Authors: Kelly Varesio
Insperatus (42 page)
“
Ben!” Helena screeched. “Get Harker’s body and the girl out of here now! I want him to die suffering, and the girl to watch—and I want this woman all to myself!”
Ben!” Helena screeched. “Get Harker’s body and the girl out of here now! I want him to die suffering, and the girl to watch—and I want this woman all to myself!”
Ben nodded as he grabbed Traith and Taverin by their collars.
“
No! Rein! Don’t let him take me! Rein,
please
!” the girl screamed, struggling to break free of Ben’s arms. She disappeared behind the door, along with Traith’s body.
No! Rein! Don’t let him take me! Rein,
please
!” the girl screamed, struggling to break free of Ben’s arms. She disappeared behind the door, along with Traith’s body.
Chapter 62
Rein’s arm shot up in Helena’s direction. The sinister woman stuttered and grabbed her throat. A great amount of pressure was hammering into her neck, and she was lifted off of the ground. Trying frantically to break free, Helena pulled intensely at her throat trying to get the incredible weight off of it, flailing her wings in a futile attempt to escape. Rein pulled her hand down, and Helena went down with it, denting the ground where she’d been smashed. Ben ran from behind the door. He had yanked the stake out of Traith’s body and held it in his furry fist; an expression of fervent rage lingering on his face. He jumped onto Rein, sending the two of them crashing backward into the cell.
She screamed and fell to the ground. She twisted, and Ben drove the stake into her side—not where he had wanted it to go. Rein touched him, and he was crunched backward into the stone cell wall. He lay still.
Rein’s head shot up, her teeth showing with anger and her muscles tense. She stood up and yanked the stake out of her side. She tried to spit out the blood in her mouth, but it kept coming up from her throat. She gritted her teeth. She ignored the excruciating pain. The tears that were speeding down her face, the blood that was everywhere…she ignored it all. Helena was all that filled her vision.
She felt something more flare up inside her: more anger and frustration, more unceasing hate, more power.
Somehow…more power
. It was a strange sensation beginning to take over her. She wasn’t going to let the person who may have killed her lover survive.
Somehow…more power
. It was a strange sensation beginning to take over her. She wasn’t going to let the person who may have killed her lover survive.
Helena flew to her and slashed her across the face. Rein grabbed her hand and snapped it. Helena shrieked, and in that moment Rein grabbed the stake and plunged it into her heart with all her might. Helena was forced backward with the might of Rein’s dig. She crashed through a steel door and into a metallic hallway. Ben twitched from where he lay and slowly began to rise from his position.
She didn’t care about him; she needed Traith…
God, if he was dead…
She flinched when she realized that three people stood outside the cell she was running from. Lorena, beside her, Jacques, and Magellan, ready to fight.
She looked at them gratefully, but ran as fast as she could into the doorway where Traith was lying. The door slammed closed behind her, and the hall was dark. Taverin screamed her name with happiness, but became instantly terrified.
“
Rein—he mentioned something with your name—‘I told you I was a lure.’ Does that make sense? God, Rein!”
Rein—he mentioned something with your name—‘I told you I was a lure.’ Does that make sense? God, Rein!”
A lure
…
…
Traith was lying limp, bloody and bruised. His face was still gashed, down his eye, everywhere. He hadn’t healed.
Why
?
Why
?
She crumpled down beside him, her hand on his face. “Traith?” her voice broke. “Traith, can you hear me? Please be with me…”
She ripped and pulled off his shirt to expose the gaping chest wound in the midst of his already wide geography of scars. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he didn’t speak. She cried to herself as she shakily ran her hands over his body, trying to take something from his bloodstained chest into her own body. If he was dead, maybe she could take his wound and die with it. But if he wasn’t, she wouldn’t be able to remove any of his pain; it was from a stake.
And then she felt it.
Dear God, she felt it.
Somehow it was working. Somehow she was breaking all limits ever known. She was taking his wound. She watched as the hole in his chest began to grow smaller and smaller. It was as if someone were quickly, but carefully, stitching his chest back together. She couldn’t let him die. She could—c-couldn’t let him…
Dear God, she felt it.
Somehow it was working. Somehow she was breaking all limits ever known. She was taking his wound. She watched as the hole in his chest began to grow smaller and smaller. It was as if someone were quickly, but carefully, stitching his chest back together. She couldn’t let him die. She could—c-couldn’t let him…
Let him…
Chapter 63
His sight was foggy as he blinked; he slowly managed to flinch and then move. His muffled hearing rapidly regained its sharpness; Taverin was screaming Rein’s name. He saw Rein gazing at him on her knees, leaning over him. She looked as though she was going to fall over; her eyes began to turn back in her head. He stared in shock; his heart sank. She buckled onto his chest. Trembling seized him in panic as he quickly lifted her from his chest. Her eyes were open but glassy. Vacant.
