Crumbling Control (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 3)

by May Freighter

  “Can’t you control the demon, sire? You’re doing it now,” Lucious countered, clinging to the last shred of hope.

  Tears escaped her. She silently pleaded for him to do it. There was no more room for debate. It was the reason why she hadn’t fed. Lucious cursed the gods for bringing him here and for forcing him to do this. Yet, he also knew that this was the end. He would never be able to confide in her again or see another of her paintings being created.

  Clenching his jaw, he closed the distance between them and grasped her by the neck. “I’m so sorry, sire.”

  “She’s coming back. I cannot take this anymore. Release me, Lucious. Please,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  His hold on her neck matched the unrelenting grip on the dagger as he drove it into the spot she had shown him.

  “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear when he gathered her in his arms.

  To a normal vampire, such a wound would heal. Yet, he knew all too well what this blade could do. He could already sense it sucking her life away. In his despair, he fell to his knees with her body in his arms. His mind shut down at the sight of her lifeless form and his heart fragmented.

  Once the blade finished its duty, her body shrivelled up. Her pearlescent skin darkened and her flesh turned to dust that scattered with the passing howl of the wind and rain.

  On this day, he permitted his soul to release the pent up grief in a form of tears as he folded in on himself and buried his face in his hands.

  Helena didn’t get a chance to see Lucious do the deed. She was already with Maya who pointed to Eliza. The demon was almost out of the circle.

  “We can’t let Tanatos escape!” Maya shouted.

  “How do we stop it?”

  Maya thought for a long second and grinned. “You won’t like it…”

  “Say it!”

  “We do what Lazarus did with you and Andreaz. I can give you the power to drain her life for a short time.”

  Helena blanched. “I won’t be able to keep Eliza still.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We’ll work as a team. I got your back.”

  They jogged along the slippery grass. Their booted feet caused the forming puddles to splash. Helena was cold in her drenched clothes. Gooseflesh formed under the material she wore. At a time like this, she regretted being part of this dark world. No amount of hot chocolate could fix the damage dealt tonight.

  She brushed her damp hair out of her eyes, and they got close to the portal. The air thickened and dark spots marred her sight. Helena ignored the suffocating sensation, following Maya. But, they were too late.

  With the last push, Eliza freed her limbs from the gate. A devilish sneer exposed her teeth and fangs.

  “I’ll hold on to the demon,” Maya said and hopped onto Eliza’s back. She kicked the back of the Councilwoman’s knees, making her fall backwards. Maya wound her legs around Eliza’s waistline and snaked her arms around her neck like a wrestler would. “Do it. Now, Helena!”

  Throwing caution out the window, Helena climbed on top of the struggling duo and pressed her lips to Eliza’s. She summoned forth the knowledge Maya rekindled and willed it to take over.

  Eliza fought harder. The energy of her soul peeled away from the ball of light inside of her and travelled up her throat before entering Helena. Eliza’s burning hand gripped Helena’s arm, scorching the jacket and singeing her flesh. Tears stung her eyes and the pain grew to almost unbearable levels.

  “Almost there, Helena,” Maya urged. “Concentrate!”

  Eliza’s body disintegrated beneath her, and Helena ended up straddling Maya. What once used to be the leader of the European Council became a pile of ashes that mixed with the dirt. Momentarily, the wall of fire collapsed around them and the Demon Gate began closing.

  The power fighting for space within Helena pounded against its confines, and she cried out in pain.

  Maya patted her on the cheek. “Stay with me.”

  “I…have…to pass…it on,” Helena spoke between clenched teeth.

  “It will kill you both!” Maya yelled, grasping her face. “Send him half, but the rest…” She cursed. “No, you can’t keep it. You won’t survive.”

  Helena’s body convulsed and her vision darkened.

