by Maya Daniels
“He traded himself to save the rest of us.” Looking over my shoulder, I see Marcus leaning at the entrance of the living room, his feet crossed at the ankles and his hands in the pockets of his pants. “He promised them he would not fight, and none of us would try to free him, as long as they leave us alone. Sebastian is too great of a price not to be traded for a simple runner. They took the deal before he finished talking.”
“They will hold him in a cell, I guess for a few centuries, or unless he agrees to join them.” Andrei looks at Marcus over my shoulder but shakes his head, dismissing his own comment. “Nah. He will never join them. He will suffer and plot how to get to them after his sentence is up.”
“He is not in a cell.” My words are mumbled under my breath, but instantly, I feel both of them looking at me so intently it’s like they are physically touching me.
“What did you say?” Andrei leans further towards me, poised like a snake ready to strike.
With a deep breath, I lift my head up and square my shoulders. “I said he is not in a cell. I don’t know what he did to me when he asked me to drink his blood, but there is something wrong with me.” Waving a hand at Marcus, I blow out air through puffed up cheeks. “You saw how I flipped this one as if he was a fly.”
“And how do you know this, bella?” Ignoring the fact that I called him a fly, Marcus’s eyes glitter in the light of the chandelier.
“I saw it through his eyes? My eyes? I have no idea what I was looking through, but I know it wasn’t a dream.” My chest feels too tight as I remember how I couldn’t move my body while they stared at me from above. “He is in a casket made of some clear crystal, wrapped in chains. And he is aware, he knows everything that’s happening while they loom over him like vultures.” The words come in a rush.
“And why are you here?” Marcus asks after him and Andrei glance at each other meaningfully.
“I came to help you save him.”
Marcus and Andrei glance at each other again, and I’m pissed off. All this “sending meaningful looks so the human doesn’t know what we are thinking” gets old real fast.
“How do you suggest you will help, April?”
Jumping off the sofa, I cut Marcus off. “It wasn’t me slamming my head off the wall asshole, so stop making fun of the poor human.” Mutt finally perks up. He was sleeping at my feet ever since I was deposited on the sofa.
“I didn’t mean…” Marcus lifts both hands in surrender, but I’m not finished.
“I’m done!” With my hands on my hips, I look from him to Andrei and back. “I’m done hiding, running from life, and letting other people die for me. I’m done with it all. Sebastian might be the monster of all monsters, but he kept his promise. Whatever he did to me”—Waving one hand indicating my body, I shake my head, disgusted with myself—“changed me. I can feel him inside me. I feel his hope that I will go to him.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away. “I know how that feels. To wait and hope. To watch unblinking, too afraid to fall asleep in case you miss them when they come back.” The last words end on a sob, but I clamp my mouth shut, refusing to cry.
“Who never came back, April?” Andrei lifts his hand as if he wants to touch me, but changes his mind, dropping it in his lap.
“No one.” When my speech turned from Sebastian to my parents, I have no idea, but I’m not going to open that black hole right now. “What I’m saying is, I will not let him wait for nothing. I’m going to the Council with or without your help.”
“I didn’t know you cared about him.” When my eyes narrow, Andrei backtracks really fast.” Or us that much.”
Thoughts of Sebastian cradling me to his chest like a precious thing float through my head. His hand, that could’ve crushed my head, gently moving wisps of hair away from my face. Marcus sitting battered with me in a dark, stinking alley until I woke up so that I wasn’t alone. Andrei kissing the top of my head while I was looking in the mirror, seeing myself as a woman instead of a wild creature for the first time I could remember. In less than twenty-four hours, they’ve shown me more acceptance and caring than anyone else in my life. It might be whatever is changed in me talking, but I don’t think so. Sometime between walking inside this hotel for the first time, and going back inside that sewer to find it empty, I started seeing them as people. The monsters I thought them to be are nowhere to be found.
“I don’t know.” Honesty is the best way forward. “Does it matter?”
“No.” His face softening, Marcus prowls inside the living room, plopping into a chair next to Andrei. They are like day and night, sitting like this next to each other. One dark, the other one light. “I suppose not.”
