by J. N. Colon
A few locks of auburn hair now slide back, revealing Miranda’s heavily lidded eyes and pale face.
“It was you this whole time,” I hissed, my fists clenching at my inability to take action.
“Surprise.” Coldness lingered in her glacier eyes I had mistaken for aloofness. Mac was wrong. She was only playing a ditz.
“I should be princess! I should be the one with Mac.” She pointed to her parents who were staring back at her as if they didn’t recognize their own daughter. “My parents saw that I deserved the title, but they weren’t ruthless enough to get it for me.” A malicious smiled curled her lips. “Good thing I’m more ruthless than necessary.”
“Your plan was doomed from the beginning. You should have known Mac would throw himself in front of an arrow for me whether it was poisoned or not.”
She cracked her neck, the sound echoing through the hollow room. “Yeah well, I always have a plan B, C, and D—as many as I need.” She shot me a nasty leer. “I realized I didn’t need to kill you in order to steal your crown. I just needed you unfit for it.”
My eyes narrowed. “It was you. You had the three ghosts torment me to drive me crazy and look weak in front of the council.”
Sasha nodded. “Brilliant I know.”
My brows furrowed, still missing something a piece of the puzzle. “But how? You’re not psychic, are you?” I was clearly wrong about a lot of things. Why not this?
She scoffed. “Of course not. I’m not a little freak.”
No. Just nuts.
“I compelled that dreamy shop keeper MJ to work with the spirits.”
Realization slammed into me, jabbing at my injured chest. I wanted to kick my own ass for not seeing it from the beginning. All the times I’d seen Sasha coming out of Madame Josephine’s flashed before my eyes recalling how dazed I found MJ—because of Sasha’s compulsion.
MJ really was psychic just as Madison claimed.
Sasha finally released Miranda, dropping her harshly on the floor with a thud. A growl snaked out my mouth, but she put on one long, delicate finger. “No, no.” She pointed a silver knife at her. “I’ll still kill her if you don’t behave.”
“You are going to die for this Sasha, one way or another,” I warned.
Her laughter echoed through the room. “Oh, Rubi, this was just too easy. It was like cake controlling MJ. She was relaxed enough under my compulsion to actually use her psychic abilities. She found those three angry spirits like that.” She snapped her fingers. “They were all too eager to get some extra power from her to torment you.”
I just bet.
Sasha tapped the blade against her palm menacingly. “I would never have needed them if Mac hadn’t pushed you away and got in front of that damn arrow. Thankfully the universe corrected that mistake and brought him back to life. It was going to be sooo much easier to take your crown away when I had a willing prince to trade me for you. It was just my luck he didn’t remember a thing about you.” She scrunched her nose. “It also helped how weird you were.” She frowned, lines etching her forehead. “But then Mac started to remember.”
If I kept her talking Mac would eventually realize I was gone and come looking for me. Maybe he’d follow my scent into the bathroom and notice there was a passage if he didn’t already know. “So your plan was back on—to kill me again?”
She rolled her eyes. “Duh. I could already see Mac pulling away from me and gravitating toward you.” She shrugged noncommittally. “So I let the hunters into the mansion that night. I didn’t expect your little ghost friend Maddy to be there.”
My stomach still churned as I imagined what else Sasha was capable of, dread filling my veins when I came to another terrifying realization. “The hunters started making more monsters to thin our security here.” It wasn’t a question. I already knew.
“Yep. That was my idea.” Sasha bent and grazed the tip of the silver dagger against Miranda’s arm. “Her blood still does come in handy.”
Miranda flinched away, shaking her hair out her face and delivering Sasha one hell of a glare.
Sasha smirked. “Looks like someone’s waking up.” She patted Miranda’s head like a dog. “That won’t matter in a minute.” She stood again, her cold eyes surveying the clock on the wall as if waiting for someone. “Hunters are going to kill you and the queen. And it will all be blamed on my power hungry parents.”
Veronica and Anton made mirroring sounds of protest.
