by E. M. Moore
“Don’t,” he said. “That’s not fair.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. “If you don’t let me go, it’s like Royce and Zeke’s mom’s tragic story all over again. A vampire who isn’t willing to bend his wishes for the sake of his own kind. You can’t do that, Christian. I know you don’t want me here as your guard, but the simple reality is that’s what I’m here for. You have to let me do the job I was brought here to do. If you stop me now, you’ll just be playing into Checkov’s fears about vampire-guard relationships. If the trainees are taken out, it leaves your father vulnerable in more ways than one. You know we can’t sacrifice that, and you know we can’t give them any more ammunition about guards making vampires go crazy.”
His hands tightened around my head. A call came into the computer, but we ignored it. “Damnit,” he said, his hands falling to my shoulders. “For once, I don’t want to have to be the one who sacrifices everything. We’re princes. We’ve been sacrificing ourselves for the good of the vampire world since I was brought into it. Is it so wrong that I don’t want to sacrifice you?”
I pushed him down in his chair and straddled his lap. Tipping his chin up, I stared into his eyes. “You’re talking as if I’m already done for. Don’t think like that. You know I’m good. You know I can do this. I have something these rogue vampires don’t have: something worth fighting for.”
Christian growled in frustration and then pulled my lips down to his. He kissed me thoroughly, searing the taste, the feel of his lips into mine as if he were branding me as his own. When he pulled away, I was dazed. He lifted me from his lap and set me back on my feet, turning me toward the screen. With his other hand, he opened the laptop and answered the incessant call. He started in as if we hadn’t had a couple minute break, as if he hadn’t just kissed me senseless, as if he hadn’t just had to sacrifice himself again for his people. “If we’re going to send her in, we need a way to communicate with her. Since we have the feed, we’ll be able to see things she can’t.”
“We can put a mic on her,” Gregor said, his fingers tapping against the table in front of him. “There’s got to be some guard technology in the guard station of that house. Take whatever you need.”
A walkie talkie crackled on their side. “We’re two hours out. I repeat, two hours out.”
Christian rose from his chair. “I’ll grab whatever I can find.”
He turned from the screen, leaving me there with the rest of his family. I stared at each one of them in turn, all had varying degrees of troubled expressions. Nic was the most hopeful, but I could tell from Gregor’s that there was no way he would be agreeing to this plan if there hadn’t been any other choice. Oh well, he was always underestimating me and I’d prove him wrong again. “I need the video feed scoured for any sign of T.J. If I can locate T.J., we’ll have a shot.”
Connor immediately turned to the laptop. “On it.”
Stephan leaned forward. “Ariana, find some of that salve in my room. Lather yourself in it. It not only helps with healing, but it also should help prevent injury.”
I nodded. “Can you text your brother to bring me some of that too?”
Stephan immediately pulled his phone out and sent a text. My eyes went to Nicolai’s next. He nodded slightly, giving me the only encouragement I needed from him. I was sure there was a lot more he wanted to say, but didn’t want to say it in front of his father.
Gregor leaned back in his chair, taking my attention away from his sons. “I can’t tell if this is very brave, or very, very stupid of you.”
I mirrored his casual stance, not giving him an inch. It was about time vampires started taking guards seriously. We weren’t just pawns used for security, we were real people with real intelligence. This was going down, and it would end up with us winning. It had to.
28
We were still on the video feed with the Ravanas, but Gregor had left. Christian helped me layer on Stephan’s miracle cure while I searched through the piles of weapons and other gadgets he got me from the guard station. I found something that could be used as a mic and then found the earpiece shortly after. I showed them to Christian, and he smiled immediately. I whipped my shirt off so we could wire me up when I heard four simultaneous intakes of breaths.
“So, we’re just doing that now?” Nicolai asked.
