Pure Blood: Black Petals, #3

By Tarisa Marie

Get ready for the epic series finale of the Black Petals series!

Aiden, now trapped in another dimension and plagued with memory loss, has no idea who he is or who Megan is. How will he ever find a way back to her if he has no idea she even exists?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tarisa Marie
• Release date: Jul 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386302438

Tarisa Marie

Tarisa Marie loves interacting with fans on her Instagram account @TarisaMarie_Author and encourages them to send her selfies with her books. You will be her favorite person if you review one of her books, she reads every single one and appreciates them all. 

Book preview

Attention: This novel was roughly written in 2016, but never published due to other commitments. I have recently finished the 3rd draft of this novel for your enjoyment, due to popular demand. Unfortunately, this novel will not be printed in paperback any time this year and the final round of edits will not be completed right now. This being said, you will likely find a handful of grammatical and word errors in this novel. My apologies. I hope you still enjoy the final segment of this trilogy, and thank you for being so patient these past two years as I worked up the ability to finish this novel. It was not easy having to leave the work then return to it two years later.

Chapter 1

I f I’d have known that she’d be taken, if I’d have known it was all a fucking trap, I’d never have left her side, I snarl to myself as I walk out of the large brick castle towards the forest. I’ve spent little time in the woods here because nothing good ever comes from stepping foot past the last ray of sunlight to enter the dense wooded area.

From behind me, Mason chuckles without humor. Oh, hell, Aiden, could you really have chosen her over all of your people? Let’s be real here. Protecting one girl over abandoning your people and letting the many more of them fall without your aide isn’t you. Even I know that.

He has a point, Landon agrees. Why are these two imbeciles following me? Do they have a death wish? I can’t even bring myself to think about their safety right now with Megan gone. All my worry is being spent on her.

Just as I step past the tree line that separates the forest from the territory I feel relatively safe in, something glints off to the side in the last of the visible sunlight. I turn quickly, my hand flying down to grip the handle of the knife fastened to my waist.

A skinny, frail, sickly, looking creature stands a few dozen feet away leaning against a tree. I knew it wouldn’t take you long to show up here, he murmurs cockily.

A vampire. I approach him quickly without thinking and in seconds I have him pinned against the tree he was leaning on, knife to his throat. Now that I can see him better with our new proximity, I vaguely recognize the disgusting creature. I hear Landon and Mason both suck in breaths behind me. Forrest stands staring back at me with a calm expression.

His eyes are sunken into his skull and his skin as white as paper. He looks deathly ill. Hell, he looks dead. Only, I know better. He’s what some would call undead.

What the hell have you done with Megan? I demand, pressing my knife into his neck impossibly harder.

Forrest’s eerily cold, smug grin fades. Oh, Aiden, calm down. For the love of god.

Calm down? I’m about to fucking erupt like a volcano here. Forrest, where is she?

Forrest grins once again, his extended incisors appearing. A shiver runs down my spine. It’s not that I’m frightened, I’m just unnerved. I’ve known Forrest most of my life.

Well, that I’m not completely sure of. The rebels have her. They’ll keep her alive. They need her alive.

I can’t help it. I throw my clenched fist into his face. Vampires don’t feel pain the same way as most beings do. He barely flinches upon impact.

You underestimate me, Forrest, I sneer at him and press my knife into his skin, causing blood to streak down his neck. "I am not weak. I am not who you think I am. You’re going to help me find her or you’re going to die here. Do you hear me? You’re a vampire now. Scum. I could care less if you’re breathing or not."

I think I see fright pass across his expression but it’s gone too soon to tell for sure.

I wouldn’t test him, Landon agrees. He’s about to go on a rampage.

Forrest looks squeezes his eyes shut before pushing me off him with the incredible strength of a vampire. I catch myself a few feet away just as Mason lunges at him.

Angered, I take my blade and throw it in the direction of Forrest. It slices into the right side of his torso. Dark blood seeps from the wound but he doesn’t flinch. I see what it was that glinted in the small ray of sun when I first noticed his presence. He carries a long samurai sword. He swings it at Mason who jumps back.

Mason manages to slice open Forrest’s arm before I knock Forrest into a tree, causing it to splinter in half. This time I position my blade over his heart. I poke the tip through his shirt and into his skin, stopping when my blade hit the bone of his ribcage. Where are the rebels? I know you know where they are. You must have contact with them.

Forrest sucks in a breath. I don’t hesitate before applying more pressure with my knife. There’s a sickening crack as his rib breaks under it. This time he winces. I’m not sure if it’s actually in pain or in worry. I send my knife deeper carefully until I feel the slight movement of a very important organ against it.

Forrest knows as well as I do that the tip of my blade is touching his heart. One small movement from either of us and he is dead.

I won’t kill you if you tell me where she is, I try again.

