Curse Breaker

by Karina Espinosa

  I roared as hands roamed my body and I started to shift. Fuck this shit. My bones cracked beneath their grips as they tried to strip me of my clothing. My body contorted in odd angles until finally, the wolf burst free. My midnight black fur bristled as they hurried to release me, and I bit the first leg in my way. I chomped down, shredding the meat and chomping on the bone. He fell to the ground and let out a bloodcurdling scream. I silenced him when I went for his neck.

  Blood dripped from my muzzle as I sauntered over to the other two, growling as they backed away. I didn’t waste any time; I had no remorse. I leapt onto one of them and clawed at his face like I was digging a grave. When he could barely whimper, I ripped out his throat. Just then, something hit my side and I was flung back.

  The last would-be vampire rapist had snapped off a piece of the headboard and hit me with it.

  “C’mon, bitch!” he yelled confidently.

  Bodies and blood were littered all around us and Stella was nowhere to be seen. She must have scurried away to get Isaac.

  I better hurry this up before they find me in wolf form.

  I darted near his ankles and snapped, but every time I did, he swung that piece of wood at me. I couldn’t get close without getting hit. My ears perked up and I heard footsteps approaching. I had run out of time.

  I growled my disapproval.

  Instead of attacking, I darted to a corner and shifted back to my human form. I was butt-ass naked, but I didn’t care. I went toward the last vampire and his eyes widened with fear.

  “This is what you wanted, fucker,” I growled as I stalked toward him. His eyes roamed my body, but not in a sexualized way. He was scared shitless.

  He went to swing his makeshift bat, but I caught it with my hand just as the doors burst open. I didn’t pay attention to the newcomers, but the vampire did. I took control of the weapon, slammed it into the vamp’s face, and knocked him down on the ground. Still not finished, I took the plank and smashed it onto his neck, applying pressure until his head was cut clean off.

  I was breathing heavily as I tossed the headboard to the side and turned to look at my audience. The Elders stood by the doorframe, watching me with furious eyes.

  We were back in the dungeon-like room where I’d first been whipped. They chained me up, but only my wrists this time. I knew what was coming and tried to brace myself.

  The whip cracked on my bare back and I arched, gritting my teeth. Sweat dripped down my face and I trembled as I grabbed onto the chains to hold myself steady.

  “You will tell us where the cure is, or I will whip you raw and make sure you don’t ever have a chance to shift,” Isaac snarled as he faced me.

  I kept my head low and avoided eye contact. “I’m not telling you dick,” I muttered, gasping when the whip lashed my skin again.

  “Tell me!” Isaac roared into the room, spittle flying in my face.

  I barely batted an eyelash. “Fuck off.”

  The strokes came back-to-back after that, and I think I passed out at one point. My hands slipped from the chains and I hung limply from them, the silver chains biting into my skin. I couldn’t hold myself up any longer.

  I was barely conscious when the door burst open and a vampire I didn’t recognize rushed in. He whispered into Francisco’s ear and then they mumbled something to Isaac.

  “Cut her down. Give her some clothes and take her back to her cage. I want her watched around the clock. She doesn’t get to shift,” Isaac ordered, and the vampire lackey nodded.

  The Elders left in a hurry, and the other vamp started to loosen my chains and unshackle me. Though he wasn’t gentle, he wasn’t overly rough, either. He dressed me, and when he lifted me up, I screamed when his arm touched my raw back. I blew out a breath and tried to control my breathing until he deposited me back in my cage. Then he sat just outside of it, watching me disinterestedly.

  I didn’t know what time it was or whether it was day or night. It had been a while since I’d been here, and with a guard now, I would have a hard time figuring it out.

  I curled up in a corner and tried to ease the pain. It was no worse than the first time, but it was still painful. I had just drifted off to sleep, hoping I could sleep the pain away, when I was awakened by the sound of my name.

  “Mackenzie! Mackenzie!”

  I stirred awake with bleary eyes. I rubbed them open as I looked outside the cage and got a look at who called me. Damon!

  His dreadlocks were pulled back in a low ponytail and he looked excited. Beside him lay an unconscious vampire.