I rolled my eyes at him, not bothering to even respond. Things needed to be done, and I didn’t have time to mess around with modesty. Christian helped tape the wires to my body before securing the earpiece in place and helping me pull my shirt back on over my head. I grabbed as many stakes as I could and slipped them into my pants. We’d found some nifty stake holders that you attached to your calves to conceal any weapons you had. I needed as many as I could because I knew I’d have to give some stakes up once we freed any guards to help us in the fight.
“I might have something,” Connor said, his eyes still glued to the laptop screen.
I strapped a stake in and stood. “What is it?”
“T.J., maybe. Pulling it up on your screen now.”
The picture of the boys faded to a corner, and another one bloomed bigger on the screen. I watched as a figure slid down a hall, moving stealthily through it and then turning for a door I recognized. “Were all the others in the cafeteria when this happened?” I asked.
“Yes, this is after they were all herded together.”
I smiled. “I know where that door leads. It leads to the back of the kitchen where there’s a side door out the back of the building. I’ve been using it to sneak out to see Christian. If he’s back there, I can find him.”
“So, is that it then?” Nic asked. “We have the plan?”
I nodded, my muscles tensing now that I had a how to get to the outcome. “Christian will drop me off down the road from The Fort. I’ll sneak over the wall like I’ve been doing. If I run into a vampire, I’ll try to kill them. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just tell them I sneaked out to meet someone. Presumably, they’ll take me into the cafeteria with everyone else. Once there…” I picked up several knifes off the table and slipped them into my pockets, then attached some to the stake holders around my legs. “…I’ll use these to help cut away at the restraints. If I happen to get past every vampire on the outside, I’ll go in the back door and hopefully find T.J.”
“And if you can’t do any of that?” Nic asked.
“Then I guess I’ll just be there when the rest of the guards arrive to save the day. Either way, I’ll be there to help.”
Nicolai, Stephan, and Connor grouped together in the center of the table. Christian immediately moved to my side, placing a hand around my back and squeezing me to him. “Do what you have to do, Princess,” Connor said.
“Stay safe,” Stephan said, his whole body still tight as if he hadn’t flexed his muscles in hours.
“Kick some ass, Ri,” Nic said.
I nodded and then Christian closed the laptop before anyone could say anything else. I was grateful. There was no reason to drag the goodbye out, and plus, every second counted. He used a transmitter, and we tested out the wireless mic until it worked. I gave him a thumbs up when I could hear his voice and he gave me his own when he could hear mine. For the time being, we turned it off, and he led me to his car. “As soon as I drop you off, I’ll come back here and make sure everyone can hear you so you’ll have eyes on the whole Fort. I figure as long as it takes for you to get to The Fort is as long as it will take me to get back here. Do not go in before you hear from me.”
He held the car door open, and I gave him a quick kiss before getting in the passenger seat. I waited until he got in on the other side before saying, “We’re kind of good at this, aren’t we? Coordinating an attack together...”
He looked at me doubtfully. “If this is you saying that you want to do this again, I’m going to have to stop you right there. You’re still lucky you’re going.”
He started the car and pulled away from the house. My mind wandered to the task in fr
ont of me. I had my eyes and ears. I had the skills necessary. I just needed some good luck on my side. To find T.J. would be a blessing. “I hope no one else gets hurt before I have a chance to get there.”
“You’re so set on being the hero, aren’t you?”
“It’s not that,” I said quickly. “I just hate to see anyone get hurt. If I can help at all, I’m going to.”
About a mile and a half away from The Fort, Christian cut the lights and then the engine. He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. He placed his palm on my cheek. “If you—.”
“I won’t,” I said, promising him. “I’ll be fine.”
He squeezed my hand and then motioned for me to turn my mic on. I quickly got out of the car and started walking down the street, again, not wanting to prolong the goodbyes. I told myself I’d see them again soon and besides, there were other things to worry about. I shouldn’t be kept safe while there were others like me suffering, in fear and in harm’s way. That had never been my thing. Even when I lived on the streets, I couldn’t stand to see others suffer. Now that I was in a position to actually do something about it, I wasn’t going to let it happen.
