She rolled her eyes. “Oh, for goodness sakes, could everyone just stop trying to feed from me tonight? I’m not a vending machine,” she said as she flung him off of her with her telekinetic abilities and knelt to pick up her dagger.
By the time she spun around, preparing to fight him again, she found him already restrained by Kallias and Kara. Kallias held him with his arms twisted behind his back, and Kara stood in front of Osiris with the edge of her battle-axe against his throat. Rose scowled at them. “So, you two can work together.”
Kara laughed, “I can work with anyone…if I want.”
“Release me,” Osiris growled at Kallias, pulling at his arms in an attempt to get free. He glared at Kara. “And get that barbaric weapon off of my throat.”
“I don’t think so,” Kallias said, tightening his grip. “Not this time.”
“When someone is holding a battle-axe against your throat,” Kara said, a smirk tugging at her lips, “it’s probably not a good idea to bark orders at them.”
Osiris’s cold, dark eyes narrowed at Kara. “There is no telling what Alana would do to me for killing you, but I think it would be worth it,” he snarled.
“Oh, you say that now,” Kara laughed, “but just wait until she’s peeling your skin from your body or pulling out your insides. My ex is as crazy as it gets.”
Rose wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, that’s a little…gross,” she muttered.
Osiris turned slightly in Kallias’s hold, causing the sharp edge of the battle-axe to press harder into his neck, as he tried to look at Kallias. “You told me once—centuries ago—that you only kill vampires that kill humans. Isn’t that what you said?” he asked. “That means you can’t kill me. I don’t kill humans.”
“No, you just abuse them,” Rose said, “and aid Alana in her efforts to start a war that will inevitably lead to the destruction of the entire human race.”
Osiris straightened. “I never actually admitted to working for Alana.”
“You never actually denied it either,” Rose countered.
“Honestly, I don’t really care if you’ve ever personally taken human lives before. You’re still a pretty shitty person,” Kallias snarled. He twisted painfully at Osiris’s arms. “And I think you’ll find I can do anything I damn well please.”
A gunshot suddenly echoed through the woods.
The bullet stopped just inches from Kallias’s head, floating in midair.
Kallias glanced at the bullet and then at Rose. “Thanks,” he sighed.
Rose allowed the bullet to fall slowly to the ground. It landed so softly that it barely made a sound. “Don’t thank me yet,” Rose said worriedly as she glanced around the woods. “I don’t know if I will be able to catch all of them.”
Kara pressed the sharp edge of the battle-axe harder into his skin, causing Osiris to cry out as she purposely sliced into his neck. “What was that?”
Despite the pain that twisted at his face, Osiris managed to smile at her—a sickeningly smug smile. “An advantage of being rich: I have bodyguards.”
They’d barely had time to process the fact that he’d said bodyguards, not bodyguard, before the gun—or guns, now—began to fire again, spraying bullets through the woods, from every side. Rose tried to stop as many of them as she could with her telekinetic abilities, but she inevitably missed a few. She grabbed her shoulder as pain lanced through her skin and muscles—an intense, sudden pain that shocked her more than it hurt her. She felt the warm blood beneath her palm as it poured from the small wound, soaking her shirt and her jacket.
Kara moved so rapidly that she practically appeared at Rose’s side, her hand on Rose’s arm. “Rose? Are you okay?” she asked worriedly. Her icy blue gaze shifted down to Rose’s bleeding wound and darkened hungrily at the sight.
“Yeah,” Rose said in a strained voice, wincing at the pain. “Are you?”
Kara nodded. Her gaze shifted toward Kallias. “Where is Osiris?”
Kallias stood behind another tall, birch tree as he squinted, watching the moving shadows in the woods, trying to identify all of the shooters. Rose almost laughed at the sight of the tall, muscular vampire, attempting to shield himself with a much-too-thin tree. “He ran off as soon as the shooting started,” he yelled breathlessly. “Did you ever notice them? I never even noticed their scents.”
