Page 57 of Blood Descendants
What does that mean? Why was this time different?
Chapter 15
It feels as if it’s only been thirty seconds before the car pulls to a stop, and my door is suddenly being opened by Billings. I blink twice before I take his hand and step out of the vehicle. Silently, Ares walks beside me as we walk into the beautiful front doors. But just as we step inside, he tucks his right hand into his jacket, hiding his bloodied weapon. Neither one of us looks up as we walk through the lobby, but thankfully, it’s empty at the moment. I push the button to call the elevator, and I breathe a sigh of relief when it opens immediately. We step inside, and quietly, we ascend through the building.
I let out another little breath of relief once we’re inside our apartment, the door locked behind us.
“I’m going to shower,” Ares says, striding across the space.
And I feel like I’m finally waking up. And I realize it’s not just me who has been acting a little shell-shocked over the last twenty minutes or so, but Ares is acting off as well. He has been so quiet. His gaze was contemplative as we rode home. And he seems removed as he immediately goes to the bedroom andthen into the bathroom. I stand there, a little confused, in the dining room alone.
Shit.
I have to confront what happened tonight.
Ares killed a man.
A predator. The man literally called himself that. I was his prey.
But still. Ares killed him.
And the way he killed him?
I have to remember what Ares is. He’s told me before, reminded me, that he is dangerous. The word vampire too often becomes arbitrary. Just like how some people are electricians or Italian. Ares is vampire.
But I cannot forget what it means. And that is: not human anymore.
Ares has died.
Ares has Resurrected.
And come back as something different.
I wander into the bedroom, standing at the window, looking out at Central Park. Even at this hour, at nearly four in the morning, there are still people out and about. And for a fleeting moment, I wonder, are they out late or up extremely early?
Once upon a few weeks ago, there was no way I would ever be awake at this hour. I’ve always been a morning person, which means an early to bed person.
My life looks so damn different.
The sound of the door to the bathroom opening pulls my eyes over my shoulder. Ares stands there in sweatpants and a white t-shirt. The sight is almost jarring. I’ve never seen him dressed so casually.
And he’s so clean now. No traces of blood. His right hand is no longer solidly red.
How do you just wash that kind of blood away?
Doesn’t killing someone stain you for forever?
“You killed a man today,” I say, the words coming out hoarse. It feels like days since I last spoke, not less than an hour.
“I’m sorry you had to see it, Vengeance,” he says, and I’m having a hard time reading his tone. “But I’d do it again. You told him no, and he had the gall to touch you.”
“I might have handled it,” I say, and I don’t know what the hell is happening when something stings the backs of my eyes.
“I know,” he says, his own eyes darkening. He takes a step into the room. “You’re Lana fucking Kincade.”
Moisture pools in my eyes as I finally figure it out. I might have handled it on my own. But I didn’t have to.
For once, someone else had me. For once, someone took care of me.
