Crimson Truth (Onyx Assassins 4)

“You’re a brave vampire,” she said, twisting her hand in the air. “I’ll give you that. Stupid, but brave.”

Benedict wailed, clenching his teeth together so hard I was sure they’d snap.

And that was all it took for me to shake off the shock of his pain, the shock of seeing my strong, powerful mate so incapacitated.

“And you’re an arrogant bitch,” I snapped, sending a wave of my power crashing into her stomach. She doubled over from the hit, her power slipping.

Benedict slumped to the ground, and I bounded in front of him. It took everything in me not to drop to my knees and help him, give him my blood and help heal him, but that would only give Genevieve another chance to kill me, and that so wasn’t part of the plan.

She recovered, standing up straight again I as I stood before her, palms raised and heart racing. Shock colored her features, along with a good amount of fear.

“You…you’re dead,” she breathed the words, and I shook my head.

“Guess you’re not as strong as you thought, mother.”

She flinched at my sharp words, but she only floundered for a second before she lashed out with a flick of her wrist. I deflected the obvious attack with a simple wave of my left hand.

“How dare you—”

“How dare I?” I cut her off, advancing. She backed up a step. “You did this. All this blood?” I waved behind me, motioning to the ongoing battle still raging behind us. “It’s on you. And it’s fucking senseless. You didn’t need more power. You didn’t need to align yourself with the Sons. Those people hate everything that we stand for, in case you forgot.” I curled up my lips at her in disgust. “And you definitely didn’t have to try and kill me,” I continued, and she glared at me. “But that wasn’t even your biggest mistake.”

She narrowed her gaze at me, her power coiling around her fingers and wrists, her hair lifting behind her on a phantom wind. “Then what was?” she snapped.

“Hurting my mate,” I growled, and launched at her.

I hit a wall of her power, the force like steel against my bones as I flew backward. The pain shot across my body, but I was on my feet before she could lift her hands again. I curled my fingers, drawing on my vampire strength and wrapping it around my power as I sent it hurtling for her. Too fast for her to dodge or deflect, my spears of purple sank into her shoulders, throwing her back through the air. The same spots she’d hurt Benedict.

I ran, not wasting a second to celebrate the connected hit, but she was already on her feet, snapping my spears like they were toothpicks. A giant hand of power hoisted me in the air, and I flailed as I tried to get my bearings. She cackled as she lifted me higher and higher, spinning me until I was sure I’d throw up all over her pretty green dress.

“Let’s see if you can heal from this, daughter,” she spat up at me, and before I could quip back, she dropped her power.

Fuck.

Gravity yanked me down like the bitch it was, and I slammed into the earth with a sickening thunk that shook my vision.

I laid still, momentarily stunned, knowing a few of my bones were broken, including one in my neck.

Genevieve walked over to me, looking down at me with pity in her eyes. I didn’t move, didn’t breathe, as I stared up at her with lifeless eyes.

“Such a pathetic display,” she murmured to herself, and it took all my strength to not sigh as I felt my powers healing me. Felt those vampire depths and witch wells working together to mend every broken thing in my body, and replenish my stores of energy.

She turned her back on me, heading toward Benedict, power filling her palms. She sent torrents of it at him, and he regained consciousness from the pain as his body bowed off the ground at awkward angles.

I still couldn’t move, my body not yet mended.

Benedict’s pain flared down the bond, as did his weakening. She dug a blade of power into the center of his chest, toying with him as she sunk it deeper and deeper, getting so damn close to his heart.

The bond fluttered between us, the light inside it flickering in and out, like a weakening heartbeat.

She’s killing him.

Benedict.

My mate.

She’s torturing him, just because she can.

Fury washed over me as my broken bones fused, the feeling coming back in a hard crash.

I snapped upright, and wrapped my steel-strong arms around her from behind. She screamed and jolted against my hold, but she couldn’t break it.

“I’m not just a witch anymore, Mother,” I snapped, baring my fangs as she looked up and back at me. Her eyes widened, the shock freezing her, but her power still dug into Benedict. “And now it’s your turn to feel what it’s like to be broken.” I sank my fangs into her neck, and there was nothing gentle in my bite. I tore her flesh, drinking her power-filled blood in gulps, nearly drowning myself in it while I drained her.