Chapter 35
Rome truly didn't know how to feel as she left her house only minutes after the vampires and inspector Milo had arrived. She hadn't been prepared for the shattered look her mother had given her when she announced she was going after Ly. That look had been enough to make her numb, but the expression her father wore, that deep, crushing disappointment, had cut her right to the bone.
She was hardly even aware that Tricia helped her climb into the back seat of Milo's SUV and didn't even notice the vehicle was badly dented from it's encounter with the police patrol car. It wasn't seriously damaged though and started easily as the inspector turned the key.
“Your family will forgive you eventually Miss Armida,” Tricia assured the distressed girl as Milo backed out of the driveway. It was obvious the young vampire knew what was on Rome's mind. “They will come to realise the importance of your decision to help us and they will agree that you have done the right thing.”
Saying nothing, Rome just placed her head in her hands. She would never forget the disbelief on Alex's face or the look of horror and panic on her mother's. She would never forget how her father had turned away from her as she begged him to understand why she was choosing Ly over them.
The tears started to flow steadily as Rome thought about what would happen to her family if she never came back. Tricia might be right, they might forgive her eventually, if she lived to see them again, but if she didn't make it back, if she died trying to help Ly, it would destroy them. She knew that her mother would never be able to survive the death of one of her children and the others would fall apart without Mae.
Rome tried, without much success, to control her sobs, but she just couldn't get a hold of herself. It seemed as if all the tension, all the panic and the pain were flowing out of her and she couldn't hold them back any more. Not so long ago, before she met Ly, she hadn't really cried in years, but it seemed that everything in her life had become so much harder since he appeared.
From her left Rome heard Nicator growl in annoyance. The vampire was obviously irritated by Rome's emotion because he kept shooting her disgusted looks. “Can't we just shut her up,” he snarled. His eyes were a deep silver and he was looking pained, almost desperate. “If you just let me have a little bit from her, I can leave her with enough for her still to be useful. Just a drop. Just to see why Ly likes her so much.”
“You won't touch me,” Rome shot back, suddenly extremely angry. She glared at the shocked vampire through tear filled eyes. “If you lay a hand on me Ly will kill you. I offered him my blood and he accepted it. So you stay away from me.”
“You offered Ly your blood!” Tricia gasped as she twisted suddenly in her seat to fix Rome with her sapphire gaze, a look of pure shock appearing on her angelic face. Milo groaned loudly from the drivers seat. Obviously he knew what offering blood to a vampire meant. “You gave him...and he accepted...oh no. You linked with him! Truly?! This is much worse than I first feared. He is serious about you. Very serious.”
Without warning Nicator burst into laughter. It was cruel and dark and made Rome cold inside. “You stupid girl,” he smirked, his eyes flashing to their original hazel for a few moments before shifting back to silver. “Do you know what you've done? Did he even tell you what tyou were doing? You'll never be free of him now, you know that right?”
“Oh Rome,” Tricia sighed, shaking her head and looking a little distressed. Nicator continued to laugh. “Do you know what this truly means? No matter what happens the two of you will be together until one of you dies. You cannot fight it and nether can he. You may not feel any different now, but eventually you will become aware of him, not in the same way he is aware of you, but certainly you will feel his existence. Every human does after a certain amount of time”
“It doesn't make much of a difference,” Rome murmured, ignoring this new, and somewhat exciting, information. What would it feel like to be aware of Ly all the time? “If we make it through all of this, Ly will just forget I ever existed. He needs to be with a vampire...”
“He will not forget you, he cannot. It is not physically possible for him to ignore the link between you now. He does not necessarily have to be with a vampire either,” Tricia corrected. “Did he tell you that?”
“No,” Rome admitted, “but if he's going to run this country then he needs an heir eventually and human vampire couples aren't allowed to have children. There's no way we can be together if we can't have children.”
