Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) Read online

  The vampire mashed his body tightly against Cassie's as he grazed his lips on her neck. Her blood raced quicker, not from the vamps touch but the anger that radiated from Luka; it ran through her like a volcano waiting to erupt. She had no regard for her own safety, but felt the demon inside rejoice at the power she felt over Luka's anger as the vamp licked her neck.

  It was reckless and stupid, she knew that, but a lot of things she did lately were. She had deliberately been putting herself in dangerous situations, whether it was picking fights or hunting without any weapons and only with her bare hands. She just wanted to feel something, anything at all, except the extreme fear that invaded her dreams. Only when the vamp whispered in her ear with menace and venom did Cassie really pay attention.

  “Sweetie, don't be a tease,” he oozed as his fangs grazed her neck. “Rumour has it that you taste like heaven... little drops of gold on your tongue. No wonder Vicktor was so keen to bleed you dry.”

  Anger washed over her as painful memories clawed their way into her head. Her breathing became ragged and her pulse quickened as Cassie swung round to face the cocky bastard. His eyes bulged as he caught sight of the stake she held inches from his chest. She felt her new powers bubbling just below the surface, yearning for the kill. She prepared her wrist ready to strike, as hatred and fear sent bile inching up her throat. The vampire began to stutter out a lame apology, but Cassie could only hear the blood that was now thundering in her ears. As she was about to stake the vampire, she paused, sensing him moments before gentle yet firm hands were placed on her shoulders. Cassie closed her eyes, her legs threatening to give out. She felt herself calm slightly as Luka bent down to whisper in her ear, “Cassandra, please. This is not the way to get my attention.”

  Cassie spun round at his mocking tone, her stake now inches from Luka's chest. The gathering crowd gasped aloud at her audacity. Luka raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching as if he were trying very hard not to smile. He stared into her eyes, half daring her to strike, and half admiring her stubbornness.

  “Luka, this bitch is crazy.... I mean her eyes were red and everything man. I didn't think she was... fuck it, Luka, you should take that psycho out.” The vampire who had caused all this trouble now reeked of sweat and fear.

  Cassie licked her lips enjoying the taste of his fear, but not once loosening her tight grip on her stake. Could she do it? Stake Luka? She'd be dead soon after, the crime punishable by death. Although is that not what she really wanted, to finally be free and escape herself?

  Luka's face grew hard and Cassie knew he had read her thoughts. His gaze still bored into hers as he replied in a stern distant voice, “Connor, you disobeyed a direct order. I should rip your head off here and now. Cassandra is off limits, and will not be manhandled in any way. Leave now and I will spare your miserable existence...but Connor, do not tempt me to rescind my patience again, or I will give you to Bruno as a gift.”

  Connor disappeared from sight before the last word was spoken. Luka scanned the crowd, and although he did not speak, Cassie heard the word leave vibrate in her head. In a split second, she was alone with Luka, the club completely abandoned. Cassie dropped the stake, taking a step back. She closed her eyes inhaling the scent of lavender and death, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him. This was the closest she had been to him since Vicktor, and still, she couldn't find the words to say what she wanted to. As Luka cleared his throat, Cassie shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind. She stood defiantly in front of him, her hands on her hips, her lips clenched in a firm scowl. She waited for him to scold her for being stupid, foolish and young, but nothing prepared her for his actions.

  The master vampire stepped forward, kissed her forehead and turned to walk away. Cassie froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. She was rooted to the spot as Luka paused. Without turning, he spoke, his voice void of all emotion. “Your trainer is waiting for you, Cassandra. You really should get changed beforehand. I want a progress report after. Come find me. I'll be in my room… I trust you remember where it is?”

  With his last word, he was gone. Just the lingering scent remained, to remind her that he really had been there. She grabbed her bag that had magically appeared at her feet, and couldn't help but wonder if the last few words he had uttered were a good thing or a bad.

  Chapter Three

  Cassie changed into loose fitting yoga pants and a vest, trying to push the last hour’s events from her mind. She walked out of the changing rooms into the training hall. She had spent many years here, learning to fight and protect herself, ever since Luka had saved her way back when. It had only been five years, but somehow it felt longer. Luka himself had taught her to fight in the beginning. She yearned for those days again.

  She closed her eyes as a memory came crashing over her.

  “Come on, Cassandra. Hit me like you mean it!”

  “I’m trying,” she yelled back at him as she whispered “uptight bastard” in her head causing him to chuckle at her. “It’s very hard to want to hit you, in case I bruise that Calvin Klein face of yours!”

  At sixteen, sarcasm was her best defence against the nightmares that held her captive at night. She threw her knives at him, but he skilfully dodged them. Cassie screamed in frustration and picked up the sword that lay at her feet. She steadied her stance and rotated the blade in her hand.

  “Okay, Cassandra, you need motivation...you see me as Luka, not a potential threat,” he began softly, “now you must fight me...Not as your mentor, but as a monster that you need to kill.”

  Cassie shook her head. She did not want to see Luka like that; it would shatter the last bit of sanity that she clung to. She watched in awe as Luka's green eyes began to darken to mimic her own black eyes and fangs slowly appeared from his mouth. Cassie could feel the panic attack rise up in her chest and begged her hands not to shake. When she looked at Luka's now distorted face, she saw a vampire, a monster, a killer.

