by Kim Faulks
“You look like Hell,” Bastian growled.
I dragged my head upwards, and winced at the harsh overhead light. His shirt was plastered to his skin, moisture glistened on his brow. But it wasn’t the sweet scent of rain that seeped from his pores. It was sickness, sweat and pain. “You see a mirror? Don’t look so fucking hot yourself.”
His lips peeled backwards in a grin. But instead of the perfect pink tinge of healthy gums, his were gray. “What’s the fuck’s wrong with you, kid?”
He shook his head, sliding backwards as the rest of this intervention crowded the room. The shorts covered my junk—and the hoodie my heart, so why did I feel so goddamn naked?
Marcus was the last inside the room, closing the door behind him before he turned and set those sad goddamn eyes on me. “Want to tell us what the hell happened, Lucas?”
“No.”
His right eye twitched, lips flattened. He never looked at the others, only at me as he slowly crossed the room. “You mistake me. I’m not asking, brother. I’m telling. What the Hell happened?”
He wants a number, the Archer whispered in my ear.
He was too fucking close, and too fucking real.
So give him one. One hundred…one thousand…how many bodies, Lucas…how many?
I flinched and stared into my brother’s eyes. The bull could tell all day long—the answer was still the same. Eat a dick.
The silence turned uncomfortable—for them, not for me. I could play this all day long and still not be bored. North picked his nose, Victor shifted uncomfortably, and Xael, my sweet sister, divided her attention between Marcus and me.
“So this is how it’s going down, is it? A thousand years and this is what I get, fucking silence?”
I forced a smile and the mask slipped into place.
Marcus nodded, and turned to the others, stopping on our sister. “Do you know what happened?”
She said nothing, only picked him apart with her gaze. He may as well go piss in the wind than make our sister do anything she didn’t want to do. It didn’t matter, it was always us against the goddamn world anyway.
And the bitter scent of resignation flooded the room. Marcus’s shoulders slumped as he cut me a glare. “Just tell me you didn’t kill, that’s all I want to know.”
“I didn’t kill anyone.”
He sucked in a hard breath and exhaled. “And the beast?”
Is free. My Dragon chuckled. Free and alive and ready to get to goddamn work.
That was all they really wanted to know. How many bodies…and how many arrows?
The Archer pushed against the confines of my body and my mind.
“The Huntress, and the Vampire bitch are mine,” Zadoc growled from across the room. Black veins pulsed along his temple. “You even look at them and we’re going to have a problem, you feel me?”
I shook my head. “That’s not happening. No one touches the Princess. Not while I live and breathe.”
Zadoc crossed the floor, but it was his Dragon I saw in his tortured gaze. His fists seemed to swallow the fabric as he gripped the hoodie tight and dragged me close. “Then let me make it perfectly clear. She came here to kill my child. So the bitch belongs to me.”
I clenched my fist and energy crackled in the room. Hate swelled. Here was our own Dragon-made storm. I’d swing at my brother. I’d come at him with every fucking thing I had. Blood or no blood I was prepared to draw the line right around a woman I barely knew.
“Lucas,” Marcus snapped. “Choose. Us or them.”
But the choice was never that easy, not for me. It wasn’t just kill or be killed.
It was the battle, always the fucking battle.
I’m ready, my Dragon urged. I’m ready to bring it all down, every one of them…they made their bed, Lucas. They made it the day they turned their backs on us.
“Get the fuck off me.” Spittle flew from my lips with the words.
I punched Zadoc’s chest, knocking one hand free and took as step, catching the flinch in his gaze.
Heartbeats turned into beasts of their own, pounding, running. They all felt it—each and every one, the darkness in the pit of their stomachs…the beast—always the beast. “You feel him, but you still don’t get it do you? You don’t want to remember what I was like. You don’t want to remember at all. But you do. I’m done with the fucking lies, and I’m done with you holding that day over my head. You all turned your backs on me. Do you remember? When you saw what I’d done.”
