Infinity (25 page)

“Fine. I’ll go. But under one condition. You get Zoe and Diego back.”

“Deal,” He shoved the gun in my back, pulling my arm.

I looked at him angrily. “I’m going, Mason. There’s no need to shove.”

Walking downstairs I heard the sounds of violence: echoing screams, gunshots. Torch, Anya, and Mom were fighting men in black attire, and kicking major ass. Bodies dropped, and blood splattered. Then there was an eerie silence.

Huge muscled men came charging through the broken windows and doors. One snarled...crunched...Mom planted her heel in his face, smashing in his nose. She did a cartwheel, kicking him again, followed by a flurry of punches, before he went down.

Another charged. Anya dug her nails into his arm, loosening his grip before flipping him over her shoulder and kicking him in the nuts as he landed.

I stared at Anya in awe and shock. Her long auburn tresses spilled around her shoulders.

Mom screamed. “Mason! Why did you bring her down? We are under attack!”

Screaming, Torch whirled, guns held tightly in his hands. Just as he dropped the last man, he saw the fear in my face, and knew that something was wrong.

Our eyes connected as I mouthed,
help
.

He charged, but Mason collared me with shocking brutal force. “Do you think for one minute that I will hesitate to kill her?” He pressed the gun to my temple. “Or anyone that gets between me and my mate?”

From my left side, I heard a clicking sound. At least ten men dressed in black camouflage materialized, standing, laser-guided shotgun’s pointed at them. The room was suddenly deathly quiet.

“Hell no!” Torch snarled.

Mason smirked, “And as my mate, my Streak feels it’s better to keep Infinity under its care...at least until this trouble with the Collective blows over.”

Mom pointed her gun, aiming at his head. “You know I can’t do that.”

He clucked his tongue. “Kara, that’s what I figured.”

More men dressed in black camouflage busted into the house. They formed a circle around the group, their guns were held at the ready, and the lasers were aimed at their targets, while Mason dug the barrel of the gun into my head.

Mom looked at Mason with sheer anger. “Why?”

Mason laughed. “I do what is in the best interest of my Streak. As you do what is in the best interest of the Valkyrie’s. Same agenda, just different teams, Kara.”

Anya inched closer. “You wouldn’t do that. If she’s killed, she will be of no use to the Tigers.”

“She also would be of no use to anyone else. If we can’t have her. No one else will either.”

I looked at them with disgust. “Who are you people? I’ve lived with you all my life and you’re talking about me like a deposable razor.”

Mom’s eyes are pleading. “That’s far from the truth, baby, but your life is in jeopardy right now.”

Mason pressed the gun even harder against my head as a warning.

“You think? Tiger boy is about to shoot me. I think that this is a critical mass situation.”

He leaned in, his lips kissing the shell my ear. “Ask her about your friends. See if I was telling the truth.”

Mom looked panicked, then her face went blank. “Shit! Mason. Don’t do this.”

He smiled, and whispered “Ask. See how deep that trust really goes.”

I didn’t have to ask, I knew the answer. Diego and Zoe were somewhere alive, and probably being tortured because of me. “Mom?”

Mom sighed heavily, “More than likely, they’re alive.”

“And?” Mason prompted.

She looked at him with anger. “If they were taken by rogues, they will be used as hostages to negotiate for their release.”

I shrugged, “Okay, so we pay them the money they want and get them back. I don’t care how much it costs.”

Anya shook her head. “Not money, baby. They will want you.”

“What?”

Torch growled, “Gawd, pull the fucking Band-Aid off already. It’s you. It’s always been about using you for your powers, and if your friends are alive, believe me, you don’t want them back.”

My eyes darted around to each of them. “Why the hell not?”

Torch shook his head. “Because rogue vampires have either passed them around to their friends to feed on for money, or they’ve been turned to use as their personal slaves. You don’t want to know what they do to turned humans.”

My stomach lurched. My head swam.
Oh please. Say this isn’t happening.
“Mason, I’m not going with you.”

A series of red dots appeared all over Anya, Kara and Torch. I looked over at the balcony and saw five men with their weapons pointed at them.

“I think that you should really reconsider your position. You see Torch and Kara can live through having bullets ripping through their bodies, but the witch here, she will be dead instantly.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“Yes, Infinity. I will. So don’t test me.”

“Don’t go, Infinity,” Mom whispered.

I looked over at Anya with tears in my eyes. “I have to. I can’t live with another death on my hands.”

Torch stepped forward, “She’s not going anywhere.” A bullet ripped through his arm. He didn’t flinch, he was still moving towards me. Another bullet ripped through his thigh.

My body was shaking like a leaf. “Gawd, Mason. Just stop!”

Anya eyes narrowed. “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me, Infinity. I’m willing to die. In fact, I’m ready.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.” I looked over at Mason with cold eyes. “Call off your marksmen. I’m coming with you.”

Anya moved. The dot moved with her. “Please, Anya. Let me do this.”

“Oh to hell with this shit!” Torch stripped the gun from the nearest man, cracking it against the man’s head, his attack was graceful and precise, a whirlwind of pinpointed blows and shattered bones. When it was over, all of the men were on the ground writhing in pain.

Mason smiled as more men blasted through the door and kicked through the rest of the windows in unison, showering everybody with glass. Bullets whistled through the air hitting Anya who dropped in a heap, bloody, and still.

I screamed, pulling and punching Mason. “Anya! No! Please, no.”

Mason laughed as he looked on dispassionately. “More, Infinity? Because I could give more examples of how far I’m willing to go for you. Who did you think slipped Rejuvenators in your drink at the club? Me? There is no limit to how far I’m willing to go. Trust me on this.”

I wiped my tear stained cheek. “Stop! Everyone just stop. I’m going with him.”

Mason grabbed my hair, yanking it so hard strands snap. “That’s what I thought.”

Mom didn’t blink, in fact, she smiled sadly. “Remember what I said, baby. I will protect you always, even in death.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew what was coming next. She had prepared me for this, but the reality of death, hers, was too much for me to take. “I’ll be waiting for you.” I looked at Torch, “You too.”

I was numb. Walking in a zombie haze as more men streamed in, including Nick. I looked at him coldly, shaking my head with disbelief. “You too, Nick? This is truly a fucked up night.”

Something fluttered in his eyes before they narrowed with distain. “I do what I have to do for my Streak.”

“If that’s what you tell yourself to go to sleep at night.”

Mason shoved me, “More walking, less talking.”

I stumbled, “If you push me one more time, I’m kicking your ass, okay? Play nice.”

He nodded towards them. “Nick, take care of them.”

A barrage of bullets ripped through the living room hitting Torch and mom. Their bodies collapsed, eerily still. Blood was everywhere.

I pulled trying to get away, to save them, to do something. Tears streamed down my face. My heart dropped. My world was forever shattered. My body collapsed as Mason caught me, dragging me over the threshold to the waiting black SUV, and pushing me in.

“Nick. Burn down the house.” His lips curled into a weird smile that made me want to vomit. “See? All gone. Dilemma solved. End of our problem.”

I just stared into space, my heart cold, knowing what it felt to be truly alone. Everything was gone, everything I loved. The word ‘end’ echoed in my head like a bad dream. No, this was not the end. It was only the beginning, my beginning—and vengeance would be mine.

Stay tuned for the next
Valkyries: Soaring Raven
novel

Infinity Unleashed

Sedona Venez writes Adult Fiction (paranormal romance) and is the alter-ego for T.L. Clarke, author of preteen/teen series Gabby Girls Adventure. She’s a lifelong reader with a fascination with mythology and anything paranormal. When not writing, she can be found watching bad movies, listening to music, and traveling.

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