The Assassins of Light

by Britney Jackson

  Rose blinked. “You don’t think they’d grieve over their own son?”

  “Maybe that was a little harsh,” Owen admitted. “But at the same time, it wouldn’t surprise me. They were so…obsessed. It was always about the order.”

  “Hatred consumes,” she mumbled under her breath.

  “My parents were killed by vampires, and for years, I lived with Assassins of Light,” Owen said. “But now, I am a vampire. Which makes this war difficult for me. I couldn’t decide which side I should be on, but I’ve finally figured it out.”

  “You have?” Rose asked curiously. “Then, which side will you choose?”

  His gaze shifted back toward her. “Yours.”

  —

  There was only one person left that Rose hadn’t told goodbye.

  Rose reached out and touched Kara’s arm, stopping her in the foyer. “I’ll be right out,” she told her. She glanced toward the living room. “I just need to…”

  “I know,” Kara interrupted. She offered Rose a gentle, understanding smile and nodded toward the living room. “Go ahead. I’ll wait for you outside.”

  Rose sighed at her gentleness. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  “Because you’re being an asshole to yourself,” Kara said bluntly.

  Rose smiled weakly. Then, she turned and stepped into the living room. She paused in the doorway, exhaling deeply. Kallias sat on the sofa, his muscular shoulders hunched forward, his long, brown hair around his face, as he scanned the most recent newspaper. He looked up when he noticed her scent, and for a moment, there was softness in his brown eyes. Then, his gaze hardened. Rose sat on the sofa across from him, her stomach fluttering with nervousness. “I just wanted to say thank you. I know you’ll keep them safe, and that means…a lot.”

  His narrowed, brown eyes darkened. “I never said I was doing it for you.”

  “I know,” she said, “but that doesn’t change anything. I’m still grateful.”

  That seemed to melt his anger a little. His intense, furious gaze softened. “I protect people. It’s what I’ve always done. But…I may also be doing it for you.”

  A surprised smile curved slowly at her lips. “It means the world to me.”

  He leaned back, watching her with a frown. “You seem happy with her.”

  Her brows furrowed. “I was happy with you, too, Kallias,” she sighed.

  “Sure,” he agreed, his tone tired and resigned, “but then, we drifted apart, and we were both unhappy. It doesn’t surprise me. Everything ends, eventually.”

  “It didn’t have to,” Rose said with a frown, “we could’ve made it work.”

  “We fought too much,” Kallias muttered. “We always have. Passion is enough at first, but eventually…” He shrugged. “Kara can handle you better.”

  Rose lifted her eyebrows. “I’m something to handle?” she asked mildly.

  He actually laughed at that. “Yeah, Rose. You’re like a force of nature.”

  “You really do know how to flatter someone, don’t you?” Rose sassed.

  “I’m nicer to you than anyone else,” he said. “I should get credit for that.”

  She laughed, “I suppose you should.” Then, a moment of silence passed between them, and her smile faded. “I still love you. You know that, right?”

  He nodded. “And I still love you. But I think I made the right decision.”

  “Yeah, you always think that,” Rose laughed, “because you’re arrogant.”

  His lips quirked up a little at her teasing, but not enough to turn into an actual smile. “Part of me hoped that you’d be miserable with her,” he admitted unapologetically, “but then, the other part of me just wants you to be happy.”

  “I’m sorry,” Rose said sadly. “For everything. I know I’m hard to love.”

  Kallias looked at her, his brows furrowing. “You’re not hard to love,” he argued. He leaned forward, his long, brown hair brushing the collar of his leather jacket. “You’re easy to love. It’s keeping up with you that’s hard. Your heart is as limitless as your power. You give so much of yourself to everyone. You love freely and selflessly, and it’s hard for someone like me to hold onto someone like you.”

  “Someone like you?” Rose repeated softly. “What does that mean?”

  He shrugged. “You and I are just…different. We think differently.”

  “Love overcomes differences,” Rose said. She shifted her gaze to her hands, which lay, entangled, in her lap. “Did you ever believe we could make it?”

