Read Online The Soul's Mark: Broken by Ashley Stoyanoff - Free Book Online Page A

her eyebrow, and her laugh was icy.  “You think you can
take me without the dampers you’ve been using?”
    “I want you to feel every second of this,”
Cole said.  He stalked towards her slowly, and the way he moved was as if he
was trying to taunt her, begging her to try to attack.  His coiled movements
might have intimidated some, but not Amelia.  She had spent too many hours,
days, weeks, months, training with vampires to allow his stance to scare her.
    Cole was being careless.  Amelia could see
it and feel it in his stare.  She let her magic swirl around her, waiting for
the moment he slipped up in his approach.  He would slip up; she was sure. 
They always do when they get too comfortable—too cocky—with their strength.
    “What’s taking you so long?” Amelia
taunted.  The closet-like room was tiny, and Cole was taking his time.
    “Careful now, Amelia.  Josh isn’t here to
protect you,” Cole shot back with a snarled sneer.
    Amelia felt the color drain from her face.  What the hell is that supposed to mean? she almost screamed.  It was the
laughter in his eyes that made her swallow it and realize that he was trying to
distract her.
    It was soon clear that he didn’t need to
distract her.  Amelia! The scream was loud and deep and panicked, and
with it came a forceful pull, knocking her off balance, and she fell to the
ground.
    Thoughts buzzed around her brain painfully
loud, and another pull heaved against her body, dragging her along the floor
towards the door.
    Suddenly, Amelia couldn’t breathe, and she
realized the damper was what had been blocking her bond to Mitchell.  She tried
to call to him, but neither her voice nor her brain could form the words.  He
was sifting through her memories so quickly that she couldn’t even pinpoint
what he was seeing before he moved on to the next.
    Cole’s laugh reverberated through the room,
and when Amelia looked up, he was looming above her.  She tried to scream, but
the only sound she managed was a hiss as the last bit of air escaped her
lungs.  Her throat swelled shut, her magic dissipated as her panic threatened
to take over, and her lungs burned.
    “Don’t look so scared, Amelia,” Cole said. 
“You’re the one that created this whole mess.”  He reached a hand out towards
her, and for a second, Amelia thought he was going to grab her.  She gasped;
air hit her lungs hard and fast, and she tried to get up.  Golden strands of
power rushed at her, weaving together, and forming an arm, as if his hand was
growing and being replaced by the magic.  Long talon-like claws sprung from its
fingers, ready to swipe at her.  Amelia jumped back, Mitchell’s thoughts
dimmed, and her heart raced.  She tried to gather up her energy and launch a
counter attack.
    The claws sunk into her chest quickly, and
a turbulent wave of power slammed into her.  It was paralyzing; all Amelia
could do was stare wide-eyed at her own wisps of white-blue magic as it seeped
from her body, through the hand, and into Cole.
    He moaned, and his eyes drooped.  “Josh
said you were strong, but this is amazing,” Cole murmured.  His breathing
became heavy, and when his eyes met Amelia’s, she saw something dark, far
darker than anything she could have imagined seeing in another person.  It was
destructive and cold and verging on sadistic.
    Amelia opened her mouth, but no sound came
out.  Hot agonizing pain washed over her, her legs gave way, and she fell back
down to her knees.
    Cole threw his head back and shouted, “Past
lives that have gone astray, show us.”
    The air rippled like disturbed water, and
suddenly Amelia was staring at a disheveled image of herself.  Tears streaked
the girl’s dirty cheeks, leaving muddy streams down her face.  She looked down,
falling to her knees, and she screamed, a heartbroken sound, as she buried her
face in a thick chest.
    “This is where it all started,” Cole said,
his voice low and strained.  He dug the claw deeper