Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) (4 page)

Chapter Six

The whole place was in chaos. Doors slammed and bolts were locked as Cassie walked behind Luka and Archer. She had the sense to grab her 9 mil from her bag before leaving Luka's room. Fear rolled off every single creature that bustled past her.
Who or what the fuck could cause all this mayhem?
She couldn't help but think.

I have a feeling this night is about to get a whole lot worse, Cassandra. Be ready.
The tenderness in his inner voice was laced with anticipation as they thundered down the hall. She had forgotten how big this place was. Way back when, it had been a small shopping centre. Luka had redecorated, rebuilding the underground pipes into tunnels so the vampires could come and go during the day. At the opposite end of the complex, Luka opened the heavy oak door leading down into the great hall. Cassie had only ever seen the hall when she had to catch a creature and return them to Luka for sentencing. When she had a kill order, she did just that.

The great hall was a sight to behold. Where Luka's room was a treasure chest of goodies, this room was a torture chamber. It was easily the size of a football pitch, the sides containing seats in an oval shape. These were 'spectator seats' where the cream of vampire society came to watch executions, or the occasion duel took place. At the head of the room, sat a throne covered in red velvet and gold. This was where Luka passed judgement. It was als
o where he received his guests.

Cassie was surprised to see that the room was almost empty. Normally it was packed to the gills. As soon as she took a step further into the room, Cassie was so overwhelmed by the scent of lilies and seduction that she staggered slightly. A warm hand grasped her arm to steady her. She looked up into Archer’s eyes and nodded her thanks. A possessive growl rumbled from beside her, and Archer
dropped his hand. Pushing past the two testosterone fuelled males, she shook her head at them as she muttered, “So not the time for this macho crap, guys.” A childish giggle came from the guest as Cassie stalked forward, eager to see what all the fuss was about.

Draped over Luka's throne was the most beautiful woman Cassie had ever seen. She was petite but curvy, and her pixie-
ish face was only emphasised by her crimson lips and blue-black eyes. Her cropped brown hair was almost golden in colour. And she was pale, much paler than a vampire, her skin a creamy-skin tone. Her skin-tight dress was the colour of her lips. She radiated power and sexuality. As Cassie stood rooted to the spot, Luka stepped in front of her. She was shocked to see him drop to his knee and bow his head in a show of respect. Cassie glanced up at the demon that stood to the side of the beautiful woman, and by the love of the goddess, he was one ugly motherfucker. He noticed her staring and his one eye blinked at her as if he recognised her.

The woman rose from her position and came to stand before Luka. When she spoke her voice was like honey on Cassie’s skin. “Rise, dear Luka, my son, it has been too long since I have gazed
upon that handsome face of yours.” She held out her hand to him which he took, kissing the back of her hand as he rose.

“My Queen, it is I who is blessed that you have graced us with your presence. If I had been informed of your impending arrival, then I could have made necessary arrangements for a fea
st in your honour.”

She clasped her hands together in glee. “Oh, a party, how lovely. But there will be plenty of time for celebrations, my son. And I must apologize for my impromptu visit... although I do love a good surpr
ise!”

Cassie nudged Archer in the ribs and he grunted. She arched her eyebrows in question, but he put his finger to his lips to shush her. But patience had never been her best quality. She nudged him again, and he swatted at her. What the hell w
as going on here?

When the stranger planted a kiss on both of Luka's cheeks, a feral growl filled the room. Cassie was taken aback when she realised the growl had past her lips. A slight blush tinted her cheeks as he turned to look at her. The woman laughed cheerily, sending tingles into her bloodstream. “My son, she is adorable.
I could just eat her up!”

She glided toward Cassie as if she were walking a Paris runway show. Cassie tensed as the woman reached out and ran a manicured finger down her scarred cheek. Anger welled up inside her, and she took a step back knowing the next words were going to get her in some serious hot water. “Hey! You could at least buy me dinner before you
try to feel me the fuck up.”

Cassie heard a gasp behind her and Luka had crossed the room in record speed. “Forgive her, my Queen. My assassin has no concept of who you are an
d did not mean any disrespect.”

“Err, Luka, I can apologise for
myself if I need to, okay!”

Luka opened his mouth to speak, but their guest held up a hand to stop him. “It is perfectly alright, my child; I will explain all to Cassandra. She is after all a daughter too.” She turned to look at Cassie before she spoke again. “And s
he is the reason I am here.”

“And what could you want with little ‘ole me? I'm just the half-breed killer that everyone’s scared of.” Her words were sharp, but there was no escap
ing the emotions behind them.

“My daughter, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are so special... you have no idea how long we have waited for you and the power you possess. I can feel it on you. You taste like a wine that
has matured over time.”

Archer snorted in laughter, and the woman glared at him. “Fallen, you are not required to stay if you have better things to occupy yourself
with.”

