Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) (7 page)

Chapter Twelve

Having parked the car away from the city's wall, the unlikely trio stood facing the gigantic barrier. “Um, guys, if there’s no gate, then how the h
ell are we going to get in?”

“Archer is going to open a small tear in the magic surrounding the top so we can slip through. But first we need to get up on that ledge,” Luka said as he
pointed almost twenty feet up.

Cassie looked up, then back at Luka, then up again. Who do you think I am, spider-
freakin'-man? Luka barked out a laugh, and Archer eyed them suspiciously, before realisation flickered across his face.

“Hey! No fair! An angel could feel left out with your freaky mind messaging. And how long have you been mind c
hatting behind my back?”

As Cassie scowled at him, Luka gave Archer a simpler explanation of what she had said. “Cassie was just wondering how she was
going to get to the ledge.”

Holding his arms open Archer grinned. “I believe I can fly.
I believe I can touch the sky!”

“Oh, hell no... I hate heights, and I’m not going to let you drop me. Forget it, angel-boy. I'll
get up there myself.”

“And how do you propose to do that, Princess? You may be strong and all
demony, but you can't fly.”

Shuddering as she thought back, remembering the only time she had managed to levitate. “I can do it
myself. I'll levitate.”

Luka put his hands on her shoulders, his touch sending tingles through her. “Now is not the time to be stubborn,
Cassand...Cassie, let one of us help you.”

Shaking her head she motioned for him to walk away.  But he hesitated, waiting f
or her to go first.

Archer spread out his fantastic wings, and with a whoosh, he was airborne. Landing with accuracy, he looked down at Cassie, a smug expectant smile on his handsome face. He crooked a fing
er at her, teasing her. Concentrating as hard as she could, she closed her eyes, breathing in and out, just like Archer had told her to do.
Focus on what you want to do, come on, Cassie, focus.
She placed her hand down by her side and flexed out her palms. Feeling the power rush through her body, she opened her eyes to see that she had actually floated upwards. Woohoo!!!
That'll teach you, angel-boy.
But as soon as she had that lapse in concentration, the power faded and she ended up flat on her ass. “Fuck!” Cassie screamed out in frustration.

Luka helped her up. “If you weren't trying to outdo the angel, then you would have made it. Do it right this time.” There was a strange tone in his voice that Cassie couldn't qui
te make out.

Shaking herself out, she closed her eyes again and repeated the process. This time she kept her
mind clear and her eyes firmly closed. She felt herself floating, feeling utterly free. She didn't realise how far she had travelled until a pair of hands grabbed her around the waist to stop her. She swirled round and stumbled up against the angel, whose brown eyes drank her in. The urge to kiss him was back; a snarl from below pulled her away. Luka's face contorted, he threw up their bags before crouching low and leaping. He pounced like a tiger on its prey and landed solidly on the ledge. Slowly, he turned, facing Cassie, his face still the picture of the perfect monster. Before she could stop herself, she had taken a step back, her hand tightly grasping the butt of her gun. Archer stepped in between them and Cassie turned away. A grunt and a muttered curse later, Luka was back to normal. Archer put his hands on the film of magic and spoke a few hushed words. A slight buzz emulated from where Archer had placed his hands. The film rippled and Archer stuck his fingers in, pulling it apart. Holding it open, he grunted, “Get in now... I can't hold it for much longer.”

Grabbing her bag, Cassie stepped inside followed by Luka. Archer put his body through the gap, then took his hands back. The magic snapped back into place, hissing as the surge of power joined together again. The angel bent forward, his breathing ragged. “That witch had som
e kick in her shit.”

Luka was grim as he patted the angel's back. “Yes, she had... Cassie's mother was an
extraordinary witch.”

Cassie’s head snapped forward. “My mom? My mom
did this?”

Luka just nodded.
She was a strong witch, Cassie, and a tremendous person... she helped us put Abandon City together before she... changed... only a member of the Samhain coven can take down the wards.

Cassie gawked at him.
Then why couldn't I have done it instead of Archer since I’m the only member of that coven left?

Because you have not used your magic for quite some time, and your new powers can be volatile.