  “Believing is your thing, Rose,” Kallias said bitterly. “Not mine.”

  Rose looked up at him, her brows creased. “I believed in us. I still do.”

  “Do you believe in your relationship with Kara?” Kallias asked curiously.

  “Honestly?” she asked. When he nodded, she sighed, “I think so, yeah.”

  Kallias glanced down at the floor, his eyebrows lifting. “I don’t know what you see in her,” he muttered, “but I guess, if anyone can tame her, it’s you.”

  “I’m not trying to tame anyone,” Rose told him. “I only want to love her, just like I wanted to love you. Love changes people, yes, but it also accepts them.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t go,” Kallias said suddenly. The words seemed to come out of nowhere, as he suddenly leaned forward, his hands gripping his seat. Frustration flashed in his light brown eyes. “I wish I could convince you to stay.”

  Rose offered him an apologetic smile. “I’m doing what I believe is right,” she sighed, “just like you are. I can’t sit by while hundreds or thousands of people die in a war that doesn’t need to happen. Not when there’s a way to stop it. We tried hiding from the Assassins of Light. It didn’t work. It’s time to try fighting.”

  “Aaron is using you,” Kallias insisted. “He doesn’t care about you at all.”

  “I don’t need him to care about me,” she said. “I can take care of myself.”

  Kallias shook his head in frustration. “I don’t want this war to start any more than you do, but taking orders from Aaron is something I refuse to do.”

  “You know I don’t take orders from anyone,” Rose said lightly. She sighed, “I get it. I wouldn’t trust Aaron if he were the last person on Earth. Alana was probably more trustworthy than Aaron, as crazy as that sounds. But working together is our best hope right now. And when it comes down to it, saving the world is more important than saving our moral high ground. Isn’t that why you do what you do? Isn’t that why you kill vampires to save humans? Morally, it’s gray. But it saves lives, so you do it anyway. We all just do what we feel is right.”

  “You can’t save everyone, Rose,” Kallias said quietly, repeating the words he’d said to her so many times. “People are going to die, no matter what you do.”

  “I have to try,” Rose said, shrugging. “Giving up isn’t an option for me.”

  He leaned back in his seat and sighed, “Why do you have to be the hero?”

  “I’m not trying to be a hero,” she said. “I’m just trying to be…me.”

  “And you,” he said slowly, “are someone who risks her life for others?”

  “I am someone who,” she said, shrugging, “tries to do the right thing.”

  A soft thud startled them as Erik dropped his duffel bag on the floor.

  Rose looked back at him. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, his long-sleeved, black shirt stretching tight across his lean muscles. She shifted her gaze to the black, duffel bag that set in the floor. “So, you’re really coming?”

  “I told him to,” Kallias explained. He stood up, towering over Rose. “I feel better, knowing he’ll be there. The more people to look after you, the better.”

  “I don’t need anyone to look after me,” Rose muttered. “I’m not a child.”

  Kallias lifted his eyebrows, his lips twitching with a hint of amusement. “Can’t you just accept the help, and say thank you,” he chuckled, “just this once?”

 
Rose pursed her lips. “Thank you,” she amended, “for caring about me.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” he said grumpily. “Believe me. If I could stop, I would.”

  Rose stood and stepped toward him, an amused smile tugging at her lips. “I care about you, too,” she said, her voice heavy with sadness, “so…stay safe.”

  Kallias lifted his hand to touch her face, his skin rough and warm against hers. He studied her for a moment, as if he were memorizing her features—the softness of her cheeks and lips, the gentleness of her smile, the kindness in her bright blue eyes. And then, he bent forward and pressed his lips against hers.

  She returned the kiss, threading her hands in his soft, brown hair, as her lips molded to his. The kiss felt so familiar, so gentle, so sad. It felt like goodbye.

  When Kallias pulled back, he found tears shining in Rose’s blue eyes.

  “We’ll see each other again soon,” Rose said, her voice cracking, “right?”

