This Blood that Bonds Us (This Blood that Binds Us #4)

67. Sixty-Seven

Sixty-Seven

Aaron

Something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut. Everyone dispersed over the castle grounds. Zach barked orders at the other members. The serious kind—telling them to wait by the harbor and kill anyone they see. We went to the basement and told someone named Henderson he was to secure their blood bag supply and move it upstairs so it could be accessed easier. Everyone seemed to have a job. I caught whisperings of my brothers’ names, but mostly, I heard mumblings of something called The Divine Path . When I asked Zach about it, he told me to not ask questions. Especially when I asked about the whereabouts of Will and Thane. It was too early to give up.

Presley sat with me on my bed all night long—poking me in the temple.

“Tell me a story.”

“No.”

“But I’m bored.”

“Okay, well, I can’t help it.”

I’d been given one job. Watch Presley. That was the only way Luke would leave his side, and Zach mine. It was a long night. Presley wouldn’t shut up about the queen.

Someone named Connell guarded our door. We’d been given a room in the castle with two beds on either side of a large window. Yet Presley insisted on sitting on mine with me. I didn’t mind. At least I could see him with my own eyes and know he was safe from harm, but he wasn’t my brother. She’d changed him like She’d changed them all, and every minute we sat together, the fear of the unknown grew. I’d stared at the stars all night trying to absorb the new information, while the northern lights danced across the sky in a bright brilliance display.

The news had said tonight was supposed to be even brighter. It felt like I was stuck in a nightmare.

“Hey, speak when I ask you a question.” Zach tugged on my collar and pulled me back to the present. One unpleasant side effect of that place was that my brother was leaning into his worst traits. In Blackheart, my older brother had softened, but no remnants of that progress remained.

“What?”

He dragged me away from Henderson to a garden.

“You’re sure your memory isn’t feeling a little more jogged today? Nothing you want to tell me about The Legion and their plan.”

“Nope.”

“She’ll get it from you. Sirius and Ezra are hoping you’ll feel more cooperative today, which means they’re going to go rummaging through your head.”

“Let them. Presley was there when Kilian took our memories of the battle plans.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t know anything that would help us.”

“ Us ? So you’re definitely siding with The Family?”

“Well, I’m sure as shit not going to help Kilian, am I? That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“But—”

“No. We’re in this together now whether you like it or not. The Legion are coming to end all of this, and I have people I have to protect, including you. So yeah, I’m going to fight them . . . and so are you.”

He was trying to get a rise out of me, but all I wanted to say was sorry. Sorry I didn’t come sooner . . .

I followed him back toward the castle. It was only seconds after I stepped foot in the door that someone barreled into me.

“You have to come now,” Luke said, holding my shoulders.

“What?” I stumbled back.

Presley interjected. “They have Kimberly. I mean . . . we gave her to the queen, technically.”

“She wasn’t supposed to come this early.”

A scream tore through the air, and my blood ran cold.

“You brought her?” Zach said, his nostrils flaring.

I ran with no idea where I was going. Her scream sounded again, and I felt it everywhere in my body. I’m coming.

The world was as blur as my brothers led me through a set of double doors. That led to a room with a huge window over the ceiling.

Kimberly was crouched on the floor with blood soaking the back of her shirt and a small pool of it gathered at her feet.

A sudden pulse of red crowded my vision, and I almost let go.

Of everything we worked for.

Of everything I cared about.

Of myself to once and for all let that Thing in my head take over and pull the dagger from Sirius’s hand to stick it in his throat.

I fought against the pull of that insanity as Presley backed into me. “It’s not supposed to hurt. She said it wouldn’t hurt.”

Another swipe of the dagger and we all collapsed to the floor. It was too much at once. Anger and pain hit me so hard I couldn’t think.

I had to get to her. I had to stop it.

“Aaron, don’t.” Luke tried to grab me, but I was faster.

Agony. Pure writhing agony tore through me from head to toe. I went for her, but my older brothers were tugging me to the floor by my arms. I was stronger this time and nearly ducked underneath them and pushed them off.

The bond was tearing them apart from the inside, and her screams were taking me from the outside. All of us were breaking at the same time. I could tell by the way Luke winced and struggled to keep me down and the way Zach let go of my sleeve, giving me the ability to free myself, all while Presley’s yelling for us to stop almost drowned out the sounds of Kimberly’s torture.

