I opened my eyes and squeaked. Cedric’s enormous white sneakers were inches from my whiskered nose. I glanced around and my little heart pounded in my chest. Everything around me was huge. How did these poor creatures not die of fright?
I craned my neck up and saw my father looking down at me. Was that approval? Disappointment? I couldn’t tell and wasn’t about to expend the energy to figure it out. Holding on to this magic was already hard enough. He nodded at me and I raced along the wall to the front of the building.
The stucco surface flew by me and a giggle escaped as another squeak. I still had my vampire speed. This would be so much easier than I expected as long as I didn’t run head-first into any door frames or chair legs or people. I skidded to a stop at the front door, hovering in the shadow of the large archway. As soon as the door opened, I darted through and scurried between a man’s legs, aiming for the shadows of a long bar.
I turned back to the door as soon as I found a safe spot beneath the bar’s footrest. A steady line of people continued to leave and enter, but I didn’t see Cedric. He hadn’t told me what distraction he would use, and I hadn’t asked. As long as it worked, it didn’t matter. I was pretty sure he’d make it work. After all, his oath depended on it.
I watched a few seconds longer and gave up. I needed to find the door to the basement, which was going to be a little harder than expected. Everything looked different from my mouse’s perspective. I pressed my eyes closed and thought about the layout of the main casino. A wall of elevators should be across the room from my current location. The bar behind me only had an exit into the casino, not the kitchen. On the far side of the elevators was another bar, smaller but with kitchen access. The basement door was in the back of the kitchen.
I opened my eyes, searching for the wall of elevators. A bunch of painted toes and dirty shoes greeted me. Shit. Baby steps. I needed to get past all the slot machines first. I darted to the first row of flashing lights, hugging the rumbling machines until I reached the next. I skipped across another wide walkway, barely dodging the thundering feet passing by. I stopped beneath another metal monster just as someone hit the jackpot. Sirens for the lucky winner nearly deafened me. I cowered in the small space, second-guessing my decision.
How many rows of these silly machines were there? When the siren stopped, I pulled my furry paws over my face. This was taking way too long.
Where are you, daughter? Cedric’s voice whispered in my head.
I haven’t made it to the kitchen yet.
Well, hurry up. I’ll be at the blackjack table in thirty seconds.
Yeah. I huffed and immediately regretted it. Nasty particles from the carpet wafted up my nose. Dirt, beer, sweat. Tell me that wasn’t piss. I gagged and sprinted to the next machine just as the elevator announced its arrival.
“First floor, going up.”
I peered out from beneath my hiding spot and relief washed over me. It didn’t last long. Two men stood on either side of the doors with their hands hanging loosely at their sides. Their unnatural stillness gave them away. Looked like I was taking the long way around. I skipped between two more rows of slot machines and their lucky losers, giving the elevators a wide berth.
The smaller bar finally came into view, and I darted beneath the swinging door leading into the kitchen. The sudden change from carpet to shiny white tile caught me completely off guard. My tiny feet scrabbled for traction and failed. I slid across the tile and slammed into the leg of the nearest table. Pain flared through my ribs, and a small squeak escaped my lips.
A woman’s scream immediately followed, and I knew I’d been discovered. More shouts preceded a barrage of utensils smacking the floor around me. I pushed to my feet and sprinted across the floor, sliding beneath a large freezer. My side ached, making breathing difficult. I didn’t think anything was broken, but it hurt like hell.
“Move that damn freezer!” the same woman shrieked. “We can’t have a rodent in here.”
“We’re not moving that thing,” a man argued. “Do you know how much it weighs?”
When their shoes appeared at the edge of the freezer, I scooted farther away. I really needed to find the basement door. In my mad dash for cover, I didn’t even bother to look for it. Now I was trapped.
“I’m sure we have a dolly or one of those stupid strap things that can move it for us,” she whined. “If Jack finds out we have a filthy critter, it’ll be your job on the line, not mine.”
The man mumbled to himself and his feet disappeared. A few seconds later, the woman’s did as well. I moved to the opposite side of my hiding place and peeked out. Lines of prep tables ran out to my right with several workers leaning over them. Another freezer flanked the other end of the row of tables. I glanced back in the direction I came from. Bossy woman’s shoes headed for the door to the bar. It was now or never.
I sprinted under the tables and ran behind the next freezer, not stopping until I reached the other side. Short gasping breaths escaped my lips. It sucked to be so small. I’d expended twice as much energy getting here and I still had a long way to go. Suck it up, little mage.
I peeked out from beneath the freezer and relief flooded me. The wooden door on my right had to be my path to Braden. It swung open and I jumped, smacking my head on the underside of the freezer. Shit. Shit. Shit. I was going to be a mess before I ever got there.
The smell of sandalwood lingered in the air as a man walked out. I looked up and my little eyes widened. Jack carried a cardboard box tucked under his arm. Why did he smell like Braden? I glanced at the closing door, then back to Jack. Indecision washed over me, something I couldn’t afford. I darted through the door just as it closed.
Lights glowed at the bottom of stairs, thankfully, but they didn’t reach the top.