“Okay, enough with the mind chit chat, we gotta make tracks, kids.” Archer grabbed his own backpack and stepped off the ledge. Cassie gasped and looked over, but all she saw was a vast nothingness. Luka inclined for her to go next, but Cassie couldn't move. Luka leapt next, Cassie's heart now in her throat. Luka's voice rang out from the darkness, “Come on, Cassie, just jump, and I'll catch you.”
Trust me.

So you can slice a demon in half, but you can't step off a ledge. Get a grip girl.
Trying not to think, she stepped off and refused to scream until she landed safely in Luka's arms. Kissing the top of her head, he released her. “We need to get to the safe house; I can feel the sun beginning to rise. All three began to move slowly and cautiously. The city was still, but Cassie could hear scratching and clawing along with shrieks and growls. Checking her watch, Cassie saw it was almost five. Stalking through the shadows, they crept along the streets. The air seemed colder and the darkness more sinister. While some of the buildings were demolished back home, these ones were decimated. The scent of blood still lingered, and the stains remained on walls. Carcasses of dead demons lay strewn in the streets, their flesh ripped apart. According to the stories, Dublin had been a vibrant city, full of character and zest, but Cassie saw none of that here.

Out of the shadows crept a demon-dog. Its teeth were as sharp as her knife. It was about the same size as a St Bernard. From its jaws, a fresh piece of meat hung, as slobber dripped onto the ground. As Cassie raised her gun, Archer put a finger to his lips and held his other hand up. In a flash, a beautiful -deadly bow appeared. Pulling an arrow from underneath the back of his jacket, he aimed the bow at the dog, poised to shoot. The demon turned and opened his mouth to roar when Archer shot the dog st
raight between the eyes.

The dog crumpled into a heap. As quick as it appeared, the bow disappeared again, and Archer motioned for them to continue.
Huh, so that’s where the name Archer comes from.
She stopped suddenly, the memory of Archer she had seen when she touched his wings, of a little angel practicing his skill. She jumped when Luka touched the small of her back but moved on.

Goosebumps rose on her flesh. This place really was horror-film scary, but Cassie knew that demons smelt fear and it would be no use to her on any of her missions. The moon had begun to dip and Luka let out a hiss. Glancing back, he looked like he was seriously uncomfortable. “Your safe
house nearby, Luka?”

He didn't answer her, so she didn't press him. She went behind him to take up the rear. The sun was going to be up soon, and if Luka didn't get out of it, then he would be barbecued. Archer was silent up ahead, but then again, the whole city was suspiciously quiet. Barely allowing her mind to wander, the ground began to shake almost knocking her on her ass. She steadied herself and braced for attack. A troll thundered around the corner. All brut
e strength and lust for blood. It turned toward her and sniffed the air. Its bleeding eyes locked on hers and recognition crossed its face.

“
Assasssssin, the Gods have finally sssent me something delicious to eat. I will enjoy ssssucking the meat off your bones. You will pay for ssssending me to this forsssaken place.”

Cassie took her usual sarcastic route. “Ahh, troll boy, you do say the nicest things to a girl; it makes me feel
fluffy inside.”

“I will eat you alive!” he roared, banging his gorilla knuckles on the ground. Cassie heard barking and yells from all corners of the city.

“Um, guys, I think it’s time to go,” she said, looking over her shoulder. They took off down a side alley before darting out onto another street.

“This way” Luka yelled,
and they raced after him. Their feet pounded the pavement as the creatures chasing them gathered speed. Cassie's fighter instinct tried to compel her to stand and fight, but she had a little more sense than that. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode as she pumped her arms to keep up with the boys. Despite her supernatural strength and speed, she couldn't keep up with them entirely.

The overwhelming scents of so many demons, in such close proximity, forced bile into Cassie’s mouth. She had no choice but stop as she began to heave. She suddenly felt exhausted and could hear a voice calling her in her head. In complete opposition to the normal soothing voice that spoke, a raspy voice teased her; its voice scraping her brain like nails on a chalkboard.
Cassandra, come to take me back to Mommy? Stupid half-breed, what makes you think you can take me in?
Then an intense pain began to pound in her head; she buckled to her knees, screaming in agony. Her brain felt like mush, and she couldn't remember what is was that she was meant to be doing. She faintly heard her name being called; at least she thought it was her name. She looked up into black, hungry eyes and razor-sharp teeth, mesmerized. As the haunting creature opened its jaws, the wire voice laughed in her head.
Night night, Cassandra. Say hello to daddy for me.

