CHAPTER 3 #2
I can’t help but observe in awe. Each strike targets a vulnerability—the soft underside of the jaw, the vulnerable hollow of the throat, the delicate nerve cluster at the base of the spine.
As chaos explodes around us, Saul’s already squared off against two of the keepers, moving with the kind of lethal vigor that parallels the female Whiteshade from earlier. When had he become so skilled?
I stand, steeling myself to fight, when the world around me plunges into a deafening silence. Glancing around frantically, my vision is filled with the dead and injured bodies of vampires and keepers alike. Most of them seem to have fled the scene.
A new group of vampires just as alarming as the former, maybe even worse, are the only ones left standing. They all wear the same mask as my brother and the man standing next to me—the entire lower half of their faces covered, leaving nothing but hellish red eyes exposed.
I’d only blinked, and the fight is already over.
For the first time in my life, I feel a little relieved that my brother is a part of them. The Ravens. At the very least, it means I’m not going to be one of their victims.
“I had it,” I say, stubborn and eager to stand my ground.
“Like you had that bullet?” the masked man replies, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“They didn’t aim to kill.” Conceit coats my words because he ought to know I’m not as reckless as he implies I am. “They aren’t allowed to, unless it’s the only way possible to stop a crime. I don’t care for politics, but I know enough to work my way around legalities.”
Perks of having a lawyer boyfriend.
I also know that the reason for that isn’t as righteous as it sounds.
It’s not out of empathy—using criminals for experiments rather than innocent people is simply more justified.
The problem is, Saul and I are an anomaly.
The first of our kind, at least as far as records show.
Our half-human side makes us more vulnerable than any vampire, since we heal at a slower rate, and possibly die at a faster rate.
No one knows what our limits are, not even ourselves. One wrong move, one risk too great, and it could mean the end for us.
It could have meant the end for Saul.
“And,” I press, “unlike my brother, I’m protected by the law from capture.”
“Good for you,” he says, tone absent of emotion. “Does the law also state you’re exempt from treason?”
I open my mouth to speak, then close it again. I respect the law, but not enough to risk my brother’s life. “I suppose not.”
Disconcerted, I walk over to my dagger and grab it when a flicker catches my peripheral vision.
Saul appears in front of me, his face contorted with fury.
He firmly grips my shoulders, fingers digging in with supernatural strength that would have shattered human bones.
“Are you out of your mind?!” he exclaims, shaking me as rage twists his expression.
“You could’ve gotten yourself killed, for Blod’s sake! Why are you so fucking reckless and—”
I don’t miss a beat before snapping back. “I’m reckless?! Me?! That’s rich coming from you, Saul.”
He jerks his head up, affronted. “What are you trying to say?”
“You always need others to clean up your mess.” I twist and break from his hold, my words threaded with bitterness. “Is that why you kill innocent people? Can’t pick on someone your own size?”
A darkness clouds his features, and for a brief moment, they mirror my own. He can’t hide the hurt in his eyes, no more than I can hide the pride in mine. “I see you haven’t changed one bit.”
“At least I didn’t change for the worse.”
“Cut it out,” the masked man commands, speaking with an authority that suggests he’s used to being obeyed. “We don’t have time for this.”
Everyone instantly gathers behind him without question, my defiant brother included. Any relief I felt is quickly replaced by trepidation; now that the panic has ebbed, a grim realization dawns on me.
Time stops as I stare at the man’s face, really studying it. Bone-white strands peek from his hood, pale gray eyes holding mine as if they can see straight through my soul. Gray, not red.
He’s not just any Ravens member, he’s their leader—Revenant.
My blood turns cold in my veins. “You.”
There’s a subtle shift in Saul’s posture, his center of gravity lowering ever so slightly. It’s barely perceptible, but enough to tell me he’s ready to move. To spring to his leader’s defense.
Unfortunately for him, my hand has already tightened around my dagger. I didn’t wait this long to hesitate. My muscles contract and snap as I launch myself at the monster I’ve sworn to end, aiming straight for his unguarded chest—his heart, the only way to kill a vampire.
He makes not a single move to evade me, standing perfectly still as death rushes toward him. Confused, I look up to see his right hand raised in the air, palm facing outward.
The Ravens around us have frozen at the silent signal, their bodies tensing but remaining rooted in place.
He chose to show mercy to the wrong person.
I thrust with all my might, the lumen point piercing through fabric but meeting unexpected resistance. Not flesh, but something harder. The impact jolts up my arm as the dagger slides off to the side, leaving only a tear in his shirt.
“Armor,” I mutter, readying myself to strike again. “Coward.”
Revenant chuckles, scrutinizing me with detached curiosity, as though I am an insect pinned to a board. “Not armor,” he says, his voice infuriatingly graceful. “True immortality.”
The words hit harder than any physical blow.
I stumble back, horrified, my grip on the dagger faltering. There is no way that the person haunting my nightmares is unable to be killed.
“You should’ve let me take that bullet,” I spit, my voice sounding alien to my own ears. Broken.
“If I wanted you dead, you would’ve died ten years ago with the rest of them.”
A whirlwind of emotions bubbles inside me. I should be grateful, but all I feel is the weight of being spared.
I force back my tears, holding onto the rage. “Why didn’t you?”
There’s a pause. “Change of heart.”
“Change of heart?” I echo, the words hollow and absurd.
“You’re of no use to anyone dead.” He sighs, as if I am wasting his time. As if he hasn’t completely ruined my life. “Try to stay alive?” His intonation mocks me.
“How dare you—”
The screeching wail of sirens cuts through our standoff. Blinding spotlights sweep across the street as armored vehicles swerve around the corner, reinforcements arriving in full force. I make out the silhouettes of specialized keeper units, their weapons soon locked on our positions.
“Time’s up,” says Revenant, his steely gaze drilling into mine. “Until we meet again, Seraph.”
A primal need to see his face overcomes me.
My hand claws at the edge of his mask before he can turn and leave. I catch the fabric between my fingers and yank downward with all my strength. The mask falls, revealing enough for me to now recognize him on sight.
I drink in every detail: flawless skin stretched over a razor-sharp jawline, two silver studs piercing his eyebrow, and a nose so perfectly structured it seems carved from marble. His lips, fuller than I expected, curl in disdain.