Tricia smiled a small, sad smile as Nicator laughed again, this time sounding genuinely amused. “Can you imagine Ly as a father,” the blond said, showing her long canine teeth as her smile broadened. She placed a hand over her stomach, seemingly unaware of the action. “He has never wanted children. I doubt he would know what to do with them.”
That's when it hit Rome. If Tricia was pregnant that meant there was another member of Ly's family out there. He wasn't the last. Tricia and Tristan's child could be Ly heir and that would mean Ly wouldn't need to have any children of his own.
So, assuming that that was true, Rome could stay human and still be with Ly. Or was this just something else that complicated their relationship? Did it really matter now anyway? She had already chosen Ly over her family. Was it so much harder to choose to give up her humanity?
“Taylor should be at his private residence,” Milo announced into the silence, breaking Rome out of her thoughts. She got the feeling that he was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking and was forcing everyone to think of the task at hand. “That's where Ly will go. It should take us about three hours to get there from here, maybe a little under that.”
“Then drive fast,” Tricia demanded. “We have to catch up with Ly before he does anything stupid.”
“If he hasn't already,” Nicator muttered.
* * *
Cassian smiled as he stepped into the middle of the room. Large, friendly brown eyes fixed on Ly. He looked no different than the last time Ly had seen him, except that he moved his left arm stiffly as if it caused him pain. Apparently the wound he had sustained when Tristan was killed hadn't healed properly.
Ly dropped Taylor, who crawled quickly towards the door. The cowardly politician was stopped by a quick gesture from Cassian and he looked up at the vampire with fear filled eyes. “Go and stand in the corned,” the vampire ordered, his voice still light and cheerful. “I'm not quite finished with you yet.”
Taylor whimpered softly, but did as he was told. Getting quickly to his feet he shuffled over to the far corner of the room and stood there, waiting obediently for further instructions. It was not the kind of behaviour that was expected of the head of a major political party and one of the most powerful men in the vampire hunting world.
“Isn't it wonderful Ly,” Cassian giggled as he watched Taylor obey his order. “The most influential man in the hunters world, and our greatest rival in the government, and he carries out my ever order. What more proof does anyone need that humans are beneath us.”
“It was you,” Ly growled, his voice low and dangerous. He had all but forgotten Taylor was in the room after Cassian appeared. Now that it was obvious the hunter wasn't the mastermind behind anything that had been happening he no longer mattered. “You did all of this. You started this mess! You...you...what did you gain? You caused Tristan's death! You had him murdered!”
“No Ly,” Cassian said, the smile finally leaving his face to be replaced with a look of genuine sorrow. “I didn't have Tristan murdered. Do you think I would let those hunters take the life of a member of the Aleron family? Let his noble blood be spilled by those scum? No, I couldn't let a human, a hunter, do it. I did it myself. I was the one who killed Tristan.”
For a moment Ly was frozen with shock. How could Cassian be the one who killed his brother? They had been close friends for years. Could that be the reason Tristan didn't fight back? Not because he didn't want to harm humans, but because it was his closest friend that had turned against him.
“How could you?” Ly spat, his hands shaking with rage as he thought of the shock and betrayal Tristan must have been feeling moments before he was shot through the heart by someone who was meant to be on his side. “You were his friend, he trusted you!”
“It was because he was my friend and my leader that I couldn't let anyone else take his life,” Cassian explained calmly. “Don't you understand Ly? I had to do it myself so he would know how much this meant to me. We were friends, but some things are worth more than just friendship.”
“But you were injured,” Ly snapped as he tried to get his head around the situation. “You were shot twice. You almost died. Damon carried you back to the house that night. He thought you were already dead.”
“I had Scott shoot me after Tristan died,” Cassian shrugged as if it was no big deal. “I needed it to look like we had been attacked. Unfortunately the wound in my shoulder was worse than I anticipated and I lost most of the movement in my arm. But I suppose this is my punishment for removing Tristan from this world and I accept it gladly. If there had been a way to do this without killing him then I would have taken it. I need you to see that Ly. I did what I had to do.”
