Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin)

by Harris, Susan

  Oh, how about we make this more fun, Cassandra? Well for me anyway. Let’s see how you react when it is you inside that body, will we?

  Cassie felt a tug as her body flew through the air and slammed into her doppelganger’s body and they became one. When Cassie opened her own eyes, she stared into Vicktor's face and panic set in. She struggled under the weight of him, the weight of the déjà vu feeling almost making her forget that it was all an illusion. He was grinning down at her like before, the smell of blood on his breath.

  “You’re special, Cassandra. Your powers are unbridled, like nothing anyone has ever seen before. The ability to share both Wiccan and demonic powers all in one. If you were turned, my god what a predator you would make. You kill now for Luka without question. Imagine if you were immortal. My very own personal killing machine.”

  Cassie tried to tap into her powers, but nothing. There was no swell of magic or rush of blood inside her. Both sets of powers were lost to her. Luka? She called out to him, but it was clear it wasn't just her powers that were AWOL to her. It’s fake. It’s fake. It’s fake... She repeated to herself over and over as if she was attempting to convince herself.

  “No one is coming for you, Cassandra; they all think that you are dead, one way or the other. They will hunt you now and put you down like a rabid animal. Come with me, and we shall be rulers of the night. Unstoppable.”

  Vicktor kissed her, rough and harsh, bile made its way ever so slowly up her throat. He was excited now - the prospect of finally having her in his clutches exciting him. He bit down on her lip and groaned, rubbing his body up against hers as he sucked on her spilled blood. Breaking away, Cassie saw his eyes glow even redder, a look of pure elation on his face.

  “Exquisite, like a fine wine left to mature. Oh the taste, it is addictive. But I will have to be patient, so I don't kill you before I can turn you.”

  He leapt off her, and went to his tray of tools. He picked up a small scalpel, running it slowly over his finger tip. “Perfect, perfect. This will do nicely,” he mumbled to himself.

  Cassie twisted in her restraints, pleading to the Goddess to help her. She felt so alone, tides of despair rolling up to wash over her, doubt stalking her from a distance.

  What if I never made it out? What if I conjured up a future when I may not have one?

  Her head began to pound, and she fought not to scream in frustration as Vicktor appeared in an instant next to her again. He cupped her cheek and planted a light kiss on her forehead. He held her hand and gazed at her, a look that Cassie assumed one lover would make at another. He seemed content. And then the madness gradually returned to his face.

  “Finally, finally, I have found my wife... we will be together forever you and I. You see, all these whores, you see them, they were all pale imitations of you, Cassandra. I pretended they were you, when I fed, when I fucked them, when I killed them... But none rose to be like you. I refused to turn them because I knew I hadn't found you yet.” He straddled her again, and rubbed his hands all over her body, enjoying every inch of her as she lay frozen.

  A coward again, my dear? Will you just lie there and let him touch you, rape you and turn you ... just like he did your mother? How very disappointing....

  The voice trailed off into the nothingness and Cassie focused again and tried to speak, but no words escaped her mouth. She was weak and a coward, and deserved to die... didn't she?

  Shaking his head, Vicktor seemed to focus, the scalpel raised in his hand. Cassie inhaled and stared at her captor, letting out a surprised shriek as he slit his own wrist. Blood poured from the gash and Cassie squirmed trying to fight as he prised open her mouth and pressed the gash against her lips. The liquid flowed down her throat. Cassie refused to swallow the tainted blood that could turn her. Vicktor pulled his wrist away, but clamped his hand over her mouth to stop her from vomiting. When she had no other option, she swallowed and promptly gagged. The blood tasted vile, like she was drinking liquid fire. It burned her throat as she swallowed. Vicktor repeated his first step and Cassie knew she had lost... She would rather die now than become like Vicktor, for most converted took on traits of their sire... madness being Vicktor’s...and her mother’s.

