Microsoft Word - Betrayal-Ashlynn_Monroe.doc (6 page)

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Dyanna caught her friend as she fell back, overcome from expelling so much energy on a single spell.

Darius stepped forward. He hadn't fallen down dead as they'd assumed he would. Bettia rested helplessly in Dy's arms. They hadn't expected that either. Dyanna's knife stayed sheathed. She had a choice—take the vamp out or hold onto Bettia. She couldn't let her friend just fall. She had to bleed the evil vampire; it was the backup plan. She felt caught in a comedy of errors, only this wasn't very funny. He stalked toward her. She tried to get her knife while holding Bettia. Darius flicked his wrist and her knife sailed away out of reach. She'd die now, a year too late.

"Wake up, please, B, wake up so you can get out of here." She shook the drained witch, praying God would hear one last plea from her unholy self. "Please God, save my friend."

Guards, angry vampires, burst through the door. She dragged Bettia to the corner using her supernatural speed and took a stand. The burst of exertion hadn't been good.

She was fighting much older vampires who were considerably stronger—she knew she would be an easy kill.

She'd take out as many as she could before they got to her fallen companion. Darius tried to talk, but his face was so damaged his angry words came out unintelligible. He pointed and shouted. She snarled at her attackers,

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unleashing her inner monster on them. Slashing out, she caught the first one's chest, ripping the leather vest right down to his cold skin and leaving it in bloody ribbons of carnage. The others growled and she hissed at them. Darius was still trying to order her killed. One lashed out. His blow struck her hard, and she flew across the room. A moment later she was back in place, protecting the unconscious mortal again.

A commotion toward the back distracted her just a moment. Her mind wouldn't focus as it had as a human, and the distraction cost her. Pain radiated through her midsection as one of the powerful men clawed her, opening her stomach. Dyanna cried out. Vampires bleed like they have anemia; it was the surest way to kill them. Holy water, crosses, garlic, all myths, but bleeding, that was truth. The wound was fatal; she knew it. Stumbling, she fell down next to her friend, and she used her body to shield the unaware human. It was the last thing she could do for her friend, so she did it. Before her eyes fluttered closed, she looked up to see what had distracted here. Anthony and about a dozen other vampires fought the guards.
I guess
there's trouble in paradise, Darius. Your family doesn't
love you anymore.
A small bitter smile touched her lips before she gave in and let herself finally die.

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* * * *

Darius's Private Party Room

Some in the clan didn't relish regular demands for brutality. Now that Anthony realized they could drink bagged blood and didn't need the leader's talent at controlling the slaves, they could be free. Once he'd whispered the truth to those he knew would prefer freedom, word had traveled quickly among the clan. He waited until he saw the women go into Darius's private room. A year ago, he'd killed his wife out of fear at the bastard's command. He hoped Dyanna and her friend would repay the favor to the bastard. Jumping down from the stage, he wiped his bloody hands on his pants. He gathered a few of the other dissidents, and when they learned a witch had a plan to kill their deranged sire, they joined him in the attack. He led the dozen or so vampires into the room. Clan members kept joining them and he felt something he hadn't experienced in a long time—hope. More vampires than he'd suspected hated their cruel sire. Darius stood gasping and choking on his own flesh, clearly the women had made an impact.
Good.

He didn't see Dyanna. They fought, slashing the other vampires until only two of Darius's supporters still

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stood. The rebellious clan members were winning. One of his comrades grabbed a knife that lay on the floor, slashing Darius's damage throat. Dark blood began to bubble from the wound. His body spontaneously burst into flames, and in moments, the whole room burned. Anthony's eyes ached as he looked around the room. In the dark corner, he saw them through the smoke. Dyanna. He stumbled over the bodies of fallen vampires. Picking up his wife, he looked down at her friend.
Dammit.
He couldn't just leave the mortal; Dy had enough reasons to hate him. He struggled to pick up the other woman. His strength was gone.

Something inside of him was changing; pain gripped him, and he gagged. He could feel blood trickling down his chin and he spit out a mouthful. What was happening?

Someone had pulled the fire alarm, and swarms of humans fled the club. The control over the blood slaves died with their masters, and they stumbled around in the darkness screaming and confused.
Double Dammit.
He couldn't just leave them there to die. Anthony coughed as the thick smoke rolled around him. That's when he realized he was breathing.

"Follow me, I know the way out." He shouted, but the roar of the flames and the hysterical screams drown out his words. He had to get his wife out, so he ran to the exit.

His speed was gone too. He couldn't see in the darkness,

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but after a year of spending every night in the club, he knew the way without sight. When he stepped out into the darkness, Anthony took a deep breath of fresh air, the first free breath he'd taken in over a year. He carried the women across the street and deposited them safely away from danger. The mortal stirred. She gasped when she saw him.

"Take care of her." Bettia looked down at Dyanna and quickly got to her knees. She took off her sweatshirt and pressed it to the wounds on Dy's stomach.

"Don't let her die." Anthony growled the words before turning to sprint back into the burning club. Sirens blared in the distance.

He made his way through the club, getting the panicked people to take hands as he went. The human chain followed him helplessly. He noticed the worst of the vampires lying dead, but smoke wouldn't have killed them, and they weren't drained. He tucked his confusion away for later and made his way across to the stage where the woman he'd savaged lay bleeding. He noticed someone had already helped the woman from the other stage down.

