Chapter 42 #3
Her face twisted and went bright red, her eyes rolling back in her head. Then Abbie screamed and screamed, in so much pain she was beyond words.
“Stop it, stop it!” Georgie shouted, lurching to her feet and yanking on Rodney’s arm. It was like a child pulling on an adult. “Fucking stop!”
Rodney looked at her, his eyes cruel and empty as ice. He sneered, “Fine.”
Abbie’s scream stopped abruptly as he let her go. Her body sagged, her forehead resting against his thigh, her eyes closed; she was unconscious.
He stepped back. Georgie went to snag her arm, but she was too late and Abbie’s face smashed onto the floor.
Georgie rolled Abbie to her side, placing fingers on her pulse.
Abbie stared straight ahead. Her irises were black, the whites streaked with red like crimson spiderwebs.
Abbie was dead. Georgie took her fingers away and shot a look of utter disgust at Rodney.
“You’re a fucking psychopath,” she spat.
The other witch made a gut-wrenching sound of despair and crawled to her friend, cradling her head in her lap.
“You bastard, you bastard!” Janetta shouted.
Unbothered, Rodney turned to Karson. “She was lying, she was in on making the potion. It’s very old dark magic, a nightmare potion, if you haven’t already worked it out. It brings your worst fears to life.”
I felt the blood drain from my head as my eyes fell to Monique. Her face was no longer swollen. She was sitting on a chair, her elbows on her knees, staring, her eyes hollow and broken, at the floor.
Kenneth sat beside her, his features filled with utter rage.
Karson—the burns. He was reliving the night his parents were murdered by witches. A sound of despair fluttered in the back of my throat, and I closed my eyes, the room tilting.
“What more can you tell me?” Rodney’s voice pulled them open again. His sharp gaze was fixed on another witch.
“Nothing,” she whispered, shuffling backwards on her ass.
“Please, all I was told was we were helping to free Leon.” She kept shuffling back as he stalked forward slowly, trying to increase her terror.
“They said only Karson, Michael, and Monique would be here, that we would knock them out. We weren’t meant to hurt anyone. ” The girl burst into tears.
“Enough.” My legs felt shaky as I walked through the room. “Enough.”
“Of course the witch fights for the witch,” Rodney sneered, stopping his advance. “I’m not at all surprised.”
“I fight for Karson and this family, asshole.”
“They may not know anything.” Janice appeared, dragging Leon through the room by the arm, his brown hair disheveled, his face pale and smeared with dirt, his shirt ripped as if he’d been beaten or worse. My heart stuttered in my chest. There must be some mistake. He was kind, loyal …
“But I’m sure this one does,” Janice said. “Given he was the one who compelled the girl in the bar to slice her neck.”
He gritted his teeth, tearing his eyes from Janetta. “I didn’t, I told you I didn’t.”
“Save your lies,” Janice hissed, hurling him forward so he staggered in front of Karson. “We have you on tape following her.”
“Karson,” he appealed, fear in his eyes. “I had nothing to do with it. I swear it. I didn’t even know who you were talking about at first. You know me, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
My eyes fell to Janetta. Her bandage was already soaked with blood. If they didn’t get her help soon, she’d bleed out. Her eyes were glassy, terrified, and pleading as she peered up at me.
She was in the bar. She was the girl who loved flowers, his girlfriend. He was lying and Karson would kill him for it. Would kill all of them for what they’d done tonight.
Rodney stalked toward Janetta. “Who else is on your little sally?”
She shook her head furiously. “No one.”
He cocked his head. “No? I think you are lying, but never mind, I have a way to find the truth.”
He didn’t touch her head; instead, he grabbed her arm—her broken arm—and squeezed.
Her cry rang high-pitched decibels through the house.
‘Stop,” Leon struggled against Janice. “Don’t touch her!” he roared.
Janice whipped out a blade and slammed it into the back of his leg.
