Page 18

JACOB

hate violence. I am not afraid of it, but it brings out something in me that leaves a bad taste. There’s massive power in my blood that could kill so easily. I fear losing myself to it. What am I if my power controls me? When the person I care about is in danger, killing is necessary.

Victor brought a small army of one hundred vampires with him. It is just the five of us, but more is not needed. I don’t think Victor knows there is a halfling and an angel on Izzy’s side. He may be aware of Adrian and his limits, but still, it’s arrogant of him to make demands of Lucifer’s second.

It’s getting dark. That is how we want it. It makes it easier for us to hide in the shadows. Jona is flying above us, his form invisible. A nice perk all angels have. While the rest of us travel among the trunks of oak and maple.

The moon is shaped like an egg, shining on the field of the sleeping enemy, and the tops of the tall trees sway as Jona flies down, his body hidden from the eye. The bastards won’t even see him coming.

I blend my body into the shadows and make my way toward the small cloth tents of our enemies, hands itching to feel the warm, wet flesh of the ones who hurt Izzy.

Adrian, being dramatic, teleports himself to the dead center of the camp. The loud thump of his feet against the grassy surfaces gets the attention of every vampire, and chaos begins. We could’ve gotten Sofia out quietly by locating her scent, but I think Adrian felt disrespected by Victor’s audacity. Because I want Victor to suffer, I am glad for Adrian’s theatrics. Finally, something Adrian and I agree on.

Movement erupts throughout the camp. Slashes of flesh, necks being snapped, and hearts torn out fill my senses. As much as I want to be the one to find my mother, the woman who pushed me out of her body and left, it will go smoother if it’s Jona who takes her. No one knows we have an angel on our side – an element of surprise.

With a deep inhale, I slam my hand into a chest. The vampire’s smooth muscle and hard bone move past the skin of my arm. The heart beats once against my fingers, and then it doesn’t. Pulling my hand out, blood drips to the ground, causing a tingle of excitement to run through my spine. The satisfaction of feeling bastards die is incredible.

“Come feast, Tengu,” I call my companion.

The ring on my right finger buzzes, and Tengu appears next to me, his bared teeth glowing in the night and his eyes a bright yellow.

“What a beautiful massacre,” Tengu sings, snatching the heart out of my hand. “I will go play.” He blinks his glowing eyes rapidly, the vertical, black slits dilating.

A wicked smile grows on my face. Tengu will torture slowly and painfully all night long. Something pleasant blooms in my chest at the thought. For Izzy, he will make it hurt extra. Tengu vanishes, and I proceed to rip out a few more hearts. These weak, pathetic vampires are easy targets, but there are a lot of them.

“Jona has her. Let’s go,” Adrian grumbles, displeased.

I laugh out loud at how upset he is that he did not get to kill more. The prick hates me, but he fights for my cause. His shoulders are tense when he walks past me, his expression filled with anger. At that moment, it dawns on me. He knows Izzy’s pain. Demons have the ability to see into the soul of another being. It is their natural duty to spot the sins and evil desires of others, but there is more to a being than just that. Demons have to be good at dissecting a soul to determine the punishment. Adrian was there during the fall of Lucifer; he can see through someone with just a blink of an eye. Izzy isn’t his to protect, but Adrian is obsessed with justice.

“Tengu will stay behind for a bit.” I follow him into the forest.

“Good.” Adrian chuckles, his voice echoing through the space.

Tengu enjoys a slow hunt. We are leaving, and they might think it’s all over, but Tengu will keep plucking them one at a time. He will be able to torture three or four of them before he has to come back to me. It feels good knowing they will be afraid when they hear their friends screaming from the depths of the forest.

The sun is rising when we get back to the castle. Jona is already by the back entrance with Sofia. My mother’s arms are tied in front of her slim form, her black hair a mess. She struggles against Jona’s hold with aggressive grunts. Jona rolls his eyes at her efforts, but my chest is heavy. This is not supposed to be like this. Mothers don’t leave their children for power. She locks her gaze on me, her dull, green orbs latching onto mine.

