Numb with shock, I wordlessly accepted the package, only managing a weak smile in reply.
Her gaze followed the package for a moment, as if she were debating snatching it back. As if waiting for me to open it in front of her so she could gauge my reaction. I tucked it close to my chest, not about to let her do either.
Blinking, she picked up her glasses and stood. “Right. I’ll just be going then. Again, Happy Birthday, and thank you on behalf of all your brother and sister witches.”
I must have nodded, because she left then, leaving behind her creepy bird once again. I stared at him for a moment, my gaze as unblinking as his. But as soon as the office doors snicked shut, I rose from my chair and crossed to my bedroom. Closing myself inside, I tried to steady my trembling limbs to no avail.
I took one step toward the bed and lost my battle with gravity. The deep, desperate need to know what was inside the package drove me to the floor. With my legs splayed across the hardwood, I tore into the brown paper. In seconds, its contents were spilled out before me. Déjà vu hit me hard as I slowly picked up the first item.
In a clear plastic container was a slice of cheesecake. With strawberries on top.
Tears blurred my vision.
“Oh, Kade,” I whispered, my chin wobbling.
I reached for the note next, lifting it open with one hand. When I saw the handwriting, my heart began to race.
McKenna. I am well. Happy Birthday, and stay safe. -L
I read the words over and over again, waiting for them to sink in. Waiting for my mind to accept their truth. When it did, my breath came in ragged gasps. I shook uncontrollably from the slew of powerful emotions washing over me, glad that I wasn’t standing. When I could breathe again, I set down the items and gingerly grasped the next. A single red rose. I avoided the thorns, carefully stroking the soft petals.
There was still one item left. One that promised to unravel me completely.
It wasn’t the item itself that had my heart beating erratically, but what I hoped was on it.
Unable to stop myself—not wanting to—I brought the black shirt to my face and deeply inhaled.
As the familiar scent of amber, sandalwood, and musk filled my nose, I fell apart. Great sobs racked my body and I curled up on the floor, clutching the shirt to me like a lifeline.
Everything came rushing in. Everything I’d been trying to suppress. Hurt over my aunt’s abandonment, loneliness from missing my friends, despair over my uncertain future, grief that my parents had been murdered. But most of all, pain. Pain from wanting, from needing to see Lochlan again. To have him hold me while I cried like I hadn’t cried in years.
I cried over my conflicted feelings for him. I cried for the loss of trust and connection.
But I also cried because he was alive.
I cried in abject relief, because he was here.
* * *
My bedroom door banged against the wall and I jerked awake, utterly disorientated.
“K-Bug, wake up. You need to take this call.”
Something was shoved in my face and I blindly batted it away, mumbling incoherently.
“Why are you sleeping on the floor with a half-eaten cheesecake?” said an incredulous voice that I now recognized as Noah’s. “Never mind. Look, this is urgent. I think Isla’s in trouble.”
At the mention of my best friend, I shot upright, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What happened?”
“Someone called me from her number. They won’t tell me anything though. Just that I need to let them speak to you.”
Alarmed, I met his worried gaze and reached for the phone. He readily passed it over, his nervous energy ratcheting up my own. Swallowing, I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“McKenna Belmont?” an unfamiliar male voice said.
“Yes?”
“We have your friend. She’s alive, for now, but only if you turn yourself over to us at midnight tomorrow.”
All the blood drained from my face. Noah was giving me a “what did he say” look, but I slowly shook my head, whispering, “Who is this?”
“A group of Feltore who don’t see eye-to-eye with King Ambrose. That’s all you need to know.”
I started trembling. Vampires. A group of unknown vampires had Isla. Noah looked ready to rip the phone from me and demand answers, so I hurriedly said, “How can I know for certain that you speak the truth?” That you have my best friend. That she’s in danger.
I heard a muffled sound, like a hand blocking the speaker. Seconds later, an unmistakably female voice, one I knew well, stammered, “K-Kenna? Kenna, if that’s you, don’t do it. I’m dead either way. They’re going to—” Her words ended in a yelp of pain.