  “Stay with me!” Maya screamed. “Oh, god, I know! Break the link… You must concentrate on breaking the…”

  All alone in the steel bubble, Helena wreathed in agony. The cold from the chequered floor seeped into her skin while alien energies sliced at her like sharp blades. She cries out and clutched the soul-string protruding from her gut. Sucking in a quivering breath, she willed the power out of her and into the link, urging it, guiding it. The tendrils of Eliza’s life essence hopped onto the string and followed along the path.

  The shields vanished. A second later, she appeared in a lamp-lit room.

  Like a ghost, she stood next to Eliza who sat opposite Zafira. Both women stared at one another, shaken.

  “Your vision, are you certain it’s correct?” Eliza asked.

  “You must die for the new Council to be born anew. That way, the threat of the hunters will come to an end,” Zafira replied.

  “Is there no way out of this? I do not care for my sacrifice, but that of Vincent and the others? Must they perish also?”

  “The Council will end on the day the Blood Gate is opened, and you shall be the one to open it…”

  Eliza sat back in her seat and scoffed. “I am not mad enough to risk the lives of my subjects like this. Can I do it alone? Is there a way for me to keep the others from harm?”

  “You know I can only see the immediate future, Mistress. I cannot glimpse alternatives. Your fate is sealed as is the fate of the other members. There is another thing.” Zafira pressed her lips into a thin line.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “You must keep Lucious alive. He needs to take the seat on the new Council.”

  Eliza’s brows shot up. “Anna’s childe?”

  “Soon he will lead until his time runs out,” Zafira said with a strain in her voice.

  “You care for him…”

  “He is a good friend, nothing more.” Zafira stood and grabbed her coat. “I must leave. Edwin is waiting for me in New York.”

  Eliza cast her eyes at the painting of her with her children hanging on the wall above the fireplace in her chambers. Vincent and Andreaz stood proudly on either side of her like two pillars of support while she sat on a throne-like chair. “I guess we will be seeing each other in the next life…”

  Helena gazed at the starry sky from Maya’s lap. The storm had passed and the clouds no longer swirled. Every living cell in her hurt, but she blocked the pain out. Half the energy had already migrated across the soul-bond. The power she had absorbed would destroy them both. There was no other choice. She turned her head to the side, seeing Lucious wreathing in pain next to Anna’s ashes. She sniffled.

  Too tired to move her hand to wipe away her tears, she sent through the link, “I love you.”

  Closing her eyes, she stopped the energy from flowing out and concentrated on the bond. Instead of letting the power travel along it, she shaped it to coil around the link like barbed wire. The energy stabbed at her insides, and she coughed up blood. But, she didn’t relent. The bond had to be broken.

  “Get out of the way, demon. Let me heal her,” Karl’s voice resonated outside her shields.

  Coppery liquid filled her mouth, and she swallowed. The vile aftertaste caused her to gag and spit the blood back up. With the last of Eliza’s energy tangled around the link, it shattered in her mind’s eye and her white string retreated back into her gut.

  “Drink. It would be a pity to let you die here,” Karl said, massaging her throat.

  “That’s enough!” Maya shouted.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Karl warned. He helped Helena sit.

  Her vision swam, yet she managed to see Lucious lying on the ground, no longer moving. After pushing Karl away, she
crawled across the dirt to him, eager to check if he was alright.

  Over three dozen metres away, something exploded. The shockwave knocked her to one side. Strong arms wrapped around her waistline, and Karl threw her over his shoulder.

  Byron ran up to Lucious with Alexander at his side.

  Both men seemed exhausted, and Alexander said, “The hunters are here. They used an EMP to kill the tech in the vicinity to cover their tracks.” As he finished, bullets started flying above their heads. Byron lifted Lucious and frowned.

  “Is he okay?” Helena asked.

  “Yeah…” Byron scanned the area. “We better get out of here before we part with our lives.”

  “Agreed,” Alexander said.

