“She caused a lot of trouble in the Middle Ages with her bat powers.”
Eleanor smirked at the mention of the Middle Ages. She’d been such a brat back then.
“Did you kill my ex-father?”
“No, he used his powers on me. I had to get away, but he’s here somewhere.” I listened for him but decided it would be quicker to hunt him down by scent. Why a vampire would wear cologne mystified me. The scent threatened to give me a headache.
“I’m coming with you. Eleanor?” She called to our friend who shooed us off. The majority of the vampires who’d been in this long hallway were on the ground begging for death. I grasped onto my kitten’s bloody hands, and we ran.
“That’s his cologne.” Kat stopped and led us in another direction, down the stairs.
Sirens blared outside as the happenings of the country leader’s building was under attack had spread. We’d tried to keep this discreet, but Sakura had another plan. I was better than this. The Legendary Wisterian Vampire had yet to take down his mark. Ego rattled beneath my skin, and I ignored it. This wasn’t about ego. I didn’t care who took him down, only that he met his end soon.
The scent led to a helicopter pad on the roof.
“It’s a trap!” a bloodied Angel yelled as we stepped into the sunlight. The reflecting light from a blade blinded my eyes but I knew its trajectory—Kat’s perfect neck. I pushed her out of the way and walked right into the sharp steel.
Chapter Fifty
Katsumi
My heart stopped beating as I looked up to see Tatsou with a blade sticking out of his skull. His wide eyes cried blood, and I screamed.
“Tatsou!!” I crawled to him. His hand lifted and the wisp of a shadow flew toward me then died after a foot. His body collapsed to the ground, and I sobbed.
“I’d warned you, daughter. You could have had a life with him, but you rebelled anyway.” The devil kicked me in the gut twice, then spat at the ground beside me. My shock and sadness took a sharp turn into searing, white rage, like lightning had shot into me and I burned. I burned hot to melt this asshole.
“Pathetic girl. You and your sister are worthless.” He stood in front of me one minute, then dragged a struggling Romi into view.
“Now you both can die.”
Romi searched the roof for me as she squirmed to fight the death grip on her. She would not go down easily. I stood and dove deep into myself. I’d wanted the monster within to come out. Well, her time had finally come. I ran for him at the same time he wrapped his hands around Romi’s neck and started to twist.
Angel, who had been violently beaten, found the strength to move and tackled our father. They went down in a tumble of teeth and punches. Romi screamed, and I quickly joined the fight. I grabbed my father by his hair and ripped him away from Romi and Angel. When he jumped up his hands lifted and all three of us froze. Shit.
“Worthless children. You managed to even turn my second-in-command against me. I should have sold you both when you turned of age.”
Gross.
“Now, Angel, since you love my daughter so much. I think you’ll like his.” He snickered as Angel’s body suddenly walked closer to Romi.
“He’d been protecting you for months, even keeping an eye on Takeo so you’d be happy. His reasons for joining me were purely for taking down originals when we found them. However, those motivations changed when he met you. Love is so predictable.” He laughed like love was some silly notion. I glanced at Tatsou’s dead body and knew that wasn’t true. His heart may not beat, and he may not ever look at me with that stupid smirk, but our love was real and powerful.
“Drain her,” Kano demanded, and Angel’s teeth tore into Romi’s neck. She screamed, and then with each pull from her vein, her voice died.
I stared at the man who ruined my life with complete focus. I saw pain, anguish, and bitter hate.
“No!” he hollered. His eyes glazed over, and I knew a nightmare had taken hold.
“Romi,” Angel whispered as he gained control of himself again. I wanted to look, to make sure they were okay but if I took my focus off the devil, he’d win. He fell to his knees, eyes full of tears as he whispered, “I am powerful, I am not nobody.” Over and over. His biggest nightmare was being nothing. Good, I’d show him just how nothing he was. I poured every ounce of my emotions into him. Embarrassment, the fear from my assault. A situation he put placed me in, in the first place. Every demeaning thing he’d ever said, every sexist snide comment about my fashion career. The man sobbed, and I walked forward confidently.
“Welcome to the life of a woman, Kano Sakura. We’re treated like nothing, until you realize we are stronger from dealing with the bullshit. For all of history, men have feared rejection or being shamed by women. Women feared being killed by men, so we diluted our emotions so we wouldn’t die.
“Men like you are the weakest, unable to handle being nobody. I’ve been bred into a constant state of nobody and no autonomy. Despite all of that, I love myself, monster parts and all. Which makes me more powerful.” I gripped his head and tilted it backward. I raised my hand to the sky, ready to chop his head clean off.
“You are nothing without your notoriety.” I brought my hand down right as a horde of vampires on fire crashed onto the scene. With my focus on the flaming vampires, my father pushed me away and ran. I wasn’t going to let him get away. I chased after him, boots clicking against the concrete. He ran through the halls where Eleanor had killed his men left and right.
“Why are you running?” I called after him. He looked back at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. I would have killed him if his inferno squad hadn’t showed up. I was not afraid of him anymore. Unlike him, who ran away from me scared shitless.