“Why? What is it that you have gained from this?” It was taking everything Ly had to stop himself from ripping Cassian to shreds, but he needed to know why all this had happened. He needed to know what his brother had died for.
Cassian smiled again, but this time is was sinister and dark, full of pride for what he had accomplished and eagerness at what was still to come. “Lyconideas,” he said slowly, his eyes glittering with excitement. “You and I have never been friends, much to my regret, but that doesn't mean that we don't have anything in common. Tristan was a good man and a good leader, but he was idealistic. His plans for vampires and humans to live together, as equals, was unrealistic, impossible. You know this, just as I do. Humans and vampires will never be equal and nor should we be. We are the more advanced race. We are stronger, faster and smarter than they will ever be. We should be the ones who run this world, not equal to the rats that infest it. I am sick of living my life as if I'm a criminal. Sick of hiding away as if I'm ashamed of what I am. I am not ashamed and Tristan was wrong to stop us from fighting back.”
“If you didn't believe in the cause than why did you join?” Ly snarled. True, he had never believed in Tristan's dreams of equality either, but at least he had never lied about it.
“To get close to Tristan of course,”Cassian answered. “To create a position of power and influence for myself. I thought that maybe I could sway Tristan in my direction, that eventually he would see what I could, that humans are lower than dirt and not worth our respect. I never dreamed he would be so...unmovable. But you, Ly, you have always seen things the way they are. You have killed for blood, just like a real vampire should. You know the power that comes from fear because you have created it in others. The humans will fear us, as they should, if you help me now.”
“You're insane,” Ly spat. “You can't possibly believe that I would help the man who killed my brother.”
“Hear me out Ly. Let me explain my plans to you before you toss them aside,” Cassian urged gently, holding his hands out in front of him in a gesture of peace. “You see that man cowering in the corner like a frightened rabbet,” he nodded towards Taylor, “as I said before, that man is one of the most powerful in the vampire hunters world, which is why I sought him out. Some time ago I approached him with an offer. I would help him become Prime Minister of this country, if he helped me take Tristan out of the picture. He agreed, even though he hates vampires, he agreed to hire the people I recommended to get rid of his rival candidates. He told them who he wanted killed and they did it. He upheld his side of the bargain by providing me with a vampire hunter as a decoy, Matthew Scott. Scott served his roll as the murderer of the Jarlan very well and when he was no longer needed his death served as a way for Taylor to tighten his grip on this country. Furthermore the deaths of all the prominent anti-vampire campaigners made people afraid of us again, making them believe they needed someone with a strong stance against vampires in government. What he didn't know was that I had recorded all of his transactions with my vampires. Every murder he ordered was taped and is in my keeping. If news of what he had done was to get out then he would go to prison for life.
“You may want to ask why, why would I want to help a man like him become the leader of this country,” the older vampire continued. “It's simple really, he is no longer in charge of his political party. I am. Most of his hunters have no idea what's going on and the majority of his party are now loyal to me, though they don't know what I truly am. Taylor is just a figurehead, a puppet for me to use to win the election and he knows I could kill him or send him to prison any time I wish. Once I control this country it won't be hard for me to transfer rule over to the vampire population. Isn't it ironic Ly, a vampire as the head of the largest anti-vampire party in the country?
“My goal is almost complete, though after the election it might take me some time to get enough vampires into government secretly, but I find I need you Ly. It wasn't really unexpected. Ideally the vampire population would rally behind me, as Tristan's second after Tricia was out of the picture, but it was slightly unrealistic to rely on that while a member of the Aleron family still lived. They trust you Ly, and they will follow you. I had hoped that, after Tristan's death you would want to get revenge on the hunters that killed him and I would be provided with a very powerful ally in this war. It is unfortunate that you had to find out what really happened, but I still see a way forward for us. With you as head of the vampires and me ruling the humans we can have this country under our control before the end of next year. The humans will be our slaves, our food supply, nothing more, and we can accomplish this with very little bloodshed.”
