Kara knelt beside her, crouched on one knee, with one hand covering the blade of Rose’s dagger. Her intense, cornflower-blue eyes never wavered as she stared at Rose. Then, her soft, pale lips tilted upward, into a flirty smile.
“Thanks,” Rose said breathlessly, her eyes still wide with shock.
Kara shifted her weight onto her toes, leaning forward, toward Rose. Her sleek, black-and-blue hair fell over her bare shoulders, over the front of her tank top, as she tilted her face toward Rose’s. As she leaned closer, her scent invaded Rose’s senses. She smelled warm and sweet, all at once, like leather and violets. Her smile deepened as she murmured, “Just returning the favor.”
“Kara?” Erik called, an excited, boyish grin breaking out across his face.
Kara finally broke that intense and bewildering eye contact with Rose. She glanced over her shoulder, and a reminiscent smile curved at her lips, too, as she saw Erik behind her. She stood and turned toward him. “Erik Olafsson.”
Erik pulled Kara into his arms suddenly, embracing her in one of the tightest hugs Rose had ever seen, and to her surprise, the enigmatic, dangerous-looking woman looped her arms around his neck and returned the hug.
Kallias held out his hand toward Rose. “Are you all right?”
Rose glanced up at him, noticing the splatter of blood that peppered his neck and face. She placed her free hand in his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “I couldn’t do it,” she admitted. “I hesitated. I…I couldn’t kill him.”
“I know. I saw,” he said gently. “Rose, that’s not a bad thing.”
“Yes, it is,” Rose argued stubbornly.
“You’re not a killer,” Kallias sighed. “It’s just not who you are.”
“Except it is,” she said. She lifted her chin, her bright blue eyes flashing with pain. “I killed fifty vampires with my mind. That sounds like a killer to me.”
His light brown eyes softened with sympathy. “Rose…”
Rose glanced past him, frowning as she noticed the other two blood-soaked corpses lying on the pavement around her. “What happened to them?”
“You didn’t see?” Kallias said. He tilted his head toward Kara. “She killed them while you were fighting. She was helping you the entire time.”
Rose blinked in surprise. She turned to look at that strange, blue-haired vampire again. Her eyebrows lifted as she found Kara and Erik still locked in a painfully-tight bear hug. “So…is she Alana’s lover or Erik’s lover?” she asked.
Kallias snorted, “Knowing Erik, probably both.”
Kara suddenly tossed her head back and laughed. “Ugh. He wishes,” she scoffed as she unfurled her long, muscular arms from around his neck.
Erik scratched his head, mussing his wavy, blonde hair, and nodded. “It’s true,” he agreed. “Before she informed me of her…aversion to the penis…I threw every trick her way. And…nothing. It did irreparable damage to my ego.”
Rose scowled at him. “Erik, all 3.5 billion women that live in this world could reject you, and you would still have an ego the size of the sun.”
Erik nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably true.”
Kara wrinkled her nose at Erik. “It’s not really an aversion to the penis,” she quipped. “I think a better phrase for it would be…an admiration of the pussy.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Oh, for goodness sakes, she’s as crude as Erik.”
“Speaking of,” Kara continued, not missing a beat. She turned toward Rose, and with a wicked grin, she began to approach Rose, her heavy boots thudding against the concrete with each step. Startled, Rose stepped backward, her back pressing against the car behind her, as the flirty vampire neared her. Kara moved so close that Rose could once again smell the leather of her pants and the scent of violets in her blue-streaked hair. Kara’s lips curved slowly into a sly, seductive smirk as she swept her cornflower-blue gaze up and down Rose’s body. She glanced over her shoulder at Erik. “Who is the sexy redhead?”
Erik snorted and came to stand beside her. “That’s Rose. She’s a friend.”
Kara’s gaze swept low again, lingering very obviously on the curves of Rose’s breasts that she could see even through the loose, black hoodie. She bit her bottom lip, a hint of fang gleaming in her mouth. “Very nice breasts.”
