by K. C. Hamby
Soon, I drift off to sleep holding my whole world in my arms.
Chapter 36
Something pushes on my chest. I wake groggily from my deep sleep and pop my eyes open, expecting a threat and find Luna snoring softly with her head on my chest. Nina is curled up beside me, breathing gently in my ear.
My neck is on fire. I look down and see Mom’s necklace and the evil eye, unblinking and staring at me. My neck is itching like I’ve been attacked by fire ants. What the actual hell? Where is the danger it’s supposedly warning me about?
A soft knock on the bedroom door makes me freeze.
“Fal?” It’s Ash. A knot builds in my throat.
“Yeah?” I croak.
“Do you and Nina want breakfast?
“Breakfast?” Nina sits up in bed. “Hell yes we want breakfast,” she mumbles through a yawn. I huff a laugh and hear Ash retreating to the kitchen. I sit up and unclasp the evil eye from around my neck and place it beside my gun on the nightstand. I look up straight into Nina’s wide eyes.
“It will be fine. I just want to eat in peace.” She hesitates, but finally nods her agreement when she realizes I’m not going to put it back on. We get dressed and make our way to the kitchen. Invidia and Ash are sitting at the counter eating and we grab our plates of fruit, toast, and a hard boiled egg and join them. We eat in silence mainly because we are all starving, but also because my mind is acting like it’s on crack. I wonder why the necklace would pick out Ash, but I come up short with every single angle I take other than one that involves him being a traitor, but I’m not ready to come to that conclusion yet. Not with conviction, at least.
“So, I’m going to address the elephant in the room,” Invidia announces suddenly, making Nina yelp. Her eyes send her apology, but her mouth says, “what is the plan for our little ‘date’ tonight?” She uses air quotes and I have the sudden urge to fiercely—and unsurprisingly—roll my eyes, but a snarl pushes its way out of my mouth. “Whoa, sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood.” Invidia winks at me and I scoff.
“Well, I don’t need to go alone in case the bastard tries to bring his goons and jump me,” I decide when everyone is quiet. I don’t know what’s going on with Ash, so I need to keep an eye on him. “Ash comes with me.”
“What about Nina?” he asks almost too quickly.
“I’m not going to pretend I can take care of myself this time, so yes, what about Nina?” Nina agrees in a joking tone, but her nerves are nearly shot. I place my hand on her jumping thigh softly.
No one speaks for a minute or two and then Invidia clears her throat. “I mean, I can stay with her, I guess,” she suggests and I can almost hear the disappointment in her words. She wanted to get in on the action. “I do know how to kick ass and I have my whip,” she reminds us, wagging her brows.
I forgot about her whip. She was subpar at every other weapon when we were going through training, but she mastered the whip. She can probably flick an eyelash off someone’s face without touching their skin. She’s that good. I feel better about her staying with Nina.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Ash asks Invidia and she scoffs.
“Yes, Ash. Believe it or not, I’m capable of taking care of myself and Nina,” she growls defensively, throwing him her terrifying eat-shit look. He shuts his mouth with an apology and slight indignation in his eyes. Invidia looks him over and seems to think something is wrong with him too.
We finish eating and Ash mumbles something about going to sharpen his knives and axe in the garage. As soon as he’s out the door—which he rudely slams like a child—Invidia turns to Nina and me.
“How long has he been acting like an ass? Something is off with him.”
“Since yesterday.” Nina’s words shake with her nerves.
“Huh.” Invidia huffs and looks back at the door he walked out of with sharp, calculating eyes. “I hope he pulls his head out of his ass and starts acting like the Ash we know.” She loads the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. I glance at the garage door and sigh.
“Yeah, me too.”