“Isla!” I cried, clambering to my feet.
“What’s happening?” Noah bellowed at the same time, grabbing me to shake my shoulders. The stark fear in his eyes mirrored my own.
“Tomorrow at midnight,” the strange male reiterated in my ear. “Meet us inside Black Mamba, a nightclub located off route seventy-three. Come alone. If you don’t, we’ll kill your friend. And if you involve the princes, we’ll make sure she suffers first. Slowly.”
The line went dead.
Noah pried the phone from my numb grip and redialed, only to get Isla’s voicemail. Cursing, he hung up. “Kenna, what’s going on? Where’s Isla?” When I didn’t answer, he shook me again.
“Sh-she’s,” I stuttered weakly. “She’s been kidnapped.”
“What?” he hissed, jerking back. “No, that’s . . . No. I’m calling my dad.”
“Noah, stop!” I shouted, lunging for his phone. Stunned at my ferocity, he let me grapple it from him.
“Kenna, what’s—?”
“You can’t. If I don’t show up alone, they’ll kill her.”
“Who? Who will kill her?”
“I-I don’t know. A rogue group of vampires who aren’t in league with their king. They want me in exchange for her at midnight tomorrow.”
“Where’s the meetup?”
“A place called Black Mamba. I don’t know how far away it is or how to get there though.”
Noah swore loudly, shoving both hands through his already disheveled hair. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I know where it is. Okay, let me think,” he said, pacing the room. “They obviously don’t think I’m a threat to their plans, which is in our favor. That gives me twenty-four hours to find a way to get her out on my own.”
“Wait. Noah, no way!” I said, panic rushing through me. “Who knows how many there are. I have to go. My touch can kill them.”
He shook his head, barking a humorless laugh. “I’m a dead man if I put you in harm’s way. Isla’s my sister, and—”
“And she’s my best friend!” I argued vehemently. “She’s in danger because of me. I won’t be able to live with myself if I stay here, safe and sound, while who-knows-what is happening to her. Please, Noah. Help me get out of here.”
He paused to fix me with a tortured look, clearly warring with himself. I held my breath, waiting for his decision. After several beats, his shoulders fell and he gave a small nod. “Fine. We’ll—”
“No one’s going anywhere,” a voice interrupted. We both wheeled toward the bedroom door to find Headmistress Mayweather there, Nautilus on her shoulder and Malcolm lurking behind.
Noah snapped to attention. “Clarice, I can—”
“No need to explain. I heard enough. While I sympathize with your plight, this is a matter for the SCA. I suggest you contact your father and let him deal with this.”
Noah clenched his trembling fists. “But she’s my sister.”
“Yes, and might I remind you that she’s human. Witch law states—”
“Screw witch laws,” he bit out. “They’re archaic and unjust. I’ve allowed them to control me for too long. I’m leaving.”
Before he could move, Clarice said, “Step foot outside the wards without my permission and you know the consequences. I won’t let you jeopardize all w
itches for one human.”
Noah froze, seething in place. Veins throbbed in his forehead and neck.
“Good,” Clarice said, lifting her chin. “Malcolm, would you please escort Mr. Andrews to solitary? He needs some alone time to remember his place. I’ll call Bill myself. We’re overdue for a chat anyway.”
Expecting him to resist, I tensed as Malcolm squeezed past her and approached Noah. When all he did was fix the burly guard with a scathing look before allowing him to grasp his arm, I wordlessly gaped in shock. The two men left quietly, leaving me to face Headmistress Mayweather alone.
Weariness filled her expression as she turned to me with a sigh. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Kenna. Noah has always been a bit of a loose cannon. His carelessness is what drew the elder’s attention in the first place. He knows the laws and chose to break them. He has no one to blame for his predicament but himself.”
I frowned. “What predicament?”
