by Tara Brown
Henry smiled taking the orb and placing it in his teeth. He bit down breaking the glass. The blue light filled his mouth and face, making him glow in the midday sun.
Henry opened his mouth looking like he was screaming. Nothing came out but air for a moment and then instantly the area around them filled with noise. Henry's scream shook the ground they stood on.
Chapter Fifty-Four: Heart and Soul
Hanna
She heard the scream, it was god-awful. The floor shook as it would in an earthquake. She gripped her bed, ignoring the tears that fell from her face. She looked at the manacle and chain. She felt her rage building. No one had come, she didn’t know what was happening. She sat on the floor feeling lost.
"HANNA!"
She lifted her face from her hands calling out, "I'm here."
Sam ran into the room. He ran at her lifting her into the air wrapping her legs around him.
"Hanna. You're okay."
She sobbed into his neck, "We have to hurry before he comes back."
Sam placed her on the floor. He looked at the chain. He ripped it from the wall.
"How did you do that?"
He winked at her, "Hanna my mother is a Siren. My father is an archangel. I'm not a regular nephilim. I have no human in me. I can't take the manacle off though."
She furrowed her brow, "You have parents still?"
He nodded, "I do but I don’t know where they are."
"How did the government capture you? Aimee told me you were captured."
"I was charged with watching the children. I couldn’t get them out so I stayed with them. It's not important now. We need to get the hell out of here."
He grabbed her hand and carried her chain out of the room. She ran confused at how he pulled it out of the wall if Henry spelled it.
She padded along after him, letting him drag her through the halls. Her white gown was ridiculous and she tried not to think about how see through it was.
She worried about where Henry and Marcus were, until she stepped out into the sunlight. It nearly blinded her sensitive eyes. The muted light of the castle had made the midday light nearly unbearable.
She saw something she never expected to see.
Marcus on his knees with blood pouring from his chest. She stopped running as everything moved in slow motion. Henry looked at her and then back to Marcus.
Marcus cried out as he saw her, "Hanna no. Don’t leave me."
She closed her eyes as Henry's hand came down ripping Marcus's throat. She heard the gurgling sounds.
Sam's huge warm hand covered her face instantly. She felt him dragging her back as Marcus's scream was silenced.
Tears poured from her face, she expected to be overjoyed when he died but she never imagined she would be upset.
She felt her legs buckle as her knees hit the concrete.
Sam held her against him trying to soothe her, "It's okay Hanna. Its over now."
She broke from his grip desperate to see what happened.
She pried his fingers from her eyes as screams and sobs exploded from her mouth.
Marcus lie on the ground, his neck torn and dark blood pouring from the wound. His eyes twitched. Around the wound on his throat the edges were burned black.
He blinked whispering, "I loved you every second, every moment." He exhaled harshly.
In his twisted way he had believed he loved her just as she had thought she loved him. Relief filled her but she feared the dirty feelings that had covered her wouldn’t ever go away.
Aleks looked at Henry, "We made a deal Henry. I need your help."
Henry nodded while he maintained his fearsome expression.
Aleks stripped his sweater off as tears dripped from his eyes in the struggle. Hanna gasped seeing a bandage wrapped around his entire back. String looking black spider webs shot from the bandaged area.
Aleks turned. Henry saw the bandage. He sliced it with his fingernail letting the bandage drop to the ground. His eyes lowered. His face dropped.
Hanna looked at Dorian whose face fought to maintain his composure.
She didn’t understand what was happening.
She watched as Aleks's face fell.
He nodded, "I understand."
Dorian shook his head, "There must be something you can do?"
Henry shook his head.
Aleks turned to face Henry making Hanna gasp again. His entire back was burned, charred with blisters and black veins.
"He can make it short and painless."
Dorian heaved a sigh, "Aleksander, brother what can I do?"
Aleks looked at Henry, "You will fulfill my debt to Aimee then, if you please? Help her get her sister back?"
Henry nodded slicing his fingertip with his other hand and holding it up. Aleks did the same and pressed his bleeding finger to the tip of Henry's.
Hanna felt disgusted. Was it all her fault? How had they not gotten Aimee's sister back? What had happened in her absence? Was Aleks dying because of her?
Hanna looked at Henry whose dark eyes shot at Sam for a second and back to her. Sam nodded, "Thank you Henry."
She was gone from the driveway and sitting on Lydia's living room sofa before she could say goodbye to Henry.
Lydia rushed at her. She touched the manacle making it fall off. She hugged Hanna tightly, "Oh my sweet girl."
Hanna had no tears left. She was too confused.
Sam never let go of her fingers. Ari dropped to the floor hugging her as well.