My breathing was erratic as I stared at Miranda, wondering how to get us out of this. I was the only one not tied up or drugged, but I wasn’t exactly in top form with the wound on my chest still healing.
“And then I will comfort Mac and he will eventually marry me. We’ll have at least one child before I kill him too.”
“What!” I choked out. “Why would you kill him?”
Sasha’s gaze turned pensive, a dreamy smile plastered over her sweet, heart shaped face. “I want to be the sole ruler.”
One of the doors to the lab opened and in walked a familiar, intimidating man whose mere daunting presence engulfed the entire room. The shadow of dark hair clung to his nearly bald head, matching the stubble on his square chin. Wide shoulders stretched across his hulking frame down to a thick chest and arms. Silver daggers and stakes were strapped to his waist and legs. A scar sliced his upper lip, glinting in the florescent lights while a pair of cruel obsidian eyes sucked the light in.
“Merrick.” Sasha flashed him a warm smile that looked out of place while she twirled the knife. “Give me an update.”
Merrick was the hunter leader in charge of the group that tried to kill the shifters in Savannah. We had never personally met, but I had a vision of him, ordering the go ahead for an experimental poison to be given to the shifters.
A terrifying cross between and snarl and a smile curled his lips, his white teeth bared. “My hunters are here. Highland is under attack.”
Alarm struck my chest so hard I nearly stumbled back. I had a bad feeling the hunters outnumbered the vampires currently at Highland. I could only hope they all had the vaccine otherwise they didn’t stand a chance. All the hunters had to do was nick them with a poison dipped blade and they were dead.
“Perfect.” Sasha clapped her hands, the sound ringing harshly in my ears.
“What if the hunters turn on you Sasha?” I asked, grasping for straws. “They hate all vampires.”
A placating smile curled her lips before she skipped to the cabinet, pulling out a can of gasoline. “Silly Rubi. I’ve already made the deal. Once I destroy the vaccine and you… well, they will be forever in my debt.” She winked at Merrick. “Isn’t that right?”
He nodded
“And as long as I allow them to kill the scum of the vampire world and leave the royals and council unharmed both parties are happy.” She pursed her lips. “Oh and the shifters are also fair game.” She began dousing all the boxes of vaccine with gasoline, a strong, nearly choking odor filling the room.
The image of the blonde girl from my dream flickered through my mind. It had in fact been Sasha carrying the gas can while I was locked in the lab, burning.
Why oh why didn’t I ever trust my instincts? I should have known Sasha was playing Mac for a fool—and virtually everyone else.
Merrick went to the corner of the room and opened a big leather duffle bag, pulling out thick, rattling chains. “Move,” he growled, his voice harsh and dripping with hate. “Or she dies.” He pointed to Miranda’s still, drugged form.
A pang sliced open my chest. She’d been drugged and in captivity for years and here she was again—because of me. I made my way toward her, sitting down while Merrick chained my hands together and feet. Perfect. Silver chains too. They would be a bitch to break.
“And last but not least.” A manic look was in her Sasha’s eyes as she struck a match, watching it burn for a moment before tossing it onto the soaked boxes.
With a loud whoosh fire ignited, instantly clouding the room with acr
id smoke. Panic swarmed my insides, buzzing like a cloud of angry bees. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t die here and let the entire vampire world think Sasha was a saint. She’d get away with our murder and then go after Mac. Who knew? Maybe Whitmore first.
A cruel twisted smile curled her lips, more malicious than the ghosts tormenting me had ever been. “Goodbye Princess Rubi. Don’t worry. I’ll enjoy Mac for a while before I cut his heart out.”
Anger exploded through me and I struggled against the chains uselessly. “This isn’t over Sasha! You won’t fool everyone and one day Mac will find out and he’ll kill you for this.”