  “What’s going on?” I mumbled.

  “It’s daytime,” he answered a little sleepily.

  I perked up and rushed to my feet, wincing at the pain in my back. I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood. “I guess it’s time to bust out of this joint,” I said and walked toward the cage door.

  Damon took the keys from the unconscious vamp and opened my cage. As soon as I exited my silver prison, I turned and ripped out my guard’s heart.

  “What’d you do that for?” Damon gasped.

  “They all die,” I growled and kept moving.

  It wasn’t just the Elders I was angry with, but all the vampires who went along with their maniacal plans. The ones who cheered them on, the ones who volunteered to do God knows what to me … all of them deserved what they got and more. It wasn’t just the apple that was rotten; it was the whole tree.

  Damon led me down the hall toward the bedroom I was in earlier. I noticed there were rows of bedrooms with the same golden crest on the door. He pointed to one of the doors and gave me a thumbs up. I twisted the door knob slowly and slipped inside. Quietly, I tiptoed into the dark room. There was barely anything in there but a bed and a dresser. I saw a figure lying on the bed and realized it was Abdul.

  There was a conveniently-placed stepping stool beside his bed, which I climbed to get a better angle. When I hovered above him, I saw he was sound asleep, without a care in the world. It seemed almost unfair to kill him, but then I thought about how much he despised Lycans and how he stood by and watched the cruelty inflicted upon me without complaint. No, he deserved to die.

  Without another thought, I stuck my hand inside his chest and clutched his heart. His eyes popped open and glared up at me.

  “Feel that, old man? Wolfey’s got your ticker,” I whispered, ripping it out before he could yell for help.

  I dropped his heart onto the bed beside him and wiped my hand clean on his sheets. I thought I’d feel better when I finished, that a weight would be lifted from my chest, but no. I only felt more anxious. Three more to go, and that wasn’t including the other vamps in the church. None of them were innocent.

  I slipped out of his room silently and met Damon outside, who was keeping a watchful eye in case anyone came around. Just as I stepped out, there was movement down the hallway and I saw a group approaching. For a moment my whole body tensed, but as soon as I saw their faces, I relaxed. Amy was leading the group, followed by Jackson, Lucian, and the vampire hunter Mason. The latter had a crossbow in his hand, though they all looked ready for battle.

  No one said a word, even though we were all brimming with nervous energy. All I wanted to do was engulf Amy in a hug, but I refrained. With a single nod, we all knew what to do. Everyone dispersed and went into a room like shadow walkers.

  I went into the next room and stumbled upon Francisco’s room. I didn’t dilly-dally with quips or snide comments. I killed him quick and swiftly. Which meant I only had Isaac and Stella left. The ones I hated the most.

  My hands were sticky with blood as I turned the knob for the next room and saw Stella lying on her bed. As I approached, she appeared so peaceful. Her auburn hair was perfectly splayed on her pillow and she looked almost angelic. Except she wasn’t. She was the devil incarnate. I’d promised to make her death slow, and I kept my promises. I looked around the room until my eyes landed on a belt. Perfect. I quietly went over and grabbed it, then I made my way back to her side and sho
ok her awake.

  “What?” she gasped, and I stuffed the belt in her mouth, wrapping it tightly so it muffled her sounds.

  I punched her in the face and then twisted her wrists until I heard bones crack, which wasn’t easy to do to a vampire. Goes to show how pissed off I was. She tried to scream, but the belt stuffed in her mouth ensured she couldn’t.

  “I told you that when I killed you,” I whispered, “I would make sure it was slow and painful. I keep my word, Stella.”

  I extended my claws and, looking at the one missing on my finger, dug them into her neck and strangled her. “You’re the worst kind of woman,” I murmured. “You turn on other women, and that’s disgusting.” I leaned in close to her ear and squeezed tighter as she scratched and wailed at my hand. “You repulse me.” I wasn’t constricting her breathing. Vampires didn’t breathe. But I was digging my claws past skin and crushing her windpipe. “I should just rip out your throat.”

  Her eyes widened, and she shook her head rapidly.