My jaw twitches, confusing emotions of guilt and longing flooding my mind. She is my mother after all . I inhale, reminding myself that the only thing she did was give birth to me. That is not the definition of a mother.

“You look so much like him.” She stares at me. I do look like him, but I have her eyes. “Jacob, is it? It’s what he named you?” she asks, her voice void of emotion.

My eyesight blurs from rage, pain swirling inside my chest. She didn’t even stay long enough to give me a name. I grind my teeth, hating that I need her. With my chest tight, I turn around and walk towards the meeting room under the castle. She is a vile woman, yet my father never said a bad thing about her. He did it to protect me, but it’s enraging that she abandoned us like that.

“If I knew you were going to be so powerful, I would’ve taken you with me,” she says as we walk through a set of dark wooden doors, not an ounce of guilt in her voice.

Every cell in my body flares. I dig my nails into my palms. Adrenaline is still coursing through my arteries from the earlier fight, feeding the urge to rip her heart out and toss it to the rats.

It becomes hard to breathe as my body shakes from the effort it takes to restrain myself. I need something to calm me down before I tear her to shreds. Walking through the dark halls, I focus on containing the heat that is begging to explode and burn her, just so I could hear her scream in agony.

She left her child for power! Here she is now, making it seem like it was my fault she abandoned me. How dare I not show her my abilities as soon as I was born? One step at a time, my muscles aching from the tension in them, I make it to the door of the secret meeting room.

“With you by my side, things would’ve gone much smoother,” she says from behind me.

A burst of rage escapes, and I slam the doors wide open. The wood hits the stone wall behind it, almost cracking at the impact. I search the wide room for something to hit, shatter, and break. The large, old, wooden table seems like a good option. Or maybe I can slam those dark chairs into the molding cabinets in the corner.

From the corner of my eye, I catch long, blonde hair. Izzy. Her eyes are wide as we stare at each other. Everything stills, fading into the background, and I fear I will scare her away – I look murderous right now. A bright smile grows on her face. She runs to me past the old table and chairs, her hair following her in a beautiful cascade.

Her arms wrap around my neck, her body pressing against mine. With her head against my chest, I breathe in deeply, letting the scent of her – sugary sweet – bring me back. Embracing her, I hold her close. The softness of her skin and her presence is everything.

“Are you okay?” She pulls back to look at my face. “Anything hurt? Are you injured?” She places her palm on my cheek, and I close my eyes, leaning into her hand.

She is serenity.

“I’m okay,” I whisper and open my eyes to look into hers.

She grounds me.

Her shoulders slump with relief, and she looks behind me.

“That is Sofia.” I turn to face the evil woman who birthed me.

“What is this disgrace doing hugging you like that?” Sofia snarls, her face rabid.

She lunges at Izzy, her movement jerky. In an instant, I am in front of Izzy. Before she can even take a step, Jona grabs Sofia and slams her into an oversized and weathered chair. Every muscle in my body is tight as I take a step towards Sofia.

I will kill her.

“Jacob,” Izzy calls me and takes my balled hand into hers. Her touch is soft and delicate, calming me. “We need her alive for now,” she mumbles and looks at Sofia from the corner of her eye.

“You’re right, baby.” I give her a small smile and kiss her forehead.

“You disgust me. Vampires are leeches to all kind. They need to be eradicated.” Sofia spits out as she struggles through the ropes.

“First of all, I don’t care about your opinions, and the value of your life is limited to the information you give,” I state and take a step back, the muscles of my shoulders feeling like they are coiling.

Torture is not my specialty, but Jorgan was glad to offer his services. With a mixture of emotions, I glance at Jorgan, who casually sits at the far end of the table, his long body lax as he eyes Sofia. The man looks like death with dark brown eyes and closely cut black hair.

“You will not get anything out of me,” Sofia smirks.

Every word coming out of her mouth is infuriating.

“Maybe,” Jorgan says, one side of his face lazily moving up.