He folded his arms across his chest and simply
replied, “She stays, I stay.”

Interesting,
Cassie thought, wondering at his choice of words and need to be near her.

Ignoring him, the queen stalked around Cassie. “Now let me get a proper look at you. Oh Luka, I
can see why you are so entranced by her. She
is
delicious.”

Cassie stepped back, holding up her hands. “Can people stop talking about me like I'm food and just tell me what the hell is going on here?” The whole room was silent, and Cassie could hear nothing except the blood
rushing in her own head. Taking her seat again, the honey-voiced visitor began to speak, everyone captivated.  “Cassandra my dear, I have been waiting a long time for your arrival. Many great prophecies have been written about the half-breed child who would prevent the end of our world as we know it. That child is you, Cassandra. And you have only skimmed the surface of what you are capable of. I am here to tell you all about your heritage, my daughter. You are of my blood and I of yours.”

“I don't know who you are lady, but you have the wrong girl. I'm not special, or a saviour, or whatever the hell you think I am. I'm just a hunter, plain and simple. I
'm just going to go and leave you to it. I'm out of here.” Cassie spun on her heels and began to walk toward the exit.

A painful roar tore Cassie in half as Luka dropped to his knees, his skin blistering as if he were in the sun. Her own senses went into overdrive and the flames licked her fingertips. “LET HIM GO!” she demanded, but the woman just smiled. She dropped the hand she held up and Luka hunched forward. Archer helped him to his feet, his breathing rag
ged as his skin healed itself.

Cassie held onto her anger, hands on hips and faced the woman. “Ok, bitch, you have my attention. Now tell me who you are, or we all leave you to party
with only Cyclops for company.”

The demon glowered at her and muttered, “
Jumatate rasei” at her.

The woman affectionately rubbed his arm. “It is quite alright, my Romanian friend; the half-breed does not fully comprehend to whom she speaks.” She glided in Cassie's direction, ignoring Archer and bypassing Luka, who was standing on his own two feet but leaning on Archer for support.

Cassie, no matter what happens next, do not provoke her. I beg you to just stay calm. I will not let her harm you.... just do this for me, please.
Luka's voice rang in her head - he sounded tired and weak, but Cassie couldn't help but notice the desperation in his voice as the female now stood directly in front of her. Taking her finger, while staring into Cassie's eyes, she traced the outline of her scarred face. A parting present from her dear ‘ole mum. The scar had never healed.

Cassie took a breath and the scent of lily crawled up her nose. She felt seriously uncomfortable, like something was trying to pull at her insides. Her blood was pounding in her veins and she had the strangest urge to itch her arms and legs. Nausea gnawed at her stomach and her head spun. Just as Cassie was about to try and form some sort of speech, Luka stepped between them and addressed her.

“My Queen, please, my Cassandra does not understand our ways as such. I would ask for a reprieve so you can tell us why you are here.”

Turning away from them, she flipped her hair, making Cassie want to laugh at the image of her as one of the 'mean girls' popped into her head. She also felt Luka twitch and knew he was trying not to laugh too. They watched the woman as she relaxed into Luka's chair, accepting a glass of what looked to be blood from the one-eyed demon, before dabbing her mouth with a napkin. She dusted herself down
and motioned toward Luka.

“Luka my dear, would you be so kind as to inform Cassandra as to whom I am... No, my pet, I'll tell her myself”. She examined her fingernails and waited, as if deliberately trying to annoy Cassie. “I have been called by many names over the centuries, but I am sure you would know me most by Lilith. I am Queen to all demons and tho
se of supernatural heritage.”

Cassie cast a sceptical glance at Luka whose face remained a mask. “So you’re telling me that the most powerful female demon in history has come all the way from the dregs of hell to say howdy to a half-breed like myself and wants a favour? Forgive me for the sarcasm, but like
, that’s fucked up.”

“Yes, that is true. I felt your power awaken and knew you would be the only one able to help me. Your power seeps from you and washes over me. It pains me to say this, but I am no longer the most powerful fe
male demon. You are.”

The last sentence was dripping in envy and Cassie saw Lilith’s eyes dim a little. The atmosphere chilled instantly, all eyes now on Cassie. Luka and Archer's faces were complete masks, and she didn't have any idea what she could s
ay when Lilith spoke again.

“I had sent someone to watch over you, daughter, a brave witch who I graced with visions and strength to aid you when you awoke, but she did not survive the war. My sister saw her death and went to the one person who she saw would remain in your f
uture and shape your destiny.”

Cassie began to speak, but Luka got there before her. “Helena was your sister?
How can that be?”

“My dear Luka. Helena was my sister by choice. I gave her some of my essence so she could protect Cassandra from potentially straying from her destiny. Cassandra is the one person who can stop the world from ending when the real war begins.”

