War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,133

gathering under her arms, Thea waited impatiently.

Then finally she heard the murmur of voices.

Ashforth’s and Devon’s voices became clear as they entered the hall.

A door slammed.

That was Thea’s cue.

“What is going on that is so urgent?” Ashforth snapped.

Thea stepped out of the drawing room, the creak of the door announcing her presence.

Ashforth whirled from glaring at his son to wiping his expression off his face when Thea stepped into the room. Ever the master bluffer. “What is she doing here?”

“She’s here to make you pay for what you did to my mother,” Devon said, the words robotic.

His father turned to him, incredulous as he gestured to Thea. “You believe her lies?”

“I believe the guards who witnessed the escape. I’ve known for years what you did to Mom.”

Shaking his head, Ashforth took a step back. “It was an accident.”

A BOOM buffeted against Castle Cara, followed milliseconds later by the shattering of the stained glass window. Shards sliced through the air and Thea ducked, covering her face, feeling tiny little stings all over her arms that healed as quickly as they’d opened. Her shirt sleeves were covered in tiny little tears.

Heart pounding and disoriented, she stood, hearing a roar of sound through the hole in the wall where the window had been. There was popping and crackling amongst the roar … like a blaze.

There had been an explosion, Thea realized.

Ashforth staggered to his feet as Devon pushed out of the doorway of the great hall, a satisfied smile on his face.

“What did you do?”

Devon shrugged. “I blew up the boat. All the guards in the castle are dead; everyone on the boat and dock are most likely dead. And your vamps are locked in the wine cellar. You’re on your own, old man.”

“Why?” Ashforth looked grief stricken.

“You made me stand by while you tortured Thea. You hit me when I disobeyed you. You intimidated Mom, and all the time with this sob story about how your father was such an abusive bastard,” Devon spat this time, no longer calm, no longer in control. “You’re so far fucking gone, you don’t even realize you became the monster you were trying to fight.”

“I love you,” Ashforth whispered. “That is the difference between me and my father. I love you. I’m doing this for both of us.”

“You’re doing this for yourself.” Devon looked to Thea, defeated. “Whoever this is, it’s not the man I remember as my dad.” He stepped back, giving her space. “End it now.”

She was a blur of speed and light across the room toward Ashforth, channeling the little girl terrified of this man, so she could give her the closure she needed. Thea was so focused, so sure it would be an easy battle, she never saw it coming.

One minute she was on Ashforth, her hands on his neck, about to snap it—make it clean, make it quick, more than he deserved—when the fire blazed through her ribs just below her heart.

The breath left her, and she felt the energy around her flicker as her legs gave way with the agony. Glancing down, she saw the iron dagger stuck between her ribs.

Even as the pain made her want to die, Thea felt relief. He’d missed her heart. She glared up at him from her knees as he shrugged his suit jacket back into place like she hadn’t just tried to kill him.

“Well, this is unfortunate.” Ashforth shook his head.

Thea yanked out the blade, gasping. “You missed. You fucking maniac.”

“Yes, but you’ll be weak enough for now until I can deal with you.”

“Wrong.” Devon stepped up behind his dad, the muzzle of the silencer against his temple. “That’s not how this ends.”

No! Thea shook her head. No, she couldn’t let Devon do this. And not because it would deny her right for revenge. She didn’t need revenge. She just needed this to be over and Ashforth would never let her go. There was no other way. He had to die.

But Devon would not live with his father’s blood on his hands.

Pushing through the weakness caused by the iron blade, Thea shot up, pushed Devon out of the way, her super strength sending him flying across the room, and she turned on Ashforth.

Wary, obviously out of weapons, he took a step back, hands in the air. “You can’t do it. You won’t let Devon do it, so how do you expect to?”

“I won’t let him live with your death on his conscience.” Thea shook her head. “He will be better than you, and