“We didn’t—” Marcus snarled and then fell silent.
But the pallor of his skin gave him away, and so did Zadoc. I dragged my focus back to the Mountain. Even the darkness flinched when you stared into his eyes. “You don’t get it, do you? How could you…how could any of you?”
Xael wrapped her arms around her waist.
“You kill because he wants to protect. You all kill because you have to.” Cold raced, stealing the last lick of warmth inside me. “The Archer kills because he likes it. Because for him, there can be no other way. I tried to keep the beast behind the wall, tried to keep him from getting out.”
Odessa took a slow step forward, and for a second I forgot she was there—forgot she was not family. I waited for her to turn too—one way or another, they always do. “You weren’t there that day, were you? The day my wolf slipped her chains.”
“Odessa,” Victor moaned. “Don’t. Come back here.”
“The others were, but not you. Where were you, Lucas? While we were fighting, while we were screaming…where were you?”
My gut tightened, a snarl tore free. “What the fuck are you saying? I was there.”
“Fighting, like the rest of us?” She whispered and gave a shake of her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t think so at all. You were running, weren’t you? You were afraid and you were running.”
Her words slipped inside my mind. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Couldn’t find a way around the truth. My boot skimmed the floor, moving backwards.
“Not one drop of blood, not one scream. Not one call for your brother.”
I wrenched my head upwards, meeting Zadoc’s gaze. Pain mingled with betrayal. I hurt him, as deep as deep goes.
“Running…running…you were going to leave us—weren’t you? You were going to leave us on that mountain.”
“We’re immortals,” the rasp burned my throat. “We can’t die.”
“No,” Zadoc whispered. “But we can bleed, we can love, and we can hurt. You don’t have to raise your fist, brother, to wound my heart.”
The room seemed to close in, dragging me toward him. I raised my hand. “You don’t understand.”
His gaze turned cold as he gave one slow nod. “I understand perfectly.”
“Hurts, doesn’t it? I snarled and nodded. “Yeah, betrayal fucking stings.”
Marcus shook his head drawing my gaze. “You murdered in cold blood. What were we supposed to do, fucking congratulate you? Guardian…the word means to protect, means to hold the sanctity of life—human or other.” His voice softened as though it would ease the blow of his words. “I don’t understand why you’re like you are. You’re our brother. We love you, but we can’t have you killing—not in cold blood, not without cause. That’s not who we are. That’s not what we stand for.”
I caught the twitch from Michael with our brother’s words. They all loved him, always had, always would. I gave a slow nod and clenched my jaw. The perfect fucking Saint. He was everything they wanted to be. He was the one to bring us here, to this white fucking tomb to die and they all loved him for it. While the Archer…the room swayed. Blood splattered images surfaced, arms over legs of bodies piled high.
“You turned those bodies into ash, Lucas. You and the Archer, you turned them into ash.”
“No, we didn’t.” I raised my head meeting my brother’s stony gaze. “We turned them into stone…black, obsidian stone.”
Say it, pain slipped free. No chain was strong enough. No wall thick eno
ugh, to keep him contained, and when it came down to it, it didn’t really matter. I raised my head as a peal of thunder boomed overhead. The ground shook, plates rattled in the kitchen, and yet all I could hear was my Dragon.
Say how you really feel.
“I never asked for this. Never wanted this… But at least I know what he is. He never turned his back on me, never left me out to fucking dry. He doesn’t try to hide what he is. He owns it, shadows and all. Maybe it’s about time I do too.”
“Lucas, that isn’t the way,” Marcus growled.
The dark circles under my brother’s eyes shone as he shook his head. Heavy footsteps sounded, dragging his gaze. I knew it was already over, conversation closed. But it wasn’t over for me—not by a long shot.
Two hard knocks on the door and it swung in. Gunny took a step, and scanned the room, stopping at Marcus before she gave a cruel grin. “We found her. We found the Huntress.”