“If he leaves this school without authorization, he forfeits his right to a coven. And if the elders find him, they’ll bind his magic and officially declare him an outcast. It’s a harsh law but necessary to keep unruly witches in line. Reckless public exposure of magic is a capital offense, circumstances notwithstanding. He may have been grieving the loss of his mother, but Noah spent years abusing his magical privileges. Luckily for him, his father was able to do damage control most of the time.”
I stared, gobsmacked at the news. Poor Noah. My heart went out to him as I realized how hard he must have taken his mother’s death. The tension between him and Clarice made so much sense now. He was more of a prisoner here than me. “But his sister’s in trouble,” I reasoned quietly, hoping to win her over with a level head. “She’s my best friend and wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for me. If I don’t show up, they’ll kill her.”
“And what do you think will happen if they get their hands on you?” she said, reaching up to stroke her familiar’s head. He leaned into the touch like a cat. “The secret organization your aunt is associated with—the Supernatural Containment Agency—will be made aware. They specialize in dealing with these unfortunate situations. For now, you should get more rest. We have a busy day ahead of us. I’ve already contacted the elders and they’ll be here first thing in the morning to discuss how we should proceed with the vampire royals in regards to your future.”
Too much information, too fast. My head was spinning and I didn’t react right away. So when she grasped the door with a “Sleep well, Kenna” and proceeded to close it, I didn’t move quickly enough.
“Wait!” I said. Too late. The door clicked shut.
I rushed across the room and yanked on the handle, but it wouldn’t turn.
The door was locked.
The headmistress had locked me in my room.
11
KENNA
Hairpins didn’t make the best lockpicks. Not that I had any experience picking locks.
“Crap,” I hissed, as I bent another one beyond use. Sweat beaded my upper lip and dampened my palms, but I kept at it without pause. Something told me that once morning arrived, I’d be under close surveillance. Any chance of escape would be lost.
This was my one opportunity, if I could just get this blasted door open. Hopefully Malcolm hadn’t returned yet from the creepy sublevel where he’d sent Noah, because getting past him would be a challenge.
Even after several minutes of contemplation while I worked on the lock, I still couldn’t believe a teacher was being treated like a prisoner here. If this was how the witch world worked, then I wanted nothing to do with it. Isla needed me, and I’d much rather disappoint Headmistress Mayweather than let my best friend suffer at the hands of bloodthirsty vampires.
My only regret was that I hadn’t learned how to control, let alone use my Syphon abilities. That and I’d miss Noah. Somehow, despite my efforts not to form any attachments here, he’d become my friend.
Yeah, and look what being my friend had gotten him. Putting my friends in danger was becoming a pattern I couldn’t escape. How on earth was I going to rescue Isla on my own? A couple days of training hadn’t exactly prepared me to face a horde of vampires.
I thought about Lochlan and Kade then, how they could be less than a mile away from me right this very moment. But could I risk finding them? Could I trust that they’d help me save Isla instead of whisking me away to King Ambrose?
I didn’t know, and that doubt hurt more than I thought it would.
Minutes later, when the door still wasn’t unlocked and desperation was creeping up my throat, a sharp plinking sound startled me. I whirled, searching the room. When the sound came again from the direction of the window, I shot up and hurried over to it. Darkness still blanketed the outside. I couldn’t see a thing, so I pried open the window, grunting as it stubbornly refused to give. Eventually, I wrangled it open enough to stick my head out.
As soon as I did, I heard a “Psst!” from down below. Squinting, I searched for the source, just able to make out a thatch of blond hair. I squinted harder in disbelief. “Noah? How did you—?”
“Shhh,” he whispered. “I hit Malcolm with a sleep spell and portaled outside. I would have portaled inside your room, but Clarice must have put up a ward. You’ll have to climb down.”
“What?” I hissed, eyeing the hard ground a solid two stories below. Despite being on the main floor, the backside of the building faced a steep slope. If I fell, there was a good chance I’d break something, plus enjoy a reckless tumble down the hill.
“I’ll catch you if you fall,” Noah said, correctly reading my hesitation. “Use the vines. They’re thick enough to hold you. C’mon, we don’t have much time before Nautilus hears us.”