An electric shiver rippled up my spine moments before the door burst open with a loud, metallic clank, revealing a disheveled Mac. His frantic eyes flicked to Sasha holding a silver knife and standing next to a seasoned hunter and then to his drugged mother and me both in silver chains. He took in the scene again, disbelief morphed into pure, undiluted rage on his face. His lips curled back as his fangs slowly descended to sharp, threatening points. A vicious snarl ripped from his mouth, echoing loudly in the smoke and fire filled room.
Sasha’s glacier eyes widened to saucers while all color drained from her cheeks. Before Mac could lung for her she threw the gasoline can straight into the flames, another massive whoosh sounded. The fire spread quickly, licking up toward the ceiling and crawling across the walls.
Mac looked between Sasha and Merrick, then at his mother and me—and sort of the Svenssons—and knew he had to make a choice.
He rushed toward us. “I will find you Sasha!” he growled. “You will pay with your life for threatening not only my mate, but my mother.”
Without a word Sasha and Merrick scurried out the room, leaving us in the burning lab.
Mac sat about breaking the chains on my legs. “I’m so sorry baby,” he grunted, struggling with the silver. “I should never have trusted her.” His gaze shifted to the wide-eyed and trembling Svenssons chained together, their perfect icy appearance completely obliterated. “I never should have trusted them either.”
Their expressions twisted in shock and they started protested, their words incoherent behind the duct tape on their mouths. Thankfully. I wasn’t really in the mood to hair pompous and arrogant speak.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. We have to hurry. The fire is spreading.” I glanced at Miranda, her eyes blinking furiously as the drugs began to wane.
Two blurs entered the hot room, Whitmore and Roman stepping out of the smoke like a pair of superheroes .
“Miranda!” Whitmore rushed to her side, quickly snapping the chains.
Damn Whit was strong.
“Dad, she’s still weak. You’ll have to carry her.”
Whitmore nodded. “Roman, can you break their chains?” He motioned toward the Svenssons.
Roman was already popping the Svensson’s free. “There’s aren’t even silver,” he said rolling his eyes.
Mac snapped the ones on my hands and helped me up. “There’s no time to put out the fire. We need to get out of there.”
“But the vaccine,” I protested.
“As long as you’re safe Rubi, we can make more.” Whitmore stood, cradling Miranda to his chest.
“I can’t believe our own daughter was going to kill us,” Veronica blubbered, her platinum hair sticking every which way. “After all we’ve done for her.”
“Ungrateful miscreant.” Anton smoothed down his blue button down shirt. “She is definitely grounded.”
“She is definitely dead,” Mac growled.
“Oh, now, there must be some…”
“ENOUGH!” Whitmore stopped Veronica’s words instantly. “Not only did she try to kill my wife—the queen—but also my son’s mate—the princess. And let’s not forget destroy the vaccine and setting fire to our underground!”
“Er… she was also working with the hunters and helped them kill me, but killed Mac on accident,” I added.
Whitmore cracked his neck and bared his teeth, his fangs snapping out. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 35
We emerged out of a secret doorway that was hidden in the outside wall of the dining hall. The night was enveloped in chaos, an all-out battle erupting between enemies. Hunters garbed in black cargo pants, combat boots, and silver weapons galore faced off with vampires, some in regular clothes and guards in all black with the royal crest.
The fountain had been cracked, water seeping out and quickly soaking the ground. Several alabaster cherubs were shattered, faces and wings being trampled over as the fighting continued.
An arrow whizzed through the air toward Whitmore, but he easily dodge it with Miranda still in his arms. Another sailed in our direction, Roman catching it in the air and slicing his palm in the process.
“Oh no Roman!” My voice cracked with emotion as I stared at the open wound from the arrow that was most likely dipped in poison. Roman only had minutes to live.
He shot me a crooked smirk and patted my head. “Most of the vampires here have been vaccinated. It would take a silver blade, stake, or arrow to the heart to kill us. Or a beheading of course.”
A breath of relief left my lungs. “Yeah beheading. That probably works on anything.” Sarcasm, it was my defense mechanism.