***
I stare at myself through the mirror at my black painted eyes. My scar is sharp and deadly and my hair is pulled back like it was for Nathan’s funeral pyre. I’m wearing my leather armor, the inverted torch gleaming on my chest and raven wing sleeves sharp. My black, leather wrist cuffs conceal my springblade. I have all my weapons on me; my knife is attached to the outside of my tall, tightly laced boots, my two guns are strapped to each thigh, my throwing knives, my dagger, and Nathan’s dagger rest on my thick, poppy embroidered belt, and my blood is boiling with fury. I tilt my head to look at the large, red scar down my neck, plunging into my armor. Another reminder. Another reason to rip Damien’s fucking head off.
I return to my room to grab the evil eye necklace and clasp it back around my throat. It begins itching the instant it touches my skin, but I’m too focused to care.
Nina walks in and gasps when I turn to look at her. “Damn, you look amazing.” She gives me a once over. “You look terrifying and unbelievably sexy.” I blush.
“If I don’t scare people and simultaneously get you hot and bothered, then what’s the point?” My voice is silky and baiting. Nina’s cheeks deeply redden before she laughs it off and pulls me into the living room where Ash is painted and ready to go in his own leather armor. His axe is strapped to his back and he has various other weapons on his thick belt. Nina draws my attention back to her by touching my face softly. She’s touching my scar, and the sensation is weird, but the best kind of weird. I stare into her beautiful, deep sapphire eyes and give her my full attention.
“Please be careful,” she pleads. “I need you.” I grab her hands from my face and kiss them gently.
“I’ll do my best,” I tease and wink when she sighs. “I love you. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.” My voice is a growl, ready to kill. Ready to kill Damien.
I kiss Nina tenderly and turn to Ash, who is doing the same with Invidia. We make eye contact when he pulls back and I nod. He returns the gesture with a tilt of his head and we walk out the front door and get in my gleaming car. I drive to the city and we stay in a tension filled silence the whole way.
We finally pull up to the building where Nathan took his last breath. I shudder.
“Ash.” I get his attention with my stern voice. “I don’t know what the hell your deal is, but I need you to get rid of it because I need you to be my brother right now. I need my partner in crime to be here,” I stutter with the pricking of tears in my eyes. He turns to me and his face softens.
“I’m always here for you,” he says with conviction and gets out of my car, slamming the door harder than necessary. I follow suite and we make our way to the stairs as Ash picks the lock to the front door of the building. Surprisingly, no alarms sound. We trudge up to the top of the building, every step closer making my heartache harden. Thinking of what he did to Nathan fans the fire inside me and I’m itching to sink Nathan’s dagger into Damien’s fucking throat.
I pull out the Lapis Lazuli stoned dagger before opening the door to the roof. I look at Ash and he nods. I bust through the door with Ash on my heels, wielding his amber stoned dagger.
I search in every direction, but there is no Damien.
My heart sinks and fills with betrayal.
I turn around accusingly at Ash with the dagger protectively in front of me, but he looks as confused as I am.
It’s…not Ash. He’s not the deceiver.
“What the hell!” I yell into the night, my voice echoing through the sky darkened city.
Ash’s phone rings. He pulls it out, looks at the screen, and cuts his eyes to me.
Oh, goddess, I’m going to puke.
Ash throws the phone to his ear. “Vi? What’s wrong?”
I hear her. I hear every sobbing word she says and I fly down the stairs with Ash not far behind. A hysterical Invidia tells Ash that Damien broke into the house. She tried to fight him,
but Damien was somehow stronger than her. Then, she says the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Damien took Nina.”
I push my legs to move faster down the stairs and Ash barely keeps up with me. We make it to my car and jump in, impatient and waiting for Ash to tell me where the hell to go. I turn it on with the push of a button and it growls beneath me. Invidia relays that Damien has pulled into a place far outside of town with an abandoned warehouse as his target.
“Invidia. Do not go in, do you hear me? Wait for us,” Ash says and ends the call. “Invidia is going to send her location. I’ll navigate.” I slam my foot on the gas, lifting off the clutch, shifting flawlessly, and follow Ash’s directions precisely. We speed through stop signs and traffic lights, narrowly missing crossing cars in the process.
