Undead Or Alive (Bad Things Book 3) by Cynthia Eden
Gregory looked down at his chest, then back up at Cass. Anger twisted his face. “Your parents…your relatives…I killed every Reaper I could find. I took their power. I needed that power. I told you, I had to be strong enough to defeat Luke.”
A dull roar filled Cass’s ears. He didn’t realize he was the one making that animalistic sound, not at first. Pain had clawed up through him, ripping him wide open.
I lived with his clan. All those years…I was with the murderers…
“I wanted to kill you all,” Gregory spat. “But you wouldn’t die. My vamps chopped off your hands…we drained you…but you came back. You kept coming back. So I knew that if I couldn’t end you, then I could at least use you.”
And he had…for fucking years.
“Guess what…?” Gregory whispered. “My vampires? They’re here. They’re closing in.”
Four vampires raced from the dark—and they put themselves between Gregory and Cass.
They bared their fangs.
“Took you fucking long enough,” Gregory shouted at them. “He made me bleed.”
“I’ll do a whole lot more than that,” Cass promised.
The vampires were a solid wall between him and Gregory. They were a wall that would be coming down.
“It will be just like the old times,” Gregory taunted. “We’ll take your hands and then drain you dry. When you wake up, we’ll do it all over again—”
Wind whipped against Cass’s back, but he didn’t look over his shoulder. He was too busy lunging toward the four vamps who thought to protect Gregory. The scythe whistled as he brought it down in an arc.
Two vampires fell, minus their heads.
A third yanked out a sharp blade, going for Cass’s hand—
Cass touched that vamp. He fell.
Then there was just one vampire between him and Gregory. Just one. “Do you really want to die for him?” Cass asked.
The vampire hesitated. Fear lurked in the darkness of his eyes.
“Were you there?” Cass demanded of that vamp. “When my family died?” Because he knew this vampire—just as he’d known the others.
The two vampires he’d killed with the scythe had been Reginald and Vince. They’d always enjoyed giving their victims too much pain. The third vampire had been McIntosh, an Irish vamp who’d seemed to keep to himself. And the vamp before him—Stevenson.
“I was,” Stevenson admitted starkly. He squared his shoulders. Lunged for Cass—
The scythe whistled again.
Stevenson’s body hit the ground. So did his head.
“Do you see him now?” Gregory called out. But he wasn’t looking at Cass. He was staring just beyond Cass’s shoulder. “See what he is? What I made him? You’ll remember this, won’t you? Even after I’m gone? You’ll remember that your lover is a vicious killer.”
A rustle sounded behind him. The faintest scent of honey and champagne reached Cass. His heart stopped.
Amber.
“He was born to kill. Crafted to destroy—I made him,” Gregory boasted.
The rustle came closer and then Amber—she was curling her hand around the scythe that Cass still gripped. “You don’t want to do this,” she whispered.
Cass turned and stared into her eyes. “There is very little I want more.” You. I want you more…will you turn from me when I take his head?
She smiled at him—a beautiful, but heart-breaking smile.
And then Amber yanked the scythe away from him. She moved fast—almost a blur—and she struck.
Gregory was dead in an instant. Even a vampire as powerful as Gregory had been could not survive without a head.
“I loved my wings,” she said as she stood over his body. “I love my brothers…and you tried to destroy them.” She let the scythe fall to the ground near Gregory’s body. “And I love Cass…so he will not be carrying the weight of your death on his shoulders. And you will never hurt anyone I love again.”
I love Cass.
Had she really just said that?
Amber turned back toward him. She stared at Cass. He tried to figure out what in the hell to say to her.
“You lived with him for so long…I didn’t want you to have his death on your hands.”
He looked down at his hands. Hands that couldn’t touch her.
“Oh, yeah, right.” She bent and yanked the gloves off Gregory. Then she hurried back to Cass and offered him the gloves.
He slipped them on, not looking away from her beautiful face.
“The stories have always said that Luke and Leo will battle one day—battle to the death. They’ve put off that fight, though they could have clashed years ago.” Her voice lowered. “Want to know their secret? Want to know why they don’t just end things?”
He didn’t really care about Luke and Leo. They could fuck off.
I love Cass. He wanted to talk to her a whole lot more about that.
“They haven’t fought because neither of them want to carry that guilt. It’s different when you kill family. When it’s like cutting out your own heart as you make that kill.” Her hand lifted and touched his cheek. “And the little boy inside of you…I was afraid he’d still see Gregory as family.”
He didn’t. Gregory had killed his family. “I just see betrayal.” His whole life. His whole freaking life had been a lie. “I see pain.”
Her lips trembled. “I want to help you see something more.”
When he looked at her, he did see more. He saw everything. His head bent toward her.
And the earth literally shook.
Lightning crashed. Wind whipped against his body and—
Luke appeared. Luke…and Leo. Luke stood to the right of Amber. Leo was to her left.
“Are you seriously trying to kiss here in the middle of all these bodies?” Luke demanded. “Because that is both wrong and sad.”
Cass glared at him.
“He is the Reaper,” Leo put in. “Maybe death is some kind of aphrodisiac for him.” He placed his hand on Amber’s shoulder. “Yet another reason why you need to stay far away from the guy.”