It was hard for Ly not to stop and consider this. Cassian was right. Vampires were the more advanced race. They surpassed humans in every way. So why was it that humans were in charge? Was it simply because they existed in larger numbers? Logically the stronger race should rule and it was undeniable that vampires surpassed humans in almost every way.
Ly shook his head. Cassian might be right but that didn't make him sane. Still he couldn't help but be drawn in by what the older vampire was saying. Wasn't this what he had always wanted, vampire dominance over humans? Wasn't this why he was always arguing with Tristan? A world where vampires didn't have to hide or worry about what humans thought. A world where he didn't have to run any more. A world where he could be himself, where he could be free.
But was it worth it if Tristan wasn't alive? Could he ever cooperate with the man who had meticulously planned and carried out his brothers cold blooded murder? Did he still want to suppress humans after meeting Rome? What would happen to her if he went along with this? He would probably be able to protect her, but what about her family. She would hate him if he let anything happen to them. She would hate him if he went along with this insane plan.
“Ly?” Cassian frowned slightly, confused at Ly's silence. Surely Ly would see the benefit of what he was doing. Ly who hated humans more than any other vampire he had ever met. Surely even the death of his brother wasn't enough to destroy that hatred, because if you looked at it logically it really was the vampire hunters fault that Tristan was dead. Them and the humans. “I know how much you hate them, I know what they did to you in the past. We could stop that from ever happening again. We could be in control.”
Then Ly began to laugh. It was soft at first, but then grew stronger, louder. Cassian's smile became one of triumph. Ly would join him, there could be no other way.
“You're right,” the raven haired vampire managed to say through his laughter. “You're absolutely right. I hate hiding. I hate that we're not free. I hate that I have to torture myself every damn day of my life to stop from killing them. I hate that they make the rules and we must obey. But there is something I hate even more then them. Something that makes me sick to my stomachs, and that's a vampire who would kill his own kind. You killed our leader, your friend and my brother in cold blood and you expect me to willingly go along with you. The funny thing is I probably would have had no problem with your plan if you had just left Tristan alone.
“So you may be right,” Ly hissed darkly, eyes flashing dangerously. “But I still see no way forward for us. You killed Tristan, you have to die.”
“Be reasonable Ly,” Cassian argued. “If I hadn't of removed Tristan none of this would have been possible. You said yourself this is what you want and Tristan was in the way of that. Would you really throw away this opportunity just to take your revenge?”
“You really don't know me at all, do you Cassian?” Ly said as he took a step towards the other vampire. “I'm only alive because of Tristan, my life belonged to him. The only thing that matters to me now is killing you. If that means the rest of the world has to suffer than so be it. As I see it this world would be better off without you in it anyway.”
“I don't understand,” Cassian whined, looking confused. “How can you be this way? I thought you hated humans more than anything. I thought that if anyone would understand what I was doing it would be you. I kept you alive so you could help me. Do you know how much easier it would have been for me to send Scott after you instead of Tristan? I understand that you want revenge for your brother, but doesn't the suppression of the human race matter more? How can you hate me more than the vermin that murdered your family? How can you hate me more than the people who have kept us imprisoned?”
Ly shrugged. “I never came face to face with the scum that killed my family, but if I had I would offer them the same thing I'm offering you now. You killed Tristan and almost started a war. For that you deserve to die.”
Slowly Cassian looked Ly up and down before the confused look melted into a knowing smile. It was as if he had just been let in on an inside joke. “Ahh I see now, this is about you're human girl isn't it? I must admit I never believed that you, out of everyone, would be the type to fall for a human. Just forget Tristan for the moment and think, if we ruled she could belong to you, you could have her blood, as much as you wanted, any time, anywhere. You could even turn her, if she was willing, though I don't see the appeal of it myself. My point is, you could still have her. I know Tristan didn't want you to keep her, but none of his reasons for keeping her away would matter if vampires ruled this world.”