  “Yeah,” Kallias said, nodding. He forced a smile. “Why wouldn’t we?”

  The answer hung in the tense, silent air of the room. The answer that no one said but everyone knew: this mission could go very wrong. They could die.

  At any moment, this war could begin, and everything would change.

  They both knew that, and that’s what made this goodbye so difficult.

  “Be safe,” Rose said again. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, too.”

  Kallias let his hands fall to her arms, his large, rough hands curling loosely around her arms. “Don’t worry about me or your friends. We’re safe. You’re the one who’s going to be in the line of fire. Focus on keeping yourself alive. Please?”

  Rose widened her eyes dramatically. “Did Kallias of Athens just say please?”

  Kallias rolled his eyes. “And instantly, I’m regretting it,” he grumbled.

  Kara appeared in the doorway, next to Erik. Rose turned, sensing Kara’s presence, smelling the sweet, wild scent of violets and leather. Kara offered them an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Aaron sent me in to…er…rush you, but,” she paused, waving her hand dismissively, “just take your time. I’ll come up with a good lie.”

  “We were finished talking, anyway,” Kallias said. He stepped away from Rose and made his way over to Kara, his boots thudding against the hardwood floor with each step. Kara straightened, watching him warily, as he approached. He looked down at her, intensity burning in his light brown eyes. “Keep her safe.”

  “I’ll protect her with my life,” Kara assured him. “You know I will.”

  Kallias studied her for a moment. “Yeah,” he sighed. “I believe you will.”

  Kara lifted her eyebrows, watching in surprise as he stepped past her and headed out into the foyer. “It seems like he’s warming up to me,” she muttered.

  Erik snorted, “Everyone warms up to you, eventually.” He flashed her a playful grin and added, “It just takes a lot longer when you steal their girlfriends.”

  Kara gave a little nod to that. Then, she turned toward Rose, her brows creasing with concern, as she saw the worry and sadness etched in Rose’s face.

  “How are you getting to the airport?” Erik asked. He picked up his duffel bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. “Do you guys want to ride in my car?”

  “Well, it’s either you or Isaac,” Kara muttered, “and I’m pretty sure Isaac would drive off of a bridge and drown himself, just so he could watch me drown.”

  “I’ll put your bags in my trunk,” Erik said with an amused grin.

  “Thanks,” Kara said absently, patting him on the arm…a little too hard.

  Erik winced in pain and gave her a wide-eyed look before he left.

  Kara waited until he left to approach Rose. Her boots thudded softly against the hardwood floor, the sound slow and steady, as she crossed the room. Rose looked up as Kara’s scent invaded her senses, blinking at the concern in Kara’s light blue eyes. Kara reached up and cradled Rose’s face in her hands, her touch gentle and warm. She searched Rose’s glistening, bright blue eyes. “Are you okay?” Kara asked. “We don’t have to do this, if you’re having second thoughts.”

  “Yes, we do,” Rose said simply. She lifted her hands and covered Kara’s hands, intertwining her fingers with Kara’s fingers. She offered Kara a weak smile. “You’re the second-in-command. They need you. And I want to help, actually.”

  Kara nodded. “As long as you’re sure,” she sighed. She smirked. “You know I’d tell them all to fuck off for you, right? I’m not afraid of any of them.”

  Rose laughed, “I know you’re not. Even when you should be, you’re still not afraid.” She traced over Kara’s long fingers with her own. “But I’d never ask you to do that. I want to do this. I want to help. I need to help.” Her gaze shifted toward the doorway, in the direction that Kallias had gone. “I’m just…worried.”

  “About Kallias?” Kara said, nodding. “Did you need to talk to him again? If you do, I can keep Aaron distracted for a while…so he’ll shut up about it.”

  “No, I think we said all there is to say for now,” Rose mumbled, studying Kara’s expression, stunned by the gentleness and understanding she found in her icy blue eyes. “I’m sorry about…” she trailed off. “I mean, you must’ve felt it…”

  “What? Your emotions? The kiss?” Kara asked, her brows furrowing. She tilted Rose’s face, meeting Rose’s gaze with her own. “Of course I felt it, but why are you apologizing? Rose, you should never apologize for how you feel.”