Picking up the bleeding woman, he felt that the leader of the human chain still had hold of his shirt. The building seemed to breathe as the heat of the fire destroyed the evil place. Chunks of burning ceiling fell in, and the screams and jerks of the humans trying to avoid being burned

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spurred him on. He lost his way, feeling confused as the oxygen deprivation began to affect him. Drawing on the need for absolution, he managed to find the back exit, leading the confused people out into the fresh air. He fell to his knees gasping just outside of the door as the roof collapsed.

"Thank you, thank you." He heard the words as the people he'd saved helped him to his feet and away from the danger. The rabble of voices penetrated his blurry mind slowly.

"Why don't I remember anything?"

"How did I get here?"

"Where are we?"

Questions surrounded him, and he managed to avoid them by breaking free and stumbling across the street to where Bettia performed first aid on his wife. She was so pale. "How is she?" He coughed out the words.

"I don't know. We need to get her to a hospital. She needs blood."

"Can't we just get her a bag to drink?" Anthony was confused. Had they lied about being able to drink bagged blood?

"No. Dyanna has a pulse. It's weak, but I think she's human again. My spell worked. I didn't tell her, but I think I was able to save her because she never took a life. You're

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not dead; you never killed?"

"No, I never killed anyone. Dyanna never gave me a chance, but I found a way to control the vampire needs. I never asked for this either. I just didn't want to lose her."

Anthony flagged down one of the first responders.

Soon his wife was on a gurney, on the way to the hospital.

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Nondescript Apartment Building on Chicago's
North Side

Bettia left the apartment to go to work. They'd both gotten a fresh start after the fire. Joanie still hadn't completely forgiven her for being MIA for a year and refusing any sort of explanation. They'd decided on Chicago because Bettia had secured the job quickly after applying online. She was a surgical nurse at Rush University Medical Center.

Dyanna didn't have to go into the café, since it was a day she wasn't scheduled. She looked at the messy apartment. It was definitely time to clean. Going to the closet, she pulled out the broom and her furniture polish. A knock sounded loudly at the door, and she walked over to see who it was. Looking out the peephole, all she could see was the profile of a man. Cautiously, she opened the door without releasing the chain lock.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can, by forgiving me." Anthony's voice sounded contrite.

Pulling the door open, Dyanna gazed up at her very

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mortal husband. "I thought you were dead." Her voice was cold and emotionless, not betraying the joy in her heart.

"When the news reported on the fire, your name was on the list of the people who died. I'm still shocked the authorities never figured out the truth about the vampires. Darius was smart to have built his family from people he'd found across the country."

"He also never let anyone stay in the clan more than a decade before killing them. I think he was afraid someone would recognize a long lost family member who hadn't aged at some point. The bastard made a lot of enemies."

She hadn't seen him after the fire. She'd woken up in the hospital with Bettia and Joanie at her side, but no Anthony. He'd disappeared; they'd assumed he'd died from injuries, or maybe the spell. Yet, here he stood, alive.

"I'm sorry." He looked like hell.

"For what, killing me, or saving me?"

"Never for saving you. I love you, Dy. I didn't know how to apologize, what to say." He ran his hand through his hair. "I've tried to live without you, but I can't. I know you can't forgive me, but I can't stay away anymore. Honestly, I've been building up the courage to find you since the fire, but when I thought about the look in your eyes… I never want to see you look at me like that again."

"That's a pretty shitty excuse." Bitterness laced her

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words with vehement.

"I know. Dyanna, God, you're so damn beautiful."

He pushed into the apartment, enveloping her in his arms.

His lips found hers with a blinding desperation that stole her breath. She clung to him. She'd missed how he tasted, how he held her. Despite her anger, it felt unbelievably good to be in his arms again.

He pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. "I never want to lose you again. I don't want to live without you."

"I know." She felt the same way. She was angry—

bitter, but she loved him. No matter how big a bastard he'd been, he was the only man she'd ever loved. Dy wanted to kick herself in the ass.

"Will you be with me, Dy? Give me another chance?"

He was asking a lot of her, too much. "I don't know.

I need time, lots of time. I'm not going to tell you that I never want to see you again, but I honestly don't know if I can ever forgive you."

He crushed her to him in a kiss that told her just how much he wanted that second try at happiness.

"You are my salvation, Dyanna. I'll be the man you deserve."

"I hope so." She meant it, something profound had

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changed in him, but she needed to take it slow.

"I'll take whatever you can give me. I didn't know how to say how sorry I am."

"You just did. See? It wasn't so hard."

His eyes became hard. "I haven't been the kind of husband I want to be, but that's going to change. I'm so pissed at myself for what I did to you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, honey. Can I take you out on Friday night, just like old times?"

"Yes." It was a start, and Dyanna felt her heart lift for the first time in over a year. "I'm not going to promise you we can ever really be a couple again, but I'm willing to see where things go."

"Thank you," he whispered. She could see gratitude in his expression.

"Just don't expect too much," she told him quietly before looking away so he wouldn't see how much she still longed for him.

"Every moment you're willing to give me is a gift, Dy. I won't push you. You have the best heart of anyone I've ever known. I don't deserve a second chance."

"I know," she replied. "This is just dinner."

He nodded, and she could see how much her hesitant forgiveness meant to him.

"Whatever this is, it's more than I have the right to.

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Thank you, sweetheart. I love you, Dyanna."

Once she'd loved him with her whole heart. They'd both changed, suffered. She touched his face gently. "The old Anthony betrayed me. I'm willing to get to know who you've become."

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm going to be a better man for you, Dy."

She tried not to cry, but felt her eyes misting. "I hope so." She pulled back and looked up into his handsome, albeit tortured, face. As Dyanna gazed into Anthony's eyes, she realized the man he could become was worth fighting for.