The Assassins of Light

by Britney Jackson

  Kara smiled at Talulah. “She’s always curious. It’s one of her quirks.”

  Talulah shrugged. “It’s fine,” she told Rose. “You didn’t hurt anything.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” Rose asked, “where did you get this?”

  “It was my mother’s,” Talulah said. “She passed it on to me hundreds of years ago, when I was still human. And it belonged to my ancestors before her.”

  “Was it just a piece of jewelry, or,” Rose paused, “something…more?”

  Kara remained silent, watching curiously, as Rose examined the necklace.

  “It’s an emulet,” Talulah told her, “supposedly. It is said to have power.”

  Rose looked up at her, her mind racing. “What kind of power?”

  Talulah’s shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. “I don’t know for sure that it does anything. But my mother believed it allowed us to communicate with spirits.”

  Rose frowned at that. “Spirits?”

  “Deities, really,” Talulah amended. “It allowed us to speak to our gods.”

  “Gods?” Rose repeated bewilderedly. She glanced at the jagged, green stone again, dragging her finger over it, and it seemed as if, once again, it flickered, like a spark trying to ignite. “It just…reminds me of something I’ve seen before.”

  “Do you mean the necklace you’re wearing right now?” Talulah asked.

  Rose blinked in surprise and glanced down at the Stone of the Eklektos. She thought she remembered tucking it under her shirt, and sure enough, it was hidden beneath Kara’s jacket, her hoodie, and the T-shirt she’d worn underneath.

  But it wasn’t hidden anymore. Because, now, it was glowing. Brightly.

  “What makes it glow like that?” Talulah asked. “It’s almost like…magic.”

  Rose laughed nervously and covered the glowing Stone with her hand. “It just does that sometimes,” she mumbled. “It’s not usually that bright, though.”

  Kara pushed away from the wall and made her way over to Rose. She made eye-contact with Rose before she scooped the jagged, green stone from Rose’s hand. “Have you ever seen it work?” Kara asked Talulah. “The necklace?”

  Talulah shook her head. “No. For my people, it was mostly symbolic.”

  Kara returned the stone necklace to the table. “But for your ancestors?”

  “Supposedly, at some point,” Talulah said, “people believed it worked in a literal sense. The Stone was said to actually do something…or so I was told.”

  “To communicate with the gods,” Kara repeated thoughtfully.

  Rose watched Kara with a curious frown. She wished that she could hear what Kara was thinking…because it was obvious that she was thinking something.

  “Like I said,” Talulah said easily, “to me, it was just a family heirloom.”

  Rose could tell, just by the veiled expression on Kara’s face, that asking what Kara was thinking would be pointless. Whatever it was—it was something that she wasn’t eager to share. Not with Talulah around, at least. So, Rose turned to Talulah. “I’m sorry, by the way,” she sighed. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”

  Talulah smiled politely. “You were provoked. No apology necessary.”

  Rose nodded. “I can’t really control my power yet. Aaron knows that.”

  “So does Kara,” Talulah pointed out, “and she agreed to his plan.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice,” Kara said defensively. “You’re the one who wanted to see how powerful she was. That was the only way to show you.”

  Talulah flashed a cold, bitter smile at Kara. “I’m just making sure she realizes what kind of woman you are. I wouldn’t want her to make my mistakes.”

  Kara laughed, “You knew what I was like. It made you want me more.”

  “I know what kind of woman Kara is, actually,” Rose spoke up, suddenly, surprising them, “but I’m not so sure that you do. I’m not even sure that she does.”

  Talulah stared at Rose, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Is that so?”

  Rose felt Kara’s gaze on her, and she sensed the anxiety that Kara felt. Because despite everything, Kara didn’t believe in her own goodness. Even now, she thought that Rose was wrong, that Rose had too much faith in her. “Thank you,” she told Talulah, “for trying to warn me, though. I just have to disagree.”

  Talulah watched her, and slowly, a smile curled at the corners of her lips. Her dark gaze shifted toward Kara. “She’s a brave one, isn’t she? She threatened Aaron in front of his followers and his enemies, and now, she’s spoken up to me.”

  Kara nodded. “I hope that you’ll see the merit in that. And respect it.”

