Part 23
Ashael gunned the engine of the stolen jeep, not caring about breaking all the speed limits to get back to town. Any other time she might have been amused that in some twisted way, her plan had worked after all.
Isis and Raven were stranded in the middle of the desert.
Dusk, at least, was smart enough to keep quiet. If she'd have opened her mouth, she'd be dead. Ashael didn't care about anything except getting to Evangeline.
She cursed herself mentally for not killing David. She'd had hundreds of opportunities, hell she'd passed him in the halls, in the cafeteria, he was even in some of her classes, and she'd never killed him.
~Stupid, *stupid*~ she scolded herself. Now her sister's life was in danger. Nothing to do with the fact she and David's only surviving brother were soulmates, she was pretty sure of that.
It was David's vengeance for her killing his parents. Screw Hunter. The only way Evangeline was going to survive was by killing David. As for Zach...Dusk was supposed to kill him. As of now Dusk could rot in hell for all she cared. She pulled the car over. One less person to be bothered about.
"Get out." Ashael's tone as curt.
Dusk remained where she was. "I don't - "
"Out. Unless you want me to kill you." The less time she had to waste the better.
Dusk got out of the car. Ashael didn't even glance at her as she headed to the motel. Almost there now. She parked haphazardly, and keeping her head high to maintain some sort of dignity, she knocked politely on the door.
* * *
Evangeline kept her face calm and nonchalant, but it was extremely difficult when there was a maniac pressing a stake against you. Zach sat in a chair by the door, scowling furiously. David was beside her, grinning insanely.
"I can't believe you idiots thought I would buy your absurd Circle Daybreak story," David snorted with laughter.
It hadn't been Evangeline's best idea of a last resort, but she wanted to be with Zach, and was tired of the endless, ridiculous feud with David hell bent on killing Ashael. To destroy Ashael, he would go through her, the original plan being to turn them against each other.
This whole soulmate thing wasn't helping either. Zach hadn't been all that keen in working for Hunter. If Evangeline ended her contract, then he would have *her* hunted and killed.
Circle Daybreak seemed like the only option. How Ashael herself would react to that, Evangeline wasn't sure she wanted to see. There was a knock on the door. Evangeline felt her shoulders tense. Ashael was here.
"Let the bitch in," David said cheerfully.
Zach opened the door, Ashael stepped in.
"You can leave now," David said to Zach.
"I'm not - "
"You want me to shish kebab your girlfriend here?"
Scowling Zach stepped out. Evangeline blinked back the tears gathering, not liking the idea she might never see him again.
"You've got what you wanted," Ashael's voice was remarkably steady. Evangeline could see the anger blazing in her eyes.
"Where's Dusk?" David asked before she could say anything else.
Ashael shrugged. "Somewhere between here and Lake Meade, the residential area. She's old news now."
David was mildly surprised. "I thought you liked her."
"She's in the way right now. Though not enough of a threat for me to kill. Quit staling and listen, asshole. I'm what you want. You have me. Let my sister out of here alive and I won't fight you.2
It was the last thing Evangeline had expected to hear. Ashael might be ice cold, a snotty bitch and a million other nasty things, but this was the rare side of her that hardly ever got to be seen.
"Ashael no! Don't be insane!"
Even David was remotely impressed. Well, impressed might not be the right word. "You know her latest trick was pretending she and Zach would flourish their soulmate thing in Circle Daybreak?"
Ashael looked over at her sister, shock plain on her pretty face. "What?" Her voice was soft.
Evangeline stared back. "If you had your soulmate, you'd understand."
Ashael was silent for several minutes. Her gaze never dropped from Evangeline's eyes. She actually smiled. "I understand more than you think," she said. Her voice was still soft.
Evangeline felt a pang of guilt at the pain she detected there. "But..."
"No buts. This is how it has to be." Ashael turned her attention back to David. "Come on," she said. "You don't want her. You want me. All you have do is let my sister walk out of here alive. She and Zach will leave town, and you'll never have to see either one of them again."
Evangeline opened her mouth to protest, then shut it. David looked from one to the other. He pulled his stake away. "Get out of here before I change my mind."
Evangeline didn't want to leave without at least getting the chance to say goodbye to her sister. There was nothing she could do. She wasn't stupid enough to turn around and attack David. He was a witch, after all. She hurried out of the motel room.
Zach was waiting outside, looking surprised to see her. "What happened?"
Evangeline didn't say anything. She couldn't. The tears she had been holding back were now flowing freely. Zach held her, uncertain what else to do.
Five minutes later Evangeline was certain she heard the sound of muffled gunshots. She looked up. Her eyes met Zach's. She didn't want to see inside the motel room.
Zach let her go and opened the door. "What the fuck..."
Evangeline turned around. Ashael was still there, still alive. "Who got - "
David was lying on his back on the bed, blood gushing from a gunshot wound to the head.
"Did you - "
Ashael was trying not to look impressed, but was failing miserably. "I didn't. *She* did."
Dusk was standing proudly by the open window, gun in hand.
