“You promised me that you wouldn’t touch her,” Kara reminded her.
Alana tilted her head to the side, a patronizing smile curling at her lips. “The deal, as I remember it, was that you would cooperate peacefully, as long as I didn’t harm your new girlfriend when I attacked the Tomb of Blood,” she explained. She swept her hand out, gesturing toward the carnage that covered the room, and her smile deepened. “I wouldn’t call this ‘peacefully.’ Would you?”
Kara glanced around. “I don’t know. It looks pretty peaceful to me.”
“Uh, actually, I’m not her girlfriend,” Rose interjected awkwardly.
Alana ignored Rose’s correction. “And she isn’t lying in bed, wounded, at the Tomb of Blood, as you said she would be, either,” she told Kara, pointing a long, slender finger at Rose. “It seems to me that the deal is already broken.”
“Well, I’m still wounded, technically,” Rose corrected. “Just not in bed.”
“The deal isn’t broken,” Kara said in a pleading tone. “Not yet.”
Rose scowled at Kara. “Um, yes, it is. It’s absolutely broken.”
Kara glanced back at Rose, her eyes widening. “Rose, please…”
“No,” Rose interrupted. “I’m not letting you do something like that, just to protect me. The Tomb of Blood is your home, Kara. You have to protect it.”
“She’ll kill you,” Kara said quietly, “and it’s not worth it.”
“Of course it’s worth it,” Rose argued. “There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of vampires in the Tomb of Blood. I’m just one person, one person that you haven’t even known for that long. Do you honestly think you could live with yourself if you did something that horrible, just to protect me?”
Sadness flashed in Kara’s icy blue eyes. “I’ve done many horrible things.”
The anguish and guilt that Rose heard in Kara’s voice tore at her heart. Rose’s voice softened with sympathy as she tried again, rephrasing the question, “Do you honestly think that I could live with myself, if I let you do this?”
Kara’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “You would have never known.”
“But now, I do know,” Rose said, “and I refuse to let you do it.”
“Wow, this is so interesting,” Alana said dryly, twirling a lock of pale-blonde hair around her finger, “especially the part where you both seem to think that this is up for discussion. You do remember that I’m a telepath, don’t you?”
Rose scowled at Alana. “She’s not helping you.”
“And I still won’t let you hurt Rose,” Kara added, her voice a low growl.
Alana giggled, “Oh?” She stepped forward, closing the space between her and Kara, her silky, lavender dress brushing against Kara’s leather-clad legs. She reached up and brushed Kara’s blue-and-black hair out of her face, affectionately tucking the lock of hair behind Kara’s ear. “Tell me, love. How do you plan to stop me? I already commanded you not to fight me, remember?”
Kara straightened, her intense, blue eyes flashing with a dangerous, animalistic rage, as she glared down at Alana. “Of course you did,” she growled, her words vibrating through her teeth. “Because you’re a coward, Alana. You always have been. You know that you can’t handle me in an actual battle. I’m a warrior, and you’re what? A pretty face? You have no real skills. You’re nothing.”
A sickening crack echoed through the room as Alana slapped Kara. The force of the slap sent Kara sideways, and for a moment, Kara just stood there, her face tilted down, blood pouring down her face and pooling into her hand as she reached up to touch her shattered, bloody nose. Then, as Kara watched the blood pour into her hands, she began to laugh. It was a strange, almost maniacal laugh that escaped her lips, and it made for a strange, terrifying sight: a dangerous, blood-covered vampire, laughing as blood poured down her face.
Rose gasped in shock, immediately moving to Kara’s side and lifting her hands to cradle Kara’s broken face. “Oh my goodness. Kara, are you okay?”
Kara continued to laugh wildly, “Never better.”
“Don’t insult me like that!” Alana growled at Kara. “You’re wrong!”
Kara spun toward her, wild, feral anger burning in her intense, blue eyes. “Prove it,” she challenged. “Retract the command. Allow me to attack you.”
“You’re just trying to get under my skin,” Alana realized.
Kara laughed again and wiped the blood from her face with the back of her hand. “Ah, baby,” she laughed. “Can’t you see? I’m already under your skin.”
“I’m not going to retract the command,” Alana declared.
