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

vision blurs from darkness

to his feet, his face a mask of rage. Blood drips from his ruined eye, painting

the elegant monster from before. He’s lost

a chance.

rip you apart,” he snarls, spittle flying from his lips. “Piece by

my body. I know I can’t outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is

If it arrives.

sparks to life inside of me, a crackling current that dances along my nerves. I

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A Shocking Finale (1) END SEASON

beneath my skin.

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

with a loud snarl and I trust the

that before would have been impossible to track is now something I can not only see,

comes to me without

How to block.

How to move.

things. How to press my hand against his arm, how to utilize

please.

to step as

offensive strikes, but I’ve practiced defense to exhaustion

he tries to grab me, he’s

regain his

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Shocking Finale

this can’t go on forever.

the

the way

crop top is soaked in blood…

I be unconscious

a little longer, Selene says, an encouraging

notice the sounds outside of our

little area.

howls in the distance.

sound of

Perhaps they’re

occasional crash. A lot of

only Teddy and Bren’s corpses, Lisa’s unconscious form, and

“Come with us, kitten. I’ve been searching for so long. Don’t you want to know the truth

My story?

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stupid ke? Their

old ways?”

reaches out a clawed hand, all 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

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

body.

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

be small.

skin is smooth

wonder I’m

but the damage has disappeared.

the faint outline of my coar

Finale (III)-END SEASON TWO

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,

inside of me, the one desperate for the love of my

of me holds her back, despite the faint tingle of the ecstasy I’d felt taunting me

to make sense of

hold on to the power, feeling it pour out of me. For

blink.

still

cupping my cheek with a soft

Ava!

I whisper, not sure if he