Page 57 of Last Hope
No, he wouldn’t, she decided.
And Isis followed suit, trying her best to believe that Azizi wouldn’t betray her.
So she ran, and Isis made it out of the building before Victoria. Vampires were the more dominant predator. They were keener, faster and more graceful. They were the cats and werewolves, well, they were the dogs. But that didn’t mean that werewolves were any less deadly, or any less fast. She could feel the FBSI agent gaining on her and thus, gaining on Azizi.
She caught a whiff of him before she saw him. They had gone out of the building and were now running between narrow back end alleyways. He was straight ahead, running with all of the force and strength he could muster. But Isis was just as fast as he. She caught up to him in no time and pulled against his arm, throwing him to a halt.
“Azizi, wait!” Isis demanded, breathing heavily.
“What, Isis? Leave me be!”
“You know why I can’t do that.” Her nerves were prickling on edge. Agent Phillipe could show up at any moment and kill them both if they didn’t hurry. “We need to get you into hiding, and fast.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why?”
“Because Victoria Phillipe is on our tail and if we don’t hide you, she’ll take you in and you’ll get the death penalty!” Isis was feeling desperate and frustrated.
“Is that so wrong? The death penalty?”
“Of course it is.”
“There are things far worse than death,” Azizi said sadly.
“What could be worse than getting my brother back only to lose him again?”
“Living a life thinking you killed him in the first place? At least now you’ll know it wasn’t your fault and that my life and my choices now rest in my own hands. Now you’ll know I’m free from our Master’s manipulations.”
His dark eyes were so sad and resigned, she noticed. They held no hope, no fear. They were as blank as a white canvas. But, why? They had found each other; he should be filled with hope and happiness. They could live a life, far away from the FBSI’s grasp. Far away where no one could throw him into jail. He could meet Anya, Othello and Lucinda.
He must’ve read her thoughts easily for he shook his head sadly at her. “I will not live like that anymore sister. Did my promise mean nothing to you? I will no longer live on the run from my crimes. I will be a decent vampire and to be decent I must first turn myself in.”
His words were almost too painful to hear. “You know I can’t stand by and watch you get killed.” Tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. Azizi didn’t understand how hard this was for her.
“I won’t let you get arrested because of me. If I’m going to be decent then I have to start by you, my dear sister. I won’t condemnyoujust to saveme. You’ve mourned me for so long I say it’s past time you move on.” Isis started to protest but he held up a hand, silencing her. Then, he smiled a full fanged smile. “You don’t have to stand by and watch me get killed, but you cansit, for I fear that you will have no choice.”
And in an instant, Azizi swooped low. The blow he delivered was swift and painful. Both of her legs broke in half. The joints in her knees separated, the bones cracking and splintering, exploding from within. The pain was searing. The burning sensation vibrated from her toes all the way up to her hips. Isis screamed and fell to the ground in front of her brother. The pain pulsed through her skin; bones broken in half were easy to heal but shattered bones were more difficult to piece together.
She wondered why on earth he would have broken her legs, betrayal and anger starting to eat away at her feelings until she realized why. Azizi jumped over Isis’s body; she followed his movements with her eyes and watched with horror as he ran and clashed bodies with a large yellow wolf.
Victoria Phillipe.
“No!” Isis wanted to stand up but her legs hadn’t even begun to heal yet. That’s why he’d done it, Isis realized with a start. He was preventing her from standing up for him, preventing her from dying for him. That was why he had pushed her in front of Victoria earlier and it was why now he had broken her legs.
I won’t let you get arrested because of me.
He wasn’t going to hide as Caesareon had forced him to do for decades. No, he was going to take his life into his own hands. If he was going to live, it’d be on his terms and if he was going to die, it would be here and now, protecting his older sister.
Tears streamed by the bucket load down Isis’s face as she watched her brother and agent Phillipe attack each other back and forth in a savage dance. Azizi circled the werewolf with cat-like grace; the wolf did the same with a predatory stance. Victoria growled, low in her throat and snapped at him with her sharp teeth. Azizi hissed. And then Victoria sprung, her paws knocking him straight in the chest. The nails of her sharp talons dug deep into his chest and punctured a lung. Isis heard it pop.
Azizi fell over and sucked in a watery breath. Already, his lungs were filling with blood just as his own body was trying to push the liquid out and heal him. He coughed up crimson. Victoria was on top of him, snapping her jaws in front of his face. If she bit him, if she crushed his skull between her thick teeth, he would die.
Isis tried to stand up but failed. She hadn’t had enough blood to drink so her body wasn’t able to heal itself quickly. Instead, she had to drag herself on her elbows towards her brother.
“Azizi, please!” Isis cried out.
But Azizi didn’t pay her any mind. He struck out at Victoria with his fist against her head. The blow knocked her off to the side and made her whimper in pain. She shook her head back and forth as if she were clearing out the grogginess. Now was Azizi’s chance to run, Isis thought hopefully. But he just stood on wobbly feet and beckoned Victoria forward.
He was taunting her.