“It’s difficult to identify scents in these woods,” Kara said, “but I am certain that they haven’t been here long. He must have alerted them somehow.”
Another onslaught of bullets began, and Rose found, with utter dismay, that she couldn’t stop them. “My power,” she breathed. “I can’t control it.”
“Of course you can’t. You’re injured,” Kallias said loudly, trying to yell over the gunfire. “You shouldn’t even be trying to use your power right now.”
Kara’s hand suddenly pressed down on Rose’s unhurt shoulder, forcing Rose to kneel just before another bullet would have hit her. Instead, the bullet flew over her head and hit one of the trees behind her. Kara crouched beside her, leaning close, her sweet, warm scent filling Rose’s senses. “Close your eyes,” Kara murmured in her ear. “It’s easier to dodge the bullets if you just listen.”
“Can you take care of the ones behind us?” Kallias asked Kara.
Kara glanced over her shoulder, watching the shadows that moved through the trees. “Yes, I think so,” she said, “as long as no one gets in my way.”
“I’ll take care of the ones in front of us,” Kallias told them.
“What about me?” Rose asked quietly. “What should I do?”
“Nothing,” Kallias growled. “Just don’t get yourself injured again.”
“You say that like I chose to get shot,” Rose muttered, frowning.
Kara’s long, silky hair brushed against Rose’s wrist as Kara leaned toward her, her lips brushing against Rose’s ear. “You’ve done enough, love. We would all be injured right now if you hadn’t stopped most of those bullets with your mind. Let us take care of the rest while your wound heals,” she murmured into Rose’s ear. “You’re amazing, Rose. Don’t you dare think otherwise.”
Rose couldn’t help but smile. Rose had always struggled with insecurity, especially after her terrible, toxic relationship with Ethan, but Kara empowered her, squashed her insecurities, and made her feel stronger and almost confident, even. She turned toward Kara, trying to think of a response, but Kara was gone.
For a moment, Rose just knelt there, listening to the violent sounds that interrupted the quiet, stillness of the night—gunshots, screams, the sickening sound of cracking bones, the sound of blood splattering in the snow. It was difficult to just wait, wishing that she could help, feeling the blood wash over her shoulder. But then, the moment passed, and silence settled over the forest.
Kara and Kallias returned at the same time, almost as if they had timed it up that way. Kallias knelt and picked up Kara’s battle-axe. He handed it to her.
“Thanks,” she said as she took the heavy weapon from him.
They straightened as the crunch of footsteps echoed through the woods.
“It’s just Erik,” Kara sighed when he stepped into her line of sight.
“I came to help, but I see that you guys already handled it,” Erik said when he reached them. He shook his head, shaking the powdery snow out of his wavy, blonde hair. His bright green gaze shifted toward Rose. “You’re bleeding.”
“Brilliant observation,” Rose said sarcastically, holding her hand over the wound, shielding it from the brutal wind. “You’d think you were a vampire.”
Erik raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, clearly preparing to offer an equally sassy comeback, but then, he froze. “Elise is in trouble,” he realized.
—
“Where do you think you’re going?” Elise called.
Osiris froze and turned back toward her, his dark eyes narrowing. “If you must know, I’m leaving. I have a business meeting in a few hours,” he said. His lip curled as he ad
ded, “Not that you would know anything about business.”
Elise just frowned at him. “Was that supposed to be an insult?”
He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I need to go,” he said as he turned to leave.
“I heard gunshots,” Elise said. She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“I can’t say I do,” he said between clenched teeth, not looking at her.
“Erik seemed to think our friends were involved, so he went to check on them,” Elise continued, “but I stayed. Because I think you were involved.”
Osiris turned toward her. “Do you realize what you’re doing, little girl?”
“Do you realize that calling a woman little girl is a good way to piss her off?” Elise countered. She took a step toward him. “I can’t let you walk away.”
“I’m three thousand years old,” Osiris said. “You won’t win this fight.”
“I don’t have to win,” Elise said. “I just have to stop you from leaving.”