Kara stepped toward Alana and leaned in close, until her blood-coated face was only inches from Alana’s face. “Because you’re a coward,” she growled.
Rose cringed as another crack echoed through the room. She looked up, horrified to find that Alana had slapped Kara again. Another layer of blood covered Kara’s face, pouring from her nose and lips, coating her chin and neck.
“Stop insulting me!” Alana screamed at Kara.
Kara raised her head to meet Alana’s gaze, her movements slower and weaker because of her painful injuries. The skin of her face had begun to turn purplish-red in several places, and one of her eyes looked swollen. And yet, her swollen, bleeding lips curved into a weak smile. “I’m only speaking the truth.”
Alana lifted her hand again, but Rose quickly jumped between Kara and Alana before Alana could hit her again. Alana froze, frowning curiously at Rose.
“Rose,” Kara said, worry bleeding into her voice. “Stay out of her way.”
“No,” Rose snarled, turning to scowl at Kara. “I can’t just stand there while she slaps you over and over like that. If you can even call that a slap…”
Kara wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I’m fine. This will heal.”
“You’re not her girlfriend, huh?” Alana murmured in Rose’s ear. Rose turned back toward Alana, swallowing uneasily as she realized how close Alana stood to her. A seductive smile curved at Alana’s lips. “You could’ve fooled me.”
Rose pursed her lips. “I never said that I didn’t care about her.”
“Clearly,” Alana laughed. “You must care an awful lot to step between her and me. I doubt any of her real girlfriends even cared that much about her.”
“I assume you’re including yourself in that statement,” Kara said bitterly.
Alana’s smile faded, and her dark blue eyes shifted past Rose, toward Kara. “Why do you say things like that?” she asked in a quiet, pained tone. “Why can’t you understand? I do care about you. Why do you think I’m protecting you?”
“Because you want me alive!” Kara snapped. “That’s all. You’re the cat, and I’m the mouse. If I die, I’m no longer fun to play with. So, you keep me alive while you torment me for your own amusement. You don’t care if I’m happy. As a matter of fact, you enjoy making me miserable. You want to take everything away from me, so that I only have you…because you think that if I have no one else, I’ll need you. But I won’t, Alana. I never needed you. I never needed anyone.”
“You’re wrong,” Alana said quietly. “You do need me. You’ll see. After tonight, you’ll see that you need me. When you have no one else, you’ll see.”
“Oh, yeah, because that totally worked the last two billion times you tried it,” Rose muttered sarcastically. “There’s a difference between ambition and insanity, you know.” She smiled at Alana. “I’ll give you a hint: you…are insane.”
Alana’s dark blue gaze shifted back toward Rose, and for a moment, she just stared at Rose, as if she were considering how to react to Rose’s sarcasm. Then, with an expression that looked almost like a mixture of boredom and fascination, she wrapped one hand around Rose’s throat, her perfectly-painted fingernails digging into Rose’s skin as she squeezed Rose’s airway shut.
“Alana, stop,” Kara pleaded. She darted around Rose, to Alana’s side. Placing her hands on each side of Alana’s face, she ge
ntly turned Alana’s face toward her. She leaned in close, like a lover, her hands on Alana’s face, her lips brushing Alana’s lips. “Alana, please,” she whispered. “Don’t hurt her. Please.”
Alana’s gaze darted down toward Kara’s swollen lips, which were still stained crimson with dried blood. She leaned in, as if she were going to kiss Kara. “You said that you didn’t need me, and now, you’re asking me for something.”
“You’re right,” Kara lied. “I do need you.” She tilted her face forward and kissed Alana, wincing as the pressure of the kiss burned her swollen lips.
Alana moaned softly against Kara’s lips, and as she leaned into the kiss, she released Rose and moved her hands to Kara’s face, her fingers lightly brushing Kara’s neck and jaw. Then, after only a moment, she pulled back, reluctantly ending the kiss. She watched as Kara’s light blue eyes darted toward Rose and softened with relief. “You’re a convincing liar, Kara,” Alana sighed, “and I want to believe you. But I’m a telepath. I can see your thoughts. I know that you don’t mean that, no matter how much I wish you did. You’re lying.”