Erik laughed loudly. “You might want to slow down a little, if you don’t want to freak her out,” he told Kara, clearly amused. “Rose is a bit of a prude.”
Rose couldn’t even respond to Erik’s insult with one of her usual, sassy comebacks because she was too stunned by the way Kara was looking at her.
“She’s not a prude,” Kara argued, still staring at Rose. “I can tell.”
“Um…you can…tell?” Rose sputtered. “H-how…can you tell?”
Kara chuckled at Rose’s stammering. She winked at her.
“And since you’re so obviously flirting with Rose,” Erik snorted, “I should probably introduce you to her boyfriend. He’s standing right beside her.”
Kara continued to stare at Rose, as if Erik hadn’t said anything. She didn’t seem the least bit interested in who Rose’s boyfriend was. Then, in what was her most shocking behavior yet, Kara leaned in close and sniffed Rose’s neck.
Rose shivered as she felt the vampire’s warm, wet breath on her neck. “Um,” she sputtered, her blue eyes widening in shock, “what are you doing?”
Kara stepped back and flashed that smile at Rose again—that flirty, sideways smirk that oozed confidence and seductiveness. “You smell amazing.”
Rose stared blankly at the peculiar vampire. “Uh…thanks?”
Kara tilted her head to the side, studying Rose with dilated, hungry eyes, like a predator analyzing her prey. “I am very pleased to meet you, Rose.”
Rose cast a wide-eyed, bewildered look at Kallias. “Um…” she began ominously. “By any chance, would this happen to be what you meant when you said that the vampires at the Tomb of Blood are less…human…than we are?”
Erik snorted, “Oh, this doesn’t even scratch the surface.”
“Oh. That’s…not scary at all,” Rose muttered sarcastically.
Kallias watched Kara suspiciously. “What were you doing here?”
For a moment, he thought that Kara hadn’t heard him…because she didn’t even attempt to tear her gaze away from Rose. But then, without even looking at him, she answered, “I was following them. They led me to you.”
“They never noticed that you were following?” he asked skeptically.
A smug smile curved at the edges of Kara’s lips. “What can I say? I am very skilled,” she said, winking slyly at Rose. “Besides, they were distracted.”
“Why is she winking at me?” Rose mumbled to Erik.
“It’s called flirting,” Erik informed her.
Kallias continued to question Kara. “Why were you following them?”
“To kill them,” Kara said, her brows furrowing, “obviously.”
“Why?” Kallias continued rudely.
For the first time all night, Kara tore her gaze from Rose and looked at Kallias. Unlike most vampires and humans, Kara didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Kallias. A flash of irritation sparked in her eyes as she stared back at the ancient, telepathic vampire. “Because Aaron wanted them dead. Obviously.”
“Oh?” Kallias asked suspiciously. “And why would he want that?”
A short, soft laugh escaped her lips. “You know, I’m really not in the mood to be interrogated,” she said, her eyes narrowing. But then, her gaze shifted back toward Rose, and the irritation in her expression melted away, as if it had never been there. Her piercing, blue eyes sparkled mischievously as they swept the length of Rose’s body. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind as much if your girlfriend was the one doing the interrogating. I’d even let her handcuff me.”
Rose blinked in shock. “H-handcuff?” she sputtered.
Kara smirked at her. “Unless you’d rather me handcuff you?”
“Um,” Ros
e stammered, her eyes wide, “what are we talking about?”
Erik snorted, “Careful, Kara. You’ll send her into shock.”
Kallias ignored their banter. “Fine,” he said to Kara, deciding to rephrase the question. “Answer this, then. Who sent those vampires after us?”
Kara rolled her eyes. “Alana,” she said impatiently, “obviously.”
“And why would Aaron send you to kill them?” Kallias asked again.
Kara spun toward him. “I have an idea. Why don’t you answer my questions for a minute?” she suggested, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you here?”
Kallias stared back at her, his gaze steely. “We were traveling.”
Kara laughed, “Try again. Telepath or not…you can’t lie to a liar.”
