Black bird a nevermore d.., p.74
Black Bird: A Nevermore Duet, page 74
Athan glanced back at Sarah, swallowing hard. “Yes,” he whispered, closing his eyes. Dahlia practically purred. Sarah sobbed, hanging her head.
“Good. Now …” She brushed her hair over her shoulder, offering her neck. “Drink.” He didn’t look at Sarah again as he hesitantly stepped forward, taking the back of her head gently, and breathing deeply before he leaned into Dahlia’s neck. His eyes darkened, and his fangs slid out, piercing her skin as he closed his mouth over it. Dahlia moaned, bringing both arms around him and curling her body into his. Athan’s bond was tight, and Sarah could do absolutely nothing but burn alive with rage as she watched the queen’s hand rove down his bloody shirt and palm his crotch. Decclan trembled behind them with anger and hurt. When Athan finally freed his mouth from her, he breathed heavily and Dahlia did the same, her eyes fluttering as she smiled. “Your bite is as delicious as your cock, Athan Kane.” Every nerve in Sarah’s body was on fucking fire.
Athan released her, stepping back and running his tongue over his bottom lip. He looked so defeated. She’d only seen him look like that one other time. The day that she’d figured out the truth. He was subjecting himself to a life of servitude, all for the sake of keeping her alive … and there wasn’t a single thing she could do to stop him. His arms hung by his sides, and his head bowed. His breaths were shuddered and broken.
“I made a mistake,” Dahlia smiled. “Letting you go? In all that time, it seems you’ve forgotten who and what you are, Kane. Don’t feel bad. Over the past few weeks, I’ve come to understand exactly how you feel.” Devin shifted beside Sarah’s chair. “I grew to know what love feels like.” Athan raised his head in confusion. “Oddly enough … I was able to find my mate.” The room went as silent as death itself. “You heard me right. Pretty, young thing. Reminded me a bit of you. I was surprised how quickly things changed between us.” Dahlia stepped forward, slowly closing the distance Athan had put between them.
“Reminded …” Athan breathed.
Something like pain flickered across her face and was gone instantly. “I realized what was most important. I made a decision. Much like the one you’re making now. But … if I can’t have both … neither will you.” Athan eyed her closely. “I can get enough of her blood when she’s just a body. A husk.” Sarah stiffened, and Tony glanced over at her. Athan slowly shook his head, wide-eyed. “Kill her.”
Athan’s back went stick straight, his muscles tightening in war with himself. “You gave me your word!”
“It must be agony to lose control of yourself a second time where she’s concerned,” Dahlia crooned, watching as he took a strained step towards Sarah’s chair. “I told you I wouldn’t kill her. I didn’t say a thing about you.” Her body turned as he passed her until they were both facing Sarah. Tears ripped down her face and Sarah violently shook her head, sobbing. “You really thought I’d let her live so that you could pull some heroic stunt to get her back? It’s a hard lesson, trust me, I understand. Killing Patrick weighed heavy on me. But this is who we are. One day … a century from now … perhaps two? You’ll see it my way, Kane. You’ll always be one of us … a Black Bird. Even if I have to clip your wings.”
Athan approached Sarah’s chair, Dahlia only a few feet behind him. Their eyes met, and Sarah tearfully shook her head, unable to contain her heavy sobs. He towered over her, his shadow casting over her body like Death awaiting his due. Tony shifted uncomfortably beside her, watching him in shock. Athan narrowed his eyes.
There was no greater evil, than the darkness of this night … when life was yet a whisper as that evil thieved the light. But my skin was still a prison … a bird denied his flight.
Sarah stilled, recalling what he’d written in the journal he had given to her. The one she’d read over and over. She heard his voice again in her mind.
… Be dark, my lonely captive … until the murder sets you free …
It dawned on her, then. What she had figured out the night that she’d first kissed him in his apartment. A murder of crows. Her mind flashed back to the front porch of Rhaena’s cabin. The night he told her everything. He’d kissed her then, too. He told her the bond between him and Dahlia was—broken. They were mates. He was her mate. She had no hold on him any longer. This was a show. Sarah slowly nodded, and Athan stopped before her, a sly smirk creeping across his mouth. He knelt down, taking the side of her face in his hand.
