The words blurted out as if she had no control of herself.
He chuckled, his voice foreign. “I'm sorry, sweetie, but you are so not my type, no matter how big you think your balls are.”
What a waste, she thought as he chuckled again. He let out a whistle, like a bird singing, before disappearing into a blacked-out building. As her vision blurred, she saw Luka and Archer storm into the room. The stranger laid her down on a worn sofa-bed. Luka came over to her and ran his hand down her scarred face.
“Is he another angel? Or a Fallen? Coz one of them is quite enough thank you very much,” she quipped.
Archer grunted, but had a smile on his face. “Shh, rest now, Princess. I think after the mind-fuck you've just had, you need to rest your brain. It’s already overworked.”
“Screw you, angel-boy.”
Luka cleared his throat, walking over to briefly hug the stranger. Turning back to face her, he spoke, his voice soft yet distant. “Sebastian, let me introduce Cassie. Cassie, this is Seb.”
He was stalling with his introduction for some reason and as the stranger’s face contorted to resemble Luka's monster, Cassie flinched and held in a breath. The vampire extended his hand but slowly took it away as Cassie refused to shake it. Offering her an exaggerated bow, he grinned, his face now normal.
“Ahh, Cassie, I've heard so much about you. Let me introduce myself properly since Luka seems lost for words. My name is Sebastian, but you can call me Seb... and I'm Luka's brother.”
Chapter Thirteen
Silence ricocheted throughout the room as Cassie's eyes darted back and forth between the two vampires. Now that she studied them, the resemblances were clear. From the slant of their lips to the sharp contours of their faces, they looked so alike. But where Luka's hair was short, Cassie could only imagine that Sebastian's would cascade down his back, stopping only at his hips. They both had the same intense looking eyes but of different colours, and Sebastian was tall and thin while Luka was broad and had muscles... Delicious, rock hard muscles.
The sound of a throat clearing as well as a childish giggle shook Cassie back to the present. “Oh I do like her, brother, you’re lucky she is not my usual flavour, or I could just eat her up.”
Luka snarled but didn't answer. Cassie opened her mouth, closed it again, and repeated the process. Her head hurt, and she just had no idea of what to say. It was rare that she was rendered speechless. She rose from the couch then sat back down, her legs wobbling. Archer came and sat beside her, but not before stealing a quick glance at Luka.
You know every single thing about me, Luka... I've never been able to hide anything from you... yet you couldn't be bothered to tell me you had a brother? What the hell is up with that? Luka looked away from her glare, his face taunt from the impending sunrise.
Seb spoke, “Cassie, don't blame my baby brother for not telling you about me. If I was him, then I would have kept me a secret too. I did a terrible thing and my brother did what any great ruler would do... put his personal feelings aside and sentenced me to eternal life here. I did the crime, so I do the time.”
When no one spoke, Sebastian continued “We can have story time later, but for now, my brother and I need to lock ourselves in that room over there till sunset. You and that scrumptious angel should be okay to survey the streets. Just stay away from the shadows. The curse of this place means no demon can step foot in the daylight. Sleep for a few hours, hunt, but be back here before the sun sets.” With that the vampire turned, but not before blowing a kiss at Archer and slipped into the darkened room.
Luka stood at the window, only moving when a hiss emerged from his lips. He took a step toward Cassie, who sank back into the couch. He focused his attention on Archer, and in that silent stare, a multitude of words were spoken. And with that, Luka was gone. Her heart finally began to slow its pace, but the overwhelming tiredness refused to leave. Archer had yet to utter a word, which was so unlike the angel. Cassie always thought her life was screwed up, but the revelations of the past few days were a serious mind fuck. She couldn't help but wonder if she was better off not knowing who her father was, and if she made it out of this alive, then maybe it was time she made a break for it... leave all that she knew behind her... but could she?
Archer stretched out on the couch, pulling her down with him. She went to pull away but those strong arms held her. “Argue with me in a few hours, princess, but for now we need sleep.”
