Karizma: Reborn

Lukas was leaning against the wall in Bailey’s house with his arms crossed over his chest. Ryleigh and Bailey were sitting on the bed in the room, and Jackson was standing beside the bed. Lukas’ wolf was on edge with the conversation that was about to take place. Since Kristopher had been taken, the next step was going to be Ryleigh offering herself to Naomi in exchange for Kristopher’s life. Lukas and his wolf both despised this idea, especially since it endangered their child, but he owed Kristopher everything. And Ryleigh can handle herself. No other witch, to his knowledge, had been able to manifest magic into a physical form.

“You know what we need to do next,” Ryleigh said softly.

“It doesn’t mean that I like it,” Lukas grumbled.

“What happens next?” Jackson asked.

“I need to bring Kristopher back,” Ryleigh said to Jackson. “And she won’t return Kristopher out of the goodness of her heart. We need to make a trade.”

“What does she want more than Kristopher?” Jackson asked.

“A Karizma,” Bailey responded quietly.

“You can’t be serious,” Jackson stated. “Ryleigh, you’re a pregnant Luna. You can’t—”

“Jackson, please,” Lukas interrupted. “You will have that conversation until you’re blue in the face. The short end of it is that she is the strongest entity on the planet. There is a war coming. We cannot keep her in the dark. We have to use her in this war, or there may not be a planet left to live on.”

“Trading myself not only brings back an innocent vampire but gives us a way into their operation. I can end the war from the inside,” Ryleigh said.

“Are you sure about that?” Bailey asked. Lukas raised an eyebrow at her curiously. “Riles, you’re the one that got away,” Bailey continued. “Kristopher’s death would have been public. If she’s trading you for him, do you really think that your death would be private?”

“She would want to feed on me for as long as possible,” Ryleigh argued.

“Bailey may be right, though,” Lukas added. “The vampires are already building their army for this war. Maybe before the army was built, she would have drawn out your death, but now? Drawing out your death does no good for their overall goal. She would probably just kill you right away and be done.”

“You will need to kill her at that meeting,” Jackson nodded. “The second that you are with her, you will need to kill her. There is no waiting anymore.”

Ryleigh inhaled sharply. Lukas felt fear and anxiety running through her veins. Killing Naomi immediately was not part of Ryleigh’s plan. Lukas knew that she had assumed that she would have more time than the meeting with Kristopher, but not anymore. The last of the Karizmas would be killed publicly before the war started, not in private. The war is their endgame, they will not stray from it now.

“Whatever it takes,” Ryleigh said finally. “I owe Kristopher my life, and we need to end this war before it starts. I can kill her. I know it.”

“Good,” Lukas nodded. “Now we need to determine where we want this meeting to take place. If your death is to be a public event, she will not come alone.”

“I can at least get her to meet alone,” Ryleigh said. “To guarantee Kristopher’s safety. Her and I can meet alone, and then she can do what she wishes to me.”

“What she thinks that she can do to you,” Bailey clarified. “You’re killing her before the end of that meeting.”

“Regardless, the meeting place needs to be isolated,” Lukas said. “Whether you meet with her in private or public makes no difference. Two of the strongest witches on the planet are going to fight. We cannot have this meeting near casualties.”

“Lukas, you know that means—”

“I’m not leaving you!” Lukas snapped. “I will be damned if you go to that meeting without me.”

“Alpha—”

“This isn’t a discussion,” Lukas growled lowly at Jackson. Jackson simply nodded and closed his mouth. Lukas may agree to Ryleigh trading herself for Kristopher’s safety, but, if something went wrong, Lukas needed to be there. I will not lose my mate and my child. He growled again deeply. Ryleigh stood up and walked over to Lukas. She gently placed her hand on his face and smiled. “Good,” she whispered. “You should leave me, but I’m glad that you will be by my side. I am terrified.”

Lukas immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. In all his rage and his own terror, he had not felt her own emotions in the last few moments. Of course, she is terrified. She faced and conquered death once before, but this is something different. This could be the death of her own child. “Bailey,” Ryleigh continued as she shifted her gaze at her sister. “You, on the other hand—”

“I got it, Riles,” Bailey interjected. “I have to remain here.”

“I would love to have you by my side, but our people need you. If I fail…” Ryleigh’s voice trailed off, and Lukas hugged her tightly. “You and Jackson are our next line of defense,” Ryleigh finished.

“There is an abandoned warehouse, about forty miles outside of town,” Jackson said softly. “The warehouse shut down years ago, and the land has been completely deserted. I believe it was called Axle Green Industries.”

“That’s perfect, thank you,” Ryleigh nodded.

“She is going to ask why your scent revealed itself,” Lukas spoke. “If you tell her that you are a Lycan, she will just kill Kristopher and the trade will not happen. Vampires cannot ingest Lycan blood. While our goal is for you to kill her, we are operating under the assumption that her goal is to feed off you.”

“The pregnancy,” Ryleigh whispered and inhaled sharply. Lukas felt a fresh wave of panic flood her body. He hugged her again and felt a spark of electricity against her skin. He looked down in surprise, and was met with a small smile on Ryleigh’s face. “Our daughter,” she whispered. “She’s telling me that it’s okay.”

“How can you know that?” Lukas asked gently.

“I just do. I can’t explain it.”

“It’s not a normal pregnancy, Alpha,” Jackson replied. “An Alpha’s heir with magic that is already communicating. The child is developing faster than normal.”

“Riles,” Bailey said as she rose from the bed. “If we think that Naomi would kill you rather than feed off you, what is to guarantee that she would trade your life for Kristopher’s?”

“Because the Karizma line is a threat to her,” Ryleigh said.

“That’s not what I mean,” Bailey said. “If you heard them say that they will kill both of you this time, I don’t think you offering yourself instead of Kristopher would be a replacement. I think—”

“She will want to kill Kristopher to make a statement either way,” Lukas finished for her. “Just like her killing you publicly. Killing Kristopher would send the message to the vampiric race that you cannot disobey your Master and get away with it.”

“So, what would be our ammo to get her to send Kristopher back and get Ryleigh close to her?” Jackson asked.

“The pregnancy,” Ryleigh repeated. “If we are thinking that Naomi would kill me rather than feed on me, I need to give her something that would be worth keeping me alive for. It explains why my scent was in the air, and it should be enough to spare Kristopher’s life.”

“Him bringing you back gave her not only one Karizma, but two,” Lukas said.

“Exactly,” Ryleigh nodded. “But I can’t tell her that when I project to her. If she knows before the meeting, then there is nothing keeping her from killing Kristopher as soon as she finds out.”

“I do worry about Bailey’s concern regardless,” Jackson concurred. “Kristopher will need to be punished publicly for disobeying a direct order. Do we really think he will survive this?”

“That will depend,” Lukas said.

“On what?” Jackson asked.

“On how bad she wants the power that is in my veins,” Ryleigh stated. “She has been power hungry for years. Killing me is one thing, but if she knows that I am pregnant, we may have bought Kristopher some time. Naomi ate her own children once upon a time. I highly doubt that she will be able to refuse the offer of another Karizma baby.”

“Schedule the meet,” Lukas spoke through gritted teeth. “Let’s get this over with.”