  “Nah, I won’t rip out your throat.” I pulled my claws away. “I’ll just cut off your hands.”

  I didn’t give her a second to think about what I said. In a flash, I dug my claws into her left wrist and ripped her hand from her arm. Her scream was muffled, but it would have been toe-curling. I did the same with her right hand.

  She thrashed on the bed and I clapped with her hands.

  “Was that painful?” I tilted my head and grinned, though none of this brought me joy. It made me sick, but I had to do it. She deserved this and so much more. They all did for what they did to me. For what could have happened to me. For the welts on my back that hadn’t healed yet.

  With vampiric speed, she lunged for the door, but with no hands, she couldn’t open it or pull the belt off her mouth. She spun around and looked at me in wide-eyed horror.

  “No one’s coming to save you, Stella,” I whispered. “They’re all dead.” It wasn’t the complete truth. I still had to deal with Isaac.

  She started to cry. Her muffled screams increased in volume, and I worried someone would come to investigate the noise. I charged at her and snatched a handful of beautiful auburn hair, flinging her over to the bed. It was time to end it.

  Forcing her to stand upright, I glared into eyes filled with fear. I should have felt bad. I should have had mercy. But I had none.

  I dug my clawed hand inside her chest and clutched her heart. She choked as my nails pierced the organ pumping steadily in my hand.

  “The almighty Elders,” I scoffed. “You were supposed to be a challenge. You were supposed to be the strongest vampires in the world.” I squeezed her heart and she groaned. “But you were easy. Your fatal mistake was underestimating me. Don’t make the same mistake in the next life.” With those final words, I ripped out her heart and watched as she collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

  My eyes were dead as they looked at her. I dropped her heart to the floor and it flopped around on the ground, making a wet, smacking sound. This kill made me feel a little better, but the one that mattered most was Isaac. He would put up a fight. That much I knew.

  I slipped out of the room, the euphoria of a fresh kill thrumming in my veins, and then everything stopped. In the middle of the hallway lay Damon’s body, his head detached from his neck. I looked down the hall and saw Isaac’s door was open.

  I didn’t care about making noise anymore. I ran over to his room and cursed when I saw it was empty.

  He knows. He killed Damon.

  Jackson was coming out of a bedroom coated in blood when he saw Damon’s body and then me. He did a double-take and looked at me for enlightenment.

  “Isaac,” I said by way of explanation.

  “Fuck,” he expelled.

  Mason came out of a room, crossbow in hand, and grinned. “The hallway has been cleared.”

  “We have a problem,” I gritted. “Isaac is loose, and he knows we’re here.” Looking around, I realized two people in our party were noticeably absent. “Where are Amy and Lucian?”

  Mason shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned. “I figured they’d be here, since all the rooms have been cleared.”

  My eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did you do something to them?” I stepped closer to him and growled. Still coated in dark, sticky blood, I knew I looked menacing.

  “Mackenzie,” Jackson warned, holding a hand out to stop me. “We’ll find them. They might be upstairs.”

  My chest rose up and down at a rapid pace and I couldn’t help but worry. Mason was a hunter; his prejudice against vampires knew no bounds. He may have promised to stay away from Amy, but he never promised to stay away from Lucian. I didn’t trust him.

  I nodded and then followed the guys through the maze of corridors under the church, until we arrived at the stairs and made our way back up to the cathedral. I heard the grunts and shouts before we made it to the back of the altar. When we approached the scene, it was a full-on battle between Isaac, Lucian, and Amy.

  Amy was on the ground, looking tired and beat up. Her flaming red hair was matted to her face with sweat and she could barely hold her weight. Lucian was facing off with Isaac, but I could tell he was drained. Isaac, on the other hand, looked as if none of this bothered him. Like the fight took no more out of him than if he were swatting gnats. If Lucian couldn’t defeat him, I knew I didn’t stand a chance in hell.

  Jackson ran to Amy and helped her up, pulling her to the sidelines. Good. She needed to stay out of it. I needed her to stay safe.

  Mason and I were standing near the altar, trying to decide how to jump into the fray, when I yelled, “Isaac!”