“The bird? You’re worried about the bird?”
Even from here, I could see the exasperation on his face. “What, did you think he was a benevolent angel in disguise? He’s a spy for Clarice. Everything he’s overheard you say, he no doubt reported back to her. Now hurry before he tells her what we’re up to.”
Oh fates. Everything? Was that why he’d slept in the office the past few nights? To spy on me? Wait, had the headmistress planned for this to happen? Had she set me up with overly superstitious roommates so that I’d end up here under her surveillance? My resolve to leave this place hardened further.
Ducking my head back inside, I scrambled to collect my few belongings. The items I’d received from Lochlan and Kade, plus a few toiletries, went into my school-issued backpack. I grabbed my blazer, hesitating for a split second before slipping it on.
I couldn’t be worried about stealing right now. Saving Isla was my sole focus, and I needed protection from the harsh weather once we got past the wards. I glanced down at my leather school shoes with a grimace. Hopefully we wouldn’t need to trek through snow. I still wore my uniform, the plaid skirt and tights the only protection my legs had. Nothing I could do about that right now.
Hurrying back to the window, I made sure Noah saw before throwing him the backpack. He easily caught it, which didn’t reassure me in the least. I was much heavier and bulkier. Still, I swung a leg over the ledge, making sure I had a good grip before swinging the other over. They immediately got tangled up in the vines, which scraped uncomfortably against my tights.
As I slowly lowered myself, clinging to the window ledge for dear life, it immediately became clear that I lacked upper body strength. My arms started to burn and shook like crazy, but I managed to grab a thick vine and release my death grip on the building. I swallowed a shriek when the vine swayed under my weight, but thankfully held.
Before I could breathe a sigh of relief though, a shrill alarm lit up the night.
“Kenna, jump!” Noah shouted over the ear-splitting blare.
“Are you crazy?” I squeaked.
“I promise you won’t get hurt!”
“Freaking fates,” I bit out, then made the mistake of looking down.
Nope. Definitely not going to jump.
Seeking a foothold, I ever so slowly inched down the vines, doing my best to ignore my burning palms and muscles. A few seconds later, Noah growled, “Screw this,” and something slammed into me.
Knocked sideways, my foot slipped and I lost my hold on the vine. I fell, my body hurtling toward the ground. There was nothing I could do but scream. So I did. Loudly. Just as quickly, I jolted to a halt, so suddenly that I bit my tongue. Then Noah was there, a hand encased in bright crackling blue reaching toward me. My floating body righted, and my feet gently touched the ground.
“Told you I’d catch you,” Noah said, then grabbed my arm and pulled me close before I could fully process what had happened. “Now, whatever you do, don’t let go.”
It was the only warning I got before blue light flared around us in undulating waves. Wind whipped me from all directions, blowing hair into my eyes and mouth. Some instinct screamed at me not to swipe it away though, to instead dig my fingers into Noah’s shirt.
Nothing made sense as the world spun and blurred. Everything shot past impossibly fast, reminding me of the times I’d experienced vampire speed in Lochlan’s arms. Seconds that felt like minutes later, we stepped from the swirling gale onto solid ground. I immediately tipped sideways as my world continued to spin, but Noah’s hold on me forced me upright.
“Please don’t puke on me. We don’t have time for that right now,” he said loudly, the blaring alarm clueing me in that we were still at the institute. He allowed me another moment to adjust before letting go.
I didn’t reply, too busy trying to keep my cheesecake down. When I noticed our surroundings though, the nausea ebbed. “How—? Where are we?” Rows of expensive-looking cars lined the echoey, cavernous space.
“Staff-only underground parking garage beneath the academy,” he said over his shoulder while striding toward a fiery red Dodge Challenger. Reaching it, he lovingly ran a hand down the black streak on its sleek hood. “I would have portaled us farther away, but there’s no way I’m leaving Ruby behind. Hop in.”
Curse Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 2) Page 10