  Luka smiled, his fangs becoming more pronounced; Cassie lunged for him without hesitation. Luka moved with the grace of a swan, but Cassie's lust for vengeance won out. She slid the blade deep in his chest and stepped back. Luka's face returned to normal as he crumbled to the ground. He was silent and didn't move an inch.

  “No!” Cassie screamed out as she sank to her knees. Tears overflowed as she put her head in her hands and rocked back and forth.

  He can't be dead. He can't. Please, goddess, no. I can't be on my own again. Luka's all I've got. Her thoughts swirled around in a jumble and nausea bubbled in her throat.

  Cassie thought she was dreaming when she heard a velvet voice ordering her to open her eyes. She didn't because if this really was a dream, then she was alone again, and no one could save her. As a chilled hand raised her head by her chin, Cassie bravely opened her eyes. Looking right back at her were those intense green eyes. She released a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

  She threw her arms around him, surprising the old vampire. Despite the fact that the next few words that tumbled from her mouth were barely audible, Luka heard them as if she was screaming, “Don’t you ever leave me. Please, don't you ever leave me.”

  He pulled her close and made a promise she knew he would only back out of if he was dead.

  “You cannot get rid of me that easily, my little assassin. Wherever you are, I will be near. You will never be alone. You have my word.”

  She hugged him tighter, as if her life depended on it, and he let her, holding her as tears cascaded down her face. A shrill whistle echoed through the hall, snapping Cassie back to the present. She opened her eyes and stared at the man who leaned in the doorway. His light sandy hair was cut into a soldier’s crew cut and his brown eyes were shadowed by lashes that would make any woman jealous. He was easily six foot and stood with his muscular arms crossed against his bare chest with no hint of a smile on his pretty-boy face. Cassie took in a breath, hoping to figure out what type of man or creature stood before her.

  Cassie
stood in complete shock unable to figure out what was standing in front of her. She could scent him; he was an exquisite mix of strawberries and sunshine. But normally, she could tell so much more by scent, vampire or wolf, young or old. This had never happened before. In all her confusion, Cassie didn’t realise she had been staring at the handsome stranger for quite a while.

  “Hey, Princess, when you’re finished day dreaming, can we get on with it? The night ain’t getting any younger.” A smug expression appeared on his face at her lack of vocal ability.

  Cassie stood her ground, opening her mouth in a broad smile as she spoke. “So are you supposed to be my grand-master Yoda? Come to help me find the force? I don't even know why I bothered. I'm wasting your time... I can't do this. I'm sorry.”

  She spun on her heel and tried to quickly make her exit, but stopped when she heard the deep chocolate voice behind her.

  “Luka warned me you were stubborn and prone to temper tantrums, but Princess, if you don’t gain control of your new powers, you’ll end up destroying not only yourself, but all those around you. Your demonic side will take over, and you’ll become a monster, just like your mother.”

  Turning to him, she pushed him hard away from her. “You know nothing about me or my mother, you asshole. Just because Luka told you my sob story, don't presume anything about me.”

  The last bit came out in a scream; her blood began to bubble under her skin. Oh shit, she thought just as the familiar sizzle started in her fingertips and sparks combusted from her hands leaping in response to her anger, as the flames engulfed his body, Cassie felt her anger extinguish and panic set in. No sound escaped the stranger's lips. With the snap of his fingers, the flames disappeared, leaving him smiling and unharmed.

  Cassie was startled. Since killing Vicktor with her new powers, she had found it harder to control her temper, each time resulting in the death of a supernatural being. No one but this unknown creature had survived. He cleared his throat and took a step toward her as he spoke. “Now that we've established that anger is a trigger, we can work on that. It's a start.”

  “Who and what... what the hell are you?” she spluttered.

  He laughed then, a deep rich sound that sent shivers down her spine. “How rude of me, Princess. Let me introduce myself. My name is Archer, and I’m an angel.”

  Cassie looked at him as if he had lost all his marbles responding in complete disbelief, “Yeah right, Archie, and in my downtime, I play poker with Elvis and John Lennon.”

  Archer looked at her as he crossed his arms over his chest again. “Don't you believe that angels exist, princess, or has your life experience caused you to become jaded?”

  “Of course I believe. I've seen them in the skies during the end of days, five years ago. I've just never seen one up close before. Didn’t you all migrate back to heaven or wherever?”

  Shifting as if he was uncomfortable, Archer took in a breath and then continued. “Well... I am what is known as a fallen angel. I disobeyed my father’s orders and saved the life of an undead creature. I was punished for my sin and hence I was forbidden to return to paradise. But fortunately for me, the vampire that I saved gave me a place to stay and showed me how to adapt to this world. He has become my closest friend, and is the only reason I’m here trying to explain myself to you.”.

