Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) (11 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Cole...

His name popped into Cassie's head as it continued to spin. Was that a true memory? Had Luka known her before, before her world had been turned upside down and gutted like a fish? Did Helena tell him that her mother would become a vampire and that Cassie would be the one to kill her? The questions threatened to crush her, the pain in her chest constricting her. She would have puked if the once familiar scent of rotting blood and flesh crept its way into her mind.

Flinging open her eyes, she gasped.
No, no, no.
She wanted to be anywhere but here, back in that basement, back in that nightmare which continued to have such a hold over her. The one that caused her to scream out when she slept, almost tormenting her, grabbing hold of her and yanking so hard she could fall, losing her mind forever.

Thankfully, she was not in her past life’s body th
is time.

But watching what
Vicktor did to you, and you being defenceless to stop it will break you, Cassandra. You will crumble to pieces and I will enjoy watching you do so.
Cole's voice taunted her.

Cassie forced herself to bite back a response, as the little shit was only getting off
on her discomfort. It was strange, watching yourself and not being able to do anything to stop what was happening, just staring helpless, disconnected and angry. Although, she guessed that if she couldn't interfere then the same rules applied. She felt a swell of fear and anger in her belly as Vicktor strode into the room. His eyes were the same maddening red that Cassie remembered, the hunger and perverse lust written all over his face.

I get out. I get out. I get out... he does no
t kill me and I do not become a vampire... I am free...
But was she really?

“Isn’t all this kinky crap just a little bit too cliché, Langer, at least be original.” Her own voice croaked from the table startling Cassie. She barely recognised the girl that lay on the table; her eyes blazed with anger and her whole body was tense. As her counterpart remained perfectly
still, while the rancid vampire chuckled and ran his hand over her thigh, present day Cassie shuddered.

“Ah, Cassandra, I've waited a long time for you, my dear. So beautiful, so strong, so haunted...
just like your mother.”

Cassie was pinned to the spot, unable to move or scream or even cover her ears because hearing it a second time would not make it any easier. She was forced to stand in the corner and be silent, a thing she had
never been any good at.

“What the
fuck
do you know about my mother?”

Cassie knew how her counterpart was feeling, the venom in her voice as she
spat out the words at her captor. A brief look of relief washed over prisoner Cassie and present day Cassie wished she too could have Luka's reassuring words caress the insides of her mind. The psychotic vampire straddled her then and licked the dried blood from her face. Both Cassie’s shivered. As Vicktor whispered in her ear, onlooker-Cassie was unable to hear, but she heard those words in her head as if they were screamed at her. “My Cassandra, who do you think it was that turned her? It was meant to be you, my sweet, but poor mama witch got in the way. She would have turned you too if you hadn't killed her first.”

Now Cassie began to shake, sweat dripping from her brow, and she couldn’t bear to hear any more as she watched herself on that table.

You see, Cassandra, it was all your fault, wasn't it? If you hadn't run like a coward and hid when mommy told you to, then she would still be alive. She sacrificed herself for you and then you go and kill her. You are just like me, Cassandra, a killer, a demon. Evil tarnishes your soul and you destroy everything around you. Siobhan, your coven, your mother and even your vampire... Death follows you, Cassandra. They should call you the reaper instead of the keeper’s assassin. You're an empty soulless monster, and the sooner you start to understand that, Cassandra, the better and more powerful you will be.

Cole was right; it was all her fault. She had been a helpless teenager who forgot all her training and lost her nerve when faced with a vicious vampire for the first time. She had hidden in the space underneath the kitchen pantry.
Huddled in the dark like a coward, crying and snivelling because her mother had ordered her to hide. If she had even a sliver of her mother’s bravery, then she would have fought side-by-side with her. Maybe then… maybe they would have both survived. Her mother would be alive and Cassie wouldn't be the killer she was: a killer with as much blood on her hands as Vicktor.

A little voice inside her head spoke to her, trying to reassure her that Cole was just trying to fuck with her, break her down, so she'd
agree to do what he wanted.

“You bastard!”
Both Cassie’s screamed out at their tormentors. “Why me? Why her? I'm going to slit your freaking throat!”

The fight in her doppelganger’s voice spurred Cassie on. She used as much control as she could and steadied her voice.
Hey, Cole, I've seen this movie before, would you mind fast-forwarding to the end, so I can come kick your sorry ass?

So you still think you can win, my dear? What makes you think you ever came out of that basement alive? How can you be sure you haven’t been dreaming during your transition and will wake up soon a blood thirsty, savage killer just like Vicktor wanted you to be? Have you invented all of this to sooth your fragile mind into believing you are still that n
aive little bitch on the table?

Shut up, you disgusting little shit... You have to use fears and memories in order to try, and I mean try, and defeat people. I, on the other hand, will just stick my knife so far up into your gut, you
will feel the tip of it on your tongue. Face me like a man, Cole. Come on or are you scared of the itty bitty girl?

I prefer to keep my hands clean, Cassandra, so I am just going to twist your reality some more. Do you know I’m doing the same to your vampire? He has already tried to stake himself twice, and all I have done is replay his worst fear over and over and over until he began to go ma
d

Cassie could almost see Cole sitting there, rubbing hi
s hands in glee.

Do you want to know what he most fears? The one thing I told him he had done? Killed you... drained every last bit of half-breed blood from your body until there was nothing left but a shrivelled corpse. His love and loyalty for you is disgusting. Even my minions have been taking bets on who will break firs
t... my money’s on Luka.

You spoiled little shit. I WILL GUT YOU... get it... Your mother only said I had to bring you to her; she never said in how many pieces. Bring it on, you poor excuse for a demon. You will not break me... by the Goddess you won't.

