Katie's Hope

Surprise, then disbelief, crossed her features. "Oh, God, Jade, what did you do?"

"I took care of Sasha," he said somewhat defensively. "I deserve better than how he treated me. How Kris treated me."

"You betrayed us."

"No, I didn't cross that line! I'm just here … there's just two people who I want to avenge myself on!" he said. "I'm not going to hurt anyone else!"

"Anyone else? You can't destroy Kris. It's like beheading the Council!"

"You don't understand. You wouldn't understand."

She crossed to him, furious. "You are a traitor of the worst kind. I will kill you now, before you hurt anyone!"

He blocked her first punch but not her second. Light exploded into his thoughts. He'd tried to reason with her, to tell her what happened. She didn't listen. She was as cold as Kris! Maybe she wanted Kris, too. He'd seen the way Kris looked at her and had long suspected the Council leader had two lovers, not one.

"No!" he roared and picked her up. He threw her against the wall, blinded by pain and rage. She hit the wall hard and landed on the ground, unconscious. "Iliana!" He knelt beside her, horrified at what he'd done. She was alive, though the back of her head bled.

Jade looked around in case someone else saw what he'd done. He picked her up and replaced her in the trunk, and then locked it. No one had to know, not even the demons. At least this way, she'd never have Kris. That left him with one less body to bury.

None of this would've happened at all if not for the Ancient's mate, Katie. Kris never would've sent him away, Sasha wouldn't have stumbled upon the immunity blood, and the demons wouldn't be amassing an army to send to the human world. Darkyn, the most powerful of all demons, wouldn't have returned from the pits of Hell, where the Dark One banished him to lead the army to the Immortals' front door and wipe out the Council.

Without Katie, Jade's world would be perfect.

* * *

"You'll tell me to go, won't you," he said.