His body was healed.
A long gash suddenly riveted down her left eye. He suddenly realized that the vision had returned to his. His face had healed. Hers was doing the opposite.
And there was blood everywhere.
“
No, Rein!
Rein
!” he screamed, fighting back tears. He held her head in his hands. “No please, Rein—please don’t do this to me!”
No, Rein!
Rein
!” he screamed, fighting back tears. He held her head in his hands. “No please, Rein—please don’t do this to me!”
“
Traith, don’t let her die!” Taverin screamed, wild and frightened. “
She took your wounds!
”
Traith, don’t let her die!” Taverin screamed, wild and frightened. “
She took your wounds!
”
He looked up for a mere second. “A stake,” he stuttered, staring back down at Rein. “A bloody stake.” He was hysterically petting his lover as if that would revive her.
God, she’d taken it. She’d actually…
Taverin fell next to him on the floor and began to cry, grabbing Traith’s once frosty-white, silk shirt that was lying beside them on the ground. It was torn apart and almost completely red with his blood.
Red. It filled his sight.
He suddenly couldn’t get his mind off it.
His body wanted to rear up and inhale it.
He closed his eyes tight and held Rein close. It couldn’t get to him. Not now…but he had held off too bloody long…those vials…he hadn’t taken one in days, and…
“
I was in here watching you
die
, Traith,” Taverin spoke through tears and sobs. “I think you were really dead!” And she could say no more.
I was in here watching you
die
, Traith,” Taverin spoke through tears and sobs. “I think you were really dead!” And she could say no more.
“
God, I hope not,” he murmured. “If I was, then she…I must have been; she couldn’t have healed me if I wasn’t.” He swallowed blood that had been in his throat, and he felt as though he was almost losing control. “Taverin, get away from me,” he said, sniffing.
God, I hope not,” he murmured. “If I was, then she…I must have been; she couldn’t have healed me if I wasn’t.” He swallowed blood that had been in his throat, and he felt as though he was almost losing control. “Taverin, get away from me,” he said, sniffing.
His heart broke when he saw tears still running down Rein’s face. She was still slightly awake. She was scared to die but would for him.
“
No, Rein…”
No, Rein…”
He was getting intoxicated just from the aroma of her blood. Hers, he knew, too. Not his own, which seemed splashed everywhere. His body had a taste for
hers
…
hers
…
“
Please
, Taverin, leave,” he whimpered.
Please
, Taverin, leave,” he whimpered.
She stared at him curiously through tears. “Why?”
“
Just trust me and go, please!”
Just trust me and go, please!”
“
But
they’re
out there!”
But
they’re
out there!”
With a wave of his hand she was gone from his sight. He broke down. He was losing. His human instinct was losing. His mind clouded.
He tasted her blood in his mouth. He was swallowing.
He’d licked it. Tasted it.
Damn—what the devil have I done?
It lingered pungent in his mouth.
He was losing his mind over it.
His lover might be dead, and he couldn’t refrain?
“
Oh God, please, Rein, no!” he cried. “I’m
sorry
!”
Oh God, please, Rein, no!” he cried. “I’m
sorry
!”
A damned
animal
!
animal
!
He turned and struggled to his knees, holding her. His vision was blurred and watery; her eyes were still open.
She had seen him drink her blood. Only a moment ago. She was still holding on.
And that was the last thing she was to see? Him drinking from her like she was a bloody
fountain
?
fountain
?
He felt his lips again with a single hand and began to tremble when blood covered it. He dropped his hand. He felt her body tense.
“
Rein,” he whimpered. “God, I don’t know what’s wrong with me; Please! Please put it back…please. Let me die, Rein; I deserve to die. Why did you—How could you do this to yourself? No, put it back.
Rein
…”
Rein,” he whimpered. “God, I don’t know what’s wrong with me; Please! Please put it back…please. Let me die, Rein; I deserve to die. Why did you—How could you do this to yourself? No, put it back.
Rein
…”
Then, for the first time, she became heavy and hung down limp.
He stared in fright at her, putting his hand on her chest, trying to stop the bleeding. It was spewing like a geyser, soaking into her clothing and into his hands. He felt his eyes continually drawn to the hole ripped into her as it bled without end. And the gash down her eye…He had had that, too.