Holding up a hand in protest, Cassie found it hard to comprehend the information overload. Helena was in league with a demon? She was a powerful... demon? She was the saviour of the world, and the most confusing one yet, Luka was part of her destiny? Her head began to ache and she stumbled slightly before being a complete wimp and fainted.

Chapter Seven

Her vision swam as she struggled to open her eyes. Blinking a few times helped to clear the fog, revealing an extremely worried Archer. “Hey, Princess. I think your bed would have been more comfortable than the floor for a nap.”

“Fuck off, angel-boy. I was going for dramatic effect.” Her voice was scratchy and her legs unsteady as Archer helped her up. She tried to push Archer away, but man did that angel have a grip on her. He held her so tight that Cassie was s
ure she was going to bruise.

Lilith had not moved an inch, remaining on her throne, filing her nails. “Ahh, Cassandra, welcome back... I didn't mean to overload your fragile mind. Now if we can get down to business, I'll explain why I am here. Come.” Sh
e beckoned them all forward.

Cassie edged forward with Archer by her side and came to stand beside Luka.
Are you ok?
He asked.

Yup, just thought I'd have a siesta... it’s been a long night.
She heard him inhale before he answered,.

y
ou’re bloody telling me.

A snort escaped her mouth; amused that this was the closest Luka had ever come to swearing. Everyone looked at her, clearly wondering how hard she had hit her head.
Careful, Cassandra. Not everyone is aware that we can speak like this, and while Lilith is here, I want to keep it that way for now.
Cassie nodded her head in agreement, but couldn’t help but wonder how they could talk to each other telepathically and no one else could.

“So, my children, let’s get down to business...  I am here because, as I've said, I require a favour. I am confined to this sector and cannot venture too far outside the city gates. That’s where you all come in. I have lost something very precious to me, and I need you to fetch it for me.”
.

Luka cleared his throat and bowed his head as he spoke “My Queen, is that all you require? I can dispense one of my vampires to retrieve it for you. Cassandra is my assassin and that wo
rk is beneath her.”

Lilith glared at Luka, her eyes darkening. Cassie had the feeling that there was a hell of a lot more to Lilith’s story than she was letting on. She had a sneaky suspicion that Lilith was intent on Cassie finding whatever it was that s
he had lost, and that she was deliberately drawing out this whole charade.

“Do not interrupt me again, Luka, or I will peel your skin from your flesh and wear it as a shrug... now where was I? Oh yes, I need you, Cassandra, to go to Abandon City and bring back a person for me. I hid him from his father for many, many years, but now he has escaped, and I need to find him before he is discovered. My life and yours is on the line if you cannot bring me back my son.”

They all let out a collective gasp and Cassie guessed it was up to her to ask the question on all their lips. “Your son? You need me to find your son?”

Fidgeting, Lilith paused before beginning again, surprisingly full of emotion. “Yes, my son. Born from my own body and blood. I consider all demons my children, but Cole is the only child I have given birth to. His father would have used him as a pawn in his games of power, so I sent him to live with a nearby family. He knew of me but not who I was until recently and then he, as you would say, ‘took off’. I cannot find him, but you can. You, Cassandra, have a knack for finding the un-findable. T
hat is why I am here.”

Cassie felt sorry for her - it must have been awful to give up your child for fear of its safety. Her mother had to have known Cassie would be different, yet she still kept her. She was grateful for the childhood she'd had. Normal and care
free. And filled with love.

“Ok, Lilith, say I agree to go and get Cole for you, what aren’t you telling us? I will not go on a blind hunt with no info, so cough up the details an
d stop with the BS stalling.”

Lilith laughed. “I knew I would like you, Cassandra Murphy... Cole is my son, but his father would want to use his gifts to further his own plans of vengeance. He wants to be free to rule this plane, and my son will not be used like that. But before you agree, Cassandra, I will tell you two things. One – if you help me, I promise I will tell you what you want most to know in the world and two - you need to be aware of who his father is...
. Cole's father is Lucifer.”

Nobody said a word.
She must be joking.
She almost scoffed at the absurdity of it all. The original king of hell was Cole's dad. Cassie’s headache was returning fast, but as soon as Lilith had said it, Cassie knew it was the truth, feeling it in her bones.
Oh my goddess, what the hell have I gotten myself into.
Cassie went to the window and looked out into the black night. Her life was spiralling out of control and fast. She couldn’t control her powers, or her feelings for Luka, and now she was technically going behind Lucifer's back to find the son he wasn't even aware of. Yet.

Archer had become even more rigid than before. His hands began to shake and his words held more bite than Cassie thought possible “You expect Cassie to go hunt the actual spawn of Satan? Who, if he found out he had a son, would eviscerate any creature who knew of his existence? You really must be as
mad as they say you are.”

