Breathing heavily, I climbed off of his chest and spat on his face. Fucking
asshole.
“Wow,” a sly voice said from the shadows. I spun, heart hammering a
mile a minute, only to relax marginally when I spotted Axel. A grin played
on his lips as he stared between me and the dead body. “I came here to save
the day, and lo and behold, you’ve already killed the man.”
“He’s scum,” I snapped, anger thrumming through me. “Not a man.”
“True.” Axel shrugged once before stepping up to the body and unzipping
his pants. I quickly turned away before I could see his penis.
Because, ew.
“What the hell are you doing?” I squeaked. If Axel was into necrophilia, I
might kill him. Again, ew.
I heard what sounded like splattering liquid and realized the crazy
assassin was peeing on the Vampire’s dead body.
“Just giving the rapist a present,” Axel murmured conversationally.
“You’re fucking psycho.” Rolling my eyes, I took one last glance around
the room, my eyes zeroing in on a puddle of blood pooling across the
disgusting green carpeting. My heart ached for the men and women who
perished every damn day because of this event. “We need to stop this,” I said
at last, turning to Axel just as he zipped up his pants. “We need to end this
once and for all.”
His growing smile terrified me. Like, if I was a lesser human, I would
have shit in my pants right at that moment.
“One step ahead of you, little one.” With an elaborate flourish, he pulled
open his coat so I could see the detonator hidden under the flaps. “We get the
humans out... and then this building goes boom. And then we’ll find and
rescue your Vampire lover.”
Was it fucked up that my smile grew exponentially? Probably.
But I rather liked his plan of this building exploding.
“I might not hate you, Axel,” I mused, accepting the knife he offered.
He flashed his blindingly white teeth. “You definitely should hate me.
But how about a truce for today?”
“A killing truce?” I snorted.
“It’s my favorite kind.”
TWENTY-SIX
Z
“Y ou take left, and I take right?” Axel suggested, raising
one dark brow.
“No hurting innocents,” I warned.
He grinned devilishly. “Person with the most kills wins?”
“You’re on.”
Without another word, we separated, my borrowed knife raised. In the
distance, I could hear enraged growls and screams. It almost sounded as if…
as if a Shifter was attacking. What the hell?
Pocketing that snippet of information away for later, I focused on the
bullpen. I counted five guards—all Vampires—standing sentry in front of the
entrance.
Five against one? I liked those odds.
With a beguiling smile, I raced through the teeming throng of
Nightmares. A few of them screamed as I roughly shoved them aside, but no
one tried to stop me. They may have been monsters, but at the end of the day,
they were nothing but cowards first and foremost.
I slid my dagger into the first guard’s head, stealthily pulling it out and
aiming it towards the second man. He lunged at me, fangs extended, but I
ducked before he could initiate contact. Sliding my leg out, I caught him on
the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground. Before I could shove my
dagger into his eyes, a third Vampire grabbed my arm and wrenched it back.
I cried out at the initial stab of pain as he roughly pried my fingers open,
forcing me to drop my dagger. With a ferocious snarl, I threw my head back,
listening to the satisfying crack of bones breaking as it connected with his
nose.
“You little—” Before he could finish his sentence, I dropped to the
ground, grabbed my dagger, and sliced it across his heels. He fell to the floor
with a pained cry.
Without preamble, I sliced a line from ear to ear.
The Vampire I hadn’t been able to kill lunged at me, but I easily turned
my blade upwards so it landed in his chest. His eyes glazed over before he
collapsed beside his buddy.
The remaining two Vampires—furthest away from the bullpen’s entrance
—rushed forward at the same time, one from each side. The fastest one
reached for me, but I agilely flipped over his head, landing on my feet behind
him. The second one wasn’t able to slow down his forward momentum, and I
moved away just as he collided with Baddie One.
A bright burst of purple erupted around me like a violet mist permeating
the air. I squeezed my eyes shut, turning my face away from the eerie light.
When I reopened them, all of the Vampires had disappeared from sight. All
that remained were piles of ash.
Devlin and Killian stood before me, radiating energy and raw power.
Purple light emanated from Devlin’s body, and his dark curls were swaying
in an invisible breeze. Killian held Devlin’s lamp.
I watched as my Genie’s eyes slowly focused on me, the power
diminishing—almost as if it was being sucked back into his body. Before I
could make a noise, Killian raced forward and took me into his arms.
“You’re okay,” he breathed, burying his face in my tangled hair.
“I’m okay,” I agreed as Devlin joined the huddle. He wrapped me in his
arms from behind, body shaking, and whispered inarticulate words into my
hair. I wanted to remain in their embraces forever, but I couldn’t. Not with
the guards running towards us. Not with the participants of the Carnival
screaming and fleeing the scene. Not with the humans staring at me with
wide-eyed wonder. “But we need to stop this.”