“You are so fucking beautiful …” he breathed, pulling down her gag and leaning in to brush his mouth across hers. He jerked the rope around her middle, snapping it and freeing her arms. She hooked them around his neck, and he raised her up from the chair, pulling her to him as he kissed her. “Show her,” he whispered, smiling. “Show her how gorgeous you look in my blood.”
Sarah turned her face to the queen, smiling as her eyes darkened and she let her own set of fangs grow longer. Dahlia stood stunned, frozen in shock and rage, as her silver eyes grew wide. Sarah trailed her tongue across his bottom lip, savagely kissing him back as blood trickled down both their chins. Athan groaned in pleasure, and Dahlia lost control. She flew towards them, blinded by her own jealousy, hardly anticipating Sarah’s catch on her pale throat as she threw her by the neck against the wall behind them. Tony acted quickly, grabbing the mic stand and thrusting it through her middle, securing her body as it hung there just above the floor.
She growled in pain, hissing through her teeth and reaching for the pole protruding from her belly as Sarah kept her hold on her throat.
It was a satisfaction like no other to see the monster bleed. To bleed from oncoming death … and not to bleed for control she no longer had. Sarah had become twice as powerful, as they’d found out at the lab … Dahlia was no match for his mate’s strength. Athan met Devin’s pace, each one of them grabbing one of Dahlia’s wrists, and slamming them to the wall as they each drove a large knife through her forearm. She wailed, baring her teeth as her eyes went wholly black and she focused entirely on Athan.
Her laugh made him cringe as she peered through an inky glare. “A crucifixion …” She chuckled, the toe of her boots dangling just above the floor. “How dramatic of you, Kane.”
“I’m glad you were able to find your mate.” Athan smirked, directing his attention to Sarah, who gripped Dahlia’s throat tighter. “Meet mine.”
Sarah leaned closer, snarling in Dahlia’s face. “Sorry, bitch. It’s over. You will never … touch him again. He’s never belonged to you. And you’ll pay for every single life you took … by slaughter, and by slavery.”
Dahlia huffed another bloody laugh. “And you think the three of you are gonna deal me my punishment? I’ll enjoy watching this coven rip you apart. I hope you’ve enjoyed the royalties of your short immortal life.”
“Funny thing,” Sarah smiled. “You call yourselves the Black Bird coven. Did you know that a flock of crows is called a murder?” Decclan slowly crept up behind Sarah, watching expressionless as Dahlia bled onto the stage. “Crows aren’t as loyal as you might believe. If they find one in their murder that shows signs of disease … they turn on them.” Dahlia stilled, her face going taut. “They decide the fate of one of their own.”
Devin stepped off the stage and opened the emergency exit. Athan watched as every member of his coven walked inside. Every one of them silent and watching. Dahlia’s eyes slowly returned to that moonlit silver, haunted by what she knew was coming for her. She dragged her helpless gaze to Decclan, and Sarah let go of her throat, stepping back.
“Decclan …” Dahlia whispered, her eyes pleading. He said nothing as he stepped forward. “Decclan kill them.” He didn’t move. Dahlia struggled against the hold of all the things that were impaling her. “Kill them!”
“Too late.” Athan smirked. “You burned that bridge, too. They’ve all made their choice. Your siring bond is severed.” Devin dropped the empty cooler next to Decclan’s feet. Dahlia stared down at it, trembling.
“Fucking traitors … you fucking—” Her lip quivered, and she stared at Decclan. “You claimed you loved me.”
Decclan took a deep breath, and tilted her chin up, meeting her eyes. “Love is weakness … freedom is freedom. And for me … I can’t say I’ve got room for the two of those things to coexist.” He quickly turned her head and savagely bit her neck, drinking heavily from her as she thrashed against the wall. Dahlia gasped as he jerked himself away, cursing under her frantic breathing. He left the stage and Tony stepped up next, taking his floppy cap off and bowing his head at her before lunging forward and feeding from the other side of her neck. She fought against him, growing weaker as he broke away and replaced his hat. He joined Decclan at the right side of the stage.