And it was taking
everything he had
to not become wild over the scarlet that covered nearly
every inch
of his vision.
everything he had
to not become wild over the scarlet that covered nearly
every inch
of his vision.
Just don’t become a monster, please…
Why had I? That had never,
ever
, happened before…
Why?
ever
, happened before…
Why?
He heard screams coming from the other room. He was covered in blood, both his own and hers. He’d lost blood, so his body was going raving mad trying to replenish it.
He gently laid her head down on the floor. He stood up and ran out the door, trying to get even a fraction of the demonic thought of blood out of his head. To his shock, he saw Lorena and a few others fighting a newly strengthened Helena and Ben.
Taverin ran to him from a corner, her eyes swollen and pink. “Why did you do that?” she screamed. “What’s wrong with you? Is Rein dead?” She quieted. “Lord, look at you…”
He blinked slowly but firmly. He bit back emotion with an uncanny amount of power. He was covered in blood from head to toe.
“
Lorena
!” he yelled. “Get Taverin and everyone else out of here,
now
!”
Lorena
!” he yelled. “Get Taverin and everyone else out of here,
now
!”
Lorena’s stare was full of emotion; she nodded without questioning. She looked up, and slowly she and the others, along with Taverin, who was yelling for Traith to let her stay, disappeared.
Helena looked over at Traith and started running toward him. “How do you live again?! I
killed
you!” she screamed as she flapped her wings in fury, one side straggling.
killed
you!” she screamed as she flapped her wings in fury, one side straggling.
“
You killed me?” His voice cracked with uncovered panic.
You killed me?” His voice cracked with uncovered panic.
He closed the door forcefully, hearing her beat into it, and melted it to the wall with his hands. “My fiancée sacrificed herself for me
because of you
!” He bent down, grabbed Rein’s body, and touched the base of the floor.
because of you
!” He bent down, grabbed Rein’s body, and touched the base of the floor.
It glowed red for a moment, and then everything began to collapse. He held Rein’s face close to his. “Oh—” He swore under his breath. “I have to get Ana.”
He shoved in the door that he had melted, crushing Helena behind it. Nearly in the same instant, Rein in one arm, he grabbed a chunk of metal, charged it, and flung it hard into Ben. The werewolf flew backward onto the ground and didn’t move. Traith ran out of the room as it blew up and into another room to the right of him into which he had seen Ana retreat. Ana was curled on the floor crying.
“
Ana?” he murmured.
Ana?” he murmured.
She looked up at him, and her eyes were momentarily terrified, but then they became angered. “Get away, Traith, just get away—”
“
Ana, just listen to me, please; this whole place is going up in flames and—”
Ana, just listen to me, please; this whole place is going up in flames and—”
“
No!”
No!”
“
Damn it, I won’t
hurt
you! Listen to me!” he yelled frantically. “You’ll
die
in here! I can take you with me; Please!”
Damn it, I won’t
hurt
you! Listen to me!” he yelled frantically. “You’ll
die
in here! I can take you with me; Please!”
He glanced down at Rein. Her head hanging back in his arms.
Smoke.
Her weakness.
He
might’ve just killed her by exposing her to it.
might’ve just killed her by exposing her to it.
His heart was so torn. His sister or his fiancée?
“
No!” Ana answered him after a delay. “Because of you I want to
die
anyway!”
No!” Ana answered him after a delay. “Because of you I want to
die
anyway!”
“
It doesn’t…” He paused, grunting as he ducked falling debris. “It doesn’t need to be like this! Please, Ana!” He ran to her and bent down. “Are you scared of me, Ana?” he questioned.
It doesn’t…” He paused, grunting as he ducked falling debris. “It doesn’t need to be like this! Please, Ana!” He ran to her and bent down. “Are you scared of me, Ana?” he questioned.
“
Get away!” she screamed, standing and running off.
Get away!” she screamed, standing and running off.
“
You think I’m going to hurt you?” he shouted. “The only other person in the world with my own blood, and you think I would
hurt
you?”
You think I’m going to hurt you?” he shouted. “The only other person in the world with my own blood, and you think I would
hurt
you?”
She didn’t reply.
“
Ana?”
Ana?”
She had disappeared past the flames and boiling metal that now engulfed the floor. His heart wrenched inside his body. He’d taken too much time. He held Rein close, covering her wounded chest with his bloodstained hand and, straining, successfully entered into familiar surroundings.
Chapter 64
It was dark. No candles, curtains drawn. The door was closed, and the room was quiet as a graveyard. He was too worn out to panic anymore. His head leant on his folded fists. He was exhausted.
But what if she woke? There was always that slight chance she could.
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