  Hurried footsteps emerged above her, their rescue too late. Vicktor would kill her and then Luka would be forced to kill her too... once a monster, she should not be left alive. Tears emptied from her eyes as all hope disappeared. Luka's army burst into the basement and Vicktor vanished. Luka rushed to her side and released her from her shackles. She shook her head and tried to tell him not to, that he needed to end her before she turned. He brushed her hair and pulled her close, whispering kind words. He pulled a blanket around her naked body and told her he was going to take her home.

  Home. Could she really just go home? Was the voice in her head just that, or was Cole a figment of her imagination?

  “Sire, we have not located the vampire yet. He seems to have vanished.”

  Luka turned to address his soldier as a fierce cry erupted from behind Cassie. She saw Luka spin round, as Cassie felt those fingers wrap around her neck and twist. Her neck snapped with a crack, and before Cassie's body could crumple to the ground, she heard Luka's painful cry and deep maniacal laughter.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Cassie removed the young man that was dangling from her fangs, shoving him to the floor. The smell of blood and lust whirled in the room as she stood up in her throne room. Legions of vampires, demons and creatures bowed before her. She glanced down at herself, a scarlet corset dress adorned her body; her already pale skin had become almost translucent. Her hair had returned to its natural colour, a stark contrast against her skin.

  This is what you become, Cassandra. You are queen, deadly and beautiful and everything you never wanted to be... believe it, accept it.

  Cassie looked around the full room and realised she was in Luka's old viewing room. But it was hers now. Her skin itched from the power burning inside her veins. And she loved it. The party was in full swing, the blood was flowing, music was playing and everyone was indulging in lust and hunger; she fed from them, their pleasure becoming hers. She had memories of things that were not hers, but this Cassie didn't feel right either. She moved with the grace of a dancer down the steps and walked through the crowds. Murmurs of “my queen” and “your majesty” came from her subjects. Some she acknowledged, other bottom feeders, she ignored. Her appetite had been sated for now, but her lust for pain still prowled beneath the surface. She had inherited the madness she dreaded.

  Coming to stand by the edge of the room, she raised a well-manicured hand, silence falling upon the room. Her audience waited with bated breath, the ones that still had any she guessed.

  “My loyal subjects, once again we celebrate a fine victory. We have taken over the final sector on this island. It now belongs to me, so it belongs to all of you as well. We will rule this place as a superior race; the humans exist purely for our pleasure, our amusement and our food. So as the saying goes, eat, drink and be merry... But be careful not to make a mess.”

  She giggled slightly and nervous laughter broke out. Fear leaked out from them and she devoured it with greed. Their mad queen was well known for her temper, and many a monster had lost a head from her outbursts. The vampires guarding the door regarded her with equal amounts of respect and dread as they opened the door for her.

  “Are we to escort you to your chamber, my queen?” one of them asked her, his voice shaking slightly. Cassie inclined her head right, then left as she appreciated the good looks of her soldiers. If she didn't have other things on her mind, she would have taken the vampire to her bedroom and made sure that when he left her in the morning, he found it extremely difficult to walk.

  “Not just now, my pet. I wish to spend some quality time with our little guest.” She shivered in anticipation.

  “Yes, my queen.”

  The soldiers flanked her as she walked down the corridors that once housed the old her. The art she had on
ce loved had been torn down and replaced with blood and bodies. She ran her fingers over the corpses remembering the kills, replaying them in her mind.

  This is not you, Cassie... you did not become this...

  “I am this, this is me.” Vampire Cassie answered herself drawing a puzzled look from her companions. With the raise of an eyebrow, they returned their gazes forward, knowing what happened to those who fell out of favour with the mad queen. Lifting her skirt as she went down the narrow stairs, the hairs on her arms rose as she sensed him waiting for her. She felt him tense; he knew she was coming too. They played this little game now for months and she never grew tired or bored. But she was frustrated they had yet to locate the other traitor, the one that could have saved her. Taking the key that hung from her neck, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. There he was, her most prized possession, her angel. He was exactly how she had left him, pinned to the wall, his wings and arms out straight, his head hanging down into his chest. She had offered him the world to join her, to succumb to the evil just like her, yet he declined. Even when she set her hands alight and brushed them gently over those wings, her angel refused to scream, refused to bend. Which made her want him even more.