Relaxing into him, she let his scent wash over her. She could feel Archer's heart pulse quicken as she rested her head against his chest. He placed a hand on the small of her back as her lids closed. Before sleep captured her, she found herself whispering, “I feel like I've known you forever too, Archie...”
As she drifted off, she heard him gasp. He now knew for sure she had heard everything; it was now up to him whether he wanted to make anything of it.
***
Cassie woke a short few hours later, confused and warm, to earth-shattering snores. Glancing down at herself, she saw that she was wrapped tightly in Archer's arms, her legs shamelessly sprawled across his waist. His eyes were closed, and for the first time, he seemed at peace. She reached forward and ran a finger across his lips. Cassie knew with all her heart that she loved Luka, but there was something raw and instinctual with Archer that she could not explain. At the slight touch of her finger, Archer groaned but didn't wake. She traced the outline of his face and wondered what it would be like if he kissed her. When she leaned in, inching her hand closer again, his hand gripped her wrist. “Princess, don't start something you may regret.” His voice was husky with sleep and other things.
“Archer... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me... Fuck, I keep screwing up...fuck, fuck, fuc...”
Cassie didn't get the chance to finish as she was pulled back down. Archer’s lips crushed against her. His hand twisted in her hair, and he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. Cassie heard a feral groan and was shocked that it came from her. The angel certainly knew how to kiss, but as soon as it started, it was over.
Archer pulled away and stared at her, his breath ragged “Just thought we'd get the awkward shite out of the way, Princess. Now there’ll be no more wondering.”
Cassie clambered away from him, shame flowing over her. How could she do that with Luka in the other room? Dear Goddess, who was she becoming?
Maintaining the silence, she pulled on her weapons belt and slugged back a bottle of water. Heading toward the exit, she stopped short as the angel stood in her way. The tension in the air sizzled as Cassie fought the urge to kiss him or kill him.
“Where are you going, Princess?”
“I’m getting on with the job, angel-boy, before I end up sticking my blade in your sorry ass,” she growled and tried to push him aside.
“Kinky... I like it.” He grinned down at her. “Oh come on, Cassie, lighten up. You were the one feeling me up, and I couldn't resist. Look, now we need to work together, so we can get rid of the demon bitch and get the intel you need. Then when the dust has settled, we can deal with this triangle we seem to have going on here. But for now, let’s just kill some demons.”
“Fine. Well come on, angel-boy, I ain’t getting any younger. We can't all be bloody immortal,” Cassie snarled at him before heading down the stairs and into the sun with the angel on her heels.
The city seemed different in the daylight. Normal. The sunrays beamed down upon the streets, like the heavens had opened up to guide them, but Cassie knew this wasn't the case. Empty streets stretched out in front of her, eerily quiet and still. Goosebumps rose on her flesh as she took in her surroundings. Sebastian had said that the curse of the prison forbade them from stepping foot in the sunlight. She could hear the growls and snarls from the shadows; see the hungry red eyes stalking her in the dark. She could scent the familiar ones, and the ones that made her want to vomit, but she was not scared.
“This reminds me of that Will Smith film, you know the one where h
e's the last man on earth and the infected things hide in the shadows during the day... It’s kind of creepy.”
Cassie burst out laughing. The idea that the angel was creeped out by a movie was a welcome break in tension. “Aww, is the poor-‘lickle angel scared of the demons? Does he need a hug and a teddy bear?”
Archer scowled at her, giving her a little shove. “Hey, the big bad demon hunter can't mock me when she's afraid of heights. I was only mentioning how it reminded me of the film, not that I was freaked out.”
“Come on, dude, we need to try and suss out where Cole would set up shop. But I can hold your hand if it would make you feel better?”
The angel shook his head and muttered something Cassie couldn’t quite make out. Walking down what seemed to be the city's main street, Cassie remembered hearing all about Ireland’s history in the capital. In her history class, before the world knew of all the crazy shit, she had learned of a struggle for independence, how brave soldiers had spilt their blood on these very streets for a cause they deemed just and important. It seemed a shame that a city that was so deep in the history of the country was now home to the worst monsters imaginable.
