Page 127 of Cruelest Kiss and Fairest Blood
The veins lining the vampire’s skin darken. His throat bobs with long, greedy swallows. Cassius’s pale skin becomes near translucent.
When Angel pulls back, there’s a messy grin on his face. “You did have quite a bit of magic in your blood. Let’s make sure you can’t use it again.”
He moves so quickly his arms are a blur. They swipe across various parts of Cassius’s body. Hunks of flesh and bone fly in every direction. An eyeball lands at my feet. Mytha bats it away with her tail.
Angel is merciless as he carves away at every inch of the prince. When he finishes, the only sign Cassius existed at all are the two booted feet with jagged ankle bones protruding from the top.
No part of the courtyard escaped the gore-smattering Angel inflicted. Blood drips from shriveled roses. Fingers sit atop once-flowering shrubs. Half of Cassius’s face is impaled on a withered tree branch.
Angel slides his red glasses back on as he turns to face us. A bloody hand slicks back fallen strands of his long black hair. Removing a handkerchief from his jacket, he dabs at the blood coating his chin.
“Excuse the mess, ladies. I did my best to keep you both clean.” My skin and clothes have been spared the bloodshed. Angel was able to aim the blood and body parts. If I weren’t so frozen in shock I would be awfully impressed by the thoughtful and strangely gentlemanly mid-murder gesture.
“Vampire,” I whisper. As if the word has finally sunk in.
“Yes. One of the immortals, like your Harrow. There are so few of us remaining.” He picks a chunk of flesh from beneath a fingertip before buffing his nails on his pant leg. “I’ll live forever with blood as my penance. Alas, I am but a slave to death.”
“You are asss dramatic asss alwaysss.” Mytha shakes her head. “Thank you, Angel. I must sssee to Harrow. I will be back, Princesss.” Mytha shifts and soars toward the castle. Pools of dark blood remain in her wake. She’s more severely wounded than I realized.
Angel and I stand looking at one another. He’s awfully calm for someone who just ripped a man to pieces.
“You are beautiful. Not quite living either, are you? An undead princess. What a poetic choice. Harrow has always been a secret romantic.”
The intensity of Angel’s red-glass stare has me keenly aware of the fact that no one else is around. “Thank you for your help. I know Harrow will be grateful too.”
“My dear, it’s been a pleasure.” He lifts my hand, kissing it. His lips pull away from my skin and he hovers there. The grip on my hand tightens. “You are bleeding.”
The words are gravelly and disembodied. I squeeze the fabric covering the dagger hilt, hoping to hide the wound. My hand is wet. The bleeding has picked up. Now that he’s pointed it out, I’m keenly aware of the wet trail running down my left thigh and puddling around my feet.
“You are lucky I’ve just fed. So much blood.” His eyes drift to the wound again.
“Harrow will be here soon. I’ll tell him what you did to the prince. He’ll be thrilled to hear he met such a brutal end.”An end I do not wish to suffer as well. I speak calmly, forcing myself to remain neutral. Inside, my heart is pumping so loudly I can barely hear the words as I speak them.
“His blood overpowered the scent of yours. Now that he’s gone, I can sense things more clearly. You are gravely wounded.” He takes a step forward, eating the small bit of space between us. My breath is trapped inside. It only releases when he halts his advance and retreats several steps back. “I must leave you. The hour is late here, but in my kingdom, the stroke of midnight approaches. Once it arrives there will be nothing that can keep me from the blood spilling from your veins. Heal up and visit my kingdom anytime, Princess.”
He gives a deep bow. I incline my head. When I look back up, he’s gone.So, vampires are terrifying. Turning, I search for him. My head swims with the effort. I’ve lost too much blood. The courtyard moves beneath my feet. Each step feels like I’m on a rocking ship in a tumultuous sea. My hand grips the edge of the well.
“I just need to sit down for a minute,” I say to no one in particular. Cassius is dead. Mytha has flown off to find Harrow. Angel has returned to wherever he spawned from. I’m alone.
The well is rough beneath my tattered nightgown as I perch on the edge. There’s a soft glow peeking up over the castle. Is it sunrise already? My vision blurs. In the haze, I spot several pairs of glowing eyes.
There’s no fear left in me. I’m too tired. A nudge against my ankle draws my eyes to the ground. The soft orange face of Sweetpea peers up at me. The little fox nudges me again. Several other animals step into the courtyard. Their movements are cautious.
A bone-chilling cold is slowly spreading through me. This feels different. “I’m sorry, guys. I don’t know if I’m going to make it back this time.”
The dagger handle still protrudes from my stomach, but I no longer feel any pain. I’m dying again. The sunrise brightens the skyline. A soft pink glow bathes the castle in light. I look up, seeking the sun. That slight movement puts my weak body off-balance. I fall backward into the well. The splash when I hit the bottom puts my circumstance into perspective. Water roars in my ears. I don’t have any energy left in me. I don’t even put up a fight when the water fills my nose and mouth.
Harrow
I’m not sure how much longer we can continue in this battle. My powers have been dwindling since I stepped foot in the in-between. I haven’t had a moment to recharge. If something doesn’t change soon, I’ll end up empty and useless. The Beast is wearing down too. His movements have turned sluggish.
The Beast tosses one of the bodies through the four-post bed. Wood splinters, flying everywhere. That’s when I hear it. The unmistakablepingof something hitting glass.
My attention fixates on the mirror. Everything that’s hit it before has been absorbed or has caused the surface to ripple. The mirror has now solidified. How long ago did that happen?
Reaching out, I search for what has changed. We must have broken the tether. The blue light that surrounded both the monster and mirror has faded. The wide eyes of the trapped bodies roll. Many of them are dead. Victims of the devastation.The monster must have lost its grip on the mirror without a constant stream of souls to feed off of.
Catreena screams, a true, heart-wrenching, bloodcurdling scream. She drops to her knees. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. “Cassius…” She vomits, her body heaving violently. Black liquid spills across the bloodstained ivory rug. Such a visceral reaction can only mean one thing.
