Untouchable Darkness (The Dark Ones Saga, #2)(23)

My gut clenched as memories of the last time humans got ahold of immortal blood assaulted me. I’d destroyed them all—well almost all of them.

Demons were allowed to live. But at what cost?

There was no warning, no hesitation on her part.

One minute I was talking.

The next, her mouth was on my neck, her tongue swirling a devastating design across my skin, her breath freezing my veins in the most delicious way.

Visions of us together flashed through my brain. Kissing, making love, holding hands, laughing, and then the vision altered and I was on my knees in front of her.

Her… shaking as blood ran down her hands.

I was still as a statue.

And then she pulled the knife from my chest and tossed it on the ground, her eyes wide with fear as Darkness swirled around her like a smoke, invading her nostrils.

Sariel watched with sadness as I clutched my chest, but I wasn’t recovering. I was not healing.

A tear slid down his cheek as Darkness consumed me.

I fought.

I lost.

And light flashed.

Stephanie jolted back from me, her eyes filled with horror. “What just happened?”

My heart splintered in two. Rage consumed me. “You will betray me.”

“What? NO! I was trying to show you—”

“You were trying to impose your will…” I stood on shaky legs. “Instead, you showed me my future.”

Stephanie covered her mouth with her hands.

“I think we’re done for the evening.” Numb, I walked over to the light switch and flicked it off. “After all, Ethan will be expecting us.”

“Cassius, I had no I idea. Futures can change, can’t they?”

“I’m tired.” I ignored her question. “And so are you.”





Cassius



Greece 79 AD



WHAT DO WE DO with them?” I stared at the children completely dumbfounded, I possibly hadn’t thought that through. They needed parents. They needed something.

“Well, we can’t eat them,” Mason grumbled crossing his arms. He’d been hungry for two days, but tough shit because we’d been at the docks for the past forty-eight hours to make sure nobody escaped. We couldn’t take the chance that any of the infected humans made their way over land or sea—to the general population.

The screams of the dead caused my head to ache. It couldn’t be avoided. Their souls were upset.

They had a reason to be upset.

It wasn’t their time.

But it couldn’t be avoided. I always dealt with a heavy hand. Not that I took it lightly. Humans needed to know there was a reason to fear the immortals.

To double cross us was to invite death.

“The princess.” Eva sighed. “The Demon came for her when you started burning the city.”

“And what did Timber have to say for himself?” I kept my eyes focused on the horizon as smoke filled the air.

“He screamed at me, though he was able to take her as far as the door, Mason took care of the rest.”

“You killed him?” My eyebrows shot up. He was a powerful Demon, just as old as us, he’d been alive since the fall of man.

“He ran.” Mason sighed. “I got two bites in before he disappeared.”

“Damn.” The horizon wasn’t changing. There were no boats. Only blackness.

“So…” Eva’s scent was altogether too intoxicating. I moved away from her so I could think. “What are we going to do with the children?”

“Sariel can never know.” I breathed out an irritated sigh and glanced at Eva out of the corner of my eye. “Understood?”

Blood must always be spilled. And once judgment was passed, mercy did not exist.

Because of my weakness for a woman I could never have—I allowed it.

Eva’s green eyes blazed as she gave me a firm nod. A Vampire’s word meant everything. I knew she would take it with her for eternity.

“And I imagine the children will do what children do…” One last look at the horizon, and I snapped my attention back to Mason and Eva. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find them homes, but Eva?”

She was already hugging one of the boys who’d started to cry for his mother. “Yes?”

“They aren’t your children.” I said it slowly. “The minute they have homes, you are never to see them again. Children notice more than adults do, it would take them mere days to figure out something was different about you. And I’m not sure how Sariel wants to proceed. I imagine we are going to need to be more careful regarding to whom we reveal our true selves.”

“All right.” Her eyes went back to their natural brown color as she started singing to the little boy.

My chest felt like someone had cracked it open, seeing a small boy in her arms, that’s what it would look like.

If she were mine.

But that existence wasn’t for me.

It would never be a part of my future.





Stephanie



THE FRONT DOOR SLAMMED so hard I was afraid it was going to crack right down the middle. Cassius rushed past Ethan like I was chasing him with a gun, and he actually pushed Mason out of the way to reach the upstairs bedrooms.