Hanna could see Lucas leave the room. Aimee came rushing in, her face was puffy from crying. She had a man with her. He was the human from her birthday as far as Hanna could tell.
Dorian appeared in the room suddenly carrying Aleks.
Lydia left Hanna's side. She put a blanket down on the couch where Dorian placed Aleks down.
Aimee rushed to his side. The human looked very upset but never moved from his spot in the hallway.
Chapter Fifty-Five: Home Again
Aleksander
Aimee gripped his hands sobbing.
He felt the poison reaching his slowly beating heart. His chest was cramping severely.
"Henry will help you. He will give you aide in one thing. Be careful what you ask of him." He coughed tasting his own blood in his mouth. "Dorian, brother, you will help her in her choice?"
Dorian nodded not meeting his eyes.
"Aimee I'm sorry for it all. I'm sorry for everything."
She shook her head, "I'm not. I'm only sorry I ever was a friend with someone like Blake. I'm sorry I never saw him for the monster he is."
Giselle came running into the room screaming, "Aleks!"
She skidded along the floor on her knees. Her beautiful face was soaked in tears.
His heart broke seeing her devastated.
She gripped his hand. Aimee kissed his forehead and let Giselle say goodbye. She walked across the room to Shane. Aleks smiled at Shane. He returned the smile with a nod.
Aleks looked at Giselle, "Take care of yourself. Don’t fall in love too easily. Try to still be you, be chatty and silly and funny. Don’t let this all ruin the person you are. Try to remember your more than a beautiful girl. You're smart and sexy."
She nodded sniffling, "I should have said yes, I'm sorry Aleks."
He shook his head, "No, you were right. It would have been a mess. I want you to know I loved you."
She sobbed over him clutching him.
He squeezed her hand and looked at Dorian, "You know where I want to go, brother."
Dorian nodded, "Anyone who wants to come better hang on."
He touched Aleks and suddenly cold air surrounded them. Hanna threw up making Aleks laugh. She had never been a good traveler.
He felt the cold wind off the Nærøyfjord coming up the hillside of his family's graveyard. He looked out at the view. One last time he was able to see it. The sight of it all made his heart soar. The moonlight made it even more special. His fingers began to tremble.
G
iselle kissed him once on the lips, and stood up.
He looked at Dorian, "You have to find my dad."
"I will. I will make sure I give him the proper send off."
Aleks laughed, "Don’t bury him near me." He coughed again seeing dark blood stain the patchy snow in front of him.
"Wouldn’t dream of it."
He lay back letting the warmth of the sun hit him.
"Aimes remember when I told you I was married before?"
"Yeah."
He held his hand off to the left of him, "This is her. Her and my children. I finally get to join them."
"No one deserves to be going home more than you brother." Dorian spoke softly.
Aleks reached his hand up into the air for Dorian to take. He squeezed him hand.
He remembered everything all at once. The moonlight grew too bright, he closed his eyes against it but the light permeated through.
He sighed feeling the most freedom he'd ever felt. He relaxed against the ground letting the light take him and exhaled one last time.
Chapter Fifty-Six: Goodbye Ben
Hanna
Sobs filled every throat on the hillside.
Even the ever tough and dark Dorian cried. He held his friend to his chest, not letting him go.
Lydia heaved out a sigh, "Lets start."
Dorian nodded laying Aleks down on the ground.
He dug the grave with his bare hands.
Hanna watched in silence, guilt ravaged her.
Sam put an arm around her, "It wasn’t your fault. Marcus tricked us."
She nodded, not wanting to take away from Aleks moment. She didn’t want pity. She wasn’t ready for them to know the extent to which he had tricked her.
Dorian sniffled lifting Aleks's arms and Shane lifted his legs. They placed him on a white sheet Lydia had brought.
Aimee kissed his lips once. Giselle bent over his face kissing it over and over.
"I can push someone. I can bring him back." Ari sobbed clutching Dorian.
Lydia shook her head, "Too dangerous Ari. Like I told you with Ben, you don’t know which of us will end up in his place."
Hanna crawled along the cold ground in her white nightdress freezing as the bitter wind pushed and pulled. She kissed Aleks once on the cheek. She lingered trying to get a slight waft of the smell she always got from him.
His smell had left with his spirit. She pressed her face against his warmth.
"Goodbye my friend." She whispered ruffling his dark blond hair.
Everyone took their turn saying their goodbyes. Hanna snuggled into Sam. She couldn’t bear to watch as Dorian said his. It broke her heart to see such a frightening man so weakened and vulnerable. She knew someone great had left the world but seeing Dorian distraught somehow made Aleks more worthy. Dorian gave his heart and compassion to no one. He wiped away a tear and closed the sheet wrapping Aleks like a mummy. He lifted the huge body and stepped down into the grave. He kissed the head of the wrapped body and gently placed him on the ground. He picked up a handful of frozen dirt and kissed. He placed it on the mound and stepped away.