Lilith rose and appeared in front of Archer before Cassie could blink. “Don’t presume to know me or what Lucifer is capable of, Fallen. Cassie would be in no danger from Lucifer. I would offer a
blood oath to that.”

“Ok, ok, no need for all this please.” Cassie stepped in front of Lilith and placed a hand on Archer’s chest ignoring a hiss from Luka. “Hey, Archie, please relax. She needs me to do this, so she's not going to make me do anything or harm me in any way. At least until she gets what
she came for, okay?”

He locked his gaze with hers and nodded. “Whatever you sa
y, Princess. Whatever you say.”

Cassie patted his chest before turning to Lilith. “I’m going to do it, Lilith, but I can't promise I'll find him. Abandon City stretches out for miles and has every dangerous creature imaginable. What incentives have you for me to actua
lly look properly for him?”

She waited for Lilith to respond and felt the familiar rush of the hunt cascade over her. She was excited and eager to get started – this is what she was made for. She cracked her knuckles and stole a glance at Luka. His eyes were fixed on her, and for a moment, it felt like it was just them in the room.

You always seem so hungry for the hunt.

She replied automatically,
It’s what I was created to do.

His brow creased as if it pained him somehow that she not only enjoyed the hunt, but the rush she fel
t as she took out her prey. Lilith took Cassie's hands in her own and kissed them, startling her. “Thank you, Cassie. That is not something I say easily, my dear. I will grant you two things in return for this boon. I will grant you a vision of a possible future, today when you dream, a day free of nightmares and memories. Then second, I will grant you when you return with my son. I will tell you who your father is.”

Cassie jerked back away from her, but said nothing.
She knows what I am? She can tell me what evil I come from. Oh goddess, do I want to know?

“I was told no one but her mother had any knowledge of
who Cassandra’s father was. How is it that you know this, my Queen?” Luka questioned.

Lilith brushed him off and spoke only to Cassie, her voice soft and peaceful. “I don't wish to hold this over you, but we both need security. I offer you my oath that the words I speak are true, and once my son is in my arms, I will tell you eve
rything. Do we have a deal?”

Speechless, Cassie nodded and held out her hand which Lilith took. As they shook, lightning struck in the sky, the sky that was
free of any clouds or rain.

Pulling her thoughts together, Cassie’s voice came out resolute. “It will take a day or two to prepare, and then I'll head for Abandon City. But I will need to know what Cole's abilities are, so
I can defend myself.”

With the snap of her fingers, the nauseating demon floated next to Lilith. He reached into his robe and returned with a scroll in hand. He held it out to Cassie, and Luka stepped forward to take it. “My Queen, we will indeed st
udy this before we leave”.

Cassie arched a brow at him at his use of the word “we”. He addressed Lilith again. “Now, my Queen, the sun nears, and I think we have all had enough excitement for one night. Shall we retire for the day
and resume this later?”

Signalling her agreement, Lilith brushed a hand through her hair, but did not make an effort to
leave. 

“There is one more thing that I must do before we finish. I had to get Cassandra to agree before I did it, as I was afraid that after I did, she would
not. Daruis, bring her here.”

The demon moved with shocking speed, and gripped hold of Cassie's arms, rooting her to the spot. As both Luka and Archer poised to strike, Lilith held out her hand, a thin barrier of magic separating her and them. “This may sting a little bit, Cassie, but there is someone I need to speak to. This will only help you in the long run, my dear, so please don't fight it.” Lilith placed the palms of her hands on the side of Cassie'
s head and began to chant.

Cassie could hear Luka and Archer calling her name, yet she was powerless to move.
Daruis released her and she swayed. Her head throbbed, and her blood began to burn, sending searing pain through her body. Clenching her fists, Cassie screamed in agony. Before she could think, she felt herself being tugged backwards with a yank, but her body had not moved an inch. She felt the familiar sensation of her eyes turning red and the anger rising in her blood; however, she felt nothing but panic.

The veil of magic fell and Luka and Archer moved forward. She tried to tell them she was fine although her mouth was having other ideas. Cassie watched as Lilith cupped her face and
kissed her on the mouth.

“Are you alright, my child? You can speak f
reely now, the witch rests.”

Luka and Archer shared a puzzled expression as Cassie's head bowed and kissed Lilith's hand, just as Luka had done. A squeak escaped Cassie as her mouth moved, but her voice was
not her own. A flat lifeless voice spoke, its words only for Lilith. “Yes, my Queen... I am here to serve you.”

Now in the corner of her consciousness, Cassie began to understand what was happening. The demon inside her was now front and centre, and Cassie
was out in the cold.
And here I was thinking this night could not suck as much as it already does. I'm in some deep shit now.