Forrest’s cocky expression falters. How do I know you won’t kill me if I tell you?

You don’t I guess, I reply flippantly.

He closes his eyes. Megan would hate you if she saw you doing this to me you know. She has no idea how much of a bastard you really are. Not a clue. She thinks you're some kind of good guy, a saint even.

He’s not wrong, but Megan isn’t here to see this.

I do what’s best for my people and for me and those I love. I don’t let anything get in my way. I don’t see how that makes me a bad guy, Forrest.

He swallows. "You’re not a bad guy, Aiden, but you’re not a real good guy either. She needs to know who you are before she finds out from someone else. Enough of the charades. You’re a fucking demon not a human. Even with that creepy potion crap you gave all the demons, demons will always have a tendency to be rebellious and bad. You know that right? But now... Forrest chuckles. You have no way of controlling them. The changelings are no longer loyal by nature and the pures, well, they’ve always been such a joy to control with your crazy laws and threats. What happens when your plan to tame them with emotion backfires and instead of choosing good they choose bad? After all, you did just give remorse and guilt to a bunch of demons with a whole shitload of stuff on their consciences. Do you really think they won’t just turn of the emotion and go a little crazy?"

I tense up. He’s not exactly wrong. Forrest is a smart guy.

Look, Aiden, I didn’t wait for you at the edge of the forest to commit suicide. I waited for you to warn you. The number of demons coming into these parts since you gave them that potion has more than tripled. There are far more demons than usual dabbling in dark things that they shouldn’t be. When you gave them their emotion back, you also gave them their courage back. You gave them willpower and strength. They’re not just your minions anymore. They’re your equal. It’s only a matter of time before they decide they don’t need a leader and they rise up against you. The world will be chaos.

I take a moment to process what he says. Why warn me?

Let’s just say I’m not planning on being team Edward very long here and when I‘m back, I’d like not to be thrust into a world I know the real me will hate. I’m not dumb.

Confusion wrinkles my brow. What? Team who?

Mason is suddenly beside me. Are you trying to say what I think you’re trying to say? How do you think you’re going to do that?

I glance between Mason and Forrest. I can get my hands on anything I want. Trust me. I have my ways. Do you really think I’d walk into this forest without a backup plan and get myself turned into a vampire, sealing my fate? No.

Mason looks him square in the eye.

Where’s Megan? I ask for the last time, losing patience.

Forrest sighs. She’s in Toronto. Where in Toronto, I’m not exactly sure. I think somewhere downtown. I was never there. I just heard rumblings.

"Don’t think that your warning makes us even after you took her from me, Forrest. Don’t think it for a second. I’ve given you so many chances and each time you screw yourself over. This is the last chance I’m giving you. Screw it up, and I will personally end you."

Forrest manages a nod and I pull my knife from his gently.

Go, I hiss through clenched teeth.

Aiden Castile shows mercy on a vampire who kidnapped his lover. Never thought I’d see the day, Landon mutters.

Mason swallows. Vampires are kind of creepy, huh?

Landon snorts. Hell yeah. They’re not something I like to lay eyes on.

Well, since you two insist on coming with me, I grumble, shoving my bloody knife back into its position on my hip. I wrap my hand around their wrists and portal us to my house in Toronto.

Mason isn’t surprised by this move. Landon on the other hand had no idea I could do such a thing, but at the moment I don’t care that I’ve given away one of my most treasured and secret gifts. One not even Terry knows about. Mason, Aria, and Megan are the only ones who know. Well, and Landon now, but I figure if I can’t trust any of them, then I can’t trust anyone.

He’s basically his own portal, Mason explains. It’s a secret though so keep your mouth shut.

Landon lets out the breath he was holding in.

Landon, get one of my cars out of the garage and pull it up front. Mason, call Crispen and Aria. They should be in Toronto with Terry by now. They’re supposed to be taking him to their apartment to watch him. It isn’t safe on the island with Forrest knowing it’s there and he being in contact with the rebels. I had one of my men send them here when I left the castle earlier today. Tell them to lock Terry up in their house and we’ll meet them outside the front of their house.

Landon races from the house. Unsurprisingly, he’s excited to see my car collection.

I head down the hall to grab some weapons. I throw a small collection of my handguns into the bag along with some silver tipped ammunition. I then toss in a few knives and lastly a grenade just in case. I then run into Megan’s old room and find some of the clothes she left here when we left for hell. I throw in a set in case she’ll need to change.

By this time, Mason has gotten off the phone with Aria and Landon has a car picked out a parked out front. A slick, silver car with a racing stripe down the middle idles in the driveway. Landon knows his cars. This one is a fast one. I toss my things into the back seat before jumping into the driver's seat. Landon looks saddened that I’ll be driving and not him but he doesn’t say anything as he jump in the passenger seat. Mason gets the back.

