Born in Blood

Last Chapter;

"Answer me when I speak to you Mazikeen!" Shade yelled in my face. 

Shade had dragged me outside on the lawn. The sun was dancing on the horizon, but the dwindling glow from the mansion lit up his face. So angry, but still so alluring. 

"Yes," I whispered staring in between his eyebrows to avoid seeing my guilt reflected back to me. 

Shade shoved out a groan and grabbed my chin with his bloody fingers. "You knew?" 

"Yes."

"I let you murder my father." 

"But-"

"Shut the fuck up Mazikeen. I wanted to kill my father, I needed to see the life leave his eyes while my fingers twisted his throat into a pretty little fucking bow. I wanted my vengeance on the asshole that fucked my mother and left us for dead!" 

"Shade I-"

"I'm not finished Mazikeen! You took it from me! I wanted to avenge my mother's death. Which is now come down on your head." 

I swallowed the fear in my throat, I knew what was coming. I pulled away from his tense body and drew out both of my knives, I wasn't going to die like this. 

"Then come and take my head right off my shoulders," I growled. 

Shade ran closer to me and wrapped his rough hand around the back of my neck. He kneed me in the nose to cause a fresh river of blood to cover my pale face. 

"Red has always been your color."

Shade held the knife to my bruised neck. He looked into my eyes. I watched the pain and betrayal fill his black heart.

"I hate you, I loathe you. The only thing I wish to remember about you is your blood staining my hands." He spat in my face. 

I wrestled against his grip and slip from his hands and left a gash on his thigh. A rushed breath left his lips before he moved to attack. 

Stepping to the right to avoid his hands, I grabbed a burnt brick off the grass and hurled it towards his head. It missed, but took his eyes off of me, allowing me to charge and tackle him to the ground. 

My legs tightened around his waist and I punched everywhere my fists could reach. He caught my left fist and threw me to the side before his body covered mine and with his legs and held me in place. His eyes were starting to burn holes into mine, but I continued to shake against him. 

"I detest you!" He screamed punching me in the face. I heard my nose shatter and blood start to trickle down, but I was focusing on the eyes glaring back at me. 

"I love you," I whisper. No venom in my words no motive in my head, the last promise.

"I never loved you. I thought-" He choked on the words. "You were and always will be nothing to me."

"I loved you." I licked my busted lip and my own blood started to fill my mouth. "I'm gonna die. It's going to be messy, isn't it? With cuts on my skin, blood in my mouth, and horror in my eyes. However, I still love you as I lay dying beneath the only hands that have ever had me. I think I love you most in this moment because it's the first time we've ever been completely honest with each other."

"You filthy Russian bitch." His redden eyes reflected the same red that started to encroach on my vision. 

"Death by your blade would yield a peaceful one." 

"I never loved you Mazikeen." He repeated. "Stop fucking lying to me. You read the file, you knew, and I followed behind you. Like a fucking puppy in need of attention. I set this house on fire, I followed you through Russia, all to end up back in hell." 

"Do it." I brought my hands to his cheek as he tensed and gritted his teeth. "Make me go away and send me home." 

"Burn in hell." He growled out. 

I smiled one last time and for the first time in my life, tears streamed down my face smearing the blood on my cheeks. 

"Where'd you get this?" I pointed to his neck as I finally got the chance to closely examine it. "And this one." 

"Some Russian bitch craved it into my neck." He almost smiled. He still held the blade to my neck but didn't press it forward anymore. 

"Some bitch." I laughed quietly. "I hope she gets what she deserves."

"That she will." He went back to being cold. "It hurt like hell." He laughed. Wow. 

"That one hurt? You should see the one that forms across through my whole back. Some douche with a stupid as shit name gave me that one. I think his name was cloud or thunder." 

His hand left my neck and starts to trace over the scar exactly, right where he put it. Another smile played at his mouth while he moved his hand from my back to my cheek to trace yet another one that he cause just a few months ago. 

"These are my favorite." He pressed a kiss to my neck right over his bite marks. "You are my favorite Russian." 

"You are my favorite Italian." I smiled back. "It's okay Shade." 

"No." 

"You can kill me. Watch me die." 

"I don't want to." 

"But one day you will. You will look me in the eyes and see the person that took away your revenge, you will want me dead one day, so make it today." 

"Can I wait until at least tomorrow?" He choked on the laugh he tried to have. 

"I'm sorry darling, but it should be right now. I love you." 

"Don't say that shit to me right now Kenny!" 

"Shade we're monsters, this is how every story ends. Just dot the period already so I can finally go home." 

"Maze." 

"'Both born into a cold world of blood and both doomed to die in each others'. Cassio did warn us." 

"It was always supposed to end with a wretched death." 

"Kill me." I smiled pressing a kiss to his forehead.  

He plunged his blade into my stomach. The warm rush of adrenaline covered my body as well as the blood. 

"I love you Mazikeen." He cried and fell to his knees with my body in his arms. 

I pulled the dagger I had on my thigh and stuck it in between his ribs. "Sorry, darling but I'm taking you with me." I let my mouth form a smile while blood started to drown me, it's sweeter than usual as it mixes with his.

"You told me that you would be the one to kill me one day. I'll only bleed by your hand. Forever yours, Mazikeen." 

"I love you Shade."

"I love you Mazikeen. Even with all your crazy ideas." He falls to his side next to me as we stare off into the sky.

"You know it's not too late to go get help." 

"I know. But I want to watch the sunrise one last time with someone I love." 

"What was it that I said to you earlier?" My vision was becoming spotty and my limbs were becoming weaker. 

"I'd light the world ablaze just so I could see your face illuminated. Looks like the fire is finally starting to die out, but you look just as mesmerizing as you did earlier." 

"Goodbye Shade." 

"Sleep well, Kenny."

Author:

I know it's over, but the good news is I have another book ready for you to take your mind off this sad ending. It's called "Old Money Madness." A slow burn with some later smut for your enjoyment. It follows River Knight throw some drunken nights as they try to catch a murderer.

Thank you so much to my loyal readers, I wish I could give you all a hug. 

You'll see Maze and Shade again, they might pop up somewhere;)