Kallias froze, his brown eyes widening in shock. “How did you know that? How do you know that I’m a telepath? We never mentioned that.”
“Rumors,” Kara said cryptically.
“You’re lying,” Kallias accused. “Someone told you.”
Kara shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe.”
“Who? Alana?” Kallias asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Alana knows that I’m a telepath, and she clearly knew that we would be here today.”
“Ah, I see where your mind is going with this,” Kara said with an amused smile. “You think that Alana is the one who sent me here, not Aaron. You think that I’m here to take you to her, like those other vampires were. But I think you’re forgetting that I just killed most of the vampires that she sent after you. Now, why would I kill the vampires that she sent, if I were working for her?”
“Then, how do you know that I’m a telepath?” Kallias asked again.
“Aaron told me,” Kara answered, finally. “He knew you were coming, too, by the way. Alana’s not the only person who has been watching you.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kallias snarled.
“We came because of the murders,” Rose blurted out suddenly, tired of listening to the endless interrogation that was obviously accomplishing nothing.
Kara turned back toward Rose, a surprised smile forming at the edges of her lips. “Honesty? Wow. You are just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“It says a lot about a person when honesty surprises them,” Rose sassed.
Kara just smiled. “Does it?”
Meanwhile, Kallias stared at Rose as if she’d just started the apocalypse. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled at Rose. “This woman is Alana’s lover…and Aaron’s second-in-command. Are you trying to get us killed?”
Rose scowled at Kallias. “No, I’m trying to actually get somewhere in this conversation,” she corrected, “which is something you clearly weren’t doing.”
“What do you intend to do about the murders?” Kara asked Rose.
“We want to stop them before it’s too late,” Rose answered. Then, in classic Rose fashion, she flashed a sassy smile at Kara and added, “obviously.”
Kara laughed. Her smile was so wide that Rose could see the gleam of fangs inside her mouth. Kara tilted her head, her piercing, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “Where have you been hiding?” she murmured seductively.
Rose frowned at the strange question. “Um…America?”
Erik watched them with an amused grin, as if he found the interaction between Rose and Kara to be the most entertaining thing he’d ever seen. “Kara,” he said, “who is responsible for all of this?” His voice sounded quiet and friendly. Trusting. Unlike Kallias, Erik didn’t seem the least bit suspicious of his old friend.
Kara looked up at him, her brows furrowing, as if she couldn’t believe he would even ask that question. “The murders? Alana,” she answered. Then, almost as an afterthought, she flashed a flirty smile at Rose and added, “obviously.”
Rose tried—and failed—to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
Erik shifted uneasily at the confirmation. “You’re sure that it’s her?”
“Of course I’m sure,” Kara said, scowling at him. “How are you not?”
Erik sighed, “I was just…holding out hope, I guess.”
“Why is Aaron letting her do this?” Kallias interrupted.
“Aaron isn’t letting her do anything,” Kara corrected, turning her gaze back toward him. “As you clearly saw a moment ago, he is trying to stop her.”
“All I saw was you killing a few vampires,” Kallias argued.
Kara shrugged. “Aaron’s the commander. I’m the army.”
“His army is a little small, don’t you think?” Kallias asked.
Rose elbowed him in the side. “Kallias. Cool it.”
Kallias grimaced in pain. “Vampire strength, Rose,” he grunted.
“Oh!” Rose squeaked, her eyes widening. “I forgot. I’m sorry, Kallias!”
Kallias squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s fine. I’ll heal.”
Kara laughed at Rose’s mistake. “Oh, you are young, aren’t you?”
Rose blushed. “I’ve only been a vampire for a few weeks,” she admitted.
“Hmm,” Kara murmured. “Impressive fighting for a baby.”
Rose scowled at the condescending term. “Don’t call me that.”
“What? Baby?” Kara laughed. A seductive smile curved at her lips as she stepped forward. Since Rose’s back was already pressed up against the car, she had nowhere to go when Kara’s warm, soft body brushed against hers. “What if I say it like this?” Kara pressed her lips to Rose’s ear and whispered, “Baby.”