As the demon pounced, Cassie was airborne in unfamiliar arms. Although she felt dizzy as fuck, she looked into the face of her savoir. He had long charcoal hair tied back in a braid, sharp cheek bones and brown eyes with flecks of green. She poked him with her finger to see if he was
real and he snorted.“You’re pretty,”

The words blurted out as if sh
e had no control of herself.

He chuckled, his voice foreign. “I'm sorry, sweetie, but you are so not my type, no matter how big you
think your balls are.”

What a waste,
she thought as he chuckled again. He let out a whistle, like a bird singing, before disappearing into a blacked-out building. As her vision blurred, she saw Luka and Archer storm into the room. The stranger laid her down on a worn sofa-bed. Luka came over to her and ran his hand down her scarred face.

“Is he another angel? Or a Fallen? Coz one of them is quite enough thank you very much,” she quipped.

Archer grunted, but had a smile on his face. “Shh, rest now, Princess. I think after the mind-fuck you've just had, you need to rest your brain. It’s already overworked.”

“
Screw you, angel-boy.”

Luka cleared his throat, walking over to briefly hug the stranger. Turning back to face her, he spoke, his voice soft yet distant. “Sebastian, let me introduce
Cassie. Cassie, this is Seb.”

He was stalling with his introduction for some reason and as the stranger’s face contorted to resemble Luka's monster, Cassie flinched and held in a breath. The vampire extended his hand but slowly took it away as Cassie refused to shake it. Offering her an exaggerated bow, he grinned,
his face now normal.

“Ahh, Cassie, I've heard so much about you. Let me introduce myself properly since Luka seems lost for words. My name is Sebastian, but you can call me Seb... and I'm Luka's brother.”

Chapter Thirteen

Silence ricocheted throughout the room as Cassie's eyes darted back and forth between the two vampires. Now that she studied them, the resemblances were clear. From the slant of their lips to the sharp contours of their faces, they looked so alike. But where Luka's hair was short, Cassie could only imagine that Sebastian's would cascade down his back, stopping only at his hips. They both had the same intense looking eyes but of different colours, and Sebastian was tall and thin while Luka was broad and had muscles... Deli
cious, rock hard muscles.

The sound of a throat clearing as well as a childish giggle shook Cassie back to the present. “Oh I do like her, brother, you’re lucky she is not my usual flavour
, or I could just eat her up.”

Luka snarled but didn't answer. Cassie opened her mouth, closed it again, and repeated the process. Her head hurt, and she just had no idea of what to say. It was rare that she was rendered speechless. She rose from the couch then sat back down, her legs wobbling. Archer came and sat beside her, but not before stealin
g a quick glance at Luka.

You know every single thing about me, Luka... I've never been able to hide anything from you... yet you couldn't be bothered to tell me you had a brother? What the hell is up with that?
             
Luka looked away from her glare, his face taunt from the impending sunrise.

Seb spoke, “Cassie, don't blame my baby brother for not telling you about me. If I was him, then I would have kept me a secret too. I did a terrible thing and my brother did what any great ruler would do... put his personal feelings aside and sentenced me to eternal life here. I did the crime
, so I do the time.”

When no one spoke, Sebastian continued “We can have story time later, but for now, my brother and I need to lock ourselves in that room over there till sunset. You and that scrumptious angel should be okay to survey the streets. Just stay away from the shadows. The curse of this place means no demon can step foot in the daylight. Sleep for a few hours, hunt, but be back here before the sun sets.” With that the vampire turned, but not before blowing a kiss at Archer and slipped int
o the darkened room.

Luka stood at the window, only moving when a hiss emerged
from his lips. He took a step toward Cassie, who sank back into the couch. He focused his attention on Archer, and in that silent stare, a multitude of words were spoken. And with that, Luka was gone. Her heart finally began to slow its pace, but the overwhelming tiredness refused to leave. Archer had yet to utter a word, which was so unlike the angel. Cassie always thought her life was screwed up, but the revelations of the past few days were a serious mind fuck. She couldn't help but wonder if she was better off not knowing who her father was, and if she made it out of this alive, then maybe it was time she made a break for it... leave all that she knew behind her... but could she?

Archer stretched out on the couch, pulling her down with him. She went to pull away but those strong arms held her. “Argue with me in a few hours, prince
ss, but for now we need sleep.”