“So? Why are you two still sitting down? Let’s go.” Now that I’ve made up my mind, I can’t wait to get going. I’m sure if I have time to think about it, I’ll change my mind so fast my head will be spinning for days. This whole thing is insane.
“You forget one crucial thing, little one.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Andrei looks at me sadly. “The Council agreed to the deal because we had to make a blood oath. Our hands are tied. We can’t go after him.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what to say to that.
Marcus glares at his feet, Andrei is chewing on his lower lip with one long fang. They look so human at this moment that if I ignore the fangs and how unnaturally beautiful they are, I have this crazy urge to go and hug them both. Something is seriously wrong with me. Chewing on my own lip, I start pacing up and down the living room. I can’t sit still because every time I’m not moving, I can feel the hope that Sebastian is feeling. With every movement, his scent drifts to my nose from the shirt I’m wearing, forcing me to remember how his lips felt on mine. How his body felt while I was in his lap, his arms caging me to him. Heat pools in my lower belly with the memory, and two identical groans snap my head in their direction. Andrei and Marcus are watching me, nostrils flaring.
“Oh, hell no!” Moving fast, I place the sofa between them and me. “Stay where you are.”
“You should change your line of thinking, little one. Your scent is too tempting.” Noticing that the fangs in their mouths have grown longer, I gulp air.
“It’s not my fault.” I sound so defensive I almost slap myself. “Think of something disgusting.” When they both raise an eyebrow, I huff a breath. “Well, it works to get your mind off things. And button up your shirt.” Pointing an accusing finger at Andrei, I nod as if that might fix the problem.
“My open shirt made your scent change like that?” An arrogant smile lifts one side of his mouth. Marcus punches him in the shoulder, sending him flying a few feet out of the chair. “She said it.” Like a petulant child, Andrei pouts at me.
“This is so not happening.” Groaning, I walk up to the wall and start banging my forehead on it. Mutt comes next to me and starts to whine softly. “I know, boy. We are all insane.” No matter what, he will always be here. He will follow me everywhere, doing his best to protect me against all the odds. My heart stops at that thought, picking up speed the next second. “Oh my God.” Whirling around, I start flipping my hand like it’s on fire. “We can do it!”
In my excitement, I forget to explain what we can do. Ideas form in my head like I am watching a movie. We can go get Sebastian, and the Council can’t do anything to stop us. Jumping up and down, ignoring the fact that my braless boobs are bouncing like crazy, I clap my hands, getting the mutt excited too. His tail is doing the helicopter thing, his ears erect while he watches me. The two vampires in the room, however, are looking at me like I’ve grown another head.
“April, are you well?” Watching me cautiously, Marcus glances at Andrei. “There can’t be side effects like this from the blood.”
Andrei opens his mouth, I’m sure to give more professional opinions on my mental health, but I cut him off. “First, that’s a very assholish thing to say.” Stopping further comments with a raised hand, I shake my head. “Second, let me enjoy my victory for coming up with
a way to screw the Council and their stupid blood oath before you put me in a padded room.”
“What are you talking about?” Andrei is frowning, but Marcus has that calculated look in his eyes.
“Let her speak,” he tells Andrei.
Walking up to the front of the sofa, I plop on it, bouncing a couple of times. After I’m settled, I cross my legs like I remember my mother doing when I was young. “They made you swear a blood oath so you won’t go to free Sebastian from them. Correct?” When they both nod reluctantly, I offer one firm nod myself.” Right, so…what if you’re not going to the Council to free Sebastian?”
“April, he sacrificed himself with the knowledge that we will continue his work. Too much is at stake to act recklessly. It’s not just the three of us trying to play heroes. Many lives could be lost. Great, honorable people could perish if we provoke the Council more than we already have. We rushed everything when it comes to you, and we paid dearly for it. Let us not continue making mistakes. You are here, willing to embrace your destiny. That’s all Sebastian ever wanted.”