He cried out, his leg wobbling, but he swung his arm back and it connected with her face with a crack.
Janice yanked the blade out and punched it into his thigh.
Leon went down to one knee, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to rise.
Georgie snatched up my blade and ran. “Let her go, or I swear I’ll stab you.
” She stabbed out the blade, her hand shaking so badly I doubted she’d stab anything but air.
My heart stopped. Georgie wasn’t a fighter, and Rodney wouldn’t tolerate the threat.
He let go of Janetta and spun to face her, and in less than a heartbeat he grabbed her wrist and squeezed.
Georgie cried out as the blade clattered to the floor.
“You’re a guest of Karson’s, so I’m going to forgive you for threatening me. Just this once.”
“Don’t fucking touch me,” she gritted.
“You’d be the last person I’d touch, sweetheart,” he sneered. “You can’t even keep your boyfriend happy.”
A crack shot out as Georgie slapped his face. My heart plummeted. Vampires’ tempers were volatile, deadly; he’d kill her.
Three things happened at once.
I cried, “Don’t!” and my hand whipped to the invisible second blade I had sheathed.
“Rodney,” Karson said quietly, but the warning was there as he shot me a look and shook his head. And Josh rushed over, pushing his way between them, ready to do what, I wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure either, by the look on his face. Fuck. Even if I wanted to throw the blade, I couldn’t risk it now.
Rodney grabbed Josh’s shirt and sent him flying off to the side like a bug.
“Leave her,” Michael ordered. He was standing, tense.
Rodney didn’t take his eyes off Georgie as he licked at a cut in the corner of his mouth. “Not many would be so brave, or so stupid.”
Georgie lifted her chin. “I’m not brave, and I’m not stupid, but no one else dies tonight.”
“They came into our house and attacked us,” he snarled. “They killed Eric.”
Georgie quivered, but she held her ground as she said gently, “I know, and I’m sorry for your loss.” Rodney’s brow flickered as he stared at her. “But if you kill them, their family will want revenge. When does it end, Rodney? How many have to die?”
“As many as it takes,” he shouted so abruptly Georgie jumped.
“Rodney,” Michael warned. “You’d do well to check yourself.”
“They started this.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he strode across the room, his eyes filling with pain and rage as they fixed on Eric. His fists were curled so tight his knuckles were white. “And I will finish it.”
He flashed behind Leon, placing his hands on either side of his head. Leon stared at Janetta, grief and fear and defeat in his eyes.
“I will ask you one time. Who else is involved in the attack? Was it Sarah?”
“No, please,” he begged. “I haven’t heard from her. I didn’t do anything.”
“Stop,” Janetta whispered, “he’s telling the truth.”
“Let me in, then.”
All Leon had to do was let Rodney in, show him he was innocent.
“Stop, he didn’t do anything,” Janetta repeated, her voice louder as she staggered to her feet, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she begged. “Don’t hurt him.”
“Janetta, stay back,” Leon whispered, a tear sliding down his face, a muscle tensed on the side of his jaw. “No, please don’t, stay out, stay out, stay out.” Leon crumbled to his knees, then he cried a hideous, pitiful sound.
Rodney’s lips curled up as he grated, “Show me.”
Leon’s eyes rolled back in his head as he gasped at air, then roared a terrible sound of fury, of pain. The cries of a man who was losing everything.
“Stop!” Janetta screamed. “Stop!”
“Enough,” I shouted.
And then Leon’s roar died on a whimper. The silence hit me first in all its catastrophic gravity. Then the smoke.
Black smoke was wisping out of Leon’s ears. The sharp stench of something metallic, something burning, filled the room. I stared in shock, in utter horror.
Rodney let Leon go and he dropped.
Janetta collapsed beside him, her stabbed arm shaking wildly as she touched his face. “Wake up,” she whispered. “Please, wake up.” Her head dropped against his. “Leon, oh no, no, no.”