“Please, stop. I’ll do any—”

As I fell to my knees in front of her, Kimberly placed her bloody hand over my mouth.

“Don’t say it.”

The softest gleam of tears almost hid that silent, still determination, but it was flaring in her blue eyes. I could almost read her mind. Patient. Like we planned.

This wasn’t my plan. She wasn’t supposed to get hurt.

I lay my forehead onto hers and took a deep breath. Loving her was trusting her. I longed for our bed together, to hold her again in the safety of the warmth. As I was pulled away again and her skin left mine, I never stopped staring into her eyes. With my heart in my throat, I reached for her, but only the tips of my fingers grazed hers before I was yanked away.

I recognized Zach’s tight grip on the back of my neck.

He whispered, “Let Luke fix it.”

His hands trembled. My brothers were still visibly shaken. Presley was still on the floor. I was thankful I wasn’t connected to the bond anymore. I don’t think I’d have been able to get up either, but they felt it, which meant they still felt for Kimberly and were still in there.

“My Love, I’m sorry. I abominate the idea of hurting you. But you know some things must be punished. There are consequences. Your brother has a traitorous heart. You all do. So much feeling for this one insignificant girl. It pains me to see the copious tears you all shed for her . . .”

The queen eyed Luke with a pained expression. Everything about Her seemed to soften around him. I’d thought I’d imagined it before, but I couldn’t deny the way She addressed him.

“We just need more time. If you give them more time to adjust, they’ll forget about her,” Luke said.

Luke reached for Her hand. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, let alone seeing. Was he serious?

“You can’t promise it,” the queen said, softer this time. Her hand melted over his.

“I can. I’ll make sure of it. Lock her up. You have the dagger. If you give me time, I can make sure they forget her, and then you can do whatever you want with her.”

“Luke,” I said.

“Hush. It’s a good deal,” Zach said.

Even Presley didn’t protest that unacceptable suggestion. This wasn’t good. My brothers were more brainwashed than I’d anticipated.

Luke leaned down to kiss Her hand, and my body went rigid. All of it was wrong. It was worse than not seeing Her apparent cruelty, they . . . believed Her. They believed this strange act She was putting on for them, and it was so bad and painfully obvious, but they were hanging on Her every word. Fear slashed through my chest as I realized what I knew since arriving but didn’t want to admit—no amount of time would convince them. While the queen lived, they would be tethered to Her.

Her cool eyes settled on me, and I shivered. I couldn’t let the full extent of my disgust show.

“And what would you do? How strong is the bond you two share?” She ran Her hands along my chest. “Strong enough for you to plead for her now even with all that blood of mine in your veins. How long will it withstand? Show me what you’d do to prove your loyalty. Kiss me.”

“What the fuck?” Zach said.

“Not fair,” Presley grumbled.

A lump gathered in my throat as I looked at Kimberly. She shook her head.

The queen’s lip grazed my ear. “What will you choose? Would you kiss me? Take me to your bed? And how long will she continue to love you after that? How long could she endure seeing you with me night after night?”

“Aaron, don’t listen to Her.”

Presley shot across the room to put his hand over Kimberly’s mouth. “There, there. It’s all right. We can be sad and jealous together.”

Kimberly squirmed, but he only tightened his grip around her neck and rested his cheek against hers. It was so fucked up. My life had turned into a nightmare. For some odd reason, the queen really hated me, but I knew my answer.

“I’ll do anything.”

Kimberly’s cries were stifled, and I had to turn away from her. It would be quick. One kiss. The game the queen was playing would be over before it started. I wasn’t going to let any of that happen.

Her hands threaded into my hair, and Her cold lips met mine. It took every bit of control I had to not fling Her off me. Her tongue was like ice, and Her scent was like chili powder in my nostrils—sharp and uncomfortable—but I was acting. I forced my hands to Her waist and pulled Her close while She kissed over my jaw and down my neck. I was so numb from it I could barely feel the pressure of Her. I considered counting like Kimberly had done once in my room. Instead, I imagined that day and how safe it all felt at the beginning before we both knew what we were up against. We sat in my room in Blackheart—her sleeping peacefully and me playing video games in blissful ignorance.