  Rose frowned in surprise. “I just don’t want you to feel…”

  “Jealous?” Kara asked with an amused smile. “I’m not the jealous sort. You know that.” Her smile softened. “Besides, I know how deeply you love him.”

  A surprised smile curved at the corners of Rose’s lips. “Thank you.”

  Kara held the door open for Rose, flashing that flirty smirk of hers. “For what? Making out with you on the plane? Because I’m totally going to do that.”

  Rose gave her a skeptical look. “Not likely. I never kiss people in public.”

  “Oh, believe me,” Kara said, “you won’t even remember where you are.”

  “Yeah,” Rose said, blushing, “you’re probably right about that, actually.”

  23

  Unhappy Welcome

  Tom took Rose’s duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll get this.”

  Rose turned, blinking in surprise, as he walked past her, taking her duffel bag to wherever they’d stored the others. “Umm…thank you?” she called out.

  Kara chuckled, amused by Rose’s bewilderment. “He’s going to keep doing things like that until he gets a chance to save your life, like you saved his.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “I already told him he doesn’t owe me anything.”

  A door at the front of the plane opened, and a tall, blonde human stepped out of the cockpit. He swept his gaze around the private jet, until he found Kara.

  Rose noticed the other vampires taking their seats, and she started to sit, as well, but before she could, Aaron made his way over to her. She straightened as he pinned her with his cold, dark gaze. “Is something wrong?” she asked warily.

  “Kara is busy at the moment,” Aaron told her, “so we should talk. Now.”

  Rose frowned and glanced over her shoulder, where she thought she’d find Kara, and her frown deepened as she, instead, saw no one at all. She glanced around the plane, searching for the sneaky, elusive vampire. “Where did she go?”

  “I don’t know,” Aaron muttered irritably, “but I need you to follow me.”

  Confident, at least, that Kara wasn’t in any danger—since she’d feel it, if she were—Rose bewilderedly followed Aaron, as he led her toward the back of the jet, into a small room with a cot and a corner table. She watched with a frown as he locked the door behind them and circled around her, to lean against the cot.

  “I feel like I’ve just been called to the principal’s office,” Rose mutte
red.

  “I have no clue what you’re saying,” Aaron complained. He crossed his arms across his chest, his thin, blue T-shirt clinging to his lean torso. He shrugged impatiently at her. “This room is sound-proof. So, no one will be able to hear us.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “That’s an ominous way to begin a conversation.”

  He was silent for a moment. “I helped dispose of your brother’s corpse.”

  Rose looked away, her chest clenching with pain. “Aaron,” she sighed, “I get that you have no concept of sensitivity or decency, but for Pete’s sake…”

  “There was something in his pocket,” he interrupted. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a small photo. “I kept it. For…research purposes.”

  Rose stepped forward, her eyes stinging with sadness, as she gazed at the small, faded photo of her brother and her younger self, sitting next to a stream.

  “But,” Aaron continued, “it turns out…I don’t need it. So, I might as well give it to you.” He held out the photo. “Just don’t get all pathetic and weepy.”

  “I won’t cry,” she promised, taking the photo from him, cradling it in her hands, as if it were precious. And it was to her. It was a memory, frozen in time, and that was very precious. She traced the lines of the picture with her thumb, a sorrowful smile pulling at her lips. “So, what you’re saying is,” she said quietly, raising an eyebrow, “you saved this picture from being destroyed? For me?”

  “No, that is not what I’m saying,” he muttered, his dark eyes flashing with irritation. “As I said, I kept it for reasons unrelated to you, and then, I decided to give it to you because I have no need of it. And you were closer than a trash can.”

  Rose stared at the trash can that set right beside him. “Mmm-hmm.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re making me regret ever giving it to you at all.”

  “You know,” she said with a slightly amused smile, “the world isn’t going to end if you admit, just once, that you have a shred of decency inside of you.”