***Eliana***

 

“Stooooop!” That’s not right. “Stop. Help. Somebody.”

One of those idiots from the Heaven Charter is attacking the woman Kagan dragged with him. Why would he do that? My heart is beating so fast and I have no clue what to do. Everyone around me is fighting. Why can’t I use my magic? How do I use my power? What if I use it and my hand turns black?

There’s a flash of black jumping by me. Alistair. In one move, he’s ripped the white Hellhound’s head clean off. I’m still trying to swallow that vision when Alistair gets jumped from behind. Even though Alistair is covered with black fur and red flames, I can clearly see the blood he’s covered in.

The large white beast that has blue flames with orange tips at the end has some serious wounds. There’s only ripped flesh on his tail where his other head is supposed to be, yet I can see it healing while I’m staring at it. That’s not even the strangest thing. Everyone around me is fighting and getting jumped on…yet I’m standing here, in the midst of it all. Like I’m in a bulletproof glass cage no one can enter.

Oh, shit. Two more jump on Alistair’s back. Why isn’t anybody helping? I’m somebody. Swallowing my fears away, I raise my hand forward and picture myself throwing one of the white Guardians that is sinking its teeth in Alistair. It works and the white beast knocks the wall so hard, it yelps and crashes to the floor.

I try again, but with the large wounds that are gaping all over Alistair’s body, fear grips me again and it’s then I realize...my power is in my emotions, or better yet, I let it control my emotions, or it’s linked with one. Anger. I need to become angry. That’s not so difficult because that’s my mate they are trying to kill right in front of me.

The single thought of losing him is enough for me to let a wave of despair go through me, making everyone around me shift back. There are no more Hellhounds or Guardians, only normal looking human appearances all around. Even the vampires’ teeth aren’t showing anymore. Holy shit I did that. Shock goes through me and everyone around me is thrown back as if there’s just been an explosion.

I use the distraction and run to Alistair, grabbing his head to make sure he’s okay. His fierce gaze hits mine but he jumps up and grabs me in his arms, twisting in the air. He holds me close to his body with one arm wrapped around my waist while he’s holding my father by his leather cut in the other.

“Need a hand?” A voice from behind my father says, right before my dad’s head is ripped from his body and lands on the floor in three thuds.

Jagger smiles from behind the headless body. Alistair releases his hold and the torso sags to the floor.

“Thanks,” Alistair rumbles.

“No one moves or I’ll rip her head clean off,” Kagan bellows.

Fear grips me because I don’t even have to turn his way to know he’s holding my sister in a headlock. Except knowing and seeing are two very different things. His arms are covered with white fur, blue flames dancing around them. Claws as sharp as knives are at Velma’s throat.

“I said don’t move, fucker. Think I care about this one? I don’t have any interest in her cunt now that I know she isn’t pure anymore. She means nothing except for my ticket out of here. Now, all of you are going to stay right here and me and Velma are going for a walk. Nice and easy. Once I’m out, I’ll drop her and we’ll be done with everything,” Kagan instructs us.

“No,” Os growls. “We won’t be done with it because your soul still needs to be reaped.”

Oh, no…what the hell is Os doing? Talking like that will get Velma killed. I push away from Alistair’s grip and tighten my fists, directing all my anger at Kagan. I can see his hands starting to tremble, one claw going for his head while the other slides down Velma’s body around her waist, in an attempt to hang on to her.

A black flash jumps forward. Kagan’s head disconnects from his body while at the same time his claw slices through Velma, making her insides tumble straight out.

“Noooooooo,” I scream at the top of my lungs.

Velma crashes down, but Os catches her before she can hit the floor. “Come on, baby, give me your Guardian, show me dammit. Shift. Now,” Os growls.

I watch my sister being consumed by pain. Os is repeating what he said, even angrier this time.

“Stop it, dammit, she’s hurting,” I yell at Os, dropping to my knees at her face, but Os pushes me away.

Alistair drags me up and holds me in a tight grip while I struggle with all my strength. “She’s dying, let me go, I need to be with her.”

“That’s it, baby, good girl,” Os croons as he stares at Velma’s white fur covered body.

I feel like my heart is being ripped out when I see my sister gasp for her next breath…then nothing. Her chest doesn’t rise or fall. Her tongue is hanging from her mouth. She makes no movement at all. Os is holding her, not a damn show of emotion on his face.

“What the fuck is wrong with you people?” I cry. “She’s dead! How can you act like that?” Tears blur my vision and I turn in Alistair’s arms, needing his strength to keep a little of my sanity intact in this moment.

