Chapter 89 An Unexpected Appearance
Chapter 89 An Unexpected Appearance
\[Vance’s POV\]
My gaze stays fixed on Tabitha as she stares in the direction that ice fae bastard disappeared in. As much as I tried to tell myself that I didn’t give two shits if they had something, seeing her so fucking hurt over his leaving left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Are you just going to sit there?” I ask, unable to continue to watch her misery. “Don’t you think we should get out of here too before someone finds this?"
As I speak, I motion to the pile of ice, flesh, and bone that covers the floor. It was only a matter of time before someone realized that August’s remains were up here, and I didn’t want to be present when that happened.
The fae stuck together through most things, and to kill one of their own would make you all of their enemy. I couldn’t wait to see how things would work out for Atticus due to what he did, but for now, the repercussions would have to wait.
“No,” Tabitha says softly, finally snapping out of her daze. “I’m not.”
“Then let’s go.” I huff, pulling up my pants and buckling them.
Nodding, she gets up and fixes her clothes before giving August a look and then heading out of the room.
By this point, the fae ball is in full swing, and every fucking body is fucking. It’s similar to what we vampires do on the red moon.
Reaching out, I grab Tabitha’s hand and pull, drawing her away from the giant orgy that is taking place and out of the building so we can begin making our way back to the tiny apartment that we currently call home.
Neither of us speaks as we move, which is fine because there’s so much that I need to consider and process. Like what would happen after we took down my father. What would come of my family, my siblings, and even those who we sired into the clan? I didn’t know, but I knew that there would be a long, rough road ahead of us.
“That…” Tabitha squeaks, snapping me out of my head. “Vance, look.”
Frowning, I let my gaze travel in the direction that she was pointing until I found a figure standing in front of our destination.
“Shit,” I hiss. “Don’t tell me…”
I don’t get to finish my words before the figure is rushing toward us, and before I can actually react, his essence hits me.
“Allister?” I gasp, taking in my brother as he pulls down his hood. “Why are you here?”
“Dad,” he says, fixing his dark gaze on me. “He has to be stopped.”
As the words leave his lips, a hiss of pain escapes him, and he doubles over while clutching at his arm.
“What’s wrong?” I growl, reaching out and attempting to touch him.
“No!” He snarls, taking a few steps back. “Just… don’t…”
“Vance,” Tabitha says quietly. “Look, his arm.”
“Arm?” I repeat, letting my gaze trail down his body. “What about it… shit!”
For the first time, I notice that the arm my brother is clutching is covered in metallic scales from his elbow down to his hand. Fuck. What the hell was happening to him?
“You’re transforming into that lizard, aren’t you?” Tabitha asks when I remain silent. “Is it because your father knows that you came here to try to warn us?”
“That’s right,” Allister responds, his voice filled with pain. “You have to stop him,” he continues, fixing his gaze on mine. “But before that, you need to kill me.”
Kill him… My brother was actually asking me to kill him, but why? Up until a few days ago, he was more than willing to go along with what my father wanted. What the hell happened?
“Gladly.”
As the voice rings out around us, a spike of ice erupts from Allister’s chest, causing his body to jerk and then arch with the impact of it. I’m left frozen as I take in the scene, trying to make sense of what is happening. It is only when blood begins to trickle out the corners of Allister’s lips and a look of relief flashes on his face that I realize that my brother is dying.
“NO!: I roar, rushing forward and trying to pull Allister’s body off the spike so he can heal. “DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!”
“You heard him,” Atticus says, stepping from behind Allister. “He said to kill him. Are you going to ignore his wish?”
His wish. Even if it was Allister’s wish to be killed, I refused to let that happen. He could be helped! We just had to help him! He didn’t have to…
“Vance…” Allister’s voice is weak, but it manages to penetrate through the mania I’m beginning to feel. “Don’t…”
Reaching out, he pushes my hands, which are trying to free him away so that the spike will remain in him and end him.
“This,” he continues, giving me a look that screams that he is at peace with what is happening. “Needs to be done.”
“It doesn’t!” I counter, attempting to try to help him, only to feel his aura push me back. “Allister, stop this!”
“Vance,” Tabitha murmurs, gently touching my arm. “This is what he wants.”
“TO HELL WITH WHAT HE WANTS!”
How could every fucking person around me, including my own brother, be okay with what was happening? Didn’t they know that there was another way that we could help Allister if he just…
“Stop dad,” Allister repeats, his eyes beginning to lose their light. “Before it’s…”
The rest of his words don’t come as his body slumps and then explodes into ash, which begins to swirl around in the breeze, carrying him up to the sky. It’s like his soul is rising to the heavens instead of dropping down to hell, where cursed sinners like us deserve to be.
Beside me, Tabitha bows her head and clasps her hands together while saying a silent prayer for him, despite everything he has done to her. When she finishes, she reaches out and grabs my hand.
“Don’t make his sacrifice go to waste,” she says softly.
“I won’t,” I hiss through gritted teeth. “Just know that I will be the one to kill my father with my own two hands.”
“Not if I get to him first,” Atticus counters. “I need his heart for something, so I can’t let you destroy it.”
“His heart?” I repeat. “Why the fuck do you..."
“My memories,” he responds before I can finish. “If I want them back, I have to have his heart.”
“Then what are we standing around here for?” Tabitha asks, looking from Atticus to me. “Shouldn’t we go pay him a visit?”
“Are you mad?” I snap, unable to believe what I was hearing. “Do you really think just the three of us stand a chance?”
“No, but if we go after him when the rest of your clan is sleeping, we may stand a chance,” she says. “The sun should be rising soon, and that will be our chance.”
“And if we’re caught?”
“Then we’ll take him down with us.”