Devin came forward, giving her a mock salute, and a side-smile. “It’s been fun, doll. But I’m headin’ home.” He ripped her corset open, exposing her moon-white breasts. Dahlia breathed rapidly, glaring at him through heavy-lidded eyes.
“Not so fun now, is it?” Sarah smirked, gesturing towards her nakedness.
“Fuck y—” her insult broke into a growl as Devin chose his spot, drinking mercilessly from her breast. He released her with a bloody smile.
“Nothin’ like a good tit,” he winked. “Slán.”
An Irish goodbye …
Athan chuckled through his nose as Devin skipped off the stage. One by one, members of the coven stepped up to drain her, until Dahlia hung there, bloody and mangled. Barely alive. She was so weak that the open bites all over her skin couldn’t mend themselves. Her head hung until her chin rested against her chest. Blood stained her icy blonde hair, and Sarah took her place at Athan’s side.
“It’s time,” she whispered, sliding an arm around his back. He nodded, softly kissing the top of her head. He stepped forward, raising her face up by her hair. She could barely open her eyes.
“Look at me,” he demanded, leaning in closer. Her eyes fluttered, and she weakly held his gaze. “Two-hundred years I’ve warned you. Two fucking centuries. I told you one day I’d kill you, and I’d enjoy it. I told you I’d keep my promise. Tell me how you killed your mate.”
She managed a weak smile and closed her eyes. “Sunlight …” she whispered. “Bring … bring him to me …”
Athan turned towards Decclan, who nodded, and strode off. Tony and Devin joined them on the stage and pulled the knives from her wrists. She gurgled as her body weighed her down onto the mic stand still lodged in her abdomen. Athan ripped it from her, tossing it to the floor. Dahlia dropped with a sound thud against the stage. They hoisted her up from under her arms and dragged her down the hallways. The entire coven followed behind them, climbing up the winding stairs to the door that opened to the rooftop. It would be the first time any of them had seen sunlight in decades. And they’d experience it along with the execution of their captor. A freedom bought with Sarah’s blood.
The sky was clear and graying with dawn. The air was bitterly cold, and the coven lined the sides of the rooftop as they tossed their leader into the middle. Decclan crept out of the door, eyeing the sky as he walked slowly towards her. He knelt down, tucking Patrick’s urn beneath her arm. She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity.
“Enjoy … your freedom, Decclan …” she huffed out.
“I hope Death is kinder to you than you ever were to me, Dahlia.” He stood and joined Devin and Tony near the door. Sarah and Athan stood close to her, and she glanced at the sky before fixing her eyes on his mate.
“Well played,” she whispered. The sun began to rise, and the shadows on the rooftop gave way to its light, inch by inch. Dahlia gave her a knowing smirk. “When you find … John …” Athan felt Sarah jerk forward in surprise. “Tell him I’m preparing his special place … in Hell …” Athan’s stomach sank, and before Sarah could say a word, the sunlight poured over Dahlia’s body, and she shrieked in agony. She burst into flames, and Athan grabbed Sarah by her waist, pulling her to him and staggering backward. Dahlia screamed, thrashing with what remaining energy she had left until all that remained of her was a pile of ashes around an urn.
Sarah heaved against his chest as Athan held her and they watched the pile in silence. All this time, Dahlia had known something. And she took that secret to her grave. Her final act of vindictive bullshit. Part of him wanted to whip his cock out and piss on her ashes. Their frustration was ebbed by elated murmurs and sniffling as they finally looked around them.
The coven was safe.
All of them turned their hands this way, and that. Some in shock, some in tears, as they witnessed their first sunrise in centuries. Decclan wept. Athan considered part of that to be the demise of the one he loved … but a bigger part was the gaping freedom he now had. The life he was about to live. Tony started singing, tearfully. Devin danced like a damned fool.
It was over.
Dahlia Van Hausen was dead.
CHAPTER 38
CASE CLOSED
Rhaena wiped drops of coffee from the kitchen counter and turned her head, gaping at Brandon Jenkins as he dropped a spoonful of butter into his mug and stirred it around. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at him while he blatantly ignored her look of utter disgust.
