Maybe I imagined everything. The connection, the trust, all of it.
The thought shouldn’t hurt as much as it does.
“…And I would put it to you, Grand Elder, esteemed High Priestess,” Lucien looks from Arabella to Seraphina, “that it is, in fact, the Blackwoods who are at the center of this. A dark conspiracy. They’ve been involved in every act of violence we’ve been plagued with since the start of it all, and—”
“You have got to be kidding me!” Rowan is on her feet at my side. Her hands are glowing. “You’re pinning this on us? On our family?” Mia puts a hand on her arm and Dad murmurs something softly to her.
“Oh, would you look at that? A Blackwood witch losing control,” Lucien smirks.
“You bastard! You abducted me. Held my sister captive for a year! Inyourfacility!”
“Miss Blackwood, there was so much magic in that place; how are we to know it wasn’t your own kind who were behind it?” He chuckles when Rowan snarls at him. “And there goes the control again.”
“You want to see me losing control? I’ll fucking show you losing control!” The air cracks and rips as a bolt of pure power shoots from her fingers, narrowly missing Lucien. He ducks left, triumph written all over his face. There’s a collective gasp from the others.
“Rowan!” Dad barks.
Mia surges forward, her grip on Rowan’s arm tightening. “Ro, please. He’s not worth it.”
“It’s the Blackwoods who aren’t worth it,” Lucien sneers. “Troublemakers, the lot of you.”
“Oh, I’ve had just about all I can take of you!” I half-yell, only realizing I’m on my feet when I’m a few feet away from him. Energy is sparking and sizzling in the air around me.
“Help! I’m being attacked!” Lucien staggers back dramatically, clutching his chest. His eyes gleam with barely concealed delight at the chaos he’s created.
Goddess! I’m going to kill him!
My magic surges, wild and electric. The candles around us explode in a shower of sparks. Wind whips through the chamber, upending chairs and swirling clothing around wildly.
“Kara, stop this!” Mom’s voice cuts through the mayhem. Dad’s hands grip my shoulders, trying to ground me, but my temper is beyond control now.
“Remove them!” Arabella’s voice rings with authority. “The Blackwoods have proven themselves incapable of civil discourse.”
“This is exactly what I warned you about,” Lucien practically purrs.
“Out!” Arabella barks. “Get them the hell out of here.”
Before I can unleash the full force of my rage, strong arms wrap around my waist. The world tilts as I’m hoisted over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
What the fuck?
It doesn’t take me more than a second to recognize the wide set of the shoulders I’m dangling over. The hard planes of muscle moving smoothly beneath my belly.
“Put me down!” I pound my fists against Marcus’s back as he carries me out. “How dare you! You asshole!”
He strides through the clearing beyond the entrance of the theater, ignoring my struggles and increasingly creative curses.
“You arrogant, bloodsucking assclown!” I yell. “Let me fucking go, you bastard dickhead…shit-for-brains!” I’m spluttering out idiotic insults that will probably come back to haunt me, but I’m just too mad to think clearly. My magic sparks uselessly against his skin – he must be shielding himself somehow.
“Put me down, you overgrown leech!” I thump my fists harder, but he doesn’t flinch, which only makes me madder. “I’m going to blast your ass six ways to kingdom come, you knuckle-dragging vampire twatwaffle!”
Once outside, he sets me on my feet. I immediately shove him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you insufferable dickmunch? You had no right to—”
His lips crash into mine, cutting off my tirade. For a moment, I’m caught completely off guard by the sudden heat of his mouth on mine. His hand cups the back of my neck, and to my absolute fury, I feel myself melting into the kiss. My fingers, which were about to push him away, somehow end up clutching his shirt.
Kara, what the hell are you doing?
I freeze. My brain short-circuits. This isn’t happening. I shouldn’t be kissing him. I shouldn’t be enjoying it. But I am. I’m kissing a vampire – an infuriating, arrogant vampire – and it feels like lightning is coursing through my veins.