Pulling away, I focused on the bullpen’s padlock. Maybe one of the
guards had a key…
“I got this,” Killian said determinedly, stalking forward with Devlin’s
lamp. He held it up to his lips and whispered, “I wish for this door to be
opened.”
“Your wish is my command.” The purple mist once more surrounded
Devlin like a plum-colored sheen. Power emitted from him in palpable waves
as he focused on the padlock.
It dropped to the ground instantly, and the door swung open.
The humans rushed forward in a flurry, thanking me and sobbing. It was
heartening to see people helping people—women and men alike were
huddling protectively around the younger children and older women.
“Miles?” I called as the last of the humans disappeared from the bullpen.
“Miles?”
I couldn’t see the young boy.
“Z, wait!” Devlin called as I broke into a run, racing opposite the
stampede of people.
“Miles!” My voice was hoarse from screaming as I looked in each
direction. “Miles!”
Near the entrance of the tent, I spotted a large bear fighting off at least
twenty guards. He broke through the ranks ruthlessly, viciously, blood
coating his teeth and matted fur.
Lupe, I thought dizzily, watching the Bear Shifter bite the head off a
Vampire.
I didn’t see Hans among the bodies, and my stomach tightened painfully
at the reminder that the ringlea
der was still out there.
“Miles?” I spun in a circle, blinking to stop the onslaught of tears, when I
finally spotted the honey blond mound of hair. I raced towards what appeared
to be a shooting range—though all of the Nightmares had long since
evacuated. Lying on the ground, in a pool of blood, was the young boy.
I dropped to my knees as a sob was wrenched from my throat.
No. No. No. No.
I reached a hand out to touch him only to immediately pull it back.
Something as pure and as bright as him shouldn’t be tainted by my darkness.
You failed him.
An enraged cry left my lips as I stumbled to my feet. Away. Away.
Away.
I needed to get away.
“My God,” Killian breathed, materializing directly behind me. When he
placed a hand on my shoulder, I exploded like a dam bursting. I couldn’t
handle the pain. I didn’t want to handle it.
I turned in the Incubus’s arms, shoving my face into his neck as I sobbed.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Z,” Devlin whispered from behind me.
“I want them all to pay,” I rasped out, pushing away from Killian and
brushing at my eyes. Miles’s face was going to haunt me for years to come.
“They will,” Killian promised, brushing at my hair. His eyes ensnared
mine, and I was the helpless prey caught in his trap.
“Baby,” a guttural, husky voice said from behind me. When I turned, I
saw Lupe standing amidst a sea of bodies, naked and drenched in blood. His
eyes glimmered like amber as he struggled to control his Bear. When he
caught sight of my stricken expression, he roared, his face contorting slightly.
Fur sprouted on his cheeks and neck before he pushed his animal further
down.
“Go,” Killian whispered. “He needs you.”
I stumbled forward, my legs failing me, and Lupe breached the remaining
distance between us. His hard, sculpted body molded to mine as I clung to
him.
“He’s dead,” I murmured into his salty skin. “He’s dead.”
“I’m so sorry, Baby. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” Lupe’s
protective embrace was comforting and soothing, abating the tension
thrumming through me.
“I didn’t even know the kid,” I whimpered. “But he’s…” I trailed off.
They all could see what, exactly, had happened. “I want them all to pay,” I
repeated.
“Well, I can’t make them all pay,” Axel murmured from in front of us.
Lupe growled sharply, angling his body so it was in front of mine
protectively, but I peered at the assassin grimly, eyeing the body he held like
it was a demented offering.
Unlike me and my mates, he wasn’t covered in blood. There wasn’t a hair
out of place, but the manic gleam in his dark eyes hinted that he hadn’t stayed
away from the fight.
Axel dropped Hans in front of me.
“I’ll allow this kill to belong to you,” the assassin purred with a wink.
Lupe growled threateningly but didn’t stop me from stepping forward
with my blood-covered blade extended.
“You hurt a lot of people,” I whispered darkly to the Vampire at my feet.
Funnily enough, he didn’t look so scary in my shadow. He appeared weak.
Vulnerable. The hint of fear in his eyes only emphasized that.
Still, he laughed maniacally, throwing back his head and clutching his
stomach.
“I’m sorry about your little friend,” Hans said cheerfully, nodding
towards Miles.
Rage momentarily blinded me. It ate away at my soul, gnawing at a
precious, diminutive piece of me. Only Killian’s hand on my shoulder
stopped me from running forward and jabbing my dagger into his heart.
“How many of these…these torture houses do you run?” I asked, upper
lip curling in disgust.
“Bite me, bitch.” Hans spat at my feet, and Lupe lunged forward, a roar
emerging from his throat. He punched Hans lightning-fast in the face, and the
Vampire’s head jerked back. Blood coated his lips and cheeks, but he still
offered a feeble smile. “I’m not telling you anything.”
