I nod and then take out a knife from my pocket. Then Laylen peeks around the corner and looks back at me. “Okay… the Death Walker’s on the couch. And Stasha’s watering her plants.”
I poise the knife in front of me and Laylen lifts his hand, counting down on his fingers... three… two… one…
We jump out from the hallway and take them by surprise. The Death Walker’s eyes flash yellow as it towers to its feet. Stasha drops her pail she has in her hand and water spills on the floor. “What the hell?” she says, her face reddening with anger.
The Death Walker instantly marches toward me as I step forward with the knife out in front of me while Laylen goes for Stasha. The Death Walker’s eyes flash murderously as pieces of its rotting flesh fall from its face. As it approaches me, it throws back its head and lets out a shriek before charging. Like at the castle I feel in control and powerful as I dodge out of its way. But it turns around and circles back. So I stop moving and its eyes flicker as I lunge for it. Its hands shoot out toward my neck, but I duck and evade it, skidding on my knees across the floor. Then it backs up, trying to get out of my reach. I get to my feet and swing the knife at it, but miss and cut its cloak.
I don’t give up, swinging back around and as it lets out another wail, I stab the knife into its chest and drop low to the ground as its breath puffs through the air while its body sways to the side. Then its eyes burn out and it tips over, hitting the floor with a thunderous boom. But I know it’s not dead, just passed out, because it’s Immortal and I don’t have the Sword of Immortality.
I whirl around, relieved to see that Laylen has Stasha pinned up against the wall. He holds her there by her shoulders and she glares at him.
“You’re messing up my hair,” she whines when Laylen shoves her against the wall harder.
I hop over the unconscious Death Walker and go over to them, Stasha’s eyes immediately narrowing on me. “Well look who was stupid enough to come back,” she says “What? Did you not get enough of me the first time?”
I point the tip of my knife at her throat. “You know, it really doesn’t seem like you’re in much of a position to be such a bitch.”
Stasha gives me a dirty look. “This is such bull shit. You have nothing over me.”
I move the knife closer until it clips her skin and draws blood.
She winces, pressing herself closer the wall. “Fine, what do you want?”
I raise my scarred arm. “I want you to take your death out of my arm.”
She shakes her head. “No way. You deserve it there—you deserve more pain than even I can inflict.”
The sight of Laylen’s fangs descending from his blood red lips causes her eyes to nearly pop out of head. “I think you’re the one who might deserve something a little more painful.” He pauses. “Now I know what you’re thinking. Vampire bites don’t hurt, in fact they feel good. But since I can manipulate your emotions, I can make it painful for you.” He grins at her, flashing his pointed fangs.
Stasha is pissed, but I can tell he’s scaring her. She leans away, turning her head to the side. “Fine. I’ll remove my death from your hand,” she snaps. “But you two are lucky that that stupid monster’s ice froze over my plants, otherwise this would have gone down differently.”
“And if you try to kill her instead of removing the death, I’ll drain you of all your blood, got it?” Laylen says with his fangs still out.
“Got it,” Stasha replies through gritted teeth.
Laylen slightly loosens his grip so Stasha can slip off her one of her gloves. “Give me your arm,” she says to me.
Hesitantly, I extend my arm to her and she enfolds her fingers around my wrist. Within seconds, the olive-green lines fade away, until my skin is back to its normal color. I let out a breath of relief as she withdraws her hand, but then gasp as I catch sight of something on her wrist.
A black triangle around a red symbol.
Laylen tracks my gaze and he shoves Stasha back against the wall roughly. “Where did you get that?” he demands.
Stasha looks down at the mark on her wrist. “This? I’ve always had it you dumbass.”
Laylen shakes his head. “That’s not possible… I’ve know you for long enough to know it hasn’t always been there.”
“Yes, it has,” she says in a condescending tone. “I’ve had it since the day I was born, but apparently you’re too stupid to remember.”
“Alex would have seen it when he was dating you,” I say, gripping the knife in my hand, fighting the compulsion to stab her. “And he would have mentioned it by now.”
Stasha laughs sharply. “Yeah right. He’s lied to me more than anyone in my life and I’m sure he’s doing it to you.”
Laylen starts to say something, but then the Death Walker starts to stir, waking up.
“We need to go,” I say and reach for Laylen’s hand.
“What about her?” he asks. “What should we do to her?”
I shrug. “Whatever you want?”
Laylen considers this but not for very long and he knocks her out by clocking her in the head with his own. Stasha falls to the floor, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the Death Walker charges at us. But I’m already blinking us away.
Chapter 29
When we get back to the house, Laylen and I decide that the best thing to do is go downstairs and simply ask Alex if he knew about the mark. We could sit there and try to figure it out ourselves but at this point I am tired of dithering around things.
In the living room, Aislin has herbs and candles in front of her as she reads a page on her spell book. She hasn’t had any luck yet getting the mark off my mother and has been burying herself in trying to solve what went wrong. It shows through her red eyes, bags under them, and, she’s in her pajamas, her hair a mess. Alex is sitting beside Aleesa as she watches something on television, but it’s clear he’s not paying attention, gazing off into empty space.
When he looks up at me, he sort of flinches as if seeing me is painful for him. I simply raise my arm up and show that the lines are gone, figuring that’s the best way to start this conversation.
He drops the remote onto the table, stunned. “How did you get them off?”
I glance at Laylen beside me and he gives me an encouraging look. “We paid Stasha a little visit,” I tell him.
“What?” He’s baffled and so is Aislin, who looks up at us, confounded. “When?”