Page 69 of Tainted Blood

Destroy the head of any supernatural, and they would die.

I put the gun to the back of Kallias’ head and fired three times, making him stagger and list to the left. I figured he would drop to the ground, but he didn’t. Still fighting, he kept swinging, now wildly, missing Alexius by wide margins. I readjusted my aim, now aiming at the spinal column, that sweet spot between the brain and the spine, and fired one last time, and he finally toppled. Before anyone could come closer, I dug my black claws into the openings and pulled as hard as I could, ripping off a massive portion of his head. I tossed it to the side and went back for more, but I was stopped by someone else reaching it first.

Alexius pulled off what remained and threw it with the rest.

“We did it,” I said, stepping back to fall to my ass.

Alexius turned to me, his demonic eyes paralyzing me.

“It’s me,” I whispered. “Everly.”

He stepped closer, his entire posture changing as he did.

He’s stalking me.

I slowly scooted back, staying on the ground. I didn’t move quickly, not wanting to trigger him to chase, but I was hoping he would think before he attacked.

“Your employee. The girl you’re training to help you kill other vampires. I help you with technology you don’t like…” I was growing desperate as I waited to see recognition enter his eyes, but he followed me at the same pace I was trying to escape.

I reached a large piece of something that had fallen into the hallway and realized I wasn’t going any further without standing and possibly turning my back on him.

“You’re better than this,” I whispered.

Alexius continued to approach, stopping once he loomed over me. He lowered slowly, inhaling deeply before he growled viciously. He reached out and touched my injured leg, lifting his hand to stare at the blood.

With several more consistent deep breaths, his eyes lost the black, and the red shifted to the dark brown that once felt so dark, it could have been black. Now, I saw the brown a bit more, knowing just how dark eyes could really get.

“You got hurt,” he croaked, then fell to the ground, unconscious once again. I reached out, pulling him to me. He was big, but I was a vampire, too. Holding him, I looked down the hall, seeing Isaiah there with wide eyes. He wasn’t alone. Marcus, Gisela, Lyra, and Conall were just a few of the faces that had just witnessed what had happened.

I wrapped my arms around him tighter, boldly staring them down.

They weren’t going to kill him.

Not on my watch.

31

“Let me help you,” Isaiah murmured, reaching Alexius and me before anyone else. Most of the others refused to come any closer. When Gisela dared to take a step, I couldn’t stop my immediate reaction, hissing in warning, my fangs displayed. She stopped, looking more surprised than threatened. With Isaiah, I growled, but he didn’t stop what he was doing.

“Everly, let me get him off you,” Isaiah pleaded, his words gentle.

With how much time I had spent with him now, I wondered if he was shell-shocked. I couldn’t judge. I was clinging to my boss and growling at people like an animal with a kill.

“I got him,” I snapped, lifting him and trying to stand at the same time. Once again, pain flared in my leg, and it buckled, taking me to the ground as I yelped in pain.

“Yeah, thought so,” Isaiah mumbled. “Marcus, come help her to her feet while I get Alexius.”

“We could do that while you both… manage things, Master Isaiah,” Gisela called out.

“You want to handle Alexius while he’s asleep and his assistant pulls insane stunts and kills things?” Isaiah chuckled, shaking his head as he picked up Alexius.

Growling when Marcus tried to pick me up, I used him as a crutch to stand on my own. I wasn’t going to look weak in front of them. Not anymore. I didn’t care about age. If they came for Alexius and me, I was going to end them, regardless of what was done to me. I was even doing this for Isaiah, making sure they all knew he had a new loyal vampire willing to kill for him.

Alexius was laid down on Isaiah’s bed while I sat down.

“Feisty,” Marcus mumbled as he walked away.

“Fiery,” Isaiah said as though he was correcting Marcus. He was focused on Alexius, covering him carefully and making sure a pillow was under his head comfortably. “Solon?”

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