I met Kimberly’s gaze. Her eyes were darker than I’d ever seen. She didn’t squirm or cry, just watched in silence.

I’m sorry. It’s almost over. I had to stay focused. I grabbed the queen’s wrist and pulled Her tighter to me. It had to be convincing, or it was all for nothing.

“I think you made your point, Darling ,” Zach said.

I saw something in his eyes I’d never seen before. Jealousy. That pointed scowl was directed at me.

“Soon you’ll see it would have been mercy to kill her now before her love turns to hatred.”

“It’s done, then. You’ll leave her alone?”

“We should bleed her before The Legion arrives,” Sirius said. “No loose ends.”

Something feral from inside me lashed out in the silence of my head. I was confident I wouldn’t let him do that. I’d give up everything to stop that from happening.

Presley interjected. “You can’t. She said so . . . right?”

“Take hold of your brother’s mouth,” Sirius said.

“He has more right to talk than you. You’re standing in my brother’s spot. Warming it up before you croak.”

“Keep your mouth shut.”

Zach checked his fake watch. “Any minute now, you’ll leave this mortal plane and float up into the fucking stars you love so much, and I’ll never have to hear your irritating voice again.”

“Ah!” Presley cried out and pushed Kimberly to the floor. Licking the blood from his hand, he pouted. “She bit me.”

“You can’t kill me, and you hate that. You and your stupid prophecy is null and void if I’m dead. How does that make you feel?”

Kimberly lifted to her knees, her eyes burning with a new determination, to face the queen. What was she doing?

The queen leaned in close to her face. “I can break you.”

“Try.”

Of course, she was smarter than me. Kimberly was showing the queen she held power. Torturing her only proved Luke’s point further. The queen might be powerful, but all that power was fragile.

The queen reared back and motioned for Sirius. No.

I let go before I realized I had. Before my vision went red and my hands went numb.

I let go for her.

Sirius shot to Kimberly in an instant and grabbed her by the hair. Aaron Calem was gone by the time he raised the dagger, poised to slice through Kimberly’s back once more.

So gone I didn’t feel my body move to grab Sirius by the throat.

“How . . . did you . . .?” he choked out.

I shouldn’t have been able to remember my name. To even hear him or the gasps from my brothers. I’d let It take me, but I was still in there, fighting and struggling to get back to the front of my mind.

Take him down , I told the thing inside me, and in less than a second, It replied.

No. Give in. Let her die. Serve your queen.

The red took over, and I was being forced backward. It should have been too much, but I had the control.

No. You’ll serve me.

With one easy flick of my arm, I flung Sirius into the wall.

I’d had the control. The effects of all that power lingered in my arm with a dull ache, and I stared at my hand, marveling at the fact I’d stayed grounded.

“My Guardian.” The queen gasped.

“Guardian . . . What does it mean?” It was the word I’d seen in Eros’s journal.

“It means you’re my gift from the stars. You possess the ability to control the power that lingers in the blood that connects us. Eros was the last holder of the gift. I’d hoped Luke would possess it but . . . when he didn’t, I wondered if I wouldn’t be blessed again by The Divine.”

“I don’t understand. I thought . . . the Thing in my head was going to take over one day if I let it.”

“For others, yes. But you were born as my Guardian. The stars chose you to protect me. You can hold the power in your body and not be overcome. You belong to me.”

“Don’t listen to anything She says. She lies!” Kim spat blood on the floor, and Ezra moved to gag her with a cloth this time.

The queen frowned. “Eros’s thirst became unquenchable after he changed and tasted my blood for the first time. No human blood would sustain him. That was the first sign, but how did you . . .?”

She looked between Kimberly and me. Shit. If She figured out what Kimberly and I had done to break the bond, She’d never let her live.

I’d have to fight them. Guardian bond or not, that was a fight I knew I’d lose.

Still, I braced to free Kimberly first.

A shrill ringing broke through the silence of the atrium. A high-pitched buzzing that felt like a razor blade in my ear.

“Ah!”

All of us covered our ears, except for the queen, Sirius, and Ezra. Somehow, they were immune. Or more likely our younger sensitive ears weren’t accustomed to it.

Kilian would know that. This was a diversion. It wasn’t just us. The gasps and groans from the other men outside the atrium were barely audible, and I struggled to adjust.

“They’re here.” As I said the words, the first explosion rang out.