Page 206 of Black Bird

“Too late.” Athan smirked. “You burned that bridge, too. They’ve all made their choice. Your siring bond is severed.” Devin dropped the empty cooler next to Decclan’s feet. Dahlia stared down at it, trembling.

“Fucking traitors … you fucking—” Her lip quivered, and she stared at Decclan. “You claimed you loved me.”

Decclan took a deep breath, and tilted her chin up, meeting her eyes. “Love is weakness … freedom is freedom. And for me … I can’t say I’ve got room for the two of those things to coexist.” He quickly turned her head and savagely bit her neck, drinking heavily from her as she thrashed against the wall. Dahlia gasped as he jerked himself away, cursing under her frantic breathing. He left the stage and Tony stepped up next, taking his floppy cap off and bowing his head at her before lunging forward and feeding from the other side of her neck. She fought against him, growing weaker as he broke away and replaced his hat. He joined Decclan at the right side of the stage.

Devin came forward, giving her a mock salute, and a side-smile. “It’s been fun, doll. But I’m headin’ home.” He ripped her corset open, exposing her moon-white breasts. Dahlia breathed rapidly, glaring at him through heavy-lidded eyes.

“Not so fun now, is it?” Sarah smirked, gesturing towards her nakedness.

“Fuck y—” her insult broke into a growl as Devin chose his spot, drinking mercilessly from her breast. He released her with a bloody smile.

“Nothin’ like a good tit,” he winked. “Slán.”

An Irish goodbye …

Athan chuckled through his nose as Devin skipped off the stage. One by one, members of the coven stepped up to drain her, until Dahlia hung there, bloody and mangled. Barely alive. She was so weak that the open bites all over her skin couldn’t mend themselves. Her head hung until her chin rested against her chest. Blood stained her icy blonde hair, and Sarah took her place at Athan’s side.

“It’s time,” she whispered, sliding an arm around his back. He nodded, softly kissing the top of her head. He stepped forward, raising her face up by her hair. She could barely open her eyes.

“Look at me,” he demanded, leaning in closer. Her eyes fluttered, and she weakly held his gaze. “Two-hundred years I’ve warned you. Twofuckingcenturies. I told you one day I’d kill you, and I’d enjoy it. I told you I’d keep my promise. Tell me how you killed your mate.”

She managed a weak smile and closed her eyes. “Sunlight …” she whispered. “Bring … bring him to me …”

Athan turned towards Decclan, who nodded, and strode off. Tony and Devin joined them on the stage and pulled the knives from her wrists. She gurgled as her body weighed her down onto the mic stand still lodged in her abdomen. Athan ripped it from her, tossing it to the floor. Dahlia dropped with a sound thud against the stage. They hoisted her up from under her arms and dragged her down the hallways. The entire coven followed behind them, climbing up the winding stairs to the door that opened to the rooftop. It would be the first time any of them had seen sunlight in decades. And they’d experience it along with the execution of their captor. A freedom bought with Sarah’s blood.

The sky was clear and graying with dawn. The air was bitterly cold, and the coven lined the sides of the rooftop as they tossed their leader into the middle. Decclan crept out of the door, eyeing the sky as he walked slowly towards her. He knelt down, tucking Patrick’s urn beneath her arm. She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity.

“Enjoy … your freedom, Decclan …” she huffed out.

“I hope Death is kinder to you than you ever were to me, Dahlia.” He stood and joined Devin and Tony near the door. Sarah and Athan stood close to her, and she glanced at the sky before fixing her eyes on his mate.

“Well played,” she whispered. The sun began to rise, and the shadows on the rooftop gave way to its light, inch by inch. Dahlia gave her a knowing smirk. “When you find … John …” Athan felt Sarah jerk forward in surprise. “Tell him I’m preparing his special place … in Hell …” Athan’s stomach sank, and before Sarah could say a word, the sunlight poured over Dahlia’s body, and she shrieked in agony. She burst into flames, and Athan grabbed Sarah by her waist, pulling her to him and staggering backward. Dahlia screamed, thrashing with what remaining energy she had left until all that remained of her was a pile of ashes around an urn.

Sarah heaved against his chest as Athan held her and they watched the pile in silence. All this time, Dahlia had known something. And she took that secret to her grave. Her final act of vindictive bullshit. Part of him wanted to whip his cock out and piss on her ashes. Their frustration was ebbed by elated murmurs and sniffling as they finally looked around them.

The coven was safe.

All of them turned their hands this way, and that. Some in shock, some in tears, as they witnessed their first sunrise in centuries. Decclan wept. Athan considered part of that to be the demise of the one he loved … but a bigger part was the gaping freedom he now had. The life he was about to live. Tony started singing, tearfully. Devin danced like a damned fool.

It was over.

Dahlia Van Hausen was dead.

CHAPTER 38

CASE CLOSED

Rhaena wiped drops of coffee from the kitchen counter and turned her head, gaping at Brandon Jenkins as he dropped a spoonful of butter into his mug and stirred it around. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at him while he blatantly ignored her look of utter disgust.

“You know, Brandon … I’ve witnessed something much worse being stirred into coffee … but this? I really feel like I should draw a line here.”

He chuckled. “You might wanna wait to draw lines like that until you’ve tried it.”

“That … is fucking grotesque. Who in the hell—”

“Keto,” a hoarse voice spoke from the kitchen doorway, causing them both to turn around. “Fad diets. That’s what started that hipster shit.” Foley smirked, limping towards them.

“Sir, I don’t think you should be walking around like that. You lost a lot of blood.” Rhaena reached out for him, pulling a chair for him to sit.

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