“I don't need to suppress humans for her to belong to me,” Ly said with one of his usual smirks. “She's already mine. Don't try to offer me things I already have Cassian, nothings going to change my mind.”
“Can't you see this is the only way!” Cassian cried, getting impatient now and finally losing his composure. “Do you want them to control us forever? How long will it be before they have us wearing tags or I.D's showing what we are? How long before they make hunting us legal again? I'm not going to sit around and wait until they become confident that we wont fight back.” Slowly he placed his good hand into the pocket of his coat and drew out a pistol. “I don't want to hurt you Ly, but I will do what I must to make my dream a reality.”
“Are you going to kill me Cassian?” Ly smirked at the older vampire. “Do you think you're faster than me, or is it that you think because Tristan didn't fight you I won't either? Besides, the silver in those bullets is already getting to you, isn't it?”
“I really wish you would reconsider my proposal Ly,” Cassian said, right hand shaking slightly as the silver bullets loaded into the gun began to affect him. “Think of all the good we can do for the vampire community. I don't want to have to hurt you as well.”
“Don't worry, you won't,” the raven haired vampire sneered.
“Maybe not on my own,” Cassian admitted. “Taylor!”
Ly had been so caught up in what Cassian had been saying that he completely forgot Marcus Taylor was still in the room. Whilst they had been talking Taylor had taken out a pistol and loaded it with silver bullets. Before Ly could evade completely, the politician pulled the trigger, sending a round right through Ly's left leg.
Pain ran up Ly's leg and through the rest of his body, but he couldn't afford to stay where he was. Taylor managed to take another two shots before Ly was on him. He disarmed the politician in seconds and hit him over the head so hard that the man crumbled instantly.
Anger and pain coursed through Ly as he turned his attention on Cassian, who still had his gun aimed at the enraged vampire. He could feel his rational thought becoming clouded as the desire to rip Cassian's head off increased. He took a step forward, but his left leg folded beneath him and he stumbled.
“Are you still faster than me, Mr Aristocrat?” Cassian sneered. “This could have been so much easier Ly. Together we could have had this country in the palm of our hand, but you just couldn't let Tristan go and now you're both dead.”
Ly rolled to his right just as the first shot left Cassian's gun, narrowly missing both him and Taylor. “You underestimate the aristocracy,” Ly hissed back, trying to ignore the searing pain in his leg. The bullet had gone straight through, but the silver still burned and kept the wound from closing. “You can't kill me that easily.”
Ly rushed the other vampire as Cassian's second shot grazed his left arm, but Cassian moved just in time to avoid Ly's bone shattering punch.
Taylor's desk was close by and Ly caught it as he stumbled again, ducking behind it just in time to evade another shot from Cassian. If Ly had been thinking straight he probably would have worried about all the noise they were making in a house filled with vampire hunters, but miraculously, no one came to investigate.
“Are you going to hide from me all night?” Cassian's voice came from the other side of the desk. Ly ignored him and looked around for something to distract the other vampire. It was true that the aristocracy was stronger than the common vampires, but Ly was injured. Despite drinking Rome's blood, the wound in his shoulder still wasn't fully healed and now his leg and arm were bleeding badly from where the other two bullets had hit him. “Are you afraid of me, afraid of death?
“I have never been afraid to die, and I don't give a damn if you killed me tonight,” Ly lifted his hand slowly to open one of the draws in Taylor's desk, hoping that a vampire hunter would keep more silver around him than just the bullets in his gun. “It doesn't matter as long as you die too.” The position he was in kept him from being able to see into the draw, but when his searching fingers touched something that burned he knew he had found something he could use.