Relaxing into him, she let his scent wash over her. She could feel Archer's heart pulse quicken as she rested her head against his chest. He placed a hand on the small of her back as her lids closed. Before sleep captured her, she found herself whispering, “I feel like I've known you for
ever too, Archie...”

As she drifted off, she heard him gasp. He now knew for sure she had heard everything; it was now up to him whether he wanted to make anything of it.

***

Cassie woke a short few hours later, confused and warm, to earth-shattering snores. Glancing down at herself, she saw that she was wrapped tightly in Archer's arms, her legs shamelessly sprawled across his waist. His eyes were closed, and for the first time, he seemed at peace. She reached forward and ran a finger across his lips. Cassie knew with all her heart that she loved Luka, but there was something raw and instinctual with Arc
her that she could not explain. At the slight touch of her finger, Archer groaned but didn't wake. She traced the outline of his face and wondered what it would be like if he kissed her. When she leaned in, inching her hand closer again, his hand gripped her wrist. “Princess, don't start something you may regret.” His voice was husky with sleep and other things.

“Archer... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me... Fuck, I keep screwing up...
fuck, fuck, fuc...”

Cassie didn't get the chance to finish as she was pulled back down. Archer’s lips crushed against her. His hand twisted in her hair, and he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. Cassie heard a feral groan and was shocked that it came from her. The angel certainly knew how to kiss, but as soon as it started, it
was over.

Archer pulled away and stared at her, his breath ragged “Just thought we'd get the awkward
shite out of the way, Princess. Now there’ll be no more wondering.”

Cassie clambered away from him, shame flowing over her. How could she do that with Luka in the other room? Dear God
dess, who was she becoming?

Maintaining the silence, she pulled on her weapons belt and slugged back a bottle of water. Heading toward the exit, she stopped short as the angel stood in her way. The tension in the air sizzled as Cassie fought the urge
to kiss him or kill him.

“Where ar
e you going, Princess?”

“I’m getting on with the job, angel-boy, before I end up sticking my blade in your sorry ass,” she growled and
tried to push him aside.

“Kinky... I like it.” He grinned down at her. “Oh come on, Cassie, lighten up. You were the one feeling me up, and I couldn't resist. Look, now we need to work together, so we can get rid of the demon bitch and get the
intel you need. Then when the dust has settled, we can deal with this
triangle
we seem to have going on here. But for now, let’s just kill some demons.”

“Fine. Well come on, angel-boy, I ain’t getting any younger. We can't all be bloody immortal,” Cassie snarled at him before heading down the stairs and into the sun with the
angel on her heels.

The city seemed different in the daylight. Normal. The sunrays beamed down upon the streets, like the heavens had opened up to guide them, but Cassie knew this wasn't the case. Empty streets stretched out in front of her, eerily quiet and still. Goosebumps rose on her flesh as she took in her surroundings. Sebastian had said that the curse of the prison forbade them from stepping foot in the sunlight. She could hear the growls and snarls from the shadows; see the hungry red eyes stalking her in the dark. She could scent the familiar ones, and the ones that made her want to vomit, b
ut she was not scared.

“This reminds me of that Will Smith film, you know the one where he's the last man on earth and the infected things hide in the shadows during the
day... It’s kind of creepy.”

Cassie burst out laughing. The idea that the angel was
creeped out by a movie was a welcome break in tension. “Aww, is the poor-‘lickle angel scared of the demons? Does he need a hug and a teddy bear?”

Archer scowled at her, giving her a little shove. “Hey, the big bad demon hunter can't mock me when she's afraid of heights. I was only mentioning how it reminded me of the film, not that I was freaked out
.”

“Come on, dude, we need to try and suss out where Cole would set up shop. But I can hold your hand if it woul
d make you feel better?”

The angel shook his head and muttered something Cassie couldn’t quite make out. Walking down what seemed to be the city's main street, Cassie remembered hearing all about Ireland’s history in the capital. In her history class, before the world knew of all the crazy shit, she had learned of a struggle for independence, how brave soldiers had spilt their blood on these very streets for a cause they deemed just and important. It seemed a shame that a city that was so deep in the history of the country was now home to th
e worst monsters imaginable.