Soft strokes on my hair are followed by Alistair’s gentle voice. “It’s okay, Eliana.”

“No, it’s never going to be okay,” I croak.

“Yes, love,” Alistair tells me, his voice laced with utter tenderness. “We’re immortal, her head is still on. She just needs time to heal, look.”

Hope sparks within me as I turn. Velma is still in the same position; being held by Os while he’s looking at her. No. He’s waiting. Her front paw twitches. Her chest starts to move up, it’s barely noticeable, but it’s there. With each breath it seems to pick up. Suddenly she howls and flashes up. Standing on four paws she shakes herself in one go, from her head to her tail a wave flows through her body.

Os stands up and laughs. Reaching out, he gently pets her head. “That’s my baby. Fucking gorgeous. Shift back because I need your mouth on mine.”

In the next moment Os is being thrown back onto the floor and my sister is standing over him, her tongue lapping from his chin to the top of his head. She shifts and her legs are straddling him and his head is being cupped by her fingers while she kisses him intently.

Glancing around, I notice how bodies are scattered everywhere, some headless, some not. Those who aren’t are being talked to by bikers from Alistair’s crew. From what I hear, they are agreeing to…being patched over? Surrender? Yet I have this gut feeling that there’s something we’re missing. Like…holy shit.

I shoot out from Alistair’s grip and run in the direction of the hallway knowing he is very close behind me. It’s not a gut feeling I have; his curses are letting me know this little fact. There’s a door that’s slightly ajar, when I step inside I see a stairway leading down. The door slams shut behind me, but I speed up to get downstairs. At the bottom, I take a left and see a woman, her wrists are bound with rope.

Strangely enough it’s not tied that tight, but her wrists are all red. She doesn’t back away from me but holds up her wrists, a sweet smile on her face like she knows me. She’s got the same bright blue eyes as me and Velma. Her lashes are so long, making her eyes stand out. She has pale white skin and she’s got long red hair flowing freely around her face.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice says behind me. I recognize it as Gabriel’s voice, his words are directly followed with a growl.

“Hurry up, then me, please. I can help. Oh, shit…what’s that smell?” another woman says from behind the redhead.

My hands make fast work and the moment the rope falls away, the redhead is gone. That fast, in the blink of an eye. I’m still processing that fact as I catch movement in front of me.

“Now me, hurry,” the woman with hair as black as night before me says.

The growling behind me intensifies and I look over my shoulder to see Gabriel standing there in his Guardian’s white glory, blue flames surrounding him. He jumps straight at us. I throw my arms around the woman, fearing for both of our lives.

A yelp of pain bounces off the walls. Looking behind me again, while I’m still embracing the woman, I see Gabriel on the floor like he’s been thrown back hard enough to have the wind knocked out of him…

Something bursts through wood as I see Alistair and Jagger running down the stairs. Gabriel gets to his feet again, ready for his next attack, but he never gets to because Alistair rips his head clean off. Like it’s not even an effort for him to use all his strength.

“Eliana,” Jagger calls me with a firm voice. “Let go and back away very carefully.”

What the hell is he talking about? Why would I? My head turns to glance at the woman I’m still holding close. She’s like a statue with her eyes closed. It’s like she’s not even breathing. I feel fingers wrapping around my arms and then I’m being held by Alistair while screams are now filling the room.

Jagger is holding back the woman who’s now trying to get to me in a tight grip.

She has the same blue eyes as…I have no doubt in my mind, that’s my half-sister. “Let my sister go,” I scream at Jagger, but he’s shaking his head.

“Get her out of here, Alistair,” Jagger bellows. “I need to contain this one and your woman ain’t helping with her hint of witch blood. I can contain myself when I put my mind to it, but she’s too young and hungry to be reasonable. It’s a fucking miracle she didn’t attack Eliana when she was so close to her a moment ago.”

“She’s my sister she wouldn’t…oh, shit,” I realize that, “she was holding her breath when I had my arms around her. She didn’t want to…”

I let Alistair drag me upstairs so Jagger can help my sister. Technically my half-sister…but like Velma and me, and what Alistair and his men have taught me also…family doesn’t do things half way. Even when she didn’t know me, she kept herself in check. Not breathing so she didn’t inhale my scent and therefore wouldn’t hurt me. That part vampire in there is my sister. And witch blood or not, nothing will keep us from getting to know each other.

Although that might have to wait until later.