  An awkward silence fell on the room. Cassie was in awe of the angel who had saved Luka's life, and she couldn't help but think that in saving Luka's life, then he may have also inadvertently saved hers too. She had heard the old stories of angels falling for women, or murder, but how could someone fall for saving another’s life? In that moment, Archer became so much more attractive. She ran her eyes over his sculpted abs and fought hard not to lick her lips. Dear Goddess, these demon powers were making her want to do a lot of stuff lately. When her eyes met his again, his eyebrows were raised in amusement. Goddess, he is yummy, she thought, hoping he couldn't read her mind as Luka could. Shaking her head, she sank to the ground, crossing her legs as she sat on the cold floor. She placed her hand on her knees, gazing up at him and giving him a genuine, friendly smile. “So before you go all Mr Miyagi on my ass, can I ask you a question?”

  Archer looked down at Cassie; he could completely understand what Luka saw in the half-breed. Not only was she beautiful, but she had heart and determination. She also had a reckless sense of humour that seemed to want to make Archer smile more than he ever had before. She stirred all kinds of emotions in Archer, emotions that he had never previously experienced. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head in response to her question. “Awesome,” she said, her smile widening as she blurted out “So, Archie.... come on... show me your wings!”

  Chapter Four

  Archer said nothing, leaving a pregnant pause dangling between them. Cassie continued to gaze up at him, his brow now creased and a frown replacing his smirk. Cassie felt the tension rise, and feared that she had offended him somehow.

  “Hey, Archie, I was just messing around. I'm sure Luka has told you about how my mouth and brain work separately and never consult with each other. I...uh...So I suppose we should...”

  He held up a hand to silence her, and for the first time in her life, Cassie shut the hell up. Still silent, he turned and faced away from her, the tension obvious in his shoulders. Rotating his shoulders and flexing his neck muscles, Cassie waited with a sense of giddy anticipation. His perfectly sculpted body reminded her of a Roman Adonis, as if he was built of marble, the only flaw being the two scars that ran down his back. Cassie didn't know why, but she had a strong urge to trace her fingers down them. She forced herself to resist. Without warning, the air became dense with magic, a magic she had never felt before. A dazzling bright light burst from Archer's aura, forcing Cassie to shield her eyes. Her head ached slightly and her mouth was dry, the same dryness as if she was suffering from a hangover. Although she felt uncomfortable, Cassie felt strangely at peace, more at peace than she had in years. Archer let out a grunt, drawing Cassie's eyes back to him. Her mouth dropped open as she looked at him in amazement. The most exquisite pair of wings had sprouted from Archer's back, and they were without doubt the most beautiful thing Cassie had ever seen.

  The wings were massive, looked extremely heavy and were a remarkable colour of silver, the edges tinged with black. Each feather looked like it had been delicately placed beside each other. Archer rolled his shoulders again and the wings moved up and down. Then, as if he had read her thoughts, he pushed the wings out slowly, rising slightly, stiffly, as if it had been some time since he had flown. A gust of air swept through the room. When he landed on his feet again, Archer did not turn to face her. Cassie could not restrain herself any longer. She walked cautiously toward him, gingerly reaching out to touch those amazing feathers. When she brushed the tips of her fingers on them, Archer flinched but did not ask her to stop. The feathers were soft and weightless, contradicting her first thoughts about them. Touching them returned the feeling of peace she had felt earlier. She became aware that Archer was breathing heavier, but the tension had disappeared from his shoulders. Of all the crazy things that had happened in her life, this had to be the most surreal moment ever, because here she was feeling up an angel! She reached down to the base of his back where the wings began and her eyes rolled back in her head and she gasped. Multiple images flashed in her mind all at once, overloading her senses. She saw a young angel training, and she knew it was Archer. As quickly as it had begun, it was replaced with another. Archer covered in blood, kneeling over someone, tears escaping his eyes. Another memory screamed forward of a young angel looking up at a stunningly beautiful angel, the same one that he had been kneeling over. She felt Archer's love for this angel, and her heart ached for his loss. Image after image tore through her; she could hear Archer's voice calling her in the distance.

  “Cassie... Cassie!!” Archer was shouting at her now, desperate to bring her back. When she was able to see again, Cassie opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was no
w holding onto her wrists, inches from her, his face full of concern.

  “What the fuck happened?” He swore and she giggled in response. She wasn't sure herself, but to hear an angel swear, for some reason seemed funny. Cassie shook her head trying to clear the images from her mind. “Your guess is as good as mine. I just touched you and I saw things...about you...about Heaven?”

  He began to squeeze a little tighter on her wrists as he spoke in disbelief. “That’s impossible. Only angels can see the memories of other angels like that. What did you see?”

  “I think we've established I’m no angel, Archie” Cassie snorted. “I dunno really what I saw. It's all kind of jumbled...I saw you and another angel, a female one. You looked similar, but you were very young.”

  He turned away from her, muttering so low that she couldn't hear him. He paced the floor, taking in deep breaths. Cassie sunk back down to the floor and waited. After gazing out of the basement window for a few minutes, he came and sat down in front of her. Watching him and his magnificent wings, Cassie reached for his hand and held it in hers, giving him time to assemble his thoughts.

  When he finally raised his head and looked at her with those brown eyes, Cassie felt her heart hitch under his gaze. Emotion dripped from them, yet Archer’s face was blank.