Cole's laughter echoed and reverberated throughout the room making the lines surrounding her memory, or nightmare, or whatever the fuck it was, begin to blur around the edges. Cassie braced herself for what would happen next. She felt the balance of the scene change, and she knew now was not the time to think or doubt and start to believe that maybe Cole was right, that she was dead and soon she would wake and become the monster she knew she had buried deep inside.

And here was me trying to be nice, Cassandra, but yet again, your mouth gets you in trouble. Maybe I'll let Luka stake himself next time so you won't have anybody to come back for. Shall we see what would have happened if you weren't some freak of nature, an abomination of species and had no power to summon... let’s see what Vicktor might have done to you... or did he already do it, and this just means you will wake up soon? Even I'm a little confused now...

Cole's voice drifted off into the abyss and Cassie focused on the scene in front of her. As long as she was still a viewer, she would remain calm, remember it was all in her head and just a mirage.

Oh, how about we make this more fun, Cassandra? Well for me anyway. Let’s see how you react when it is you inside that body, will we?

Cassie felt a tug as her body flew through the air and slammed into her doppelganger’s body and they became one. When Cassie opened her own eyes, she stared into Vicktor's face and panic set in. She struggled under the weight of him, the weight of the déjà vu feeling almost making her forget that it was all an illusion. He was grinning down at her like before, the smell of blood on his breath.

“You’re special, Cassandra. Your powers are unbridled, like nothing anyone has ever seen before. The ability to share both Wiccan and demonic powers all in one. If you were turned, my god what a predator you would make.  You kill now for Luka without question. Imagine if you were immortal.
My very own personal killing machine.”

Cassie tried to tap into her powers, but nothing. There was no swell of magic or rush of blood
inside her. Both sets of powers were lost to her.
Luka?
She called out to him, but it was clear it wasn't just her powers that were AWOL to her.
It’s fake. It’s fake. It’s fake...
She repeated to herself over and over as if she was attempting to convince herself.

“No one is coming for you, Cassandra; they all think that you are dead, one way or the other. They will hunt you now and put you down like a rabid animal. Come with me, and we shall be rulers of the night.
Unstoppable.”

Vicktor
kissed her, rough and harsh, bile made its way ever so slowly up her throat. He was excited now - the prospect of finally having her in his clutches exciting him. He bit down on her lip and groaned, rubbing his body up against hers as he sucked on her spilled blood. Breaking away, Cassie saw his eyes glow even redder, a look of pure elation on his face.

“Exquisite, like a fine wine left to mature. Oh the taste, it is addictive. But I will have to be patient, so I don't kill you
before I can turn you.”

He leapt off her, and went to his tray of tools. He picked up a small scalpel, running it slowly over his finger tip. “Perfect, perfect. This will do n
icely,” he mumbled to himself.

Cassie twisted in her restraints, pleading to the Goddess to help her. She felt so alone, tides of despair rolling up to wash over her, doubt stalking her from a distance.

What if I never made it out? What if I conjured up a future when I may not have one?

Her head began to pound, and she fought not to scream in frustration as Vicktor appeared in an instant next to her again. He cupped her cheek and planted a light kiss on her forehead. He held her hand and gazed at her, a look that Cassie assumed one lover would make at another. He seemed content. And then the madness gradually returned to his face.

“Finally, finally, I have found my wife... we will be together forever you and I. You see, all these whores, you see them, they were all pale imitations of you, Cassandra. I pretended they were you, when I fed, when I fucked them, when I killed them... But none rose to be like you. I refused to turn them because I knew I hadn't found you yet.” He straddled her again, and rubbed his hands all over her body, enjoying every inch
of her as she lay frozen.

A coward again, my dear?
Will you just lie there and let him touch you, rape you and turn you ... just like he did your mother? How very disappointing....

The voice trailed off into the nothingness and Cassie focused again and tried to speak, but no words escaped her mouth. She was weak and a
coward, and deserved to die... didn't she?

Shaking his head,
Vicktor seemed to focus, the scalpel raised in his hand. Cassie inhaled and stared at her captor, letting out a surprised shriek as he slit his own wrist. Blood poured from the gash and Cassie squirmed trying to fight as he prised open her mouth and pressed the gash against her lips. The liquid flowed down her throat. Cassie refused to swallow the tainted blood that could turn her. Vicktor pulled his wrist away, but clamped his hand over her mouth to stop her from vomiting. When she had no other option, she swallowed and promptly gagged. The blood tasted vile, like she was drinking liquid fire. It burned her throat as she swallowed. Vicktor repeated his first step and Cassie knew she had lost... She would rather die now than become like Vicktor, for most converted took on traits of their sire... madness being Vicktor’s...and her mother’s.

Hurried footsteps emerged above her, their rescue too late. Vicktor would kill her and then Luka would be forced to kill her too... once a monster, she should not be left alive. Tears emptied from her eyes
as all hope disappeared. Luka's army burst into the basement and Vicktor vanished. Luka rushed to her side and released her from her shackles. She shook her head and tried to tell him not to, that he needed to end her before she turned. He brushed her hair and pulled her close, whispering kind words. He pulled a blanket around her naked body and told her he was going to take her home.

Home.
Could she really just go home? Was the voice in her head just that, or was Cole a figment of her imagination?

“Sire, we have not located the vampire yet. He seems to have vanished.”

Luka turned to address his soldier as a fierce cry erupted from behind Cassie. She saw Luka spin round, as Cassie felt those fingers wrap around her neck and twist. Her neck snapped with a crack, and before Cassie's body could crumple to the ground, she heard Luka's painful cry and deep maniacal laughter.