Rose shivered against her. “Uh…” she stammered, her cheeks flushing.
“You’re really good at rendering her speechless,” Erik told Kara.
Kara stepped back and laughed, “Oh? Just wait until I’m actually trying.”
“Trying?” Rose squeaked, her eyes wide.
Kara turned toward Erik. “How do you intend to stop the murders?”
Erik raked his fingers through his mess of blonde hair, anxiety flashing in his eyes. “I suppose we’ll have to,” he paused, sighing uneasily, “kill Alana.”
Kara laughed in disbelief. “You are going to kill Alana?”
“We talked about it once, remember?” Erik said uncomfortably. “We talked about killing her. Together. To free ourselves from her. It was your idea.”
“And if I remember correctly,” Kara said bitterly, “you said no.”
Erik nodded solemnly. “I wasn’t ready then. I loved her too much.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that’s changed?” Kara asked skeptically.
“She’s been out of my life for over a thousand years,” Erik told her.
“Which is a thousand years longer than she’s been out of yours,” Kallias reminded Kara, ignoring the annoyed glare that Rose shot in his direction.
But Kara just smiled, as if his comment hadn’t bothered her at all. “She has never—nor will she ever be—out of your life,” she told Erik, a bitter smile twisting at her lips. “Every time you think that she’s not watching you, she is.”
Rose frowned curiously at the bitterness she’d heard in that statement.
“Yeah, I’m starting to realize that,” Erik muttered uncomfortably.
“But wouldn’t he have known?” Rose interjected. “I mean, if she were watching him, wouldn’t he have smelled her or something? He knows her scent.”
“She’s a telepath. Do you honestly think that she doesn’t tamper with our memories?” Kara asked. “Hell, I lost an entire decade once. I fell asleep in London, and I woke up in France ten years later. It turned out that I missed the entire French Revolution. Apparently, they had a war over cake or something.”
“It wasn’t over cake,” Rose corrected. “I mean, yes, a princess—possibly Marie Antoinette—supposedly did say, ‘Let them eat cake,’ but that simply illustrated the real cause of the French Revolution, which was economic inequality, which is still a social problem in many countries, including the U.S.”
“She does that a lot
,” Erik whispered to Kara. “It’s really annoying.”
Kara watched Rose with a smile. “I like it.”
Rose blushed. “So…uh…Alana made you forget an entire decade?”
“Apparently,” Kara said nonchalantly, as if it didn’t bother her at all.
Rose frowned at that. “Why would she do that?”
“To mess with my head,” Kara said easily. “Why else?”
“I thought she was dead,” Erik admitted quietly.
Kara spun toward him, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You what?”
“All of that time,” Erik said uneasily, “I believed she was dead.”
“Why in Odin’s name would you ever believe that?” Kara asked.
Erik shrugged. “There were some vampires. They said that she died.”
Kara scowled at him. “She’s a telepath.”
“They saw it,” Erik added.
“She’s a telepath,” Kara repeated.
“Kallias read their minds,” Erik said. “They really did see it.”
“She’s a telepath,” Kara repeated yet again. She sighed, “She can make them see what she wants them to see. Alana is good at illusions. You know that.”
“I never thought about that,” Kallias admitted, shaking his head at his mistake. “If the person believes the illusion, then there is no way for me to see if it’s true or false. Because…in their minds, it really happened, even if it didn’t.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Erik said. “I knew her, and I didn’t think about it.”
Kara stared at them. “How did she die? In the illusion, I mean.”
“Aaron killed her,” Erik answered, “about eleven hundred years ago.”
Kara nodded. “That was when he kicked her out of the Tomb of Blood. She got out of hand after you left. No amount of damage control could fix the wreckage she left behind. Aaron finally washed his hands of her and kicked her out. I chose to stay at the Tomb of Blood, which, of course, pissed her off.”
“Why would she want me to think that he killed her?” Erik asked.
The Tomb of Blood Page 18