Cedric, Jack just left the basement and is moving through the kitchen, I said, hoping I connected with my father and not my elementals.
Thanks for the heads up, he replied.
As my eyes adjusted, I rubbed the top of my head with my paw and winced. That really hurt. A flight of wooden steps loomed before me, and I almost cried. I hadn’t even thought about how to get down the steps. Could I take the chance and change to my normal self? No. If I got caught, our whole plan would be ruined.
I squinted at the tall steps in front of me. There was no way I’d be falling down those things. My eyes drifted to the walls and I smiled. A narrow ledge ran along both walls, the framing for the stairs. Perfect! I leapt onto the ledge and raced down.
At the bottom, wide wooden boards covered the floor with gaps large enough for my tiny feet to fall through. I jumped to the board closest to the wall and ran until I reached a narrow door way. I slid into the shadowed alcove and sniffed. I expected all kinds of nasty smells and was surprised when all I found was dirt and blood mixed with bleach. So, they actually cleaned their dungeon.
I put my nose against the wooden floor and breathed in. Definitely bleach and probably the reason for the gaps between the boards. Did they have a drainage system beneath the floor? They had to. The smell would be awful if they didn’t. I peered down the hall. Four metal doors lined both sides of the wide hall. Barred windows covered the top half of each door, but the farthest one caught my attention. A single ray of light filtered into the cell through the bars. I followed the source of the light and when I found it, I gasped. A series of mirrors lined the end of the hall, reflecting what I assumed had to be the last of the setting sun into the farthest cell. Just like the old training hall at Fadil’s. How long had this place been here? Since before electricity was a thing? Maybe, or the mirrors served only one purpose – to torture vampires.
I sprinted down my wooden plank, stopping in front of the last metal door. The gap at the bottom might be big enough for my little mouse to squeeze under. I poked my nose in the space and sniffed. Sandalwood and blood.
“Get out.” I barely recognized Braden’s voice.
Was he talking to me? Surely not. Nobody talked to rodents,
they just killed them. I flattened myself on my stomach and wriggled under the door. I never could’ve prepared for the sight before me. A pile of skin and bones huddled in the farthest corner of the cell, covered by the same clothes I’d seen the vampire wearing when I left his estate. Braden’s beautiful blond hair hung limp around his hollow face. His blue eyes sank in their sockets making his nose appear unnaturally large. Purple splotches covered his skin.
Cedric, I found Braden, but I’ll need a little time to get him out.
No problem. I’ve won the last three hands, he replied. I have a few more before they start getting suspicious. The crowd of vampires around me is impressive, so you should have time.
“Get out before I decide rodent is on the menu,” Braden hissed.
I ignored him. There was no way I’d leave him like this. I backed up against the wall beside the door and released my glamour.
His hollow eyes widened as my mouse grew into a woman. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”
I’d never heard his slight British accent devolve into cursing, but I suppose he had good reason. “I do have an oath to fulfill.”
He snarled, but despite his efforts, it wasn’t threatening. He couldn’t even push himself off the floor.
“When will they be back?” I continued. “How much time do I have with you?”
“You would fulfill your oath now?” His laugh turned to a cough, but his hollow eyes didn’t leave mine.
“Whatever,” I snapped. “I couldn’t attack you right now no matter what you did to me. How much time do I have?”
“All night, little mage.” His shoulders sagged. “He took as much as he could without killing me. He’ll leave me here to wallow in my self-loathing.”
He was so pitiful and so unlike the proud, arrogant bastard I’d grown to hate.
“Okay, good,” I replied, taking a step towards him. “I didn’t want to get caught.”
“Why are you here?” he asked, pressing his back against the stone wall. Was that fear? “You know you can’t kill me until your oath is fulfilled.”
I knelt in front of him and smiled. “I have no intention of killing you,” I whispered. “I’m here to make a deal.”
Chapter 8
Braden’s weak laugh tugged at my heart. No matter how much I disliked him, I hated to see him like this. Barely twenty-four hours had passed since I’d left his estate and Jack had already bled him dry. I’d came prepared to trade a small bottle of blood for information about the fae queen, but my resolve wavered. Could I really deny him just to get what I wanted? Probably not. If he refused to tell me, I’d give him the blood anyway.
“Let me guess,” he whispered. “My freedom for information.”
“Something like that, but you’re so pitiful right now, I’m not sure I can go through with it.”
A low growl rumbled from his throat.
I waved a hand at him and sat down, crossing my legs in front of me. “Save it. Pity feels awful, but I can’t muster anything else.” I pulled the bottle of blood from my pocket and dangled it in front of him. His eyes widened and the familiar red consumed his blue irises. “Take it.”
He reached out tentatively, his dark gaze shifting from me to the bottle. “Who’s is it?”
“Does it matter?” I asked. “I assumed any ol’ human would do.”
“Any human, yes.” Specks of blue poked through his blood red eyes. “Supernatural, no.”
“We’ve already determined I can’t kill you,” I said. “And making you weaker seems counterproductive to our rescue mission. So, drink up so we can talk.”
He pulled the lid off the bottle and held it to his nose. His pale eyebrows narrowed and his fangs fell over his lips. “Why yours?”
