AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s those guys,” Craig said, putting a protective arm in front of Britnee. “How are they up after you beat them down like that?”
“Because I didn’t finish the job,” Balthazar said grimly. “Stand back, all of you.”
Redgrave appeared at the head of them—six vampires, all men. The finely drawn, debonair features of Redgrave’s face had been battered almost past recognition; his lips were split, his eyes swollen, his golden skin already purpling with bruises. Nor did he wear his usual smug smile—only a snarl. He finally appeared as monstrous as he truly was within. “Fool,” he said to Balthazar. “You gave up your chance to kill me in order to save her—all so I can take her away from you again.”
Balthazar let go of her, and she had to struggle to stand on her own. “I’ve got more than one chance to kill you.”
“But you’re not armed now, are you? And we are, this time.”
Skye realized it was true. Balthazar glanced toward the car, where vampires were waiting. As good a fighter as Balthazar was, he didn’t stand a chance against this many vampires when he was unarmed and they all carried stakes. Redgrave was battered, probably still not at his full strength, but the ones Balthazar had spent less time beating down already appeared completely undamaged again. Skye was in no condition to fight, and even if she were, she couldn’t have been much help against these odds. Craig and Britnee had no idea what they were dealing with.
There was only way to avoid becoming Redgrave’s servant forever.
“Change me,” she whispered.
Her eyes and Balthazar’s met for one tortured moment. Skye hated to ask him to kill her—hated the thought of becoming a vampire—but if this was her only way to escape, then she would take it.
Balthazar’s expression told her that, even loathing the idea as he did, he would have changed her if he could—but he shook his head. No time, she realized. No chance.
Just when she thought the situation could get no worse, another figure stepped closer: Charity. She was almost as white as the snow that surrounded them, her dress, skin, and hair all the color of frost. Only her lips were dark, still stained with Skye’s blood. In her hand was the largest, most lethally curved knife Skye had ever seen.
“Charity,” Balthazar said, and his voice sounded broken. “Don’t watch this.”
“You think she wouldn’t want to watch your final destruction?” Redgrave’s exhilaration creased his battered face into a smile. “I think Charity’s been waiting for this a long time.”
“I remember now,” Charity said. “Yes. A very long time.”
Then she swung the blade savagely upward. In one lightning-swift move, she sliced straight through Redgrave’s neck.
Britnee screamed, and Craig jumped. Skye clutched Balthazar’s arm, but all he could do was stare as Redgrave’s head and body both tumbled toward the snow—then dissipated into so much ash.
As the clouds of what had been Redgrave settled around her feet, Charity brought up her blade and screamed at the other vampires, “Nobody kills my brother but me!”
They scattered. Whether it was from the fall of their leader or the sheer homicidal insanity in Charity’s eyes, the vampires had lost their nerve. Within a few moments, their small party stood alone except for Charity. Her eyes were locked with her brother’s; her blade was still at the ready.
She repeated, in a whisper, “I remember now.”
Balthazar said, “Are you going to kill me next?”
Charity let the blade drop to her side. Like a petulant, bored child, she said, “I don’t feel like it tonight.”
The glance that brother and sister shared was confused and even angry, but loving, too. “Um, I was wondering, what in the hell is going on?” Britnee asked.
“We’ll talk at the house,” Skye said. The cold she’d nearly forgotten during their confrontation with Redgrave had returned. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
BALTHAZAR WAS REALLY TOO LARGE TO RIDE IN the middle of the backseat, but he did anyway. This meant that he could fold Skye into his right side, his arm around her shoulders, as the car’s heaters and his own shelter warmed her from the terrible chill. Though she still shivered, he could see her strength returning to her. Despite everything, Skye was going to be all right.
This seating arrangement also meant that he could keep Charity on his left. She sat quietly, hands in her lap as neatly folded as if they were over a linen napkin instead of the blade she’d used to kill Redgrave.
His sister had done it. She’d really killed him. As badly as Balthazar had wanted his own vengeance, he would never have denied that Charity deserved that kill as much as he did. The main thing was that Redgrave was gone, forever.
“I drank her blood,” Charity said. Although Balthazar realized what she meant, Skye held out her arm, revealing the two small pink marks that lingered there, for proof. “I went back to before.”
“What did you go back to?” he said gently. He had not spoken to her this way since they were both alive.
“The day I put my bonnet on the cow to make you laugh.”
