“That’s quite an army you brought,” Ronan said.
Aiden glanced down the line to see his clan, his family standing with him. Bel stood with a raven on his shoulder, but he had no doubt more animals were at the ready. Marcus, Winter, Rafe, and Philippe were prepared with swords. A small flame flickered in Ethan’s palm while the air around Fox crackled with energy. Yes, they were very impressive and absolutely lethal when it came to protecting one of their own. And Ronan was theirs.
“You attack us now, and Ronan won’t survive the trip to Europe. Your family will be slaughtered! You will be dragged before the Ministry!” Mara threatened, her voice shaking and growing louder with each word.
“So…blood and carnage?” Ronan asked. His grin tilted, becoming a little more devilish, but Aiden shook his head. Vampires weren’t scared of blood and carnage. Aiden intended to create a nightmare from which Mara would never escape.
“How well do you remember 1347?” Aiden murmured, and Ronan’s smile disappeared into a mask of confusion.
Turning his attention over to Christopher, Aiden narrowed his gaze. He took a step forward, putting a little distance between himself and his family. “The Ministry intends to use you against me. You’re a pawn. The power they promised you is a lie. I’ll give you and your clan this one final reprieve. Leave now. Be out of Connecticut tonight. Be out of the Americas in forty-eight hours, and I’ll let you all live. Stay, and every last member of your clan will be slaughtered.”
Heller laughed, the sound was high-pitched and a little desperate. “You’re insane, Varik. Even if you kill us, I swear we’re going to take a good number of you with us. I’ll finish Damon’s work. The Variks will be destroyed.”
Aiden slowly lifted his hands with his palms up, almost in supplication. “No. No, you won’t.” He drew in a deep breath and held it for a second before steadily releasing it between parted lips. As he tapped the power deep inside his chest, an overwhelming sense of peace swept over him. It was a strange and almost frightening calm he hadn’t felt in centuries, but then it had easily been that long since he’d last used his gift.
Long tendrils of mist started to creep and slither across the ground toward the gathering of Heller’s clan. Aiden had seen a similar fog wind through cities plenty of times in his life, but this was different. This white mist moved with purpose.
Aiden looked up at Ronan’s worried gaze and offered a sad smile.
“Aiden?”
“Look only at me, my love. I have you. I swear.”
His control would be perfect and precise. Nothing would touch Ronan or his family. Or Mara. He wanted her to watch and remember.
The gathered vampires shifted uneasily as the mist closed in. No one paid much attention to it, and that was fine with him.
“Kill the Variks!” Mara shouted.
But no one moved.
Then the first one screamed. The mist wrapped around its victims, sinking into their flesh. More voices were raised, one after another. The vampires clawed at their flesh and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. After a couple of moments, it became clear that skin was blackening and pulling away from the bone.
“What-what’s happening to them?” Bel gasped as one of the wolves whimpered.
“They’re rotting,” Aiden said simply. “It’s my gift. I can make living creatures decay.” It was a horrible, ugly, wretched gift. He’d always hated it. Hated that he could so easily do something so hideous. Bel’s was a beautiful gift. Marcus’s darkness was a blessing. Rafe’s charm was playful. Even Ronan’s gift of sleep was gentle. But this, it was monstrous.
And yet it came to him as easy as breathing.
Mara spun in place, pulling away from Christopher with a frantic scream as he clawed at her. She grabbed at Michael, frightened tears streaking down her face as she tried to get him back to his feet and to the car. But there was no escape.
It took only a couple of minutes for all the vampires to die, but his gift wasn’t done. Not until their bodies turned to dust. There would be nothing else of them but piles of empty clothes dotting the asphalt.
Aiden extended his left hand toward Marcus. “Your knife, please Marcus.” A moment later, a knife handle was pressed into his palm, but Aiden was careful not to look at his son’s face. He couldn’t face him yet. Couldn’t risk seeing the horror and rejection yet. At least not until Ronan was free. Once his mate was completely safe, then he would deal with the damage he’d created.
Closing his fingers around the handle, Aiden was stunned to feel Marcus catch his hand, holding him in place. He reluctantly looked up, but there was only worry and love in his eldest son’s eyes.