Page 97 of Sunsets & Other Dangerous Things

Ashley regretted becoming a vampire, and Esther had a growing fear she’d regret Esther changing as well. This was a chance, no matter how small and messy and dangerous. It was one small chance at a happily ever after they both could live with. But it meant making a choice, and historically her choices never turned out the way she’d hoped. She clenched the necklace in her hand, a piece of Ashley, and thought of the night Ashley had told her to be brave and make suggestions—that Ashley was indestructible and not afraid. She saw a vision of Ashley standing in the waves, smiling eyes closed as she faced the sun and thought of how good it would be to stand in the surf, holding her hand.

And she had her answer.

Opening her eyes, she dropped the necklace into August’s offered hand. In one swift motion, August tossed the necklace to Meg. Then Meg was gone, vanished into thin air.

34

Ashley

Konstantine was alive. And Ashley was banished from the vampire family forever. She was lucky she’d gotten out of there alive. She’d put these feelings in boxes, but now that she was out and moving, they pushed at their walls fighting to break free. So, Ashley let them out, just a little. Enough to channel her anger into more speed.

So, Konstantine had faked her death instead of talking to her.

So, John wanted to kick her out of the Family.

Fine. She didn’t need them. She’d found her own family. Maybe they didn’t have the access to blood banks and forged government documents that the vampires had, but she could figure that out. They would figure it out together. Because no matter what, her friends would stick up for her. Esther, August, Uther. They were a unit, and together they were untouchable.

Ashley ran, sticking to the shade of buildings and wooded areas whenever possible. Her layers were working, but her face still felt overheated. She slowed when she heard voices in the woods near the beach. Better to be spotted as a lost hiker thansomeone running at superhuman speeds. She recognized the voices as she grew nearer and corrected toward the sound. The tingling in her throat whenever magic was nearby was stronger than usual.

Something had August heated to be this loud. Uther was still missing. He was bound to be tightly strung. Ashley would be. She could almost see them through the trees now. But with the sun breaking from its cloud cover, she couldn’t risk the last few steps.

“Come on, Esther,” August was saying. “She’s a walking parasite. You want to be like that?”

Ashley froze. Her mind was static as August viciously listed every fault Ashley had, and Esther said nothing to contradict him. Because there was no contradicting him. She couldn’t go out in the daylight. The sunset on the other side of these trees was keeping her from joining them. She had to drink blood to survive. She could never offer Esther a life together because technically she was not alive. She’d given that away to someone who couldn’t care less about the gesture. She’d been reckless with her future, and now she had nothing to offer.

“Did you even tell her about the cure?”

The cure to what? Was Esther keeping something from her? Ashley was back in motion, moving for the tree line and the sound of voices, heedless of the setting sun. She broke through the foliage in time to see a glint of silver flying from August and Esther—a burning glint of sunlight catching it as it sailed—and land in the hands of a woman in a beige Carhartt jacket. The woman turned to Ashley before flashing out of sight.

A witch.

A witch had her blood, and there was no way Ashley could get it back or know what she would do with it.

Another piece of her that she’d entrusted to someone she loved—tossed away like it was nothing.Pure rage coursedthrough her body as the heat of the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, her welting skin cooling with the darkening sky. There was only one witch left on the beach, and he happened to be the one who’d thrown the necklace.

In the next second, Ashley had her hand around August’s throat as she pushed his head under the water. He didn’t even deserve deep water to drown in. Let him die in the shallows.

She’d trusted him. She’d loved him like family. She’d given up everything, and now her blood was in the hands of witches. She pushed harder until bubbles came up from the water. Fleetingly, she noticed someone pulling at her arm.

“Ashley, you’ll drown him!”

That was exactly the idea. Why didn’t he break one of her limbs like before? She heard his heart still beating, but he continued to not fight back. Why wouldn’t he fight her?

“Ashley, stop!” Esther called. “Stop, it’s my fault. I gave them the charm. Let him go.”

But she couldn’t fight Esther. And that was the whole point, wasn’t it? The water blurred out of focus as Ashley’s eyes watered, and her grip loosened. August shot up, turned on all fours, and began puking up water. He wasn’t fighting back because he knew she needed a fight and he was the only one that could take it. Esther went to check on August, and that was the last Ashley saw before she laid back under the water, letting the waves block out the sounds of encroaching twilight and the sight of the two people closest to her who had just crushed her dead heart.

She had no one now. No vampire Family, no friends, no love. She was alone. Again. Abandoned by the people closest to her and doomed to walk the world alone for all eternity. How melodramatic. She considered staying here, letting the lack of oxygen put her in a form of hibernation. But they would drag her out eventually and hurt her all over again.

Or worse. They would leave her alone.

That left her with one option. She needed to sever all ties.

She rose from the water. Esther and August had made it to shore, Esther rubbing August’s back as he continued to rasp in air. They both looked up as she approached.

“In case it wasn’t clear,” she said, directing the words to Esther. She wasn’t sure if it was lake water or tears streaming down her face, but it didn’t matter. She had to get this out. “We’re through. I knew I couldn’t trust a witch.” She directed this at August. “But I guess I can’t trust humans either. Thank you for reminding me why I’m better off alone.”

With the last of her dignity, she walked past them and into the woods. She didn’t think they could hurt her more than they already had, but the silence as she walked away sliced her in two.

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