The hell she did.
But Leo’s eyes were considering as he stared at Cass. “What did it feel like…” Leo asked quietly. “To kill someone who’d been like family?”
Cass glared at him—and Luke. As if he were the only one with a fucked-up family—the terror twins could hardly judge him. “I wouldn’t know.”
Leo frowned.
“I killed him,” Amber said. “With Cass’s scythe.”
Luke stiffened. “We’re done here.” He pulled Amber closer and lifted her into his arms. “Good job, Reaper. You held up your end of the deal.” His wings flapped. “So I won’t be gunning for you.”
Amber was struggling to get out of her brother’s arms.
“Let her go,” Cass barked.
“No.” Luke shot into the air, hovering just out of reach, Amber still tight in his embrace. “I wanted to find her for a reason. That reason still stands.”
“Cass!” Amber yelled.
“She isn’t for you,” Leo said.
You aren’t good enough for her. He knew exactly what the bastard meant.
“Until we meet again, Reaper,” Luke called.
Until they—fuck, no! “Amber!”
But it was too late. Luke had flown away into the night, taking Amber with him. Taking the one person who fucking mattered. Cass started running after them. He shot through the trees, ran down the highway, rushed and rushed and—
I can’t see them.
Leo appeared in front of him—his dark and scaly wings stretching behind his body. “Pity you don’t have wings of your own,” he murmured.
Cass was so fucking not in the mood for any more shit. He pulled back his gloved hand and slammed it into the side of Leo’s jaw. Leo’s head whipped to the right and then he went crashing to the ground.
“You’ve got wings,” Cass blasted right back at him. “Take me to her.”
Leo rubbe
“Take me to her.” Pain clawed at him.
I love Cass. She loved him and he wasn’t letting her go.
“Are you stronger than me?” Leo rose to his feet and stared at Cass with something close to wonder in his eyes. “Stronger than Luke? I mean, I didn’t believe the stories but I think…you may be able to kill us!”
Cass grabbed the crazy jerk’s shoulders and hauled him close. “Don’t test me.”
But Leo laughed. “I see it—you want her, don’t you? Death needs Amber…She’s good and she’s bad and you’re obsessed with her.”
“I’m not obsessed. I love her.”
That stopped Leo’s laughter. Cass could practically see the wheels spinning in the guy’s mind.
“You’re strong,” Leo mused. “Strong enough to protect her…”
“Always.” He would never let her down again.
“Strong enough to take her from Luke…?”
“Let’s find out. Use those damn wings of yours and get us to them.” Then he realized he had a bargaining chip. Cass still had that fucking Blade of Truth. He’d strapped it to his ankle—hell, he didn’t even remember when he’d done that. But he bent and yanked that knife from the sheath. Amber’s bracelet tumbled to the ground when he pulled out the knife. I remember grabbing that for her, hiding it…wanting to give it back to her.
“What do you have there?” Leo’s voice was cautious.
Cass tucked Amber’s bracelet—the bracelet that Luke had given him to start the hunt—into his pocket. He lifted the knife toward Leo. “The Blade of Truth. Figure it has to be worth something, right? Take me to Amber, and it’s yours.”
Leo’s eyes gleamed. “Give me the knife first.”
Fuck, he had to trust him, but… “Betray me, and you’ll feel the scythe take your throat.”
“Doubt it. I don’t think you would want to hurt Amber. And killing her brother…it would hurt her.” He took the knife, and it vanished instantly. Then Leo stared at him with a hooded gaze. “Even with the knife, you’ll still owe me.” Leo gazed straight in Cass’s eyes. “If you remember…I have a certain angel who is missing. I may need to call in your services regarding that particular situation.”
“Get me to Amber, and yes, I will fucking owe you.”
Leo grabbed him. “Done.”
They flew into the air.
Chapter Sixteen
“Luke, you bastard, let me go now!” Amber screamed.
And…he did.
They dropped to the ground. She stumbled a few feet back from him and realized they were at his island. They’d flown for what felt like for-freaking-ever, and now she saw why—the guy had taken her all the way down to the Florida Keys. They were on the balcony at his house.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Luke had his hands behind his back. “Just…give me a minute, would you?”
She would give him—
A woman walked out onto the balcony. A woman with dark hair and sky blue eyes. A woman who was holding a very, very large black box.
“Mina, my love,” Luke called as he held out his hand to her. “Your timing is perfect.”
Mina gave a light, oddly musical laugh. “Well, I did see you fly in, so I figured that was my cue.” She pressed a kiss to Luke’s cheek as he took the box from her. Then Mina’s stare slid to Amber. She looked curious and nervous. “Hi,” Mina said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Luke’s…he’s told me about you.”
Amber’s gaze swept over the other woman. “You’re the one mated to him.”
Mina laughed again—this time, the sound was more nervous than musical. “I’m the one in love with him.”
So that story was true. “Does he love you?”