“I suggest you tell me everything you know, sweetheart,” Rodney crooned.
Janetta lifted her head up, her voice wobbling. “You’re a monster.”
“You’re about to find out exactly how big of a one I can be.” He grabbed her shirt and dragged her to her feet. “He knew something and you’re about to tell me what it is.”
She spat on his face, even as tears streamed down hers. “Go fuck yourself.”
Rodney stilled, then slowly wiped the spit from his face. “You murdered Eric. I’m in no mood, unless you wish to die very, very slowly, I suggest you start talking.”
Janetta raised her chin. She wouldn’t give in and she would die trying to hide their secrets.
My head pounded against my skull. I looked to Karson for help, but he ignored me.
The look on his face was impassive, but his fists curled by his sides.
He was furious; he wouldn’t let her live either.
My gaze met Michael’s, pleading. He grimaced and inclined his head slightly. Would he help?
“Sarah is in town,” the other one cried.
All eyes homed in on her. Janetta threw her a sharp look.
She swallowed. “We heard you had a problem with her.” She held up her hands in a show of surrender.
“We aren’t working with her, but we heard she’s been trying to get vampires on her side, and she has a witch. ”
Karson’s eyes narrowed. “Does this witch have a name?”
She shook her head. “We don’t know. They’re only rumors. We just wanted to save Leon.”
Karson stalked closer. The witch shrank back. “And what was Leon’s role in this?”
“He wasn’t involved at all.”
“Don’t dare lie to me,” Karson erupted. “I’m in no mood for your deceit either.”
The witch looked at Janetta, her face pained. Janetta shook her head. She’d go to her death with the secret.
I stepped up beside Karson. “Tell us what you know and no harm will come to you.”
Rodney jerked his head to me, then to Karson, waiting for him to object. A muscle on Karson’s jaw ticked, but he said nothing.
“No, Meg, don’t,” Janetta rasped. “They’ll kill us anyway.”
Tears slipped down Meg’s face.
“Our promise is our oath,” Michael said, flanking me. “Tell us and you shall live.”
Monique snapped her head up, fury glinting in her dark eyes.
“Our families,” Janetta whispered, pleading with Meg.
“Your families will remain safe,” Michael said.
“Meg, no. Don’t trust them,” Janetta pleaded. “You can’t trust them.”
Meg’s eyes flashed with guilt, but desperate to live she blurted, “Leon didn’t want you inside his head because it was his family who had the bone-ash knife. Sarah threatened to kill all of them unless they gave it to her. They had no choice. He has young brothers.”
A look of guilt, anguish, and grief crossed Karson’s features, but then it was gone so fast I could have imagined it.
Janetta broke down and sobbed.
“Karson.” Michael placed a hand on his shoulder. “I suggest we send these two back to the coven alive and well, as promised, and let that be a showing of goodwill and warning of what will become of anyone who dares attack us.”
Karson stared at them for a long moment, considering. The witch looked up, her face pale and covered in red, tears streaking down her cheeks.
“Go, and if you ever step foot in my house again, or harm anyone I care about, you and your entire coven will end up as landfill.”
Rodney jerked his head to him, his lips thin, disbelief in his eyes. But he didn’t argue, didn’t challenge his order.
Janetta blinked slowly, as if she was trying to comprehend what was said.
“Go,” Karson snarled. “Before I change my mind.”
“What about Leon, and Tilly, Becca, Holly, Arlen, Jacqui and Abbie?” she asked, her voice cracking.
The dead had a name now. I couldn’t look at them. My breath swelled in my chest and my legs shook like jelly.
Karson shrugged. “Take them. I do not want their stench staining my home.”
They couldn’t carry them, and he knew it.
“I will carry them,” Josh said quietly. He moved to Leon, looking like he was about to cry, and lifted him into his arms. “Could you help please, Janice?”
Janice sighed heavily, but she dragged the witches by their arms out of the door, their bodies thumping on the tiled stairs.