In a matter of minutes we are pulling into the city and then up to Crispen’s building. The two of them race out in attire fit for war. They don’t ask questions, they just jump in. I wonder how much Mason explained to them.

I need your hunter power whatever it is to sense out some demons. A large group. Rebels to be exact, I explain while I turn a corner. How close will we need to get? Will driving down every street in the city be enough?

Crispen and Aria both hesitate before Crispen clears his throat. Yeah, that should be fine. How many we talking?

I don’t know. Does it make a difference? I ask him.

He shrugs. The more of them there are, the stronger we’ll be pulled to them.

Well, I’m going to guess and say at least ten? Anything over ten, we’ll have to check out, I decide and blow through a red light.

Crispen nods. He looks about to ask something but sees my expression and must decide not to talk.

They have Megan, Landon explains.

Aria and Crispen exchange a look. They’re probably putting the pieces together.

"Holy shit, Crispen breathes. Stop!" he shouts.

I slam on the brakes as I glance back in the rearview mirror at my siblings. Aria and Crispen must sense something because they both look taken aback.

You said anything over ten? Aria squeaks. Well, somewhere close there are probably eighty.

I have to catch my jaw from dropping to the ground. Eighty? Even after we’ve taken out so many rebels? There are that many remaining? Are their numbers growing or has there always been this many?

No, more than eighty, Aria. I’m feeling at least a hundred. Crispen looks both excited like he wants to rush in there and take them all on, and weary like he wants to run.

We need more backup, Landon whispers. I’ll call Blayk. He should be around.

I nod. I wish Terry were himself because he’d be a good person to have on our side right now, Forrest too.

We have hunter friends in the area, a couple anyway, but no promises that they won’t try to kill you guys too, Aria adds.

I have an army but do my people really deserve to risk their lives for my woman? As much as I want them to come here and help, I know it’s not right.

I don’t care if you have work, Aiden is right here, he’ll get you off the hook. He’s your freaking boss, Blayk, Landon argues through the phone.

I take it from him. Blayk? I ask sternly, in  my commanding voice.

A moment of silence. Uh, yes.

This is Aiden. You’re going to need to get down here and help with the situation. You’ll be rewarded. How does retirement sound? I bargain.

By the sound of it, I might not walk away from this, so how am I supposed to retire? he snarls. It’s not often I’m back talked like this or questioned.

"Look, I don’t have to offer you anything in return for this. I command you to get your ass over here. Got it?" I attempt again, my voice rising. I see Landon flinch in my peripheral.

There’s a sigh. I’ll be there in five minutes, sir.

Has he taken alchemy potion? I ask Landon after I’ve hung up.

Yeah, but not very willingly. I wouldn’t doubt if he already flipped his switch.

I wonder just how many demons have done this. How will I ever convince them to flip it back and feel emotion when it’ll cause many of them unimaginable pain?

Eight against a hundred. I don’t know about this, Landon croaks. You can’t die from this, but the rest of us can.

He’s right.

You don’t happen to have and of those brass shaving grenade things, do you? I ask Aria and Crispen.

Crispen grins and reaches into his sister’s purse, pulling out two.

Think you can get both of those where they need to be? I ask him.

He nods and a wicked grin arranges itself on his face. Oh yeah, I can, brother.

I know it’ll hurt Megan too, but I don’t have a choice. It’ll knock the demons down long enough for us to get in, get her, and get out.

Mason turns to face Crispen. Hey! Remember when I set one of those off to save Megan’s life and you got super pissed about it? Why is it okay for you to do it now? Dick!

I don’t really know what he’s talking about.

I’ve had a change of heart, Crispen shoots back.

Aria clears her throat. You two, cut it out. Crispen, you take one, I’ll take the other. You guys come in and attack when we tell you it’s clear.

I nod and both Crispen and Aria leave the vehicle, sneaking around to a large warehouse building. It look abandoned but I know otherwise.

A moment later, a tap on my window startles me.

I turn to see a cop staring back at me. I don’t have time for this. A quick read of his mind tells me he’s here to give me a parking ticket. I glance at the sign beside my car. No parking. Great.

I roll down my window as a chuckle escapes Mason and Landon.

Good day, sir, I greet him.

He stares back at me. You can’t be parked here, kid.

Kid? I’m older than this guy’s grandparents.

Sorry, just waiting for someone. I lie in a charming voice, filled with compulsion, the kind that confuses people and can brainwash them is strong enough.

Ah, well, unfortunately you’re going to have to park somewhere else, son.

You’ve done your job here. I can park here if I want to park here. Carry on, I reply, losing patience.

The guy smiles at me, the tips of his mustache rising with his upper lip. Well, son, you have a nice day. He walks away.

I roll up the window and rest my head on the back of my seat.

is there anything you can’t do? Mason asks me casually.

Landon muffles a laugh.

I shrug.

"Why can’t you just walk in there and use compulsion