15
Lucas
A violent screech tore along the hallway behind her. The sound grew in crescendo, bouncing off the walls to pierce my ears. Zadoc slowed, stopping in the middle of the room. His gaze no longer on the Marine, but drifting to the open door as the thud of racing footsteps headed toward us.
Behind the Marine, Doc Angel pushed through. She was pale, shaking. Black blood splattered her white coat. She swung her gaze around the room, finding Michael first before she turned to Zadoc. “It’s Vampire blood.” Her words were raw. “I ran all the tests. Ran them twice to make sure. The blood they fed her wasn’t just demon blood, it was Vampire blood as well, and it’s killing her, Zadoc. It’s killing her and I don’t know how to stop it.”
My stomach tightened. No one in the room made a sound.
I followed the hard rise of Zadoc’s chest. He didn’t speak, didn’t make a sound. Shell-shocked and fucking helpless—we all were. Maybe now they’d let me do what I was made for. Maybe now they understood. Doc took a step. Her eyes glistening with fresh tears.
Sometimes it’s about surviving now—and crying later.
It was Marcus that crossed the room, and it was Marcus that reached for her arm. “Slow down, Doc. Say that again so we can understand.”
A brunt of my shoulder shoved me forward as Michael headed for his mate.
“What is it about the Vampire blood?” Marcus growled, before he turned to Michael. The guard was changing. Marcus took a step backwards, leaving her mate to give her strength and support.
“I wasn’t sure, not at first, so I ran the tests periodically…and after the last convulsion, I had an idea what was happening.”
“Last convulsion?” The mumble slipped from my lips.
“Yes, brother,” Zadoc snapped, and shifted his gaze to me. “She almost died. Thrashing, screaming, flapping her little wings. Only calmed when we switched on the lights.”
Doc nodded, her eyes now glazed as she spoke. “Something happened, something I couldn’t put my finger on, not then. She was fighting something. I just wasn’t sure what that was. It was as though she was fighting. It’s consuming her DNA, one chromosome at a time.” Doc lifted her head to my stare. “I can’t re-create it, not like she needs.” That shell-shocked gaze settled once more as she repeated. “I can’t stop it. Can’t help her…can’t save her. Couldn’t save her then, can’t save her now.”
I took a step. “How long ago?”
Doc’s brows creased, still the horror held her in a cruel embrace, wrapping its arms tight.
“How long ago did this all change?”
“Two, three hours. Why?”
I shook my head, but in my mind I was already answering, already filling in the holes. The Princess came here for a reason. What did she say to Doc and the others…something about trying to save her?
He won’t leave me alone. Her voice filled my head. Don’t you understand? Just like he won’t leave her. I’m trying to save her.
I moved, still feeling the ache of healing muscles. But there was something that wouldn't heal. Something that once shattered couldn’t be pieced together, and they wouldn’t see it in a damn test tube.
I could still feel him, his fists, his movement—his words inside my fucking head.
Just like he’s inside hers, the Archer warned. Vampire blood killing Dragon blood. He’s inside her fucking head.
“The Huntress. It’s the only way we can help her now,” Gunny muttered. “It’s the only chance we’ve got. This fucking bitch brought this to her door. Now we get to return the favor.”
There was a hardness in the human, one I’d never felt before. The growl of an engine from outside drew our focus.
“We’re ready to rock and roll,” Gunny growled. “Decide who’s coming, make it fast. I’ll be in the car.”
The Marine turned and strode through the open door, leaving us to stare after her.
“Lucas, you’re with me,” Marcus growled and stared at the open door. “We haven’t finished this conversation…not by a long shot.”
My family seemed to merge as one, slipping through the one doorway like the rush of a wave, leaving me stranded, leaving me alone…
A soft brush found my hand. I turned, meeting her dark eyes and the familiar darkness filled me, a darkness that stitched our souls.
“They’re scared,” Xael murmured. “And they don’t understand what they’re doing. It’s not about you and it’s not about me. You either live in the darkness, or you become afraid of it. There's no middle ground, not for them and not for us. So go and find this bitch, brother. I’ve got this, I’ll protect Thorn.”