  The remaining vampires who didn’t get possessed joined them outside the cemetery. Black vans and cars pulled up with hunters filling out onto the streets of West Norwood. As the distance grew between them, Helena couldn’t help feeling empty inside. It was as if half of her soul was missing…

  “You should eat something. You’ve been like this since we returned,” Byron said, handing her a plate with a ham-and-cheese sandwich.

  Helena pushed it away. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You should eat or the big guy will be weak as well.”

  “No, he won’t be.” She interlocked fingers with Lucious’ cool hand. The warmth from his body dissipated the longer the bond remained broken. Even the heart in his chest stopped beating. “The soul-bond is gone.”

  “When did that happen?” Alexander asked, leaning against the doorway. He grimaced and massaged his broken ribs.

  “I cut the link to save us. You must be happy now…”

  Alexander chuckled and groaned a second later. “A week ago, I would throw the biggest party of the year, but right now I’m more concerned about what happens to the Council and where the possessed vampires went. Although the gate is closed, plenty of those things got out. Who knows who or what they’re controlling.”

  Helena feigned a yawn. “I’m going to take a nap. Do you guys mind?”

  Byron was about to say something when Alexander cleared his throat. “We will be downstairs.”

  They left the room, and she climbed in bed next to Lucious. The cold from his body brought her no comfort, so she covered him up with the quilt. She rested on her back, careful not to let her bandaged right arm touch anything. Much like before, she felt empty. There was no familiar hum of the string when they were next to one another. No pain or emotions leaking through their shields. She was once again alone.

  Lucious stirred and rubbed his eyes. “How long have I been asleep for?”

  “Almost a day.”

  “What is the matter, Helena?” A deep-set frown settled on his face as he sat up abruptly and touched his chest. “It’s gone…”

  “I broke the soul-bond.”

  “Why?”

  “It was the only way for us to survive.”

  Lucious lied down and lifted her hand to his lips. After kissing each knuckle, he lowered their intertwined fingers. “I am certain you can reforge the bond.”

  “No.”

  He propped himself up on his elbow. “Why not?”

  “Because Lilia isn’t going anywhere. If I’m right, she plans to use you, and I won’t let that happen. I won’t let fate control us. Not anymore.”

  “So, you found out…”

  She smacked his chest and winced when she used her wounded arm. “I can’t believe you’ve kept it from me. I could kill you for that.” She balled her hands. “But, we lost enough people already. Anna, Vincent, and those vampires, they died because of a stupid prophecy.”

  Lucious pulled her into him and buried his face in her neck. His chilled breath tickled her. At least, some things haven’t changed.

  “Do you know how many died?” he whispered against her skin.

  She ran her fingers through his silky hair. “I don’t know. Karl said he will be here with Hans tomorrow to announce the death count. He said something about a Council meeting.”

  He stiffened and embraced her. “For once, I am glad you cannot feel what I’m going through.”

  “I don’t have to feel to know.”

  Helena let him sink and bury his face in her chest as she stroked his hair. This man had lived through much pain. She couldn’t begin to weigh it and would sacrifice her everything to take it away.

  That night, they mourned the dead with an embrace. No more words were spared. No tears were shed. They held on, anchoring themselves to one another while their minds were elsewhere.

  The next morning, Helena woke up in a dark room. She looked around, seeing Lucious sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands with a blank look on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting up.

  “I can’t go out in the sun anymore. I can feel it draining me the longer I stay out.”

  “Oh…” She snaked her arms around his back and rested her forehead against it. “Do you miss it?”

  He pulled her into his lap. “You know what?”

  “What?” she asked, studying his serious expression.

  “I’m taking you out to dinner tonight. I believe I owe you a date.”

  A smile broke through, and she wound her arms around his neck. “I thought we’d never get to have one.”

  He chuckled. “I believe it is time to break the routine to do something different. Don’t you agree, my dear?”

  “Okay.” She slid off his lap. “I’m going to take a shower before breakfast.”

  “Want me to join you?”