I pull off the road when I see Invidia’s red mustang. We jump out at the same time she steps out of her car and runs over to us.
“I’m so sorry, Fal,” she cries. She has black eyes and something on her arm that oddly looks like an animal bite.
“Shut up and tell me where they are,” I demand, rolling my Alpha power over her. I don’t have the time or patience for her tears.
She stiffens at my command. “They went into that building,” she says and points to an old, rusty and forgotten warehouse. I can smell the rust and, worst of all, blood. Nina’s blood. “The whole group is in there. Some are standing guard outside…”
I screw a silencer on each of my pistols, gladly letting the monster in me take over.
I run, a gun in each hand, to the warehouse.
“Fal! Wait!” Ash yells from behind me, but I’m not stopping. Not until I get to Nina.
Four Poachers stand guard behind a car on one side of the building, guns in their hands.
I knew it. I knew they left behind their old ways.
I jump, sliding over the hood of the car, grabbing their attention. They turn to me and I greet them with silent bullets planted in each of their foreheads. I don’t even stop to watch them drop. I run to the other side of the building. Four more Poachers.
They drop one by one, each with a killer parting gift in their heads. Ash finally catches up to me as I sneak quietly inside. He follows at my back, pistol hard in his unwavering hands. Invidia follows with her whip at the ready. We move down a dark hallway and the scent of Nina’s blood grows stronger.
I move faster and Ash keeps pace with me. The hallway eventually opens up to a giant, room with dirt floors.
Poachers are everywhere.
“Shit,” Ash breathes, catching their attention.
I don’t hesitate. I run in, guns blazing.
There could be thirty of them in here. I pop my guns off until I run out of ammo. I drop them, sliding under the punch of an assailing Poacher and grab my throwing knives. I fling two into two Poachers lifting their guns at me.
The blades dig into the base of their throats.
Pulling my dagger from my belt, I shove the blade into the stomach of the Poacher I dodged. I flip over him, using his back to roll on while grabbing the Uzi from his shocked hands. I come up in front of a female Poacher and shove my foot into her stomach. She falls and I shoot three bullets into her face.
One grabs me from behind. I clutch his hand and twist, flipping him over my shoulder, and fill his chest with bullets. Blood splashes on my face as I grab another throwing knife and fling it into the forehead of a woman coming up on my side.
I kill and kill until the gun runs out of ammo and I have to toss it aside. I fling two more knives nearly through the necks of two more Poachers and flip over the last one left alive. I grab him from behind and shove my amber stoned dagger into his neck. The hot blood sprays my face and I let him drop to the dirt floor, choking and gurgling.
Nina is crouched against the back wall, breathing hard with a busted lip. My lip curls and I growl. She locks eyes with me.
Footsteps walk in from across the room. I turn my head just enough to see Damien stride in with a wicked sneer on his face.
“Well, isn’t this a party?” he exclaims, clapping his hands together. I turn back to my discarded pistols and refuse to meet the wide eyes of Ash, staring at me like the killing machine I am. I pick up the gun and let the empty clip fall to the floor as I release it and grab another from my belt.
I shove it into the handle and click a bullet into the chamber with a pull and the beautiful click-click sound. I turn, aiming straight for Damien’s forehead when Nina screams from behind him.
“Fal! No!” erupts from her mouth in a heartbreaking wail. It makes me hesitate in confusion. A hand grabs my shoulder, pulling me back and stabbing something sharp into my neck.
My blood ignites into lava as poison races through my veins. I scream in agony and fall, face first, to the dirt floor. I look back and see Ash lying on the ground, his face contorted in pain.
Someone walks behind us and kicks our guns across the room and too far away for us or Nina to grab.
I cut my blurring eyes up to see the culprit who sent fire into my blood and I throw out a painful snarl.
Invidia.
“Vi? What the hell are you doing?” Ash yells at her, barely able to push the words out of his mouth. Invidia smirks at him and drops two empty syringes to the ground. She catches my gaze and gives me a truly evil, toothy grin.