“No?” I asked darkly, kneeling before him. I grabbed his right hand and
splayed his fingers out. Maintaining eye contact, I placed the tip of my blade
below his thumbnail. “Are you sure about that?”
Like before, genuine fear flickered in his bright gaze, but he tampered it
down before it could completely manifest.
“Positive,” he stated, smirking. I hesitated, only briefly, before glancing
over my shoulder at Killian.
“You can leave,” I told my gentle Incubus quietly. I didn’t want him to
see me like this. I would die inside—shatter irreparably—if he looked at me
any differently. Killian had always been the one to see the good in me, the
light. He made me want to be gentler and kinder.
He made me want to be a better person.
Devlin had seen my darkness, my hostility and anger. He knew my
demons intimately. Even Lupe—as gentle as he was—understood my
vengeance better than anyone else. He dealt with his own Wrath every day of
his life.
Killian’s jaw clenched stubbornly as his hands balled into fists. “I’m
staying.”
“You sure, brother?” Devlin queried, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No
one will think less of you if you choose to leave.”
Killian’s face paled slightly, but he held his chin up with grim
“He’s the weak one, isn’t he?” Hans snarked, seemingly unconcerned that
my blade was underneath his nail. Either he didn’t see me as a threat or he
was an idiot.
“He’s one of the strongest men I know,” I said resolutely, dropping my
knife and unbuttoning Hans’s pants in quick movements. His eyes flared with
lust and banked heat, but that expression quickly turned into horror when I
dropped my knife to his cock. “Now, tell me what I want to know.” I grabbed
his balls with my other hand, holding them out so my blade could touch the
sliver of skin connecting them to his dick. “I’ll cut off your balls first before
moving to your penis. Don’t test me.”
Horror filled his expression, and it was fucking orgasmic to see.
“Tell the lady,” Axel said cheerfully. I smirked, pressing hard enough
with the blade to draw blood.
“Yes, tell the lady,” I mocked, smiling wickedly. “Or don’t.” I shrugged
nonchalantly. “I’m always looking for an excuse to cut off dicks.” Leaning
forward until my face was a hair’s breadth away from his, I added, “Tell me
fucking everything.”
“Who sent you after Z?” Devlin threw in from behind me. He sounded
begrudgingly impressed at my methods of torture, and when I glanced over
my shoulder at him, his eyes flickered with pride. I always knew Lin had a
dark side to him.
When Hans remained stubbornly silent, I pressed down with my blade.
He attempted to move away, but Axel was quick to press down on his
shoulders, stilling him.
“Fuck!” the Vampire cried, throwing his head back.
“Was it Aaliyah?” Killian questioned. “The Kings?”
“No, no
, no!” Hans adamantly shook his head. “It was a male. I didn’t
recognize him. We made a deal.”
“What was the deal?” I demanded.
Tears sprang to the Vampire’s eyes, but if he thought they would deter
me, he was sorely mistaken. This monster didn’t deserve my sympathy or
pity.
“He gave me your location in exchange for a soul,” he cried, thrashing.
I exchanged an uneasy look with Devlin. “A soul?”
“Yes.” Hans was sobbing now—fat, ugly tears cascading down his
disgusting face. “Our Carnival came into contact with a soul a few years ago.
This man wanted it.”
“What’s his name?” Lupe growled, hands bunching into fists. I didn’t
know if he was planning on punching Hans or the unnamed traitor, but I
couldn’t fault him on either.
I also was feeling quite punchy.
Someone had betrayed us. Someone who knew about our mating bonds
had sold us out to the lowest of scum.
“I don’t know his name. I never saw him. He always wore a mask.”
“How many more of these Carnivals do you have?” Axel leaned down so
he was at face-level with the sobbing man. “And don’t you dare fucking lie to
us.”
“Only this one,” Hans cried. “I swear to you. Please, just let me go. I
won’t do this again. I promise. I swear on my life.”
“But what about the lives of all the humans you killed?” I moved my
blade from his dick to his throat, staring into his soulless eyes. Had he been
born this evil? Or had life made him like this? I knew that there wasn’t just
one thing that shaped and contorted people. If B hadn’t taken me in—if I had
been left to stew in the aftermath of my parents’ untimely death—I might’ve
ended up just like Hans.
A slave to my rage.
“I’m sorry,” Hans blubbered, his words nearly inarticulate as snot dripped
down his face. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t good enough,” I whispered, flicking one last glance at
Miles’s still form. Sorry was a word you used when you ran out of things to
say. It didn’t comfort, and it sure as fuck didn’t bring back the dead.
Apologies were only as sincere as the person who spoke them.
With my face devoid of any emotion, I cut Hans’s neck.
But, just like apologies, vengeance couldn’t fix what had already been
broken.