“Come out Ly and we can talk about this,” Cassian suggested, his voice now taking on it's usual cheerful tone. He thought he was winning. Carefully Ly lifted the silver item out of the draw and studied it. It looked like a long, silver letter opener. It was heavily engraved in intricate patterns and stamped with the coat of arms for the Silver Lake vampire hunters club. Blood began to flow from Ly's hand as the silver burned his fingers. “I told you it doesn't have to be like this. I never wanted it to be this way.”
Before Cassian had even finished talking Ly stood up and threw the letter opener straight at him. Cassian was fast, but still not fast enough to avoid the small dagger. If Ly hadn't of been injured it would have hit him straight in the heart. It came close though. The hilt of the letter opener could be seen sticking out of Cassian's chest, just under his left shoulder. It missed the heart but still could be a fatal wound.
Cassian fell, screaming and ripped the letter opener out of his chest just as the door of the office opened. Ly felt a strong burst of joy that didn't belong to him as Rome spotted him from across the room. That joy was quickly replaced with fear as she took in her surroundings.
“Rome!” Ly yelled at the girl. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out now!”
“I came to find you, to warn you. After you left my house...” She didn't finish her explanation, because at that point Cassian began to laugh. It was the mad hysterical laughter of someone who had just cheated death.
Ly made a move towards him, but Cassian, still bleeding profusely, just smirked and pointed his gun at Rome. The girl could only stand there, speechless. “Maybe you don't care if I kill you,” he panted to Ly. There was a made edge to his voice as he spoke and his eyes were wide and shinning silver. “Maybe killing me, getting revenge, is more important to you than freeing your people. But is Tristan's memory more important to you that this girls life? Take another step and I'll kill her.”
“I swear to you Cassian,” Ly hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. “If you hurt her in any way, if you so much as touch her I'm going to...”
“To what?” the older vampire cut him off. “You're going to kill me? Do it, but she'll already be dead. Are you all right with that Ly? Will you let your human die in your place?”
Ly hesitated. If he made a move towards Cassian now, Rome would almost certainly be killed, but Cassian wouldn't have time to defend himself and would die shortly after. Tristan would be avenged, but Rome would die.
On the other hand, if Ly gave in, gave himself over to save Rome, he would die and the man who killed his brother would get away. Tristan's killer would get away, he would die, but Rome would live.
Would he be able to live with himself if he let Rome die? Could he let the vampire community crumble and war break out just to save the life of one human girl?
Ly's eye's settled on Rome and he could see that she was terrified. Why had she come after him? He knew she had made a promise to he family not to follow him, so what was she doing putting herself in danger? Why did she always have to be so infuriating? She was the only thing left in his life that truly mattered, but did he love her enough to let his brothers murderer go?
Ly shook his head as he sank to the floor. Of course he already knew the answer to that question. “Let her go Cassian,” he said. “I'll do what you want, just leaver her alone.”
Cassian barked a laugh as he struggled to his feet, keeping his gun pointed at Rome. “I never thought I'd see the day when Lyconideas Aleron would trade his life for a humans. Come here girl,” he turned to Rome, “kick that gun there over to me.”
Taylor's gun had slid into the corner of the room when Ly had attacked him. With Cassian's weapon still pointed directly at her, Rome walked the few paces towards the gun and kicked it over to where Cassian was standing. The vampire smiled as he picked it up and pointed it at Ly. His injured arm was weak and shaking, but he held it steadily enough.
“Well Ly, looks like I won in the end,” Cassian said, shaking his head in disappointment. “Too bad, this could have been so much easier if you had just agreed to help me. Goodbye Lyconideas, last of the Aleron line.”
To Ly it felt as if the world had slowed down. He watched as Cassian pulled the trigger of the gun pointed at him. The bullet seemed to pass through air slowly as if it were travelling through jelly.
Ly was ready for the searing pain and death the silver would bring, but before it reached him someone else sprinted into the room and dived in front of Ly. The bullet hit and logged in the newcomers chest. A fatal wound for both humans and vampires.
It took a second for Ly to recognise the person that had just saved his life and when he did he couldn't be sure he believed it.