Archer grabbed her elbow suddenly, pointing toward a building that remained covered in darkness despite the high sun. He put his finger to his lips to shush her, and for once she obeyed him. Frantic screams of pain ripped through the silent streets. Cassie could smell blood in the wind and she didn't know how she knew, but she did with utmost certainty: Cole was in there.
“That’s it, that’s where he's hiding,” she spat out, her body instinctively moving in the building’s direction. She pulled her nine mil out of its holster, flicking off the safety. She could hear Archer pleading for her to stop, but it was if a siren was singing and dragging her deeper beneath the current.
The voice had returned, clawing its way slowly into her subconscious. That’s right, Cassandra dear, come inside. This is where you belong, with us, your kin. Come into the shadows and join us. You belong, Cassandra, like you've always wanted... with us, you belong.....
“I belong,” she spoke out, her voice robotic. She tried to rack her brain, she was supposed to remember something or someone, but all she wanted was to find the source of the voice. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she whipped round pointing the gun at the figure. I know him, the thought filtered through her brain, yet she did not loosen her grip on her weapon.
Pull the trigger, Cassandra; he wants to take you away from us, your family. Kill him, Cassandra. Come now, it's so easy, just pull the trigger.
“Cassie? What’s happening? Hey, it's me... Archer.” The handsome man communicated with her, but she shook her head, his words confused her.
Do it now, Cassandra, and come home.
“Home?” she repeated.
“Yeah, sure, Princess. I’ll take you home. Just take my hand.” The man stepped closer to her and reached out for her, but the voice was so intoxicating.
A new voice weighed in on her conflicting thoughts. Cassandra... You don't belong with them, you belong with me. I'm waiting for you here... You see the man in front of you? He will bring you back to me... go with him, Cassandra, go now. I'm waiting for you.
She lowered her gun. Hearing his words seemed to clear the fog from her mind, and she grinned sheepishly at the angel. “Sorry, I'm getting sick shit of all the demons messing with my head. I swear to the Goddess, I will gut that bastard if I get the chance.”
“And I'll gladly hold him down while you do so, Princess. You are some scary bitch when you have your eyes on a target. No wonder most of the underworld is afraid of you.”
She dragged the angel away from the building and snorted. “Why angel-boy, that has got to be the nicest thing you have ever said to me!”
They quickly retraced their steps, making their way back to Sebastian’s. The angel was quiet, lost in his own thoughts. Every now and then, she caught him sneaking a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Just before they reached Sebastian’s, they paused at the bridge overlooking the river. Archer sat on the edge, his legs swinging in the air. Cassie sat beside him and lay back against the cold ground. She took in deep breaths and closed her eyes.
“You love him, don't you?” The question came out of nowhere, as if the words he thought had just popped out of his mouth. Sitting up to look at him, she shrugged her shoulder. “It’s complicated.”
He rubbed his arms as if he were cold and looked out from underneath his sinful lashes as he spoke. “It’s not really, Princess. Either you do, or you don't. There's something there between the two of you, like two halves of the same coin, you get me? If you had seen your face while Cole had you mesmerised, you were like a zombie, but one word from Luka brought you back. It’s hurting you both denying it, and sooner or later it will get you killed.”
Cassie knew he was right, that she couldn't go on like this and neither could Luka. “I'm going to leave,” she blurted out, “when this is over. I'm going to see if I can go to the Europes and leave him in peace.”
“Or leave him in pieces, Cassie... He wants to give you the chance to back out. To find someone normal, but it will rip him apart slowly. It’s started already, and you leaving will not help. If you love him, tell him. If you don't, then put the poor bastard out of his misery.”
The angel spoke frankly; it made her like him even more. She knew deep down that she was in love with Luka, would die for him and him for her, but her own insecurities and hatred of monsters held her back. And what of the way she felt about Archer? Never had she been so magnetically drawn to someone as she was to Archer.