Glaring at Marcus for his speech, I make sure he knows exactly what I think about his opinions. “How very nice of you.” When he frowns, I offer him an unfriendly smile. “It’s so wonderful to sit here when someone else is paying for everyone’s mistakes, isn’t it? And before more bullshit comes out from either of you, let me be very clear. I am going to the Council Towers tomorrow. Whether you come with me or not, that’s totally up to you.”
“We can’t physically free him, April,” Andrei spits through clenched teeth. “The oath repels us to even try. Don’t you understand?”
“Who said that you will be freeing Sebastian?” When they both jerk back like I’ve slapped them, I finally smile. “Didn’t you all say that you think I’m your lost queen reborn or some other bullshit?” Without waiting for an answer, I keep going. “It was the three of you telling me that you would do anything to protect her, and keep her safe. Her, me, whatever. So, you won’t be going to free your Sire from the Council. You’ll be going to protect me. I, on the other hand, will be going to free Sebastian.”
“Well, look at that.” Leaning back in the chair, Marcus laces his fingers behind his head, smiling proudly. “I wonder if she got some of Sebastian’s cunning when she took his blood.”
It took the better part of the night and some of the morning to iron out the details. Marcus and Andrei called in a few of the Guardians, so they didn’t have to repeat themselves a million times. I sat there stunned, finally realizing how big their operations were. Marcus was right when he said I though it was just the three of them playing heroes so they could chase out the boredom of immortality. Calls were made on laptops, and men and women from around the world stared at us through the screens. They all looked human if I didn’t stare into their eyes for too long. No matter how nice they were dressed or how sincere their smiles were, nothing could hide the predator lurking in their gaze.
When everyone was present, and they were told who I was, my hands were fisted under the table while they gawked at me like they were looking at a unicorn. Not even bothering to remember their names, I stayed quiet, listening to every word. They had infiltrated the Council so deeply I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew how many times each of the members blinked. For two weeks, whispers about me had been going around, sending me in a tailspin of panic again. I had no idea anyone was aware of me. Also, it was nice to know that the Council was having a party tomorrow night. Apparently, when you decided to stuff someone in a coffin, tied up in chains, it called for a celebration. Who knew? No matter how messed up the situation was, it gave us a way in. When all was said and done, everyone left to sleep or went on with their day, cutting off the connection. I was placed in Sebastian’s room.
That’s where I am now, tangled in his sheets, trying very hard not to breathe in his scent. It’s like he is everywhere. Sleep doesn’t come, leaving me to stare at the ceiling, going over every detail again and again in my mind. Everything should go smoothly if we all stick to our plans. From my experience hiding and trying to stay ahead of those who want me dead, plans rarely work as you expect them to. So, I come up with a few things on my own, in case something goes south. Satisfied with everything, I lay still, waiting for the seconds to pass by. It feels like a lifetime later when the soft knock on the door announces that it’s time .
Jumping off the bed, I yank the door open to see Andrei with his knuckles raised. “You are awake.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” Shrugging a shoulder, I push past him, heading for the living room.
“You need to be alert, April. Any mistake can cost all our lives.” Grumbling behind me, I can feel his scowl between my shoulder blades. “We can call it off and do it tomorrow.”
“No!” Bumping off his chest when I abruptly turn around, I run my palm over my nose. “We are doing this now.” Or I’ll change my mind, a part I leave unspoken.
His jaw clenches so tightly I can hear his teeth grinding. After staring at me for long moments, he nods jerkily once. Assured I won’t have to sneak out of here to do what I’m planning to do, I turn my back on him again.
Marcus is standing in the middle of the living room when I reach it. No emotion shows on his face when he scans me from head to toe and back up. He must be satisfied with his assessment because no words come from him. After Andrei fixes my hair and does my makeup again, I don’t even bother looking at myself in the mirror. At least the silky white dress I’m wearing is pooling at my feet. No boob, or butt, flashing in the Council Towers.
“It’s time,” Andrei says so gravely you would think his dog died.
