Tyrant (Scars of the Wraiths #2)(89)

He almost made it, his form changing to the white light and shimmering for several seconds, as if uncertain. But when Abby thrashed against the chains and gave a high-pitched scream, Simian pulled back from the light and went into form again.

“Fuck.” Now what?

Simian leapt to Abby and she calmed.

Waleron raised his brows. “We either kill her or your Ink keeps her controlled. She needs to be taken back to the Talde house.”





ROARKE’S HEAD JERKED UP and he leapt to his feet. “We need to move. Now.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

“Roarke. What is—?”

“Black licorice. Vampires are near.”

Oh, God. I knew how deadly they were and, despite Roarke being a Grit, if there were too many of them, they’d easily defeat us.

We jogged across the park, heading for the street. He pulled me out into traffic, ignoring the honking horns. “My car is around the corner. Run.” His hand tight in mine, we ran down the street to the next block and down an alley. “Shit, I can scent her. Jasmine. She’s close.” He yanked open the passenger door of a black SUV. “Get in.”

I had one leg in the car when my body was flung to the side and into the air. Roarke’s shout came at the same time as my scream. I landed on my hip on the pavement, my breath knocked out of me.

“Rayne, run. Get the f*ck out of here. I’ll hold them off,” Roarke shouted. His loud growl echoed as what looked like five vampires moved in on him. One leapt and his razor-sharp nails raked down Roarke’s face, leaving a trail of blood.

Oh, God, Roarke. I scrambled to my feet, then hesitated as the vampires surrounded him. I heard them hissing and Roarke’s bellow as he tried to fight them off.

How could I leave him to die? But I couldn’t fight five vampires. Someone had to help him.

“Damn it, Rayne.” I saw him leap on a vampire and snap his neck. “Run.” Blood sprayed from his mouth as he yelled at me.

“Hold him still,” a female’s voice echoed in the alley. I backed away, my eyes now on the woman walking toward the fight. “Grab the girl.”

Three vampires left Roarke. He went wild, eyes blazing as he pulled a blade from his boot then slashed it across the neck of one of the vampire’s holding him down. The body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

“Roarke,” I screamed in warning as a vampire jumped from a garage rooftop and landed on top of him.

I had no choice. I had to run.

I ran.

Ragged breath came up behind me as hands clamped down on my shoulders and yanked me backward. I jerked my elbow back and hit something hard, hearing a sharp crack, but the hands remained locked on me.

“Serafina, rise to me,” I cried out.

“What the—?”

“Serafina, rise now,” I raised my voice.

Footsteps ran toward me. “She’s calling to her familiar. Her Ink. Stop her,” the female shouted.

I screamed Serafina’s name again, the burning expanded in my shoulder as she awakened.

“Kill it,” the female voice shouted. “Her right shoulder.”

How did she know where my Ink was? “Serafina! Rise. Now.” I struggled against the vampire who had his arms locked around my chest as he dragged me toward the woman I now knew was called Jasmine.

“No,” Roarke bellowed as he shoved a vampire off him as he stabbed his knife into the chest of another and ran for me.

White strands of what looked like string, shot through the air from the woman’s fingertips and wrapped around Roarke’s body like a spider’s web. He tried to shove them off, but every time he moved, the thin strands tightened.

“Fuck,” he shouted.

He was paralyzed. Roarke fell to the ground, blood seeping from his wounds to soak into the fibers of the webs.

“Roarke. No, Roarke.” I fought against the steel hands holding me prisoner, but it was useless. “Let him go.”

“He should have listened to me,” the woman said as she came toward me. “I thought his little reminders were enough.” She stopped in front of me then grabbed my shoulder.

“No,” I screamed kicking out, knowing what she was about to do. “Serafina, move. Now.”

The woman pulled out a knife from beneath her leather coat. My eyes widened as she sliced the blade across the sleeve of my shirt. I flailed against the vampire’s hold, knowing Serafina’s life was in the balance.

“No. Please. You can’t.”

The woman ignored me, fingers gripping me tight as she cut across the ink on my shoulder.

“Nooo,” I cried. Serafina. No, don’t let her die. Please.

Warm blood trickled down my arm. The wound wasn’t deep, but it was enough because I no longer felt Serafina’s movements. My body sagged and struggling became moot as the burning heat in my body vanished.

I looked up at the woman. “Why?” But I knew why.

“It should have been done long ago,” she said.

“Rayne,” Roarke said in a ragged voice. He tried to slice the webs off him, but there were too many and he could barely move. “Jasmine, don’t do this.”

“Put her in the car,” she ordered. The vampire holding me yanked me back and pulled me to a black SUV. It looked like one of the SUVs from Keir’s house. He opened the back door and shoved me into the backseat.