Marg’s chains rattled as she trembled.
Rodney straightened. “She has a point, there has been no crime proven here. Amelia is alive. You cannot start a war based on assumption.”
“You would betray me?” Karson redirected his fury to Rodney. “You would turn against your oldest friend?”
“No. I’m saving you. I’m preventing a war from erupting.” He scanned the collective of vampires. “It is the last thing we need.”
“She attacked Amelia. It’s only because we got there in time that she’s still alive.”
“You killed my brother!” Sarah shrieked. “A throat for a throat is written in our laws. Amelia will be dead by your hands sooner or later anyway, just like Anastasia.”
Karson went white with rage. Fire flared in his eyes. There was a cracking sound, then something wetter, like a spade slamming packed, wet earth.
Marg screamed, and her whole body jerked back, her mouth gasping at air like a clown at a show.
Karson’s hand was dug into her chest.
Sarah wailed, a pitiful, broken sound.
“Karson, no!” Ethan shouted.
Marg’s eyes rolled back until all I could see were the whites, then her head flopped. Her breathing was thin, ragged. She was alive—just.
“Kneel, an inch is all I need to rip her heart from her chest,” Karson snarled.
“Stop,” I whispered, my hand shaking as I stepped closer and reached for him. “You don’t need to do this. Please, don’t do this.”
The fire dimmed in his eyes.
“We’ll work something out together, all of us as a team. I love you. We all love you.” I saw the hazel of his irises rise through the burning. I saw relief as if he wanted to work this out too.
I had the man I loved back. We’d work everything out. He’d choose negotiation over death. Peace over war. Love over hate.
Then the temperature of the room turned ice cold. Their powers vibrated against my skin and deeper to the core of my body. I took my eyes off Karson briefly. More vampires spilled into the room, silent as shadows, looking lethal and ready to fight. I didn’t know if they were friend or foe.
Until Sarah’s vampires rushed at them.
Chapter 70
Explosion Of Vampires
The room erupted into chaos. Vampires exploded in every direction, claws outstretched, teeth bared. The sound as bodies hit walls was like an army of tanks clashing. Bodies flew, striking so hard against the walls, the building shuddered. Blood sprayed and someone screamed a terrible scream.
My eyes jerked to Marg; it wasn’t her. She was out cold. Karson looked from me to the warring vampires, panic on his face, but he couldn’t leave Marg, his one leverage, the only thing keeping Sarah on the other side of the room.
I caught a glimpse of Challis, his teeth bared as he charged at a vampire. The two of them rolled on the floor in a tumble of leather and blood.
My hand quivered as I snatched out my sword and stood on the tips of my toes, in front of Georgie, waiting for anyone to come for me.
Until Ethan picked me up and moved me beside a pale-faced Georgie. She was pressed against the wall, looking for a chance to run. There were too many vampires between us and the hall to flee.
Ethan stepped in front of me. As did Michael.
A vampire stormed toward us, his dark face set like thunder, his arms flexing with muscle as he tossed aside fighting vampires in his way like they were bits of gum he was done with.
Michael shouted, “Get them out of here!”
Josh looked around wildly, but there was no way out, not without going through the fighting vampires.