Speaking of a dog, I twist around, looking for Mutt. He wasn’t allowed to come inside the room for some stupid reason so he must’ve slept in the living room. When I don’t see him, I open my mouth to ask, but Marcus, the mind reader, simply points at the front door. Leaning to the side, I look through the long hallway. There, sitting like a statue, is a dog with shining black fur, with light brown patch circles around his nose and over his chest and underbelly. The words get stuck in my throat when I’m about to ask whose dog it is. Intelligent brown eyes that I know so well watch me with excitement. It’s almost as if he waits to see my reaction.
“Mutt?” As soon as the breathless word passes my lips, he bolts from the door, almost knocking me over. “Look at you, buddy.” Hugging him to my chest while he licks my face, I can’t stop running my hands over him. “I knew you were beautiful under all that grime and dirt.”
“Yeah, in this city, lots of beauty is hidden under grime and dirt.” Smiling softly, Marcus nudges Mutt off me. “No time for playing, though. We have to go.”
A look passes again between the two vampires, but I choose to ignore it. If they are not willing to share their thoughts, they can keep them. I have enough things going through my head at the moment. You are crazy for doing this, is the loudest. Straightening up, I head for the door. Mutt joins me straight away, his silky fur brushing under my fingers. The elevator opens as soon as I reach it and we all pile inside. Tension rides with us like an invisible passenger.
With a ping, the doors open and we are met by a sea of Guardians all dressed in black, only their faces and the color of their hair allowing me to tell the difference between them. They part, and we walk through them. I can feel their curiosity like a loaded gun in my temple. Keeping my eyes locked in front of me, I ignore everything. Touching Mutt with my fingers helps me stay calm in the middle of so many vampires.
A long, black car with dark windows and the back door opened is waiting when we exit the hotel. Flanked on one side by Marcus and on the other by Andrei, I’m guided to the vehicle. Mutt jumps inside and, banding down, I follow behind him. No one talks, while I’m pressed between two large bodies with Mutt between my legs, on our short drive to the Council Towers. Everything is a blur, and before I know it, the car stops moving.
“Are you ready?” My body jerks when Andrei speaks.
What
the hell are you doing, April? Are you insane? my mind screams. “I’m ready,” is what I calmly say out loud.
“Remember, we are right there with you. Unless they kill us, we will not leave your side.” Marcus twists my body towards him, gripping my shoulders in his large hands. “Just do your part and leave the rest to us. When I tell you to run, you run. Do you understand?” He waits until I nod like a good little doggie. “We have people inside that will take you to safety, to another country if need be. You’ll be safe no matter what.” Reaching up, he ties a half mask over my face.
“I know, Mother. Can we go now?” My voice is anything but the hot mess that I feel inside.
Marcus smiles momentarily before the stony expression returns to his face. Andrei chuckles and swings the door open on his side. After he is out, I slide my butt on the soft leather and come face to face with the open doors of the Council Towers. The idiots didn’t even give me enough room between the car and the stars to run if I change my mind last minute. Mutt comes next to me, and I feel the warmth of Marcus’s body when he comes to stand at my back. In a lapse of judgment, I lean back, soaking up his strength. His hand wraps around my hip, squeezing reassuringly. Everything is so not going to be alright, but I don’t point that out.
Pushing away from him, squaring my shoulders, I climb the stairs like the queen of England visiting for a cup of tea, praying I don’t twist an ankle or break a leg in the damn shoes.
The thin heels of my strappy shoes click-clack on the marble floors. Leaning towards me like he is whispering a great secret, Andrei tells me that the carpet has been moved from the floor for the occasion. Why the carpet is so damn important, I have no idea, but I’ll take the distraction for what it is. I’ve never been inside the Towers. I never thought I’d step foot inside unless they dragged my dead body through the doors. Never say never I guess.
Tall candelabras line the walls, black candles dripping on the marble. The light from their flames casts a soft orangey glow over everything. It makes me feel like I’m walking in a dream, maybe a fairy tale, only the prince charming in this one is a monster, and the princess is a woman scared out of her mind with a crazy mutt next to her. Sentinels are positioned on both sides, one to each candelabra. I wonder idly if they stand there in case a candle goes off or burns down so they can replace it. Why else will there be so many of them here? The Council has proven that they are untouchable many times. We are here to witness the celebration of their sacrosanct position at the moment.
