Blood and Ruin (Blood and Ruin Series Book 1)

Avoiding the main stairways, I make my way to Jazmyn’s apartment, the floor just above the club.

There are not many supes about with Kane being close to Jazmyn, so I go mostly unnoticed. Those that do see me are still new blood and don’t know me long enough to know my connection to King.

Knocking on her door, it takes a couple of minutes before a pissed off witch with fire in her eyes swings it open, on guard and ready for a fight.

Spotting me, she loses some of her ire but is still on defence.

“What do you need? I thought we had everything sorted out?”

Glancing up and down the hall, I make sure we’re not being overheard before speaking. “Can we talk? There’s a slight… bump in the plan…”

She frowns at me. After everything she and Kane have been through, I can understand her hesitancy to trust anyone.

Staring at me, her eyes begin to glow a slight purple as she narrows her gaze.

Knowing she needs this, I open myself up, letting her feel just enough to trust me.

Finding what she’s looking for, she steps back and waves me in.

“Better make it quick, Kane said Kal is on the warpath. He’s been searching the whole building, locking it down. Won’t tell us what he’s looking for though, just that he knows it won’t go far.”

My guilty expression must show as she narrows her eyes on me.

“But I have a feeling, you already know all about that?”

I cringe. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

She shakes her head. “What do you need?”

“That project we’ve been working on? Would it be possible to add another person?”

Jazmyn raises her brows. “We barely had enough for two, adding another will ruin it completely.”

Damn it! My heart sinks.

Any hope I had for getting Luna out is dashed.

But still, I couldn’t leave her here. She needed to get away from Kaladar, and soon. There had to be another way.

The desperation in my eyes must show as Jazmyn leans back against the chair with a far off look in her eyes.

A moment passes before her eyes brighten with what I hope to be a solution.

“Technically, we could switch one out?”

“Switch?”

“So, instead of the two we’ve been working on to get past the borders, we could switch one out to take their place. The last spell needs to be completed just before Friday, so we still haven’t added the final ingredients yet.”

She shrugs.

“Either way, you need two to go or else the spell won’t work.”

The meaning behind what she says hits me like a ton of bricks. If I choose to go with Alana, then Luna will suffer Kaladar’s wrath and if I don’t go, it will leave Alana to King’s.

My heart rips open, the pain far worse than anything King could do. There was no option, not anymore. Luna would die if left here and Alana soon after if I didn’t do this.

My heart constricts at the impulsive decision I was about to make.

There was only one option.

Not overthinking it, I look at Jazmyn as she waits for my decision.

“Let’s do it. Switch one out.”

She heads straight to her kitchen to gather a few items.

“I’ll need a strand of hair from the replacement.” As she lines up a couple of jars with dark slime and strange stick-like insects, she takes out her phone, and texts who I can only assume is her sister, and the second part of the plan.

“Who are we switching out?”

“Me.”

Jazmyn freezes giving me a shocked look. “I mean, are you sure? I can’t change it back once it’s done, not in the time frame we have. And King—”

“It’ll be fine.”

A sad look takes over Jazmyn’s usual bold manner.

“I… I’m sure.” I’d have time to deal with the implications of my decision later. Luna didn’t have the time to wait around.

“Do you still need the other one, for removing the binding spell from the hotel?”

“Ye… Yes. I still need that one.”

“Okay. You’ll have eight hours to make it back here before it rebinds itself.” She nods her head, giving me a knowing look. “I’ll make sure the rest is done.”

“Thank you.” I turn to leave when she calls out.

“After this is all done, stop by anytime, okay?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. That’s right, now that I won’t be going anywhere, I’ll see her around.

That’s if King doesn’t lock me up or bury me alive… again.

I give her a small smile, thanking her, before leaving.

Moving through the hallways, I find a quiet spot. Sending Kai a quick text, I tell him what Jazmyn said, leaving out any details that would hint about switching places.

He replies immediately, asking for a place to meet up with what I need.

I text back, telling him a place and time for tomorrow. I couldn’t meet up now, not with the way I feel.

Blinking away the tears threatening to spill, I head to one place I can be alone. At least for a bit.

I look around the small dingy room I used to hide in after a bad torture session with King. Sometimes when I’d head back to my room, King would follow for another round. I could never heal as quick, knowing he could come by any moment and attack.

Finding a little space that no one knew about made me feel a bit safer.

Even for one night.

I ignore the incoming texts and calls, letting the darkness swallow me for a few moments.

My plans are ruined. They’ve turned to ash and floated up and away with the harsh breeze.

King will soon be back, and our torture session would once again commence.

My breathing becomes shallow as the room tilts and fades. My chest tightens, caving in on itself as the boa around it constricts my airflow, crushing my airway.

I dip my head, placing it between my legs as I try to get control of my breathing and the oncoming panic attack.

I can’t do this.

How do I keep going with no way out?

The light that had formed at the end of my dark tunnel, shrivels up to become nothing but a black hole of fear and horror.

There is no way out, not anymore.

My thoughts turn darker, seeing no way out. No relief from the pain, the hopelessness, the torture.

I can’t die. That is never an option. Not even if I beg for it. King has tested every limit he thinks I may have. Human and supe alike, neither works. I will always heal.

I will never find a way out.

For me, there is none.

My downward spiral begins to grow the longer I think about my future, or lack of one.

The darkness that grows around me threatens to start the cycle once again.

Squeezing my eyes tight, I grab onto any shred of hope available in the sphere of my hazy thoughts.

Alana.

The slight spear of hope was knowing that Alana would soon be free. Free from the torment and pain she never deserved.

At least there is that.

I focus on that thread, pulling it until it unravels and unfolds in front of me.

Yes. The plan will go ahead. Months of planning and preparation will not go to waste.

My sacrifice would not be for nothing. Two lost souls would escape King’s clutches once and for all. That had to mean something.

My breathing slows down, the darkness releasing its hold over me.

Maybe I was never meant to be free. Maybe this was part of my punishment for not being able to save my mother. For all the pain Alana has suffered over the years, all for sticking by me.

I would accept this, for now at least. Who knows, maybe another way out could be possible?

I force a small smile on my face. It feels stiff and awkward when I feel anything but happy, but it helps. A little.

Once the guys leave with Alana and Luna, they will all be safe and out of reach of King and Kaladar. I will make sure of it.

Having everyone I care about far away from here is a comforting thought. It is enough to tide me over and keep my downward spiral from enveloping me whole.

Yes, Alana will be free. Free to live the life she has always deserved.

She’ll finally have a future.

Just one without me.