Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Chapter 232

We set Sean down in the grass off the side of the road. I stood over the body of my big brother, still not allowing myself to process what had happened. The gashes across his neck and chest were unimportant. His skin was almost translucent, blending in with the muted colors of the grass so well that it was both beautiful and haunting. The way the moonlight streamed down onto his body, turning him silver, was a sight I'd never forget.

“I'm so sorry about Sean, Lola. I’m so sorry.” Holly’s shaky whisper came from behind.

Her voice was swallowed by the night, stolen by the stillness that surrounded us. I sank to my knees at Sean's side, trailing my eyes over his dark hair and long lashes.

“What are you planning to do?” Holly asked.

The clear note of hesitation in her voice prompted me to turn my head in her direction. I scowled, confused as to why she needed me to say it aloud. A chill skated down my spine, one I ignored as I looked down at Sean once more.

“I'm going to bring my brother back from the dead.” I couldn’t look away from him. :

Holly gasped audibly, circling Sean and I until she faced me. She lowered herself to the ground at his side. Her hands were trembling, and the whites of her eyes were visible, large, and bright despite the darkness.

“Lola, you-you can't do that.”

My head snapped up without my say. Crimson tinted my vision, my fingers tingling from icy cold.

What exactly did she mean by that?

“Yes, I can. You read the book, you know what Conjuration is and what it’s capable of. I can do anything. You knew this was my plan, Holly. I’m not seeing what the sudden problem is.” I laughed at the absurdity, but there was no warmth, no humor in it.

“You read the book too, which means you saw the part where it talks about what you're tapping into to do these things.

Something like this, raising someone from the dead-you know that’s not the kind of power you want to tap into. It won’t let you go. Even now, it’s holding onto you.” Her eyes full of knowing, trailed down to my hands, to the dark veins that crawled up the tops of them.

My fingers twitched, joints aching and bones grinding against one another.

“You knew this was my plan, Holly.” I said carefully.

her lips. “Lola, I thought your plan was to use my blood to find my mother by yourself. You wanted to keep your friends and family safe. That's why you

hands raised, she took a step back, and then another. My fingers twitched, my brain fogging with every passing second until each thought was drenched in a thick mist

shouldn't have done this-I shouldn't have agreed to help you. You need to talk to someone, Lola.

her promise to help me with this.

blood. Just one tiny little drop. ‘The dark magic in

thought Holly would understand, that any of

without anyone—without friends or family. How could she possibly understand the bond Sean and I had?I barely registered the sudden

what's going through your head right

voice, wafting into

had been the one to

song oozing in my veins. “Now, I’m going to have to make

forward before being brought to her knees. I held her there with nothing more than

She

this girl. There was only unending cold, a bitter ice that covered my soul and held it

no

said,

the Shadows crawled from the forest, slithering along the ground just out of sight. Holly thrashed, but I had her pinned from the shoulders down. Tears budded along

do to him. I know losing your

of magic and I wrenched her hand forward, turning it palm

of darkness further up my hands. The part of me that cared was buried too deep,

think Sean would want to be alive. Why don’t we ask him?”

a quick shriek, and the two of us watched as droplets of pure crimson began to bead

scenting her magical blood and wanting to drain her

take so much as a single drop I will send you into

and allowed the blood that pooled to splatter along Sean’s

my hands on my brother’s cold, hard chest. Holly’s blood was searing, almost painful from how

pleas to the very background of my mind, I began.