  “I do,” Talulah said. She took a step toward Rose and extended her hand.

  Rose hesitantly placed her hand in Talulah’s, not sure what to expect.

  But Talulah simply shook her hand. “I want you to know that you have a clean slate with me. I have no respect for Kara or Aaron. But for you, we’ll see.”

  Rose blinked and cast a bewildered glance at Kara, but Kara just smiled encouragingly. “Umm…I appreciate that,” she stammered. “You seem…nice.”

  Talulah dropped her hand and frowned. “I seem nice?” she repeated.

  “To Rose, that’s a compliment. She’s trying to compliment you,” Kara explained to Talulah. Then, she looked at Rose, an amused smile pulling at her lips. “She’s the leader of a vampire colony. She doesn’t want to be called nice.”

  Rose’s mouth fell open. “Oh! Oh, gosh. I’m so awkward,” she groaned. She looked at Talulah, cringing a little under her dark gaze. “Fair? Is that better?”

  Talulah laughed, “It’s okay. I’m not that easily offended. I’m not Aaron.”

  “Oh, yeah, I can tell! You’re very different from Aaron,” Rose said. Then, she added under her breath, “I mean, for one, it’s been more than ten minutes since I met you, and you haven’t beheaded anyone with your bare hands yet.”

  Kara snorted at that.

  “Listen,” Talulah said suddenly, leveling Rose with an intensely serious look, “I have never seen that kind of power before. It was terrifying and awe-inspiring. Almost…godlike. And I’m religious, so I don’t use that word lightly.”

  Rose frowned. Something about that pricked a memory.

  Talulah continued, “You’re the most powerful vampire I’ve ever seen.”

  Rose shook her head. “I’m not as powerful as I seem. I can’t control it.”

  “That doesn’t make you any less powerful,” Kara told her.

  Talulah nodded, agreeing with Kara. “The way I see it—with power like yours, you’re not beneath Aaron. You’re his equal. You could take his power.”

  Rose laughed nervously, “No. No. I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want…” she trailed off, casting a worried glance at Kara. “I have no interest in power.”

  Kara just watched her curiously, her expression practically unreadable.

  “Have you joined the Tomb of Blood?” Talulah asked. “Formally?”

  “Not formally,” Kara told Talulah. “Aaron admitted her into the colony, but she made no promises. So, in a sense, she’s still…independent of a colony.”

  Talulah nodded. “Then, that’s how we’ll treat you. You’re independent.”

  Rose glanced back and forth between them. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’ll have to join the alliance, too,” Kara said, “on your own.”

  “You’ll be treated just like Aaron and me,” Talulah told Rose. “In my opinion, with your power, you’re on the same level. You’re…your own colony.”

  “I don’t understand,” Rose mumbled. “I came with the Tomb of Blood.”

  “Until you’ve formally joined them, Aaron has no dominion over you,” Talulah said, “which means, you’re not part of the alliance, just because he is.”

  “She’s saying that you’ll have to make the choice for yourself,” Kara said.

  “But you’re backed into a bit of
a corner,” Talulah added with a smile, “because I will only join the alliance, if you do. I don’t trust Aaron on his own.”

  It was then that Rose had realized what Talulah had just done. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. Manipulation seemed to be a common theme among vampire leaders. It would’ve been naïve to assume that Talulah was above it.

  “I’ll let you think about it tonight and decide tomorrow, when you’ve rested,” Talulah told her. “Just keep in mind how much rides on your decision.”

  “I came, didn’t I?” Rose pointed out. “Isn’t that enough of a decision?”

  “Not for me,” Talulah said. She turned to Kara, and her smile deepened. “Aaron isn’t going to like this, is he? As a matter of fact, I bet he’ll be very angry, especially when he realizes that you were the one who told me that she hasn’t formally joined the Tomb of Blood.” Her smile turned smug. Triumphant, even.

  But Kara just smiled back. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle Aaron.”

  Talulah snorted at that. She turned and headed into her office, and Kara and Rose reluctantly followed. “I assume you’re both tired, so let’s get you to your room. I think you’ll find the accommodations cozy. We, of course, don’t have electricity here, so you’ll have to use the fireplace to warm your room.”