The air smelled of fire, blood, and sweat. Screams and battle cries echoed, mixing with grunts and smacks of fists against bone. I could only wonder what the human students were thinking, if they were even awake for this. The dorms were on the other side of campus, a freaking war was happening. Someone had to notice.
I suspected there was going to be a lot of confusion flying around Highland Academy in the morning.
If we made it through the night. It was clear who had the numbers and it wasn’t us.
“Roman, get Miranda and Rubi out of here,” Whitmore commanded, slipping Miranda into his arms.
“NO!” I growled, my fangs snapping out and hands curling into fists. “I am not leaving without Mac. I lost him once. I won’t lose him again.”
Mac gripped my shoulders, his face a mask of worry. “There’s too many Rubi. You’ll get hurt.”
A familiar voice let out a howl and I saw Ava, a royal guard, go down with a stake in her heart. The hunter quickly whipped the silver stake out, spinning around, her long blonde braid following in her wake.
Liz!
The kitten faced hunter’s eyes were zeroed in on me, a dark smile crossing her lips.
A fierce battle cry suddenly echoed and I saw Madison charging into the chaos with a mob of hunters behind her.
Oh no! My heart sank to my feet, dread and regret sinking through my gut. She turned on me.
Madison’s mob joined the fray, the unexpected sound of metal against metal clashed like ripples of thunder. I blinked, trying to make since of the scene now before me. Hunters were now fighting hunters.
What the holy hog leg?
“What in the hell…?” Roman’s voice trailed off as we watch a never before seen pandemonium unfurling. “Hunters fighting hunters?”
“But why?” Whitmore asks.
“It’s Madison,” I mused. “She was leading them. Or…” My eyes landed on a familiar tall figure with dark eyes and golden brown hair. “Declan is.”
“Declan? The guy you were telling me about?” Mac asked, recalling our conversation about him.
I nodded.
“I thought he tried to kill you and was kind of creepy obsessive,” Miranda mumbled from Roman’s arms.
“WHAT!” Mac’s jade eyes flashed with anger followed by melting silver.
Great. Thanks Miranda. “Well he’s kind of been helping me. I guess he’s good now.”
Mac’s jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding from the pressure. “Does he still have a creepy obsessive thing for you?”
I shrugged noncommittally.
Every hunter was dressed in all black with the exception of the group with thick crimson bands around their right arm. Those were apparently Madison�
��s troops and by the way they only fought solidly black dressed hunters they were on our side.
We were so distracted by the newcomers we didn’t notice Liz sprinting for me, her silver stake raised. She threw it, the blade hurtling in the air right toward my chest. Everything was in slow motion, every beat of my heart and breath audible amongst the sounds of battle. I felt a hand latch onto my shoulder at the same time as a figure stepped into the trajectory, snatching the stake right out of the air.
For a split second I tensed, expecting Declan to charge us—old habits die hard. Instead he hurtled the knife back at Liz, catching her in the chest. She stumbled back, a look of disbelief and fury on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, blood trickling out instead of words. Her knees buckled and she silently hit the ground without even a cry of protest. Nope. Not Liz.
Declan shot me a glance, nodding once over his shoulder before jumping back into battle.
Mac yanked me toward him, protectively wrapping his arms around me and nearly suffocating me against his chest. “Declan I presume.” His voice was more like an angry growl vibrating through his body and against my face.
“Yep. You can thank him later for saving my life.” My words were muffled against his shirt.
With the arrival of Madison’s hunters it was clear we now had the numbers. Once the evil hunters realized their desperation was quickly evident in the way they continued fighting. Some discarded technique and fought like sloppy, rabid animals while others simply began to sneak away to save themselves.
Selfish bastards.
But by that time there had already been casualties on both sides. Some I knew and would mourn later. Others would always be remembered for their sacrifice. Luckily none of those too close to me met that end.
The remaining evil hunters who weren’t able to escape were forced to surrender. I had no idea what Whitmore had planned for them and I didn’t want to know. Unfortunately there was no sign of Sasha—the mastermind behind this—or her hunter partner Merrick.