  He lifted his head and peaked out at her, his hair had long since grown out. The spark that had always shone in those beautiful brown eyes had diminished over time. The door closed behind her, leaving them all alone. Cassie skipped over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. She swirled round and came to lounge on the chair that sat in front of him. Placing her hand above the table, she summoned a glass of blood, took a sip and licked her lips, all under the watchful eye of Archer.

  “How are you tonight, my love? I don't suppose you've changed your mind, so we can put you out of your misery? You know how much it pains me to have to hurt you, Archer. It hurts me in here.” Cassandra pointed to her chest where her heart used to beat.

  “You no longer have a heart, Cassandra; it died the day the real Cassie was stolen from us. I will never change my mind.” The angel’s words were defiant, his voice a little croaky since she had refused him water almost a week now. Calmly placing the glass on the table, she rose, gliding toward him. She ran her finger over his bare chest and licked his throat.

  “But you want me, don't you, my angel? I can smell it on you like a perfume. I feel it when I touch you. Just tell me you want me and be done with this, Archie.”

  The use of his pet name was a low blow and she knew it. The old Cassie was the only one that called him that. His head snapped back, hitting the wall so hard she was sure he must have cracked it. He spat the words out, his own frustration now apparent.

  “I do not want you, you stupid bitch. I want her, the Cassie you were before you became this bitch. The funny, beautiful Cassie whose body you invaded. You may look like her and my body responds to that, but you never will be half the person she was, or should have been, you mad psycho whore.”

  The slap was thunderous, her claws raking his cheek as she finished. She flung the chair across the room and screamed. The mad queen went off on a rant.

  “I’m not her. I never was. I am me, me is who I am... She was always me, always evil, not good, never loved... evil bitch... evil fucking bitch.”

  Grabbing a whip, she turned, lashing out at Archer’s already marred chest. The angel didn't move, just held her gaze, infuriating her further.

  This is what you could be, Cassandra. Just come with me.

  A loud banging brought her back to herself and she shouted “What?”

  One of her guards came into the room, his walk and demur full of caution. “Forgive me, my Queen, but I was sent by Daniel to come get you. He says he has acquired your other gift and will await you in the throne room.”

  Could it be? Had they found him? If she had a heart, it would have rejoiced. “Clear the room. I want him to myself when I get there. Anybody refuses to leave or touches him before I do, kill them. He is mine and mine alone.”

  “Yes, my Queen.” And he was gone. She turned back to the angel almost sorry that their time was up. She pulled her sword from the sheath in the wall and almost felt sorry for herself. She kissed the angel on the lips and felt his inner conflict. She studied him for just a moment longer before a smile crept over her lips. “It’s been fun, my angel, but parting is such sweet sorrow.” Raising the sword she swung with power and turned. The mad queen was gone before the angel’s head hit the floor.

  She fought the urge to run; she had waited too long for this, to see him, to touch him. When she had been converted, he had tried to stay with her, but somewhere in the mist of madness and blood, things had changed. Before he fled with the angel, he tried to kill her, but he failed and ran from her. Now he was back, and she would convince him to stay, because none of it mattered without him. Her hands began to shake as she fumbled with the door handle. When she entered the throne room, she saw him, hands cuffed behind his back kneeling on the floor, his head bowed. The guards pulled him to his feet and he sagged slightly. Head held high, she marched to face him, her resolve fading when those once intense green eyes looked back at her, filled with nothing but emptiness.

  “Leave us!” she demanded and they scattered. She put her hands on his arms and rubbed them, just to check that her mind was not playing tricks on her and that he was real. He was. Luka's muscles tensed and he remained still. She leaned in and inhaled the calming scent of lavender, a welcoming stroke on her skin. Cassie pulled him in close and sighed in relief. “Oh, Luka, Oh, baby, I've missed you. You've come home to me finally; we can be a family again!”

