Bittersweet Blood (The Order #1)

She wanted to cry, but she was way past tears. She wanted to crawl into Christian’s lap, hide herself in his hard embrace, but nothing could ever comfort her for this. She would have to live with it forever. The pain would eventually fade, and she would be able to live again, but Chloe’s death would always be part of her, and would change her forever.

She would find out who did this and make them pay.

She opened her eyes and stared straight into Christian’s. Usually he was so careful to hide what he felt, but now he allowed his outrage to show, and beneath the outrage, she recognized fear. He was afraid for her. That’s what caring for people did.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Tara shook her head. She wasn’t sure she would ever be okay again. Easing his hand away, she sat up and forced herself to look at Chloe. Someone had covered the body with a white sheet.

She pushed herself off the bed. Her legs trembled, but she steadied herself and stumbled across to Chloe.

She stood over her for a minute then drew back the sheet. Chloe’s face was almost unmarked; her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. Tara forced herself to lower the sheet further. Christian moved up behind her but she ignored him. She needed to do this.

She touched one of the wounds on Chloe’s breasts, tracing a finger over the charred writing—Christian Roth. She turned and buried her face in his chest, wrapped her arms around him, and held on tight as if he could keep her safe in this terrible new world she found herself in. “This was my fault,” she said. “She would be alive if she hadn’t been my friend. It’s because of what I am, isn’t it? It’s somehow tied to what you told me in Yorkshire.”

“Actually, I don’t think it’s anything to do with what you are, and it’s not your fault. It’s mine. Someone is coming after me, killing the people I care about. I think they came for you because I care about you, and Chloe was taken by mistake.”

“Who would even know about me? Why would they think my death would cause you pain?”

“Perhaps because it’s true.”

The words filtered through the fog of pain clouding her mind, warming her frozen emotions.

Christian frowned. “The question is, who would have passed on that information to my enemies?” He stared down into her eyes, his own cold and predatory. “I will find out and they will pay for this. Come on, let’s get out of this place.”

Tara cast one last look at the body on the bed. “What will happen to her?”

Christian shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. This,” he gestured at the body, “isn’t your friend. She’s gone.”

“Gone where? I never used to believe in heaven and hell. Aunt Kathy called all religions fairy stories, but I believe in hell now. So is there also a heaven? Do people have souls? What happens after they die?”

“People have souls.”

“Yes,” she said, “I remember now, you told me you gave yours up when you became a vampire.”

“And there’s a heaven, though I’ve never been. It’s rumored that the higher demons came from there. Fallen angels banished from God’s sight.”

“I can’t believe that. Nothing that was once good could have done this.”

“It’s not that simple. This was an act of true evil, but not all demons would do this, and many would speak against it. All races have their share of psychopaths and killers. Humans are no different. You want a job done and they’re there for the hiring. My guess is the people that took Chloe were no more than hired hands.”

“Hired by whom?”

“We’ll find out, but until we do you stay by my side.”

She could do nothing more for Chloe here and she let Christian lead her out of the room.

Piers waited for them outside the door, his face expressionless.

“Where’s Ella?” Christian asked.

“There’s a problem.”

“She doesn’t have the information?”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Then what is? Stop being cryptic, Piers, I’m not in the mood.”

“I told her you were here to see her. She seemed surprised. Especially when I mentioned Tara was with you. And not nice surprised either. I didn’t think too much about it, but she was stopped a few minutes ago trying to leave the building.”

Christian appeared calm but beneath she sensed a raw, savage fury.

“How come they stopped her?” he asked.

“They wouldn’t have normally, but I’ve upped to emergency status. From now on, no one leaves or enters the building without my authorization.”

Tara put her hand on Christian’s arm and he glanced down at her. “What’s happening?” she asked softly.

“I think we may have found our traitor.”

“Ella?”

He nodded. Tara thought back to her meeting with the witch, that last glimpse of her as they left the building and the malicious hatred on the other woman’s face. That someone she hardly knew would hate her so much sent a ripple of shock through her. The shock was followed by a wave of rage so strong she almost staggered under the force.

“Where is she?” she snarled, and Piers glanced at her, amazement on his face. He raised an eyebrow at Christian, who shrugged.