—
By the time Kara leapt over the gates and landed in a crouch inside the cemetery, behind Osiris’s dark form, Elise already lay on the icy ground, curled up in the fetal position, her eyes closed, her thick, dark red blood staining the white snow. Kara growled—a low, feral, hair-raising sound—as she straightened.
Osiris turned toward her, his lips stained with Elise’s blood. He held up his hands. “Before you attack me, let me just warn you: I haven’t killed her…yet.”
Kara didn’t even hesitate. She ran toward him and leapt at him, tackling him as fluidly and ferociously as a lion. Her legs locked around him as she rolled with him. She pinned him to the ground, her hands clasped around his wrists.
He grunted in pain. “I was trying to negotiate with you,” he complained.
“I’d rather kill you,” Kara snarled, her light blue eyes narrowing.
“I think, perhaps, you’ve forgotten something,” Osiris said. He shoved back against her hands and rolled his body over her, reversing their position so that he had her pinned to the ground, instead. He clasped his hand around her throat, squeezing tightly, until she couldn’t breathe at all. “I’m twice your age. You can’t overpower me. And I am done taking orders from someone like you.”
“Let her go,” Rose said suddenly, her voice strangely cold.
Osiris stiffened, his black eyes flashing with irritation as he recognized her voice. “Rose,” he said without turning around. He tightened his grip around Kara’s throat, watching as her skin changed colors from the lack of oxygen. “I certainly would never take orders from you,” he sneered at Rose, his lip curling.
“You’re causing her pain,” Rose said, “and I can’t allow that.”
Osiris laughed darkly…humorlessly. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he asked incredulously. He released Kara’s throat, and as she choked and wheezed, he moved his hand to her chest, clearly preparing to rip her heart out. Kara stiffened in pain as his fingers dug into her skin. “You can’t stop me.”
“I can, actually,” Rose corrected.
Then, before Osiris could harm Kara any more than he already had, his body was lifted off of her, rising into the air and hovering about ten feet above the ground, held there by an unseen force. His dark eyes widened in shock, and his gaze shifted down, toward Rose. She stood in the middle of the cemetery, a few feet behind Kara, watching Osiris with glowing, red eyes—as red as blood.
Kara pulled herself into a sitting position. “Rose?” she said weakly.
Rose felt that cold darkness pouring over her, tugging at her, pulling her beneath the waves of anger, fear, and hatred. She felt a falling sensation, just like she had in her dreams—those repetitive nightmares of the dark abyss—and as the cold, dark power began to take control, she didn’t fight it. She surrendered.
The Stone of the Eklektos darkened, emitting a black, shadowy glow.
Then, the red, fiery haze in her eyes changed. The fire flickered out, and cold darkness took its place. Shadows consumed her eyes, turning them…black.
“What the hell are you?” Osiris breathed, his eyes widening in terror.
“Darkness,” Rose answered in a strange voice. “And you…are dead.”
He began to scream—horrible, blood-curdling screams that could have been heard from miles away, screams of agony and suffering, screams of death.
Erik and Kallias stood behind Rose, shocked and worried by the strange, horrific scene. Even though neither one of them could see her black eyes, they still knew that something was different. She didn’t even sound like Rose anymore.
“What’s going on?” Erik muttered to Kallias. “What is she doing?”
“I…I think she’s…melting his insides,” Kallias stammered.
Erik wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Well, that’s just…creepy.”
“This doesn’t feel like Rose,” Kallias said. “She feels so…cold.”
“Is it just me,” Erik asked, “or are there shadows dancing around her?”
“There does seem to be some kind of shadowy haze,” Kallias agreed.
Kara climbed to her feet, looking back and forth between Osiris—who had blood pouring from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears now—and Rose. She crossed the space between them and placed her hand on Rose’s arm. When Rose’s terrifying, black gaze shifted toward her, Kara searched her eyes, looking for some sign of the Rose she knew. She felt as if she were staring into a dark abyss. “Rose,” she whispered. “Where have you gone? Come back to me, ást.”