Archer grabbed her elbow suddenly, pointing toward a building that remained covered in darkness despite the high sun. He put his finger to his lips to shush her, and for once she obeyed him. Frantic screams of pain ripped through the silent streets. Cassie could smell blood in the wind a
nd she didn't know how she knew, but she did with utmost certainty: Cole was in there.

“That’s it, that’s where he's hiding,” she spat out, her body instinctively moving in the building’s direction. She pulled
her nine mil out of its holster, flicking off the safety. She could hear Archer pleading for her to stop, but it was if a siren was singing and dragging her deeper beneath the current.

The voice had returned, clawing its way slowly into her subconscious.
That’s right, Cassandra dear, come inside. This is where you belong, with us, your kin. Come into the shadows and join us. You belong, Cassandra, like you've always wanted... with us, you belong.....

“I belong,” she spoke out, her voice robotic. She tried to rack her brain, she was supposed to remember something or someone, but all she wanted was to find the source of the voice. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she whipped round pointing the gun at the figure.
I know him,
the thought filtered through her brain, yet she did not loosen her grip on her weapon.

Pull the trigger, Cassandra; he wants to take you away from us, your family. Kill him, Cassandra. Come now, it's so easy, just pull the trigger.

“Cassie? What’s happening?  Hey, it's me... Archer.” The handsome man communicated with her, but she shook her head, his words confused her.

Do it now, Cassandra, and come home.

“Home?” she repeated.

“Yeah, sure, Princess. I’ll take you home. Just take my hand.” The man stepped closer to her and reached out for her, but the voice was so in
toxicating.

A new voice weighed in on her conflicting thoughts.
Cassandra... You don't belong with them, you belong with me. I'm waiting for you here... You see the man in front of you? He will bring you back to me... go with him, Cassandra, go now. I'm waiting for you.

She lowered her gun. Hearing
his
words seemed to clear the fog from her mind, and she grinned sheepishly at the angel. “Sorry, I'm getting sick shit of all the demons messing with my head. I swear to the Goddess, I
will
gut that bastard if I get the chance.”

“And I'll gladly hold him down while you do so, Princess. You are some scary bitch when you have your eyes on a target. No wonder most of the
underworld is afraid of you.”

She dragged the angel away from the building and snorted. “Why angel-boy, that has got to be the nicest thing y
ou have ever said to me!”

They quickly retraced their steps, making their way back to Sebastian’s. The angel was quiet, lost in his own thoughts. Every now and then, she caught him sneaking a glance at her out of th
e corner of his eye. Just before they reached Sebastian’s, they paused at the bridge overlooking the river. Archer sat on the edge, his legs swinging in the air. Cassie sat beside him and lay back against the cold ground. She took in deep breaths and closed her eyes.

“You love him, don't you?” The question came out of nowhere, as if the words he thought had just po
pped out of his mouth.              Sitting up to look at him, she shrugged her shoulder. “It’s complicated.”

He rubbed his arms as if he were cold and looked out from underneath his sinful lashes as he spoke. “It’s not really, Princess. Either you do, or you don't. There's something there between the two of you, like two halves of the same coin, you get me? If you had seen your face while Cole had you mesmerised, you were like a zombie, but one word from Luka brought you back. It’s hurting you both denying it, and sooner or lat
er it will get you killed.”

Cassie knew he was right, that she couldn't go on like this and neither could Luka. “I'm going to leave,” she blurted out, “when this is over. I'm going to see if I can go to the
Europes and leave him in peace.”

“Or leave him in pieces, Cassie... He wants to give you the chance to back out. To find someone normal, but it will rip him apart slowly. It’s started already, and you leaving will not help. If you love him, tell him. If you don't, then put the poo
r bastard out of his misery.”

The angel spoke frankly; it made her like him even more. She knew deep down that she was in love with Luka, would die for him and him for her, but her own insecurities and hatred of monsters held her back. And what of the way she felt about Archer? Never had she been so magnetically drawn to someone as she was to
Archer.

“And what about us I don'
t understand any of this.”

The angel turned to her and held her face in his hands. “Cassie, I can't explain how you make me feel, but although you may come to love me, it will always be platonic. I may be cheeky enough to steal a kiss, but I will not betray Luka and neither would you. I will always protect you, and something tells me you’re stuck with me for a long time. I’m going to be like the handsome gay best frien
d minus the gay part.”