“He does,” Luke answered. He moved to stand in front of Mina, the box still gripped in his hands. It was a massive box—easily two feet wide and three feet long. “Though I have to confess—after you left, after you lost your wings for me—I didn’t think I’d ever be able to love anyone.” His shoulders sagged a bit. This was the Luke she remembered—the Luke that she’d often felt as if only she knew. The real man. “I loved you, and I hurt you. I only seemed to hurt the people I care about.”
“I chose to give up my wings.”
“Right. But you did that for me.” He pushed the box at her. “And I can finally give them back to you.”
“What?” Her jaw dropped.
“Take the box.”
She took the box. Yanked it open. And her knees almost gave way. Her wings were in that box. Shimmering, silken…as soft as a dream. As perfect as her memory.
Amber felt tears on her cheeks.
“I can’t…I can’t put them back on you.” Now Luke’s voice was ragged. “Because the fairy part of you? That’s the part I could never touch.”
Her supposed good side.
Luke and Leo were two distinct halves. Luke had gotten the dark powers. Leo had been given the light ones. But she was different from her brothers. Light and dark had merged within her, always fighting.
Nearly breaking her apart.
“I can get Leo to do it,” Luke continued gruffly. “I’ll force Leo to—”
Wind whipped against her. She couldn’t look away from her wings. Her beautiful wings. Still dark and lovely, after all this time.
Magic.
“Force me to do what?” Leo demanded.
Because, of course, he was there.
“My wings,” she whispered. “Luke got my wings back.”
Stunned silence.
“I can’t put them back on her,” Luke said quietly. “I don’t have that magic. Only you—”
Leo took the wings without another word. He stared into Amber’s eyes. “Please don’t fucking give them up again.”
“Yeah,” Luke added, his voice gruff. “You don’t want to know what I did to get those back.”
Then Leo was behind her. Her head still bowed forward because she couldn’t believe it. Her magic—her wings.
She felt the glow in her back. Felt the pain that she’d carried in her scars melt away.
And then…
Power flooded through her, pouring into every single cell in her body. She looked down at her hands and her skin was glowing. She tossed back her head and she laughed—and she flew. For the first time in so many years, she—
“You are beautiful.”
Cass.
Cass was there. Standing right beside Luke. Staring at her as if she were the most amazing thing that he’d ever seen.
She flew to him. Always, to him.
“I have my wings, Cass!” She had her power fully restored. “I’m back! I’m—I’m whole again!”
“You were always whole to me.” He smiled at her. “You’ve always been perfect to me.”
She realized he meant those words.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small…something gold…something—
Amber gave a quick cry. “My bracelet!” She’d thought it was long gone.
But Cass gently hooked it around her wrist. “It brought me to you. I just…I needed to bring it back to you.” Then Cass looked down at his gloved hands. “Guess Luke and I both wanted to return something to you.” He glanced at Luke. “That’s why you wanted her back, huh, Luke? To give her the wings?”
“Amber had her damn hide-me spell in place. I couldn’t find her and she deserved those damn wings. I would have made any deal to get her back.”
His deal. Amber blinked and a little of her joy faded. She looked at Luke. “You promised him…a mate.”
Luke gave a grim nod of his head.
“Someone he could touch.” She reached for one of Cass’s gloved hands. “Someone he wouldn’t fear hurting.”
“Yes,” Luke gritted and it sounded as if he were choking on nails. “And Cass held up his end of the bargain…so that means I
She shook her head and the pain in her chest got worse. Cass deserved to touch—he deserved to be happy. But it was going to tear out her heart—her soul—when he went to another. She loved him, so much. So fast. So deep. I fell for him…
“Take off his gloves, Amber,” Luke ordered.
“Wh-what?”
“You’re the one.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. Mina patted his shoulder, as if to comfort him. “I knew it all fucking along—why do you think those gloves worked?”
She’d feared… “They were made of fairy wings?”
“Dust. Fucking fairy dust…and I can’t even believe I just said that shit.” He glared at Cass. “The last bit of dust that existed. You know where fairy dust comes from, Reaper? It comes from fairies when they cry. Their tears turn into pure magic. I gave you that magic and when it worked…hell, I knew Amber would be the one for you. She was born—fucking literally—to be touched by you.”
Amber yanked the gloves off Cass.
“No, wait,” Cass said. “What if it doesn’t work, what if—”
“Then my brothers can bring my ass back.” Again. She wrapped her hands around his. And she felt the heat instantly. Warm, consuming…
Binding.
Not killing. A connection was forging right between them that had nothing to do with death and everything to do with love.
“I’m touching you,” Cass rasped.
She brought their linked hands up. She kissed the back of his hand.
“I’m touching you!”
Amber laughed.
And she put his hands right over her heart—the heart that the Reaper owned. “I love you.”
His eyes blazed at her. “Amber, you are my world.” He pulled her close. Kissed her frantically. “I love you.”
Joy pulsed through her again. It had been so long since she felt true joy…so long…she rose, her wings lifting her up easily and Amber made sure Cass flew with her. She knew—Cass would always be with her.
“Amber!” It was Luke, calling out to her.
She glanced down at him.
“Is he really what you want?”
“He’s everything I want.”
Then Luke nodded, grimly.
She’d be talking to him again—to him and to Leo and trying to figure out how to save them all. Just like in the old days.