Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,78
didn’t belong to her, which was similar to the magic Haven produced to recreate murder scenes. Nexi realized, though, it had to be different, because for the oddest reason, she knew with certainty Lazarus couldn’t see what she did now.
A woman ran through the forest, weaving in and out of trees, while a baby cried in her arms. She tripped over stones and branches, but she continued to get up and run from the vampire hunting her—Lazarus.
“You can’t run from me,” Lazarus called, stalking forward with a speed slow and unafraid. “You’ve got no one to save you and nowhere to hide.”
The woman tripped again and this time, fell to her knees. Her warm blue eyes were filled with tears, her blonde hair curtaining her face. She lowered her lips to the baby’s face, and whispered against the screaming baby’s forehead. “Go, Nexi. Be safe, my love. Always remember, I love you.”
The baby vanished from her arms and she turned to face Lazarus. The witch looked drained and utterly exhausted, her movements slow and appearing forced. Her eyelids lowered as she panted while he closed in on her. She raised her hands to conjure magic, but none came.
Lazarus cackled. “Used all your strength to send the child away? Now you are mine.” With a speed that seemed to surprise the witch, since her eyes widened, he lunged toward her and sank his fangs deep into her neck. The witch’s eyes shut tight as she tried to fight him off, but her strength couldn’t match his.
Then…she screamed…
Nexi gasped, the present returning. Lazarus approached as if no time had passed and the sound of her birth mother’s screams echoed in Nexi’s mind. Her body shook from the inside out, torn up about what she’d witnessed. Tillie gave up her life to protect Nexi. Kyden was willing to do the same, and now he would die, too.
Tears rushed down her face for so many reasons it was impossible to pinpoint the cause, and raw emotion filled her. Heat and electric currents of rage burned within. Glancing down at her hands, she noted she didn’t only tremble on the inside, but on the outside, too. In fact, now aware, she realized her whole body quivered in absolute horror. The warmth coursing through her grew rapidly, filled her entirely, and sweat coated her skin.
Lazarus stopped his approach, regarding her with a cautious look. “What are you doing?”
His surprise made her take further notice of her body and she discovered she wasn’t experiencing emotionally charged reactions. This was a physical transformation. And it so happened, the moment she acknowledged the force swirling within her body, all that power concentrated into the center of her chest, when suddenly the energy burst wide open.
A surge so intense exploded within and the pain Lazarus had delivered was no comparison to the sheer brutal force ripping her apart. Her screams morphed together as flames flickered through her, building more intense as the seconds drew on.
Above her, Kyden moaned and on instinct, Nexi grabbed his ankle. Her fingers wrapped around his bloody skin, not caring if she hurt him now. She needed the connection. As her fingers tightened around his wet flesh, her only thoughts remained of him, and a sudden flash of power stormed through her body, which glued her hand to his ankle.
Terrified and confused, she shut her eyes and screamed against the force wrecking havoc on her body. Anything this painful should mean she was dead. Minutes—feeling like a lifetime—passed. The burn built to an intensity she doubted she could survive, when suddenly, a waft of power caressed over her, removing the heat and instead sending it outwards.
She experienced a relief so exquisite she wept anew, smiling as though the sun had kissed her face for the first time. With a gentle wash of energy sweeping over her like a warm bath, all sensations vanished, and she snapped her eyes open.
Lifting her head, she looked up, and her breath became trapped her in throat at the face staring down at her. Bewildered, she could only blink in wonderment, unsure if her trauma made her eyes play tricks on her. However, the sight in front of her remained.
Kyden arched an eyebrow, as ire burned in the depths of his eyes. He glanced to Lazarus, who stood statue-still, and then he scanned the area in haste before his fiery gaze returned to her. “Your reason for coming here alone better be good.”