Kara stared at Alana. “Yeah. I am,” she admitted.
“You just wanted me to stop hurting your new girlfriend,” Alana added.
Kara glanced nervously at Rose. Rose stood behind Alana, rubbing at the bruises and scratch marks on her neck, as she watched them. “You knew that,” Kara realized, shifting her gaze back to Alana, “and you still let her go?”
Alana shrugged, a cold look in her dark blue eyes. “For now.”
Rose winced as her fingers brushed one of the raw, bleeding scratch marks on her neck. “You have really long fingernails,” she complained at Alana.
Alana smiled at her. “I had a manicure last night.”
“Oh,” Rose muttered, still rubbing her neck. “How nice.”
Alana stepped forward. Her small, perfectly soft hand wrapped around Rose’s wrist and pulled Rose’s hand away from her neck. She turned Rose’s hand over in her palm, tilting her head, her pale blonde hair falling over her shoulder, as she examined Rose’s short, uneven fingernails. “Ah, these look terrible. Would you like me to schedule you an appointment with my nail technician?”
Rose frowned. “Uh…not really,” she said as she pulled her hand out of Alana’s. “But if you’re taking requests, I’d love it if you didn’t choke me again.”
Alana smiled. “Of course. I’ll hurt you in a different way next time.”
Rose scowled. “Thanks. That’s very sweet of you,” she said sarcastically.
“What is it about you, Rose Foster, that gets under everyone’s skin?” Alana asked curiously, as she began to circle Rose, like a predator circling its prey. “Why is everyone so willing to risk their lives for you? First, your boyfriend. Then, Kara. Even Erik cares about you, and he has no romantic feelings toward you whatsoever. I admit: you do smell amazing, but it must be more than that.”
“I don’t know,” Rose said. “I don’t want anyone to risk their life for me.”
“And yet, they do. Why?” Alana questioned her. She stopped in front of Rose, a seductive smile curling at her lips. “I must admit: even I am intrigued by you. Your mind is…different. You don’t think like normal people do.”
Rose frowned. “I can’t tell whether that was a compliment or an insult.”
“A bit of both,” Alana said, her smile deepening. She stepped closer to Rose, leaning in so close that the soft scent of perfumed lotion seemed to surround Rose, clinging to Alana’s perfectly soft skin. Her breath warmed Rose’s face as she whispered, “What is it about you? What makes you so different?”
Rose swallowed uneasily at Alana’s closeness. She offered Alana a nervous smile. “My charming habit of pissing people off with ill-timed sarcasm?”
Alana’s smile faded. “No,” she said irritably. “That’s not it.”
“She cares,” Kara said suddenly. Both Rose and Alana turned to look at Kara, stunned by the raw honesty in her answer. Kara stared at Rose as she spoke, and when Rose met her gaze, her breath caught in her throat. There was a certain softness in Kara’s icy blue eyes, a vulnerability that wasn’t usually there. Kara continued to watch Rose, her head tilted, her blue-and-black hair spilling over her shoulders, as she explained, “That is what’s different about Rose. She cares. She has no reason to care, and yet, she does anyway. She believes in you and shows you kindness, and she expects nothing in return.” She finally tore her gaze from Rose. As her gaze shifted from Rose to Alana, the softness and vulnerability vanished, replaced by a hardened anger that caused her light blue eyes to flash. She smiled bitterly at Alana. “Basically, she’s the opposite of you.”
Alana offered Kara an equally malicious smile. She stepped toward Kara, her heels clicking against the tile floor. Much like she’d done before, she invaded Kara’s space, her silky, lavender dress flattening against her body as she leaned against Kara. She tilted her face toward Kara’s, as if she were going to kiss her again, her breath tickling Kara’s lips. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were in love,” she said with a patronizing smile. She moved her hand to press against Kara’s face, an action that almost looked affectionate…until Rose noticed the way Kara’s jaw tightened as Alana touched her and the way Kara’s fair skin reddened beneath Alana’s fingernails, as if Alana were digging her fingernails into Kara’s skin. “But Kara Unnarsdóttir doesn’t fall in love, does she?” Alana sneered, pulling Kara closer. “Love never works out well for her.”
“No,” Kara snarled between clenched teeth. “It doesn’t.”