  As Talulah continued talking, Rose cast a worried glance at Kara, but if Kara was afraid, at all, of how Aaron would react, she didn’t show it. As a matter of fact, she looked amused, as if she were playing a game that just got interesting.

  “Rose,” Talulah said, “if you don’t mind, I need to talk to Kara alone.”

  Rose froze, anxiety rushing through her. Despite Talulah’s manipulation, Rose still believed that she was more trustworthy than Aaron. But…this was the same woman who had sent warriors to attack Kara on the journey there. Rose didn’t exactly feel comfortable leaving Kara alone with her. She glanced at Kara.

  Kara gave her a gentle, understanding smile. “I’ll be all right, ást,” she said, her voice low and accented. “Wait for me in the hall, if you don’t mind.”

  Rose’s gaze darted toward the beautiful, intimidating woman in the front of the room, and despite the insecurity that fluttered in her chest, she spoke up, “I wasn’t lying when I said that I can’t control my power. So…if you hurt her…”

  Talulah stared at Rose, her eyes wide. “Are you threatening me, Rose?”

  “I have no malicious feelings toward you,” Rose said honestly, “so, no, I wouldn’t call it threatening. It’s just a warning, really. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but if you hurt her…” She shrugged. “Like I said, I can’t control my power yet.”

  Talulah watched, her face pale, as Rose turned and left the office. When the door closed behind her, she slowly turned toward Kara. “I can’t tell whether she’s just naïve to our ways,” she murmured, “or completely and totally fearless.”

  Kara just smiled. “About ten percent naïve. Ninety percent fearless.”

  Talulah waited expectantly. “Well? Is there anything you’d like to say?”

  Kara tilted her head to the side, a lock of blue hair falling over her left shoulder, as she pretended to think very hard about something. “Nope,” she said.

  Talulah’s nostrils flared as she exhaled slowly. “Are you sure?” she asked, sliding her hand over the desk to pick up a small knife. She stepped away from the desk and began to approach Kara. “Nothing at all? About our last meeting?”

  Kara rested her weight on the heels of her feet, her chin lifted, her body language the picture of confidence. She smirked. “Well, it’s nice to see you again.”

  Talulah’s dark eyes narrowed. “Is it?” she said lowly. When she reached Kara, who still hadn’t moved an inch, she pressed a knife against Kara’s throat.

  Kara’s smile widened. “The last time you put a knife to my throat, I came out on top,” she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “In more ways than one.”

  Talulah, with her—apparently—superhuman ability to not laugh, just stared at Kara, her dark gaze sweeping over Kara’s lithe, muscular body. “If I find out that you are here for any other reason than what you’ve told me, you’re dead.”

  “Ah, come on, Talulah,” Kara chided, still grinning, as if there weren’t a sharp blade pressed against her throat. “We’re on the brink of war with all of humanity, and you think I care about your little quest for power?” She laughed.

  Talulah’s dark eyes narrowed at her patronizing tone. “I have power.”

  “And if I wanted to take it, I would have already done it,” Kara said, leaning closer, allowing the sharp blade to dig into her skin. “I’m older, stronger, and faster than you are,” she growled, as she grasped Talulah’s wrist and twisted the knife away from her throat. “I could kill you easily, if I wanted to. But I don’t.”

  Talulah gasped in relief as Kara finally released her wrist. Her black eyes flashed with fury as she spun toward Kara. For a moment, she looked as if she were considering attacking Kara again, but then, she seemed to think better of it. She retreated to her desk and leaned against it, smoothing the wrinkles in her clothes, as if it would erase what had just happened. “Just don’t start any trouble.”

  Kara knelt and picked up the knife that she’d forced Talulah to drop, and then, with an amused smile, she carried it over to Talulah. “I’ll try to behave.”

  Talulah took her knife back and set it on the desk. “You’re lying,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “You couldn’t behave, if you tried—and you won’t.”

  Kara laughed, “I’ve been a troublemaker for fourteen hundred years. I doubt that’s going to change. I’d say sorry, but I never apologize for who I am.”

  Talulah frowned at her. “This is the part where you usually seduce me.”