“You hear me?” Christian’s voice came over the earpiece surprisingly clear.
“Yeah, I got you.”
“Forever,” he said.
I smiled at that and then ran until The Fort came into view. All the while, Christian and I gave one another updates. He was just parking the car in the driveway now and was headed back to the conference room to get everyone else wired up so they could hear me. I stayed close to the stone wall, searching in the dark for my spot on the wall where I could grab the tree limb and jump down.
“Almost there,” Christian said. “Turning on the laptop now.” I heard a few presses of buttons before he was saying. “Okay…anytime now. Location?”
“Near the wall. Searching for my getaway tree.”
Other voices entered the conversation next and Christian silenced them with a shh. “I’ve got Ariana here. Let her concentrate.”
Nic’s husky voice spoke next. “We won’t be able to see you until you get over the wall, and even then, none of us is sure which place you’re talking about. We may not be able to see you until you get closer to the building. Again, there are four vampires around the perimeter. I have two of them on screen now just walking back and forth. The other two we don’t have a visual on.”
“Gotcha,” I said, spotting my limb in front of me. “I’m at the spot in the wall. About to pull myself over.”
Butterflies swarmed in my stomach, mirroring the reaction I had when I went out on the scouting trip with Lex, Matthews, and T.J. Only this time, it was double. I was out here on my own. The decisions were all mine, and I’d deal with the consequences myself. There was something relieving and terrifying about that at the same time. At least I wasn’t putting anyone else in danger, but if I made the wrong move, that was also on me too.
I hefted myself over the wall, grabbed the tree limb and swung myself down like I’d done once before. I landed in a crouch and took in my surroundings. I couldn’t see anyone nearby. Staying in the shadows as much as I could, I ran across the lawn toward the door I knew would bring me near the kitchen area in the trainee building.
“We got you on the feed,” Nic said, his voice tense. “Be aware. Rogue to your right.”
I looked right and saw a vamp coming around the side of a building. I crouched down low, but it was too late, he’d seen me. At the same time, Connor said, “He’s seen you.”
I sprung forward, eating up the distance between us as fast as I could. The quicker I could dispatch him, the less chance he would have to signal any of his rogue buddies that I was here. “Stop there,” he called out, his hand coming up in a stop sign motion.
I still came forward, his hand went to his belt, and I realized I didn’t have enough time to get a close-up shot. I pulled one of the stakes from my pants and flicked my wrist just like T.J. had shown us. The stake turned end over end through the air all the while I still made my attack on him. It sunk into his upper chest, closer to his shoulder than his heart. Shit. I grabbed for another stake. Even though he’d stumbled and fallen to the ground, I knew it hadn’t been a kill shot and I couldn’t afford to leave anyone alive to call for help. I tackled him, my stake coming up and then arcing down, finally sinking into its target.
I watched as the life drained from his eyes. Blood pooled on his shirt just like it had with Christian that night. Without dwelling on it, I pulled the two stakes out of the vamp, wiped them on the grass and then placed them back into my pants. “How am I doing now?” I asked.
Four collective breaths released. Nicolai grumbled something, but Connor was the first one to speak up with any information. “No other rogues on screen. Be careful.”
I slipped back into the shadows, making my way toward the back entrance. “Remember,” Nic said, “we have no feed of the staff areas. You’ll be entirely on your own until you make it into the cafeteria.”
“Let’s just hope I have help with me by then.”
Since the door was an exit only, I used my fingernails to pry it open from the outside. It was a heavy metal door, but once I’d made enough room to slip my fingers through, I pulled it open. It made a whining noise the whole way and then a hard smack hit me in the cheek. I fell backward, grunting, as the plain bloomed and blossomed out.
“What’s going on?” Christian asked.
I blinked, trying to regain my vision. In a second, a figure stood over me, his face coming closer, and closer. It wasn’t until he was almost on top of me that I recognized who it was. “T-T.J.,” I said. “It’s me. It’s Ariana.”