“I would think that’s obvious,” I replied, pulling my hand over my face. “I can’t walk up to some stranger and say, ‘Hey man, I need a vial of blood.’”
“Do you know what happens if I do this?” he asked, inhaling the scent of my blood again.
“Nope, but I can’t imagine too many more consequences for swapping blood with you,” I replied. “That vampire bond thing is a load of bologna, because you guys can’t love and we’re not having sex.”
He laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls of his cell. “I’ve missed you,” he finally said.
“It’s only been a day. Now drink up. I can’t stand to see you like this.”
He tilted his head back and my blood flowed from the glass bottle into his mouth. His whole body shuddered as he gulped it down. The purple bruises on his face disappeared, but not his hollow cheeks or sunken eyes. He needed a lot more than that, but I wasn’t giving it to him.
“Why would you do that?” he asked, handing me the empty bottle.
“Because I’m stupid,” I replied. “Now tell me how we get out of here unseen.”
I stood and held my hand out to him, we needed to get moving. He wrapped his long fingers around mine and rose without my help. I rolled my eyes at him.
“The next time you willingly take my blood, we are bonded, little mage,” he said, looking down at me. “Even without sex.”
I frowned and looked away from his knowing eyes. Would it have changed my decision? Probably not. “I can’t see me willingly taking your blood, so no worries.”
“You have twice already,” he argued, a smile spreading across his thin face.
“No, I haven’t,” I retorted.
“Yes, our blood oath and our kiss.” He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.
I snatched my hand away. “The blood oath was voluntary, but that kiss wasn’t.”
“I didn’t force you to bite me,” he said with a chuckle. I opened my mouth to argue and he raised a hand. “There’s another door at the end of the hall that leads into a series of tunnels beneath our neighboring hotels. They will be guarded, but we should be able to reach the first exit undetected.”
“Okay.” As I backed away from him, loathing filled me, not just for him but also myself. How did I manage pity for this creature? Because he looked so damned pitiful and I was stupid. “I’ll unlock the door.”
Closing my eyes, I once again envisioned my little mouse and felt a wave of magic tingle my skin. Nausea washed over me with the transition and my mouse puked on the floor. The magic shimmered again, and I started to panic. I couldn’t hold the glamour that was already slipping away. I raced to the door and squeezed underneath. My magic failed just as I emerged on the other side, crushing the toes on my left foot in the small gap.
I bit back the scream trying to erupt from my throat but didn’t stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. It hurt like hell and there was no way I was walking on it.
“What happened?” Braden asked, peering between the bars.
I glared at him between my tears but didn’t answer. It was obvious. I grabbed the handle to his cell door and pulled myself up, leaning all my weight on my right leg. Big mistake. The blood pulsed in my broken toes making them hurt even worse. They were already swelling inside my sneaker, making it so much more uncomfortable.
“Shit,” I mumbled.
“Tell me what happened,” Braden insisted.
“I crushed my foot,” I hissed. “Now shut up and let me break your lock.”
I forced the pain in my foot away and created one of my little glass daggers. I pushed it into the old-style lock and tried to turn it. Nothing happened. I jiggled it, having no idea what I was doing.
“Let me help,” Niyol said, appearing beside me.
“Really?” I asked. “You couldn’t do that before I crushed my foot?”
He slid a finger into the lock and turned his hand. Rolling tumblers echoed in the silent hall and the door swung open. He looked down at me and frowned, the expression unmistakable even on his wispy transparent face.
“You should have Göksu fix that for you,” he said and disappeared.
“Yeah right,” I mumbled. My water elemental needed to stay with Logan. I could heal it my
self. Niyol could’ve helped me anytime, but I also should’ve thought to ask.
Braden stepped into the hall, his clothes hanging loosely from his emaciated body. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Will you be able to walk?”
“Yes and yes,” I replied between my clenched teeth. “I just need a minute to heal this.”
I slid to the floor and started unlacing my sneaker. Dread swept over me as I tugged it off. Blood covered my sock. “Fricking wonderful.” I peeled the offending article away revealing my swollen toes.
“I’ll wait at the other end of the hall,” Braden muttered.
I looked up at the blood red eyes staring back at me. “Yep, good idea.”
I blinked and he was fifty feet away at the opposite door. The door to our escape.
“Focus, stupid,” I muttered, wrapping my hands around my foot and reaching for the water around me. It responded like I knew it would, then coated my shattered toes. Unlike healing with Göksu, I got to feel my pain, twice. Agony ripped through my foot and raced up my ankle. I clamped my mouth closed to keep from screaming and alerting every vampire in the building. Loud popping sounds echoed down the hall as my bones snapped back into place. I nearly passed out with the anguish of muscle and tendons knitting back together.
I leaned back against the stone wall, panting heavily. My head throbbed with my foot, in tandem with my racing heart. I really hated pain.
“That was rather impressive,” Braden whispered, once again at my side. “But we need to get out of here before I do something stupid.” He pulled his cell door closed, but there was no way to lock it.
Alisandra! Cedric’s voice invaded my mind making me jump.
What?
You’ll have company in two minutes.
Elemental's Domain Page 7
