Page 31 of Rose and Shadows
“He doesn’t care about you. It’s just duty to Remnant because that old fool wants to fuck withPuritas,” Sorin seethed at Lazriel, his eyes blazing, while he frantically fought to wipe the blood from his face with his sleeves, and stagger to his feet at the same time.
Truly insane that he was focused on Victor and his jealousy and insecurity where Lazriel was concerned even though we were discussing his murder.
“Who?” Lazriel barked at him.
“Victor Halrow.”
Lazriel flinched.
“He’s gonna play with you, torment you, but it won’t mean anything! I’m the one he cares about! He just likes breaking his enemies. That’s what it’s about with you!”
“Shut the fuck up,” Lazriel grunted, kicking at the underside of the bench with his vampiric strength that sent it ripping across the cell and slamming into Sorin, essentially pinning him beneath it.
“Venomous snake,” Cassius hissed, before refocusing and taking my hand, his other grasping the dagger down at his side. “Velra, this isn’t about morality or some overarching ethical argument regarding just kills. This is about you. Your family has impacted so much of your life. Like Chimera Circle has. LikePuritasis now. So many others have forcibly influenced how you live, how you operate, even how you feel. You’ve fought so hard to rise above all of that. You are not a killer. It has been your choice not to become that. Do not let him take that from you now. Do not let our enemies and the overarching threat push you into taking action that will become one more thing that is so heavy to live with.”
“You’re gentle and understanding,” Lazriel spoke, coming to my other side. “You care about people, value life and choices. Shit, you’re the glue that holds our foursome together. But if you do something like this, so against your nature, it’ll changeyou.And that will also change us.” He smiled with a glint in his eyes. “And we’re too fucking awesome together as a unit to let anything—or anyone—fuck with that, right?”
I shoved my free hand through my long hair, looking between the two of them, absorbing their pleas.
They really didn’t want this for me. They were so afraid of me going down this path. We’d already been through so much together. I didn’t want to add to that. I didn’t want to be the cause of them being burdened with more. I didn’t want them hurting.
I shook my head at Lazriel and spoke his own words to me when I’d talked him down months ago concerning his initialharsh stance against Kelsana, “Well, if you’re gonna be all mature and reasonable about it, what leg do I have to stand on?”
His lips lifted and I saw him recognize the words for the callback that they were.
“Exactly.” .
A commotion came from Sorin and I swung my head from my men to see the maniacal fool now out from beneath the bench and staggering forward as he brandished a stake, his eyes on Lazriel.
“You think I can’t feel that, motherfucker?” Lazriel spoke coolly, his back to him.
“This cell was only imbued with protection for Velra against me. Not you.”
“Yeah, a makeshift stake against a wolf hybrid with Ancient vampire blood running through his veins… scary as shit, dumbass.”
“A makeshift stake made from a bench created by Celestial magic,” Sorin corrected him.
I tensed and called my power.
Lazriel spun around.
Sorin faked us both out and pretended to go for me, so Lazriel reacted to shield me.
Then Sorin dodged, working around Lazriel’s vampire speed by facilitating a delay with his fake-out, and he lunged at Lazriel with the stake, screeching, “He won’t get the chance to play with you! I’ll givePuritasyour head on a fucking spike, hybrid cunt! Die!Die!Fucking die!”
Lazriel thrust his foot back in a blink.
As it knocked Sorin back, the stake clattering from his grasp, Cassius was there snagging his throat.
Sorin didn’t even get the chance to flail before it happened.
Cassius plunged the iron dagger into his heart.
Sorin choked, eyes shooting wide.
“This is how she felt,” Cassius snarled at him. “Twice. Relish the unbearable burning pain as the last thing you know before you perish.” He twisted the dagger and Sorin lurched, panting wildly.
That escalated to a shriek as Cassius jerked the weapon free with a brutal finality.