“You know, Brandon … I’ve witnessed something much worse being stirred into coffee … but this? I really feel like I should draw a line here.”
He chuckled. “You might wanna wait to draw lines like that until you’ve tried it.”
“That … is fucking grotesque. Who in the hell—”
“Keto,” a hoarse voice spoke from the kitchen doorway, causing them both to turn around. “Fad diets. That’s what started that hipster shit.” Foley smirked, limping towards them.
“Sir, I don’t think you should be walking around like that. You lost a lot of blood.” Rhaena reached out for him, pulling a chair for him to sit.
“Jenkins, I didn’t think you participated in crap like that.” He ignored Rhaena’s concern and eased down into the chair. She sat a fresh mug down in front of him.
“It’s hard keeping up with this level of flawless physique, sir.”
Foley winced when he laughed, tugging Rhaena’s robe around him. His large frame in the soft black material was truly comical, but it was all she’d had to offer him. Neither she, nor Jenkins had gotten any sleep. They stood watch over their captain all night after they’d rigged the blood bag, and stitched him up, and for some reason … Rhaena was wide awake and jittery. Jenkins relaxed himself against the corner of the counter, crossing one ankle over another as he sipped his disgusting beverage, and she pulled out a chair to sit next to Foley.
“How are you feeling, sir?” she asked, winding both hands around her mug. He stared down at his coffee, circling the rim of his mug with a finger and slowly nodding his head.
“I’m fine. I, uh … heal faster than—well, you already know that don’t you?”
Rhaena smiled, nodding her head. “Cap, we need to talk about that.”
“We do.”
“I should have told you the day you were here. I just didn’t know how, and I was in shock.”
“Told me what?” His eyes locked onto hers and Jenkins shifted at the counter.
“He bit you, didn’t he?” Rhaena asked softly, her voice heavy with sympathy. “When you fought him off … he bit you and you turned.”
Foley grew quiet for a long moment and swallowed. “I didn’t realize it at first. I felt pain, but … it all happened so fast, and my adrenaline was—Lindsey was gone. I saw red. Later that month when it happened for the first time, I almost didn’t believe this was real. She’d barely been in the ground a week, and I was on leave. I can’t even really remember where I went or what I did the first time. I woke up naked in some abandoned part of the slums.” His hand shook as he raised his mug and sipped from it. “As time went by, I started realizing that certain things triggered the change, and that full moons weren’t the only time Boston wasn’t exactly safe from someone like me. When there’s a decent amount of physical pain, or if I’m overly emotional? Mostly angry … really angry.”
“So that’s what sparked your transition at Stratford’s …” Jenkins added. The captain nodded.
“I don’t know where this will leave us, Malcolm …” Rhaena started, pressing her lips together, terrified of his reaction. “But … the man who attacked you. The man who made you different? The one that killed your partner—it’s—it was my uncle.” Surprisingly, he had very little reaction. He didn’t even look up from his mug. She felt compelled to continue, feeling it was only fair … at least until he showed some kind of sign that he was hearing her. “His name was Elston Warner. He raised me after my parents died. He was my mom’s only brother. I didn’t have any other family to take me in, and he didn’t want someone with our … family gifts … in foster care. I’d never known him to be anything other than kind … gentle.” Rhaena shook her head. “He was always so tender and affectionate. Taught me what he could about learning to control myself. I had no idea that he could turn from anything other than a full moon. I’d only ever seen him change when I did. He wasn’t a monster, sir. If he was, I sure as hell never knew it. When you told me that the wolf that had killed Trainor was hit by a truck … I knew. I knew it was him.”
Foley finally raised his eyes to her, and instead of anger, or disbelief … there was understanding there. “So, that’s why I feel so protective of you … you’re his blood.”
“Yes …” Rhaena breathed. “I’m so sorry that this happened to you. I wish I could understand it or tell you why. All I can offer you is my help in figuring it out. Sir, I’ve been a lone wolf for a really long time. You’re not alone. I’m willing to do whatever I can to help you. I owe you that much.”
