Tangled

139 Ava: A Shocking Finale (III) —

END SEASON TWO

“You’re making this so much harder than it should be. I was hoping to savor this moment, but now I have to rush my meal, instead.” He sounds disappointed, not angry, and the difference makes me shudder.

It’s worse than him being infuriated. It shows that my struggles are no more than an inconvenience to him.

When his fangs break skin, the pain is unbearable.

It’s worse than fire in my veins. It’s an ache so deep that my entire body throbs and burns, I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out; I can’t

breathe.

Skimming over the pain is an ecstasy that taunts me with bliss, tantalizing with its lack of pain. I yearn for it, wanting to sink in, wanting to escape this torture-

Eyes, Ava! Selene shouts. Go for the eyes!

With a desperate cry, I jab my fingers toward his face, aiming for those cold, mocking eyes. He jerks his head back and I can feel my neck rip and tear, blood

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139 Ava A Shocking Finale (il)-END SEASON TWO

pouring.

But not before I fe

my nails sink into something soft

and yielding. He howis, his grip loosens, and I wrench myself free, staggering away.

The vampire clutches at his face, blood seeping between his fingers. One eye is a ruined mess, but the other glares at me with unadulterated hatred.

“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he spits, his voice a guttural

rasp.

I hold my hands against my neck, against the blood pouring out, gasping for air to fill my lungs. It’s like they can’t inflate fully, can’t fill with oxygen.

This time rage fuels his movements as he lunges for me, messy and uncoordinated. My brain’s already off, moving on instinct, through repetitive motions in

training.

A quick sidestep. A knee to the groin, a practiced weak point. He’s wide open and doubles over with a grunt as I follow up with an elbow to the back of his neck,

sacrificing blood loss for success.

He hits the ground hard. Good to know pressure

points also work on vampires

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139 Ava: A Shocking Finale ()-END SEASON TWO

He won’t be down long–may

seconds.

I dart to Lisa, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her back, scrabbling for purchase.with my

from blood.

vision blurs from darkness to light,

his ruined eye, painting a gruesome picture. He stalks toward us, his movements

monster from before.

have a chance.

to rip you apart,” he snarls, spittle flying from

shielding Lisa with my body. I know I can’t outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is to stand and fight, to buy time until help

If it arrives.

sparks to life inside of me, a crackling current that dances along

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Shocking Finale (1) END SEASON

thrumming beneath

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

a loud snarl and I trust the power within me, meeting him head on.

would have been impossible to track is now

training comes to me

How to block.

How to move.

press my hand against his arm, how to utilize his momentum to throw

please.

step as I

training in offensive strikes, but I’ve

tries to grab

to regain

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Ava A Shocking Finale

go

feel the wooziness in

way my

crop top is soaked in

be

encouraging presence in my mind. They’re almost

I notice the

little area.

howls in the

sound of

of wolves here, fighting. Perhaps they’re on

A lot

relatively peaceful back here, with only Teddy and Bren’s corpses, Lisa’s unconscious form, and the vampire

his face wary. “Come with us, kitten. I’ve been searching for so

My story?

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hate these stupid ke?

old ways?”

the deranged anger gone, his face once again settled into that pale, death–transcendent beauty. Come with me, kitten. I’ll keep you safe, teach you your powers. Tell you the truth about

will bind you. Selene’s words are urgent, and I have so many fucking questions, but I’m swaying on

body.

shocked I can even speak. I don’t know how bad the damage to my neck

be small.

the skin is smooth and unblemished beneath my fingers,

I’m not unconscious.

is there, throbbing, but the damage

of

Finale (III)-END SEASON

kitten. You and your friend, too. I’ll give you the freedom he can’t. I’ll give you the knowledge she won’t. Come, Ava Grey, Ward of the Witches. You seek a home, and I have one to

me, the one desperate for the love of

despite the faint tingle of the ecstasy I’d felt taunting me from

trying to make sense of

with a groan. I can’t hold on to the power, feeling it pour out of me. For a second, I can almost imagine golden strands connecting me

blink.

still spotty.

with a soft croon. A lullaby, I think.

Ava!

whisper, not sure if he asked