  Kara smiled. “Usually,” she said with a soft laugh. “But not this time.”

  Talulah raised an eyebrow. “Kara Unnarsdóttir is turning down sex?”

  “Yeah, I know. Crazy, isn’t it?” Kara chuckled. Her smile softened, then, taking on an affectionate quality. “But I’m in a relationship with Rose, so…”

  “You were in a relationship last time, too, weren’t you?” Talulah asked.

  “I was with Alana, then,” Kara said. “This is different.” Something came into her eyes, suddenly—a bright, burning emotion that Talulah couldn’t identify. It stunned her to see Kara so emotional. “I don’t want to screw this one up.”

  “You’re in love with her,” Talulah realized, her deep, black eyes wide.

  Kara didn’t respond for a moment. She studied Talulah with narrowed eyes, as if she were trying to decide if Talulah would use it against her or not. But finally, she answered, “Yes, I am. And unlike Alana, Rose actually loves me back.”

  Talulah blinked in shock. “Wow. I’m genuinely impressed,” she said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you’re capable of changing, but…a real, functional relationship?” She crossed her arms. “That’s a pretty big step for you.”

  “Believe me. I know,” Kara said with a nervous laugh. “Alana and I were a mess—to say the least—but…” She shrugged. “Maybe this will be different.”

  “I’d wish you happiness,” Talulah said, “but I still haven’t forgiven you.”

  Kara laughed at that. “Fine by me. I’m still not going to apologize.”

  “I’ll wish her happiness,” Talulah added, “but just misery for you.”

  Kara grinned at her. “Did you need to talk to me about anything else?”

  “Ah, yes,” Talulah said, turning back toward the desk. She picked up a key lying on top of the desk and held it out toward Kara. “This is the key to your room. I didn’t give yours to Aaron because I needed an excuse to talk to you.”

  Kara chuckled and took the key from her. “Have a nice night, Talulah.”

  “Have a pleasant,” Talulah replied slowly, painstakingly, “terrible night.”

  Kara didn’t even try to suppress her laughter as she left the
office. When she stepped out into the hallway, she glanced around, smiling as she found Rose staring, once again, at that bear mural, her back to Kara, her long hair cascading down her back in red waves. Kara took a step toward her, and she noticed Rose straighten as she suddenly sensed Kara’s closeness. Rose spun around to face her.

  Kara held up the key and grinned. “Are you ready to go find our room?”

  Rose stepped toward her quickly. “I swear I tried not to eavesdrop,” she began, her eyes wide, “but I couldn’t help it. Everything was just so loud, and…”

  “Rose,” Kara interrupted, an amused smile twitching at the edges of her lips, “relax. I’ve been a vampire for a long time. I know how it is.” She studied Rose’s expression curiously. “What is it? Did I say something wrong in there?”

  “No,” Rose said quickly, and then, she couldn’t help it: she smiled.

  Kara lifted her eyebrows and smiled back. “Did I say something right?”

  Rose bounced a little on her heels, her bright blue eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. “She…um…wanted to sleep with you.”

  Kara smirked. “Of course. What woman-loving woman doesn’t?”

  Rose ignored that. “It’s just…Talulah is so…regal and…gorgeous.”

  Kara raised an eyebrow. “You think so?” she said with a wicked grin. She gestured toward the office door. “I mean, I can go talk to her, if you want me to. I’m sure she’d be up for a threesome, if you’re craving some extra…attention.”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “W-what?” she sputtered. “No…no! That’s not what I was…” she trailed off, blushing. “I just thought that you would want her.”

  Kara watched her with a smile. “Why would I? When I have you.”

  Rose smiled. “We just… We hadn’t had that talk, you know. About what kind of relationship this is. And I didn’t know how to ask,” she rambled. “I didn’t want you to think I expected you to change, so if you weren’t into those kinds of relationships—the monogamous kind, I mean—I didn’t want to ask you to be…”

  Kara stepped forward and pressed her lips against Rose’s, ending Rose’s rambling with a sweet, gentle kiss. She pulled back, amusement sparkling in her light blue eyes. “Rose,” she laughed, “you’re the only one I want. Can’t you tell?”