“Demons helping vampires, how pathetic.” Sofia spits, her lips twisting.

I hope Jorgan makes her suffer. Needing a moment to compose myself, I leave the room.

“You are a disgrace!” Sofia screams after us.

Walking through the hall, I have my fingers laced through Izzy’s, her touch giving me some sort of peace. She is my home, my calm. She would never selfishly leave me.

Adrian and Rosie walk ahead of us, Adrian unbearably and protectively doting over Rosie. He normally is weak for her, but this is something else. If not supporting her by her waist, he is holding her hand as if afraid she will fall at any moment. I scoff at his ridiculous behavior.

Bright morning light attacks my eyes, and I squint, adjusting to it. There are a few mossy steps ahead of us, leading to an open green courtyard of the castle. Adrian takes Rosie’s hand, dramatically helping her.

Rosie pauses and huffs. “I am not disabled.”

“I know.” Adrian suddenly seems flustered, but does not let her go.

Confused, I bring my brows together with a shake of my head. Izzy giggles lightly, and I look at her with a raised brow. She knows something that I don’t. Squinting at Adrian, my eyes drop to the way his hand protectively lies over Rosie's lower abdomen. It was quick, but I saw it.

“I’m going to be a godfather,” I state and smile, pure joy filling my heart.

Finally, some good news.

“You will not be the godfather,” Adrian says, his face flat.

“Yes, I am,” I tell him and look at Rosie, who is biting her lip to stop a grin.

“No,” Adrian argues.

“Yes.”

With her lip still under her teeth, Rosie turns to look up at Adrian. He looks down at her and groans in defeat. I want to laugh at how pathetic he is, but Izzy elbows me in the ribs. Looking down at her, I find a stern glare.

“Sorry, he brings out the worst in me.” I chuckle quietly.

With everything happening with Sofia and Izzy’s father, this is a good distraction. For a moment, I forget that my mother abandoned me, that something is not right with my power, and that there is a vampire king who is relentless about taking the woman I love.

Rosie is like a sister to me. There is no option in this life or the next where I am not the godfather.

Izzy and I walk down the long hall, sunlight warming my skin through the windows. Knowing that my mother is here is eating at me. I need those answers, but I have no desire to speak to her. Based on the brief conversation we already had, she won’t be talking willingly. I need Jorgan to torture her a bit before I can question her.

“You keep looking up at me.” I glance down at Izzy.

She’s been silently eyeing me since we left the underground room.

“You are hurting,” she says, her voice tender. “I don’t know how to help.”

I stop and pull her into my arms, leaning us against the wall of windows. With a soft gasp, she falls on my chest and gazes up at me. If only she knew how much her smile means; how much her words calm me, and how much her touch heals.

“I am angry more than in pain,” I whisper, running a finger along her cheek. “You didn’t run from me when I wanted to murder her. I know I looked terrifying. Instead, you ran into my arms. That means more than you know.”

I was certain the sight of me in a state like that would push her away.

“You would never hurt me.” She slides her arms around my neck and presses her lips against mine.

It is slow and delicate, chasing away the blackness. I close my eyes, getting lost in her. My arms tighten around her waist as I bring her closer. Our lips move together, and I forget about Sofia. It is just me and Izzy. Her sweet smile and her delicate touch fill my life. With my forehead against hers, we part, and I exhale.

“I’m sorry that your mother left you. I never will. I am too clingy for that.” Smiling awkwardly, she rubs her fingers against my neck.

I have never found her clingy or needy like she so frequently claims to be. In fact, I love the fact that she wants the attention. Her need for me is what lifts my soul.

“I love your possessiveness.” My grin is slow and wicked.

“I’m not possessive.” She chuckles, pink covering her cheeks.

“I love your jealousy.” I lean in and place a kiss on her neck.

Her body slumps over mine, bringing us closer.

“I’m not jealous,” she breathes out.

My lips curve up against her skin as I move higher, and she shudders. Reaching her ear, I take the lobe between my teeth and tug at it. A quiet gasp leaves her, her chest moving heavily against mine.