Everyone took a turn placing a small amount of dirt on top of him.
Hanna hated seeing the dirt cover Aleks. She wanted him to burst through the sheet, he was unbreakable. Nothing could hurt him.
But he did not.
Dorian gave the service in a language she could only guess was Norwegian and pushed the dirt over his body.
They gathered stones and piled them on top of him.
The sun started to set and Hanna noticed how frozen her body was. Sam took his shirt off pulling it over her head. He stood in nothing but a thin white t-shirt. She smiled up at him trying not to jump into his arms.
Dorian looked at her and winked. She nearly laughed knowing she needed her bracelet back.
Sam picked her up and suddenly they were back at Lydia's. They were in Sam's room. Hanna looked at her surroundings and shook her head, "I need to go home. I need to see Roland." She couldn’t bear the thought of him touching her filthy skin.
He flashed and suddenly they were standing in her bedroom. She hobbled grabbing her robe. She pulled his shirt off and smelled it once. He laughed taking it. She pulled the robe on and opened her bedroom door.
Roland walked along the hall to her room instantly, "Hanna my dear you're home. Aleksander told me you were being held by Mr. Dragomir."
She fell into his arms.
"Roland this is Sam."
Roland stiffened, "Yes I've met the young man before. I knew his mother a long time ago."
Sam blushed, "Hello sir. Nice to see you again."
Roland nodded, "Two Sirens. How unbearable."
He looked at her ankle and grimaced, "I see the beast has returned."
She shook her head, "Only when I needed it and I was able to control it. This is from Marcus." Her throat thickened, "Marcus and Aleks have both passed."
Sam spoke softly, "And a friend of ours Ben."
Hanna nodded, "The funeral for Ben is tomorrow."
Roland sighed, "A lot of lives lost."
Hanna felt dizzy, "All in one day."
"Roland I will be staying if it's alright with you?"
Roland looked at Sam, "You will let me know if you need anything? From the guest bedroom?"
Sam laughed and nodded, "Fair enough."
Hanna frowned watching Roland turn and walk away, she dreaded the story she would have to tell him.
Epilogue
The cool wind blew making the trees sway, knocking pine needles down upon the grave. The fresh dirt pile was laced with exotic flowers. Aimee had gone with Ari to different counties to find them.
The small pile looked even smaller next to the huge trees surrounding it. Bright green ferns and huge brown tree trucks and black dirt covered in vivid colors.
The funeral was heart wrenching, a man named Brandon Green who was Fae like Lucas and Ben gave the service.
He was handsome, as they all were, and soft-spoken. His eyes darted to the grave as he spoke. Tears softly flowed from the cheeks of every person sitting, all but Lucas. His stoic face, made Hanna concerned for him. He wasn’t allowing himself to think of anything beyond revenge. She was certain of that.
Sam held her hand, heat emanated from his palm into hers. She was grateful for him but also the fact he had been fine with her asking for some time. She wasn’t ready to be in a relationship. She needed to figure out everything else. Her heart knew him as her true love, that wouldn’t change.
Lydia wiped her tears.
Hanna did nothing but stare at the brightly glowing bracelet on her wrist. She was grateful Lydia had been able to give her another. She didn’t give off the same energy as she did before but super naturals could still sense her. The bracelet safeguarded against hormone imbalances.
She imagined Roland was glad she got a new bracelet as well, although somehow he was able to feel something even when she wore it.
The funeral ended as it had begun, in tears and kind words.
Hanna didn’t know what to say. Everything was her fault.
****
Later in the week Hanna watched as Aimee went through the land acquisitions made for the Roses. No land had been bought in Alaska but Lorri had told her that. She was sure Daniel had bought the land on his own.
Hanna felt helpless and distant from everyone. She hadn’t fit in on a good day and Aleks had been the main reason she was ever even accepted.
Giselle paced the room, "Alise said Alaska. Why Alaska? Why would anyone want to go to Alaska?"
"No day light, maybe it’s a vampire colony." Hanna thought aloud.
Lorri pointed to her, "I know the place. There was a bitch named Marcella who tried to hook up with Daniel. She owned some Vampire Resort. It’s a remote lodge, really gorgeous but middle of nowhere. They will know we're coming from miles away." She smiled at Hanna, "Nice kid."
Aimee pulled out a map and looked at Lorri, "Where?"
Lorri lo
oked for a second and pointed, "There. On that inlet. No one lives any where near them."
Aimee looked at Hanna, "Want to take a road trip?"
Hanna nodded, "I do."
XXXX
The End
Witch, Book Four of the Devil's Roses
Available in June 2012