“And what about us I don't understand any of this.”
The angel turned to her and held her face in his hands. “Cassie, I can't explain how you make me feel, but although you may come to love me, it will always be platonic. I may be cheeky enough to steal a kiss, but I will not betray Luka and neither would you. I will always protect you, and something tells me you’re stuck with me for a long time. I’m going to be like the handsome gay best friend minus the gay part.”
He dropped his hands and leapt up pulling her with him. “Now that the Dr. Phil shit is out of the way, let’s head back... I'm bloody starving!”
Cassie held his gaze for just a few moments before the angel turned and started to walk away. She trailed after him, resolving once and for all to either finally start something with Luka, or get the hell out of dodge.
Chapter Fourteen
With an hour or two to go before the sun went down for the night, Cassie decided to let some steam off and beat some sense into an old punching bag that Sebastian had lying around. Each punch helped to drain the tension from her body, the therapeutic rhythm of each hit calming her. No matter how fucked up her life seemed to be, Cassie was certain that she was meant to fight, to feel bones crunch underneath her knuckles as her fist connected with its target. That the feel of a sword in her hand, or the gun on her hip, was how mothers felt about having a baby in their arms.
Having worked out, she headed for a shower. As the water washed away the dirt and grime of the past day and night, Cassie contemplated Archer’s advice. No matter how much Cassie wanted to be free and normal, she wasn't. She had not been normal before her mother had died, and that would not change if or when she left Luka behind. She wanted to be with Luka, but did he want to be with her? If they gave into their feelings, would the thrill of the chase be over and the spark gone? One thing was certain, when this mission was completed, she would have her answers once and for all.
Cassie pulled on a fresh pair of black combats and a t-shirt, and exited the bathroom barefoot. The faint grumble of Archer’s snore rumbled from the corner where the angel lay still on a mattress. She smiled to herself as she picked up her iPod and sprawled out on the couch, her long legs dangling over the end. Her still-wet hair clung to her face and she brushed it aside while scrolling down through the songs. Finding her own favourite mix, she pressed play, and as “You Me at Six” poured into her
ears, she closed her eyes and let the music take her away from her thoughts.
Shortly after she closed her eyes, Cassie felt her legs being gently lifted before being placed down on somebody’s lap. She didn't need to open her eyes to know who was there, that intoxicating aroma of lavender and death swirled around her. She lay perfectly still for just a moment and tried to control her breathing. She felt a finger lightly trace the scar that marked her face and she shivered, though she was unsure whether it was from the memory, or from Luka's touch.
Pulling the headphones from her ears, she raised her eyes to meet with those breathtaking green eyes. Dammit, why does all logic and reason jump out the bloody window when he looks at me like that? From the slight smirk that twitched on his lips, she knew he was reading her again. Pushing stop on her iPod, she reached over, placed it on the table and cleared her throat. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
Neither of them spoke for a second, but Cassie couldn’t help but blurt out, “How did you know I was in trouble today?”
“I’ve told you before, Cassan- Cassie, I will always be there for you, whether you want me or not. You may be a pain in my ass most of the time, but I will never let any harm come to you.” He looked sad as he spoke, as if the next words from Cassie’s mouth would decide it all for them.
Cassie swallowed hard, her own throat tight. “Luka... I...” Cassie took a quick look around and inhaled. They were alone, with nobody in the near vicinity. “I want to be with you, you know that... I... just don't want us being together to put either of us in danger. You with the other vamps back home... or stop me from doing what I'm good at. We can't go on like this because I’m going to go fucking crazy. When this is over, we stop running, or I’ll leave.”
She swung her legs and went to stand when a cool hand grabbed her wrist. Standing in front of her, the handsome vampire tilted her chin up and placed his lips on hers. Her heart pounded as the kiss intensified by Luka placing a hand on the small of her back, bringing her in closer. Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt that she could stay wrapped in his arms forever, kissing his lips; the world could crumble down around them, for good this time, and she wouldn’t care.
Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) Page 8