* * *
Ashael gunned the engine of the stolen jeep, not caring about breaking all the speed limits to get back to town. Any other time she might have been amused that in some twisted way, her plan had worked after all.
Isis and Raven were stranded in the middle of the desert.
Dusk, at least, was smart enough to keep quiet. If she'd have opened her mouth, she'd be dead. Ashael didn't care about anything except getting to Evangeline.
She cursed herself mentally for not killing David. She'd had hundreds of opportunities, hell she'd passed him in the halls, in the cafeteria, he was even in some of her classes, and she'd never killed him.
~Stupid, *stupid*~ she scolded herself. Now her sister's life was in danger. Nothing to do with the fact she and David's only surviving brother were soulmates, she was pretty sure of that.
It was David's vengeance for her killing his parents. Screw Hunter. The only way Evangeline was going to survive was by killing David. As for Zach...Dusk was supposed to kill him. As of now Dusk could rot in hell for all she cared. She pulled the car over. One less person to be bothered about.
"Get out." Ashael's tone as curt.
Dusk remained where she was. "I don't - "
"Out. Unless you want me to kill you." The less time she had to waste the better.
Dusk got out of the car. Ashael didn't even glance at her as she headed to the motel. Almost there now. She parked haphazardly, and keeping her head high to maintain some sort of dignity, she knocked politely on the door.
* * *
Evangeline kept her face calm and nonchalant, but it was extremely difficult when there was a maniac pressing a stake against you. Zach sat in a chair by the door, scowling furiously. David was beside her, grinning insanely.
"I can't believe you idiots thought I would buy your absurd Circle Daybreak story," David snorted with laughter.
It hadn't been Evangeline's best idea of a last resort, but she wanted to be with Zach, and was tired of the endless, ridiculous feud with David hell bent on killing Ashael. To destroy Ashael, he would go through her, the original plan being to turn them against each other.
This whole soulmate thing wasn't helping either. Zach hadn't been all that keen in working for Hunter. If Evangeline ended her contract, then he would have *her* hunted and killed.
Circle Daybreak seemed like the only option. How Ashael herself would react to that, Evangeline wasn't sure she wanted to see. There was a knock on the door. Evangeline felt her shoulders tense. Ashael was here.
"Let the bitch in," David said cheerfully.
Zach opened the door, Ashael stepped in.
"You can leave now," David said to Zach.
"I'm not - "
"You want me to shish kebab your girlfriend here?"
Scowling Zach stepped out. Evangeline blinked back the tears gathering, not liking the idea she might never see him again.
"You've got what you wanted," Ashael's voice was remarkably steady. Evangeline could see the anger blazing in her eyes.
"Where's Dusk?" David asked before she could say anything else.
Ashael shrugged. "Somewhere between here and Lake Meade, the residential area. She's old news now."
David was mildly surprised. "I thought you liked her."
"She's in the way right now. Though not enough of a threat for me to kill. Quit staling and listen, asshole. I'm what you want. You have me. Let my sister out of here alive and I won't fight you.2
It was the last thing Evangeline had expected to hear. Ashael might be ice cold, a snotty bitch and a million other nasty things, but this was the rare side of her that hardly ever got to be seen.
"Ashael no! Don't be insane!"
Even David was remotely impressed. Well, impressed might not be the right word. "You know her latest trick was pretending she and Zach would flourish their soulmate thing in Circle Daybreak?"
Ashael looked over at her sister, shock plain on her pretty face. "What?" Her voice was soft.
Evangeline stared back. "If you had your soulmate, you'd understand."
Ashael was silent for several minutes. Her gaze never dropped from Evangeline's eyes. She actually smiled. "I understand more than you think," she said. Her voice was still soft.
Evangeline felt a pang of guilt at the pain she detected there. "But..."
"No buts. This is how it has to be." Ashael turned her attention back to David. "Come on," she said. "You don't want her. You want me. All you have do is let my sister walk out of here alive. She and Zach will leave town, and you'll never have to see either one of them again."
Evangeline opened her mouth to protest, then shut it. David looked from one to the other. He pulled his stake away. "Get out of here before I change my mind."
Evangeline didn't want to leave without at least getting the chance to say goodbye to her sister. There was nothing she could do. She wasn't stupid enough to turn around and attack David. He was a witch, after all. She hurried out of the motel room.
Zach was waiting outside, looking surprised to see her. "What happened?"
Evangeline didn't say anything. She couldn't. The tears she had been holding back were now flowing freely. Zach held her, uncertain what else to do.
Five minutes later Evangeline was certain she heard the sound of muffled gunshots. She looked up. Her eyes met Zach's. She didn't want to see inside the motel room.
Zach let her go and opened the door. "What the fuck..."
Evangeline turned around. Ashael was still there, still alive. "Who got - "
David was lying on his back on the bed, blood gushing from a gunshot wound to the head.
"Did you - "
Ashael was trying not to look impressed, but was failing miserably. "I didn't. *She* did."
Dusk was standing proudly by the open window, gun in hand.
* * *