“Rose isn’t here right now,” Rose said in a strange, eerily cold voice.
Kara dropped her hand, so startled that she actually took a step back. “Then…then, who are you?” she sputtered, her brows furrowing in confusion.
“No need to worry about that now,” Rose said, her cold, black gaze shifting back toward Osiris. She tilted her head to the side, watching as he died.
Finally, after what felt like hours of screams, Osiris fell to the ground.
25
The Battle Begins
As Rose’s black, abysmal gaze shifted back toward Kara, the darkness within her eyes faded, transforming into that fiery, crimson-red haze, and then, finally, fading back to their usual color: a bright, azure blue. “Kara,” she said—not to anyone in particular. It was just a word she breathed out—a word filled with relief and affection. She crossed the space between them and embraced her.
Kara straightened, her eyebrows lifting in surprise, as Rose wrapped her in a tight, warm hug. Rose’s body felt so warm and soft against hers, and she smelled almost as warm and soft as she felt—like honey, vanilla, and…blood. Despite the fact that Rose had already broken the blood bond, Kara’s hunger responded to the scent of Rose’s blood, and she couldn’t resist the urge to press her face against Rose’s neck and inhale. Her hand pressed lightly against Rose’s back, but she stopped just before she could return the embrace. She dropped her arms to her sides, clenching her hands into fists, as she fought the hunger and desire burning inside of her. But what really made her uncomfortable wasn’t the hunger or the desire. As a matter of fact, she loved those feelings…and would have gladly acted on them, if she thought Rose wouldn’t object. No, it was the other overwhelming emotions she felt that made her pull back—the all-consuming, heart-melting warmth that spread through her when she was in Rose’s arms. “Er…Rose? I’m not really much of a hugger,” she said awkwardly.
Rose pulled back, her bright blue eyes widening, as if she were just now realizing what she was doing. “Oh! Oh, wow. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Kara instantly missed the feel of Rose’s embrace. “No…it was…fine.”
“Uh…” Erik mumbled to Kallias, while Kara and Rose talked, “are we not going to talk about that whole ‘Rose-isn’t-here’ thing? Because that was weird.”
“Not now,” Kallias hissed, trying to silence Erik before Rose overheard. “We have too much t
o worry about right now. We’ll have to figure it out later.”
Erik ran his hand through his wavy, blonde hair, his eyebrows lifting as he considered the strange events. “She just gets scarier and scarier every day.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Rose confessed to Kara, her brows furrowed.
Kara smiled affectionately. “I am,” she said quietly, “thanks to you.”
Rose glanced back at Osiris’s blood-soaked corpse, studying him with a frown, as if she were trying to figure out what happened to him. She turned around, watching as Kara knelt beside Elise. “Is she okay?” she asked worriedly.
“He drained her,” Kara explained, pushing one of Elise’s yellow-blonde curls out of her face, revealing the ashen color of Elise’s face. “She needs blood.”
“Go ahead,” Rose urged. “You can let her feed. We’ll wait for you.”
“We will?” Kallias scoffed loudly. “I thought we were pressed for time.”
Rose rolled her eyes at his rudeness. “We can’t just…”
“I have to agree with Kallias on this,” Aaron said, interrupting her. “We don’t have enough time to heal Elise. She will have to wait until after the battle.”
The four of them turned to stare at Aaron, stunned by his sudden, unannounced appearance. He stood a few feet behind them, beside a crooked, broken angel statue, blood staining his white T-shirt and his dark, bronzed skin.
“Did you just say that you agree with me?” Kallias asked incredulously.
Aaron flashed him a bitter smile. “Don’t get used to it, Greek.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, Fossil,” Kallias countered, his eyes narrowing.
Rose rolled her eyes at them. “Oh, for goodness sakes,” she scolded. “Would you two quit acting like a couple of animals fighting over territory?”
Kallias frowned at that. “But we are…animals.”
“Well, so are the rest of us,” Rose said, sweeping her arms out toward Erik and Kara, “but you don’t see us constantly hurling insults at each other.”
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