“I love the way you react to me,” I whisper, her scent stilling my mind.

Footsteps echo in the background. She pulls away quickly, straightening the non-existent creases of her dress, her cheeks and neck reddening. A few maids walk our way from around the corner, their eyes already on us. Izzy hides her face by looking down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I grab the base of her head firmly, my fingers threading through her hair, and pull back. The force of the tug has her arching, a breathy moan leaving her lips. A beautiful sound. Her lips parted, she attempts to get a glance at the maids.

With the desire to get lost in her moans taking over, I kiss her jaw, my lips barely touching her skin. Inhaling, I am intoxicated by her. My chest frees as I kiss lower. Fingers inching to dig into her hips, I tug her closer. She slumps against me, her body fitting against mine just right.

With her, my heart is full.

“You are enough to make everything better,” I whisper into her neck, loosening my grip and holding her close to my heart.

Tilting her head, she looks up at me, beautiful stars shining in her eyes.

“I want to be strong enough to help you.” She runs her thumb along my lower lip. “I don’t want you to carry the weight alone.

“I’m not alone.”

If only she knew how much she has already given me.

The underground halls seem to have gotten smaller since a few hours ago. With every step closer to my mother, they close in.

Answers. That is all I need from her. I can’t allow her to get under my skin. She is not worth it.

At the old, wooden door, a hysterical laugh comes from inside. The woman is insane.

She is not a mother. Never have been. Inhaling, I open the door.

Jorgan is standing across from her, his hands balled behind his back. Snapping his head my way, his black eyes return to their normal grey.

“The madwoman has a protective spell over her jumbled box,” Jorgan huffs, annoyance lacing his voice.

A spell to protect her mind. She has thought about everything. Something unpleasant tingles at the back of my mind. If she is so cautious, why did she get caught so easily?

“Oh, would you look at that? Finally came to see your mother,” Sofia says, her eyes dark.

“Hmm. A mother?” I casually stroll in. “Is that what you think you are?”

“You are powerful because of me!” she snarls, her thin, red lips twisting.

“You seem convinced of that.” Standing across from her, I look down at her sweaty form.

She will not talk if I ask forward questions. Remaining composed and smart is what will get me clues.

“Someone who comes from a line of demons like me? Yes, it is because of me. Your father turned out to be weak. He was supposed—” She stops talking, her eyes narrowing. “Looking for something in particular, are you?” A smile forms on her pale face.

For someone as disturbed as her, she is clever.

“What would I possibly need from you, Sofia?” I sigh and lazily lean against a corner of a wall.

“The power that is hurting you. You want to know how to stop it.” Her lips stretch wider.

So it is my power causing this. Damn it.

“You’re not as powerful as you say you are if you couldn’t save your parents,” I smirk.

Her eyes widen and her lips thin as she takes a sharp breath in. There is a storm inside my chest, but it feels so good to throw that in her face.

“No, but I will be strong enough to avenge them! I will be powerful.” She strains against her ropes, her face reddening as her hair sticks to her forehead.

Growling lowly, she snaps her head at Jorgan. Her shoulders jerk as she fights to get to him, the muscles in her jaw twitching.

“Didn’t get much out of her, but managed to get some locations.” Jorgan has a smug expression on his face. “Well done,” he nods my way.

Spells are a wonderful tool, but they are not as magical as one might think. Sofia would need to focus on keeping her thoughts safe. All I did was use her parents as a distraction.

“You proved again that you are not as strong as you claim to be.” I scoff.

“I will end you with them.” Her voice is feral. Her words should hurt, but I feel relieved knowing there is nothing left to hold on to. “Stop picking at my brain!” She shuts her eyes and screams at Jorgan.

“That is a lot of followers you have,” Jorgan says, his tone pleased.

There hasn’t been a headache for a few days now. It’s a good sign for now. Unfortunately, Sofia confirmed that this problem is not going away. The fact that she’s from a powerful line complicates things. On the other hand, there are always good records of wealthy and strong beings. It will simply require a little digging.