  “I thought you were going to be a gentleman for the day…”

  Lucious licked his lower lip in a drawn out fashion that warmed her insides. He appeared next to her, making her breath hitch. “With you, I’m always a gent.”

  Helena snorted and gave him a peck on the lips. “Go check on Alexander. I’m sure he broke most of his ribs. I don’t know how he’ll survive without his harem.”

  He backed her up against the wall, trapping her with his lips hovering dangerously close to her ear, which sent goosebumps on a mission to cover most of her skin. “Can’t I lock you in here with me until the sun sets?”

  “Lucious…” she breathed out his name. Their eyes met, and she noticed his false pretence shattering when his sorrow crept back into the blue-brown depths of his eyes. “The date can wait if you want.”

  “No. We will go this evening.” Drawing away, he added, “It is the only thing I can do. I need some form of control in this life before I go insane.”

  “Alright, we’ll go on a date,” she whispered and kissed him.

  Helena took a quick shower and combed her fingers through her hair. It was getting long. Should I cut it or keep it? Such a simple issue, and she couldn’t make up her mind. As she brushed her teeth, she eyed Maya’s bracelet. In her new body, Maya could be anywhere. But, to be in the Human Realm, she took a life of someone else.

  She covered the bracelet with her sleeve. Today would be different. She wouldn’t let Lilia control her, not while she had Lucious who needed her to be there.

  Leaving the bathroom, she had made up her mind. No matter what trials lay ahead of them, no matter the pain or torment she would need to endure, she would stay by his side.

  Downstairs, she searched for Alexander who sat in the living room with the curtains drawn and the lights on.

  “Can I borrow your phone? I want to call my parents.”

  “I’m sorry but the EMP from last night fried the phone I had on me. Since I do not keep the numbers in my head, I’ve ordered a replacement which should arrive here tomorrow.” Upon seeing her face, he offered, “Want to use my laptop to send an e-mail?”

  “No, it’s fine. I can wait.”

  “Suit yourself.” He returned to working.

  Helena ventured into the kitchen where Byron sat with Antoinette on his lap. Sinead placed a large helping of American-style pancakes in front of them and the two of them grinned.

 
Like father like daughter. Helena tried to hide her amusement. She sat at the table and scanned the room. “Where’s Lucious?”

  “He’s not come downstairs yet,” Byron replied. “How are you two holding up?”

  “Fine.”

  Sinead gave Helena a plate of food. Her stomach rumbled for the first time since they returned.

  “That’s a good sign,” Sinead said. “Now we know you’re alive.”

  Helena smiled. “Thanks…” She glanced at Byron who wolfed down the pancakes with his bare hands. “When will Hans arrive in London?”

  He choked on his food and seated Antoinette on the chair next to him. After smacking his chest half a dozen times, he seemed to get better and consumed a nearby glass of water. “Straight to the point with you. We’ve not even finished breakfast.”

  “He’s right,” Sinead said with a scowl. “Eat first, talk later. I can’t have my husband dying while eating my food. People will talk.”

  Byron let out a loud guffaw. “Babe, if I die eating your cooking, I’ll die happy.”

  His wife smirked as she took a seat at the table with her plate. “So, any plans?”

  Helena nodded. “We’re going out on a date.”

  The only sound that filled the room was Antoinette’s chewing with her mouth open.

  Byron leant over the table. His elbow nearly landed in his food. “Surely you’re not talking about Lucious?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  His brows almost flew off his forehead as they jumped up. “That man has never been on a date. Can I come along?”

  Sinead elbowed him in the side. “I’m sure it’ll be fine!”

  “I think I’m going to eat upstairs,” Helena mumbled and left them to their conspiratorial whispers.

  What on earth have I signed up to?

  21

  The Date

  Evening came, and Helena’s nerves amplified with it. She ran a brush through her hair for the tenth time, checked her teeth for food, straightened out the black low-cut top Sinead had lent her. She returned to the bedroom and scowled at Lucious who seemed to find her panic amusing.