  Luka's face was a mask. No emotion flickered as he stepped back from her embrace and stared her down. “Cassie, I came back under duress, not because I had a choice. So can you make this quick, my queen, I have an afterlife to get to.”

  Anger boiled her skin, frustration rocked her body and she conjured fire. It bounced in her hand ready to explode, but she quenched it. She looked at her former lover and memories of the girl she used to be flashed in her mind’s eye. She dragged her fingernails down her face, drawing blood. “It’s not supposed to be like this. It’s not. We were supposed to be happy, Luka, you and me. I dreamt it! When I changed, we were meant to live forever, while the world changed around us, we would stay the same. Don't you love me anymore? Please, please, I can't do this without you.”

  She fell to her knees and hugged his legs crying, droplets of red tears staining his jeans. He said nothing, the room as cold and icy as the sea. She usually felt suffocated in this room, but now she thought she would get swept away in the enormity and emptiness. Rising to her feet again, she shoved Luka who stood firmly rooted to the spot. “Come on, say something, anything. Luka...”

  Her lover gazed deeply into her black eyes, and she saw a glimpse of the strong, powerful vampire she fell in love with.

  “What would you like me to say, my queen? The Cassie I loved is dead. Murdered by madness and bloodlust. For a while, I thought I could pretend, love the monster that inhabits her body. She would have asked me to kill her herself if she was anywhere inside of you. I trained her to kill exactly what you have become, and I promised her I would die trying to set her free.”

  He swiftly proceeded to kick her in the stomach with such force she flew across the room and crumpled against her throne. She heard the crunch of metal as Luka pulled apart the handcuffs. Cassie leapt to her feet and braced herself for attack, when strong arms ensnared her from behind.

  “Didn't think you could kill me that easily, did you, Cassandra?” Archer sneered at her and she gasped in disbelief. She felt it in her bones that this was it for her, and she couldn't help but feel a little at ease. The madness was exhausting and she feared that one day, if she lived, she would end up in a world where she was alone because she had killed every single person in it. She stopped struggling.

  “I always knew it would be one of you that killed me, my boys, so strong and deadly. You know she tells me things sometimes, your Cassie. She loved you both a
nd she tried to fight me to begin with, but you can't fight the likes of me. She gave up when you left, Luka. Sure that if she had nothing to fight for, then what was the point. Just do it fast before they get here.”

  Frantic shouts sounded from outside. Luka stepped up to look at her. “I am sorry I didn’t get to you in time, Cassie. I truly am.” He leaned in and placed a soft kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes as she felt the tip of the stake on her skin. She felt it as it pierced her skin, as it cracked through bone and plunged into her dead heart. She opened her eyes and smiled. “Thank you.” And then her body dissipated to ash in front of her throne.

  Cassie screamed, a sharp sorrowful scream as the edges of the world darkened. Her breathing was heavy and her pulse rapid. It was fake, it had to be. She didn't want to believe that she could become the monster from her nightmares. Cole would never know that by showing her what she could have become, or may still become, made her more determined to stay exactly how she was. She had to trust that she had some spark of goodness in her bones, or so help the Goddess, she would make sure she didn't lean any further into the dark.

  So you’re still alive, Cassandra. I guess you are stronger than I thought. So you get your wish, face-to-face with me. And a few of your friends that you sent to live here, how about that? I may just have to tear the flesh from your bones myself since my visions weren't enough to finish you off. I'll send someone to collect you and bring you to me. I look forward to our chat...his voice drifted away before returning. By the way, if you think your friends will come to help you, then don't. You are well and truly alone, my dear. 'Cause they are all dead.

  Chapter Twenty

  Cassie blinked open her eyes, groaning as she turned on her side. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth and she coughed a few times. There was a small drumming band playing in her head and her stomach lurched. Taking in her surroundings, she realised that she was still in that damn basement, and probably had been the whole time. She reached her hand up to her neck and felt two small puncture marks on her skin. So at least I know that much happened.