Blood's Fury (Deadly Beauties 1)

He doesn't waste time. We vaporize into the air and split the planes of life and death as we rush away, retreating in complete disbelief.

The head-rush consumes me, forcing me to be even sicker than I already am as we reach the porch of the safe home I abandoned to live with the devil. No doubt, he didn't like the magic surrounding my home. I gave my innocence to the enemy, and he took much more than that.

"What the hell is going on?" Gage demands as we start walking in.

Before he can cross the threshold, he's launched backwards as the protective spell from my house kicks him in the chest.

I squeal as he crashes into the cliché white picket fence and crushes it to pieces beneath his forceful slam.

"Ow," he grumbles, no real sense of pain in his tone.

"Sorry," I mumble numbly. "Gage can come in."

He stands and warily makes his way back onto my porch. Skeptically, he touches the air of the threshold with the same caution a human would exert to check for an electrical current on a wire.

Finally, he steps through without being battered again.

"Now, I repeat... what the fuck just happened? Kane's a damn night stalker?"

The tears almost choke me, making it impossib

le for me to speak, so I nod vigorously instead. He runs a hand through his hair to ruffle it as he shakes his head.

"I thought you checked him out. How the hell did he not reveal himself under the influence of your mark?"

I steady myself enough to answer, though my voice is hoarse and pitchy as I speak. "I couldn't use my mark. If he had been human, it would have killed him. I saw him at midnight over and over... he should have-"

"Damn it, Alyssa! When will you learn? Magic isn't old anymore. Midnight doesn't mean shit nowadays. Midnight reveals them if they've taken the lives of innocent victims. Heavy emphasis on the word innocent. In this day and age, such a fucking thing doesn't exist anymore, unless they kill a child. Fuck! And your damn mark won't kill a human! Stop being so-"

"Mine will! I've seen it, you asshole! My power comes from Calypso Coldwell and Drackus Devall. The two combined gave me more power than what should exist. Most people just don't know how fucking strong my mother is. Her mark kills too, just as my father's does. Do you understand? I couldn't risk it."

He frowns as he lets out another exasperated breath. He grips his head as if it aches, and then he plops down on my couch.

"Fine. Sorry. I didn't know. I knew Drackus's would kill, but I didn't know it was because of the power within. Why didn't Frankie use his?"

The onslaught of tears I'm facing is merciless, ravaging my cheeks with their acidic flow.

"Because he thought I used mine. Frankie doesn't know how strong I am either. Mom keeps it quiet. She's worried the world will shun me like they do my father. I'm not supposed to exist, Gage."

His eyes soften, and he stands to walk over to me. His bare chest glows under the lone light in the room. He pulls me to him, and my tears dampen his chest.

"I don't know what he wanted from me. I don't know why he had to make me-"

My sobs become too uncontrollable, making speech no longer an option. Gage coos in my ear as he pulls me tighter into his embrace. His soft touch is all the comfort he can offer, but it's not enough to hold me together.

"I'll stay with you tonight. At least we know why your spell failed at his house. You were trying to keep out the dark, when that's all that surrounded you."

Fuck. I'm so, so stupid. How could I live with a night stalker for a month and not know it?

I just nod as he scoops me up and carries me to the bedroom. He gently places me on the cold, forgotten bed, and I curl up like a child afraid of the dark. Drawing my knees to my chest, I cry into the pillow.

"Alyssa, I can stay in here if you need me to."

He stands uncertainly by my bed, but I shake my head. I don't need his pity for my stupidity.

"No. Just go."

He sighs out, reluctance shining in his aura. With heavy footsteps, he makes his way toward the door.