And then she was gone, striding through the door toward the echo of voices, leaving me to make a decision, leave now…or go with them. My family was out there, planning, hating—even the Saint was staining his perfect light with death.
I turned inwards, reaching for the one who never turned his back on me. “And you never will, will you?”
Never, snarled the Archer. You are one half of my soul, and I am the other half of yours.
My body trembled with need and an ache flared, cutting deep.
Care too little, and I’ll lose them.
Care too much, and get hurt.
“Lucas, you coming!” Marcus barked, and outside an engine growled.
I clenched my jaw and strode forward. I’d not leave them, not when they needed me the most. I was the outcast, the broken. With or without them I belonged.
The Archer growled, drawing my focus as I pushed off and headed for the doorway. His white teeth glinted as lips curled in a wicked grin. Today we belonged—to each other.
My Dragon and I were one.
The hallway blurred as I turned from the others. The light was on inside the garage, doors open, leaving the storm to blow inside. I stepped into my runners and made for the gunning engine and the open car door.
Alpha sat at the wheel. The tiny wolf, X, sat next to him. Marcus was waiting in the backseat, spearing me with an icy gaze as I climbed in and slammed the door behind me. We were moving, peppering the underbelly with the gravel as we shot forward. Red lights glowed in the distance and then disappeared. The cabin of the car was silent, hate needed no voice, it consumed our minds with a ravenous hunger.
I yanked the seatbelt across my chest and found the clasp, not because I feared a damn collision. But because we couldn’t spare a second for the Highway Patrol to pull Alpha over.
I had my doubts the Marine would stop. He sure as fuck didn’t slow, driving me hard against the seat as we played cat and mouse with Gunny.
A quiet focus settled deep, as the needle on the tachometer redlined. Pine trees whipped by as we leveled out and shot forward.
A phone chimed in front. Alpha hit the button and Gunny’s voice filled the space. “The wolves are in place around the house, leaving one way in and out. Ace is ready. If anyone comes, they’re in for one helluva shock. You see even a shadow, Ace, I want you to start shooting and don’t fucking stop.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” cam
e a male whisper. “You won’t even find pieces when I’m done.”
“Good,” Gunny growled. “Now, if Alpha would only find the fucking accelerator, we’d get a body of our own. It’s the pedal next to the brake old man, in case you’re wondering.”
“I got you, Gunny. Move that ass, bitch, or I’m about to ram it.”
“Threaten me with a good time, huh?” came the response with a deep throaty chuckle. “Last one there’s a goddamn coward.”
Red taillights flared once before they were gone as though they’d never been there at all. Alpha’s grip tightened, knuckles shone white under the green dashboard lights. My stomach tightened with the sway as he pushed the four-wheel drive harder, climbing that odometer as we left Nyx’s city lights behind.
Minutes slipped into an hour. I leaned against the door and watched the storm fall behind us. The Princess was out there, somewhere. Maybe she was with her own kind, swinging the sharpened blade once more. Maybe she wasn’t.
Maybe she was out there running. Maybe the sonofabitch was still chasing her.
The corner of my lip curled, a growl slipped free filling the interior with the sound. Alpha shifted, hard eyes stared at me from the rearview. “All good back there?”
I could feel Marcus’s gaze as he turned his head. “That for me?”
I ignored him, instead looking out into the dark. And if he was, what then? What if he still had his claws inside her mind.
The memory of the Archer’s words filled my head. I won’t hurt you. I’m not him.
Her voice echoed in response. Then let me out. Let me go.
The Archer had. He left her in that darkness. Left her while that Vampire was out there. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. The Princess came to kill the child, but not out of hate, or retribution—out of love, out of sacrifice.
Because somehow she knew…she knew it all.
They won’t care, the Archer growled as I stared out of the window. When they’ve caught this bitch who do you think they’ll come for next?
I tried to swallow, but the thought was wedged tight like a scream without a voice.
