snuck up on us. I spun around and faced her. “They are a threat we cannot ignore.”
“So we charge full throttle and get killed? Perfect plan!” Sebastian said, arms flailing.
“No, we calculate each attack and eliminate the threat,” she countered.
“There were hundreds, thousands!”
“Keep your voice down!” she ordered.
He ran an exasperated hand through his messy hair and exhaled slowly.
“This is more than we can ask of you,” I said.
“We’re no longer doing this for you. We’re doing this because they cannot survive. Why do you think they’ve grouped like this? Something is going to happen.” Sibyl gave me a knowing glance.
“And we need to stop it,” I agreed.
She nodded, looking away.
“So what do we do?” I asked, glancing up toward the sky. “The sun will rise in a couple hours.”
“Well, sunlight would be the best time to attack, but—”
“But sunlight also is an issue on our end,” I said. I still hadn’t told Jasik that sunlight didn’t hurt me, and I really didn’t want to drop that bombshell now. Knowing that I had a chance at semi-normality, but I’d be giving it all up to be with him, was going to hurt him. I needed him to be thinking clearly, not worrying about our future as a couple. Besides, he already thought a hybrid would be better for me. I didn’t want to give his argument any more grounding until I was able to show him just how important he was to me.
Blood Magic (Blood Books Book 2) Page 14