Rose smelled the blood before she saw it, small trickles of warm, sweet-smelling blood dripping from Kara’s face, from the tiny crescent-shaped cuts left by Alana’s fingernails. “Stop it,” she gasped in horror. “Alana, you’re hurting her!”
“Especially when I fell in love with you,” Kara added, spitting the words in Alana’s face. “Falling in love with you was the worst mistake I ever made.”
Alana’s brows furrowed. “Why would you say something like that?”
“Uh…maybe because you’re hurting her!” Rose yelled, her eyes wide.
Kara leaned into Alana, as if the pain didn’t bother her at all. “You’re a manipulative, abusive bitch who has done nothing but use me and ruin my life.”
Alana grabbed a handful of Kara’s sleek, black-and-blue hair and twisted, earning a growled cry from Kara’s lips. “What did you just call me?”
“I can’t watch this,” Rose breathed, her stomach lurching with nausea at the thought of the pain that Kara must have been feeling. She gripped the handle of her silver dagger and attacked Alana from behind. She placed the blade of the dagger against Alana’s throat and demanded breathlessly, “Let go of her.”
Alana immediately released Kara. Despite her attempt to hide her pain, Kara gasped in relief the moment Alana’s hands left her. She wiped the blood from her face with her fingers and glanced up at Rose and Alana, her brows creasing in worry. Alana leaned back against Rose, wiggling her back sensually against Rose’s front. She tilted her head back, looking up at Rose. “Ooh, you’re being so aggressive, Rose,” she cooed. “I like a girl that can be aggressive.”
Rose blinked in shock. Stunned by Alana’s flirtatious behavior and the sensation of Alana’s soft, thin body rubbing against hers, Rose stumbled back reflexively, releasing Alana. She watched warily as Alana turned toward her.
“Rose,” Kara called breathlessly. “Rose, look at me.”
Still confused by what had just happened, Rose slowly shifted her gaze past Alana, finding Kara standing behind her. Rose stared at Kara for a moment, watching the tiny streams of blood that flowed from her face, down her neck, soaking into the thin, black fabric of her shirt. Despite the mass amount of blood that covered the room, the soft, sweet scent of Kara’s blood stood out to Rose, calling out to her hunger. She licked her lips hungrily as she stared at the blood.
“Don’t let her do that to you,” Kara advised, her cornfl
ower-blue eyes flashing with concern. “This is what she does. She manipulates you. She says and does whatever she has to in order to throw you off. She’s trying to get to you.”
“Yeah…” Rose said, drawing out the word. “It’s kind of working.”
“You just have to focus,” Kara told her. “Don’t let her get to you.”
Rose suddenly felt Alana’s breath on her ear, sending chills down her neck. “Are you going to fight me, Rose?” Alana taunted, her soft, accented voice lilting seductively in Rose’s ear. The front of her body pressed against Rose’s side, her silky, lavender dress soft against Rose’s skin. “You remember what happened last time, don’t you? Your boyfriend had to come to your rescue.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, “But no one is coming to save you this time.”
An icy wave of dread washed over Rose. “What have you done?”
Alana smiled. “Nothing. Yet.”
Rose could feel her heart racing, stabbing rapidly inside of her chest, like tattoo needles, and fear chilled her veins. She knew, as she watched Alana’s smile deepen, that Alana had noticed the change in her pulse and could probably smell the fear-induced adrenaline that filled her bloodstream. “You can’t hurt Kallias.”
Alana shrugged. “Maybe not. But I’m pretty sure Erik can.”
Rose stared at Alana, aghast at the sick, horrific plan. “Alana,” she reasoned. “If you force Erik to kill his best friend, he will never forgive you.”
“Aww,” Alana cooed. “That’s adorable. You think I care.”
“You do,” Rose argued. It had been a statement, not a question, and the certainty behind the statement stunned Alana so much that her smile actually slipped. Rose continued, “You don’t know how to love. You only know how to treat people how they treated you. You use them, and you hurt them. But that doesn’t stop you from wanting to be loved. That’s why you need Erik and Kara. That’s why you can’t let them go. They’re the only people who ever loved you.”
The Tomb of Blood Page 55