Nicator. The bullet had hit his heart, killing him instantly. Even seeing his body before him Ly still found it hard to believe that the selfish, blood addicted vampire had been willing to give up his life to save his former friend.
Cassian's choking laughter brought everyone back to the situation at hand. “I probably should have known better than to hire someone who was so devoted to you,” her barked as he watched Nicator's blood stain the carpet. “Well, no matter, looks like he sacrificed himself for no reason. Maybe his coming here wasn't completely pointless though. I discovered a while ago that the people you know are incredibly devoted to you. Dr Valentin proved that when he refused to tell me where you had gone, even though I used every method I knew to try and get it out of him. Lucky he's a vampire so he should heal pretty soon. Despite this I never thought Nicator would choose you over my cause. If this girl,” he nodded towards Rome, “proves to be as much of a irritation then maybe I should kill her now.”
He smiled again, his cheerful, deceptive smile as he raised the second gun to point it at Rome once again.
BANG! BANG! Ly cried out and Rome flinched as the sound of the gunshots filled the room. A heavy silence settled as Ly waited for the smell of Rome's blood to fill the air or for the girl to collapse.
When nether of these things happened Ly exchanged surprised looks with Rome, just before Cassian fell to the floor, destroyed hands held out in front of him and a look of utter shock and pain on his face.
The three still conscious people in the office hadn't even noticed Tricia enter the room from the same door Cassian had. She had a grim expression on her face and a pistol in her hand. Even from as far away as he was, Ly could tell that the two bullets that she had hit Cassian with weren't made of silver.
Tricia ignored both Ly and Rome. It was as if she was alone in the room with Cassian. Slowly she reached her delicate fingers into the pocket of her long coat and come out holding something small and silver. Obviously in pain she held out the single bullet so that Cassian could see it clearly. Her face was cold and hard, ready for what she was about to do.
Cassian's eyes widened in fear as he tried to back away. Soft wisps of smoke were coming off Tricia's fingers and the smell of burning flesh began to fill the room. This the blond vampire ignored, just as she ignored the blood that started to flow freely from her ruined fingers.
She moved slowly, keeping her hand steady as she loaded the silver bullet into the gun she was holding. She was panting slightly and the pain the silver caused her was now clear in her blue eyes, but there was something else there, stronger than the pain. Hate. The gaze she fixed on Cassian was filled with such an intense hatred that it overshadowed everything else.
“You destroyed my life,” Tricia whispered, her musical voice now low and shaking. “You destroyed Ly's life, you killed Nicator and you almost started a war, but I don't hate you for that. I hate you because you killed Tristan. My Tristan. You killed him, your friend who was like a brother to you, the man who was loved by every vampire in this country. The man I've loved since I was a child. For that, if for nothing else, you deserve to suffer.”
She didn't even pause. As soon as the last word left her lips she pulled the trigger. Cassian tried to evade the bullet, but he had already lost a lot of blood from the fight with Ly and Tricia's first two shots. He was too slow and the silver bullet hit him in the stomach.
For a moment the room was still. All eyes were on Cassian as he looked down at the bullet wound in his stomach. Everyone watched as another large red stain began to form on the front of his already ruined shirt.
Then he began to scream. He fell to his knees screaming in agony and clutching at his stomach. Rome whimpered and covered her ears with her hands, but both Tricia and Ly watched Cassian's pain with grim satisfaction.
“Why didn't you just shoot him in the head or the heart?” Milo demanded frantically grabbing at Tricia's arm and turning her to face him. He was yelling over the top of Cassian's cries. The inspector had entered the room seconds after the blond vampire and had witnessed what she had done. “Why not just finish him? His screams are going to cause us problems.”
“If he had died straight away then he wouldn't have suffered,” Tricia replied. Her voice was lifeless now, but her blue eyes were ice and stone. Cassian had stopped screaming, but was still writhing around in the slowly spreading pool of his own blood. “I wanted him to suffer.”