He pulled in close. Then he swore and hauled me up to my feet. “Shit. What the hell are you doing here? The rogue vampires attacked us. I thought you were in the cafeteria with everyone else.”
I shook my head. My hand immediately cupping the tender skin on my cheek. I hissed in a breath, then said, “No. I was out.”
He looked behind me. “Is anyone else with you? Lex?”
“No one. They’re on their way, but it’s just me.” I pointed to the wires on my chest. “I’ve got the princes and Gregor in my ear, and they tapped into the security footage, so they can see what’s going on.”
He pulled me into the shadows, the door closing uneasily behind us. “So, what’s your guys’ plan?”
“I’ve brought weapons. If we can free some of the guards, they can fight with us.”
T.J. rubbed the back of his neck. “Gregor agreed to this?”
“Did we really have another choice? They were feeding on a trainee in there, T.J. We could see it from the footage. We could wait another hour for the rest of the guards to get here, or we can do something about it now.”
His voice came from a dark blob in front of me. “Can they make contact with Samuel?”
“No. Phones are cut off. They think there are others there as well up at the main house.” I pulled out a few stakes and knives and handed them to him. “From the footage, it looks like the trainees are being restrained. If we can cut them free, they can help us attack.”
T.J. flipped a stake in the air and then slid it into the back of his pants. He kept one knife for himself, and one stake securely in his right hand. He gave me the rest of the knives back. “We’ll head in. I want you to start freeing the trainees, I’ll head for the vamps. Once you free some, give them knives and tell them to start freeing one another, then come help me. Better yet, I’ll head in first and make a scene. You slip in afterward.”
I took a deep breath, my stomach roiling. Though it was silent where I was, I could hear the breaths of my princes through my earpiece. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes,” Nic said. The tension smothered me from the outside in.
I pictured the cafeteria in my mind. “Alright, if we’re coming into the cafeteria from the back of the room. Where’s the closest vamp?”
“He’ll be to your right. There’s two of th
em.”
T.J. looked at me expectantly. “Two to your right,” I said, repeating Connor.
“Okay. We’re going for the element of surprise,” T.J. said. With that, he turned around and burst through the door.
My heart skipped a beat, and I forgot how to breathe. I was by myself in an instant. Whatever was happening on the other side of the door couldn’t be heard from this side. I was alone, my heart beating in my throat, my ears, ticking down until it was game on.
29
I tried to wait five seconds, but the truth of the matter was, as soon as I heard yelling, the panicked cries, I ran in behind T.J.
“To your left,” Connor said.
I immediately ducked down and pulled a knife from my waistband. I yanked the first arms I could find and tried to see how they were restrained. Zip ties. The person squirmed, but I yanked harder. “Calm down. It’s Ariana. I’m going to free you, then you’re going to help me free the others.”
I slipped the knife between the wrists and the zip ties split instantly. The person scooted around. Liv. “We were wondering where you were,” she said.
I handed her the knife and moved on to the next person. It was Evan. “Jesus. Where have you been?”
“Later,” I said before freeing him and handing him a bunch of knives. I dumped some stakes on the ground. “Free two more and then start fighting.”
Hands clasped my shoulders and pulled me back roughly. At the same time, the voice in my ear said, “Behind you!”
Using my momentum, I kicked up and back, catching the vampire on the chin. He sprawled backward. I reached for a stake, but he wasn’t out of commission for that long. He flew at me again and we grappled on the floor, his teeth getting dangerously close to my neck. I kicked with all my might, but he was strong. “You’re going to taste so good,” he said, his breath searing my neck.
I cried out, trying as hard as I could to push him off me when he went lax. At first, I thought he’d overpowered me and I was done for, but it wasn’t until the body fell away from me that I saw Evan’s hand outstretched toward me. He’d saved me. I smiled at him, briefly, then we both spun. I grabbed the stake out of the vamp’s back Evan had dispatched and moved in the direction T.J. had gone.