  His gaze swiveled to me and his smirk stretched across his face. “Ah, yes. The woman of the hour. I should have known you had a trick up your sleeve.”

  “Leave her out of this!” Lucian snarled, but the effect wasn’t as strong as he might have hoped. He’d taken one too many punches. It was time for him to tap out.

  “None of you stand a chance against me,” Isaac sniffed, puffing out his chest importantly. “Make this easy for everyone, Mackenzie. Tell me where the cure is.”

  I narrowed my eyes onto my target as battle blueprints and assault plans rushed through my mind. I had to be strategic. I couldn’t just let loose and wail on him, no matter how much I wanted to. The urge to be reckless was embedded deep within me, like an itch I needed to scratch. But being reckless would get my friends—my pack— killed.

  I stepped down from the altar and prowled closer to Lucian, whose back was to me, his always-pristine hair falling out of his ponytail.

  “It’s you and me, Isaac,” I taunted, placing a restraining hand on Lucian’s shoulder and urging him to step back. I placed my body in front of him protectively, daring Isaac to attack. “You’re so desperate for something I’ll never give. So c’mon. Fight me.”

  “Mackenzie,” Lucian warned, but I held a hand up to quiet him. I wasn’t trying to be rude, but there was a method to my madness.

  Isaac laughed. “Little girl, you may have killed the others, but it won’t happen with me.”

  Something whizzed past me, ruffling my hair, and Isaac caught it seamlessly. It was one of Mason’s bows. Faster than my eyes could track, Isaac flung it back and it hit its target. Mason’s shoulder.

  “Argh!” Mason yelled, falling to one knee with a crash.

  “Nice try, hunter, but you’re a dime a dozen. I eat your kind in my sleep.” Isaac rolled his eyes. “Now, Mackenzie, let’s be reasonable. You’re injured. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

  I curved up the corner of my mouth. “It’ll be fair.”

  There was something in my voice that set him off. I didn’t know if it was the fact I insinuated he was just as broken as me, but he was furious. He came for me full throttle, flashing across the room, grabbing my shoulder, and catapulting me toward a row of pews. As my lacerated back made impact with the hard, wooden benches I winced, gritting my teeth against the fresh blossom of pain.

  I darted t
o my feet, but he was already there, ready with an iron punch to the stomach. As I doubled over, he kneed me in the face and I heard the sharp crunch of cartilage snapping in my nose. I wavered on my feet woozily before he reared back and punched me in the face with the force of a small hurricane. My head snapped back and I stumbled backward, tripping on a pew. He gripped my shirt, lifted me above his head, and slammed me on the ground. The marble floor cracked from the impact of my body, shattering it into shards that splintered around me. The force was like a bucket of ice water on my body. It rattled me. There was a wetness on my back and I know it was bleeding.

  “You wanted a fight,” he sneered, “but you’re not doing much fighting, little wolf. I thought you were a scrapper.”

  I chuckled, blood spewing from my mouth, which was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Enraged, the brutal assault continued as he rained punches to my head and body. My eyes had almost swelled shut and it was difficult to see as Isaac flew around me with vampiric speed.

  Suddenly, there was a pause in his onslaught and I heard a growl from somewhere close by. I imagined it was Jackson. When I tried to stand, I found I lacked the strength to lift myself off the ground.

  Lucian hurried to my side and grabbed my arms, lifting me up. “What are you doing?” he whisper-yelled. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  “It’s all part of my master plan.” I wobbled on my feet before turning and seeing Isaac launch Jackson toward the altar like a football.

  Seizing the opportunity while Isaac’s back was toward me, I jumped on it, not too gracefully, I might add. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. My vision was a little dim and my body was heavy, but I squeezed as tightly as I could.

  “This must be a joke,” Isaac laughed, reaching over his shoulder to grab the back of my shirt and fling me ass-over-tea-kettle to land with a thud on the unyielding floor. “Where is the cure, Mackenzie?” he snarled, striding toward me with purposeful steps.

  I scrambled to my feet sloppily. We were at a good distance from each other. I tried to look as defeated as I could. I was thoroughly beat up, of course, but I still had my secret reservoir. As he came within reach, I swayed on my feet.