“It’s Wolfsbane,” she cheers and I let out a guttural moan. It’s like I’m burning from the inside out. Wolfsbane is what Damien has been coating his sickle with ever since the first time we went head to head.
I reach for her, wanting to rip her apart, but every move I make feels like I’m being burned alive. I scream at the pain and Invidia cackles. The evil eye necklace scorches my skin.
It was never Ash. It was Invidia. She was always around when it would warn me. It’s always been her and I basically gave Nina to her. I handed her over on a silver platter. I roar.
Invidia strides over to Damien, pushes him against the wall, and shoves her nasty tongue down his throat. He runs his hands all over her body and into her jeans. She pants with pleasure and I want to fucking throw up.
I try to move toward them, but the poison rages through my system, making me scream again. Damien pulls his hand out of her jeans and Invidia turns back to us.
“Why!” I spit. She raises a perfectly shaped brow at me.
“Seriously? Goddess, you are a fucking moron. I hate you. You, the perfect assassin, fighting your way to the top with ease. I was supposed to be an assassin, but because of you,” she snarls, “I get put on Lupi busboy duty. I deserved what you have, you selfish bitch! You took it from me!” She screams and kicks me in the stomach hard. Oh, goddess it hurts, but I refuse to be weak because of her. She will not get the satisfaction of hearing me beg for mercy.
“I was there when Damien attacked you, you know,” she sneers and points at Damien who is watching Nina cower against the wall with a smile. “I wanted you to die. I wanted you gone, but somehow, your stubborn ass just wouldn’t fucking die! And you were somehow even better than you were before.” She snarls and kicks me again. I roll over onto my side and clutch my stomach, refusing to scream.
“So, I reached out to the one that did that to your face and we struck a deal. We both wanted you to suffer so much.” She glowers at me and I want so badly to be able to shoot the smile off her face. “Did you ever notice how the Poachers are getting stronger? They were taking blood from Lupi they killed and injecting themselves with it. I told Damien I would be his source of Lupi blood…among other pleasures. Amazing, right?”
It all makes sense now. He’s always been stronger and faster than I ever expect him to be. He has Lupi blood flowing through his veins. I guess they aren’t following the ‘it’s not natural’ law anymore either. I bellow through the flames in my blood, begging for some kind of miracle.
“I convinced dear Damien I could lure you to him. I worked my charms on your hot brother here,” she purrs with her silky dark voice, peering down at
him in pity. He moans in torment, both physical and emotional as he strains against the poison. His face is bright red and the veins in his neck and forehead swell, his blood pumping too hard throughout his body. I watch in sorrow as he convulses, wanting to look Invidia in the eyes. “Oh, honey.” She squats down beside him. “You didn’t think I actually loved you, did you?” She clicks her tongue in disappointment as his face contorts with fury. “You were fun though. Especially in bed.” She winks and waggles her brows.
I’m going to destroy her.
“I trusted you, Vi!” Ash screams, his voice like a knife in my heart at every word.
“Now, whose fault is that?” Invidia sneers, cackling awfully. I gnash my teeth, trying to crawl toward her again, but the fire keeps me painfully in place. Tears scorch my cheeks as they roll down my face, the poison seeping into every part of me. “Anyway, here we are! That little bitch put up a fight, though.” She jerks her head at Nina. I swell with pride. Nina is the one that gave her those beautiful shiners. I turn my head and lock gazes with her and I don’t take my eyes away. She’s the only strength I have to get through this excruciating cocktail of torture. “And her stupid dog tore up my wrist,” she spits. The tears pour from Nina’s amazing eyes that I will save. My heart pangs for Luna. I hope to Hecate she’s okay.
“Now, you get to watch her die, and we will not make it quick,” she snarls. “But, that’s not all. You’ll get to watch poor Ashy here die as well!” She clasps her hands together in glee.
Damien walks toward Nina and she breaks our eye contact. She crawls backward until she is pressed into the wall, as far from him as she can manage.
