“My point exactly” She quipped after she glanced at him from head to toe.
I ignored thier petty argument and faced Marie. My little sister was being tough, but the worry in her eyes was undeniable. As siblings, we were so close, we didn’t even need words to know what the other was thinking. She was telling me to be safe. I was telling her the same and to keep a watchful eye.
With a final nod, Jace and I stepped closer to Cassandra. She gave a smile again that didn’t seem real, and I finally figured out why. She hyped. Cassandra can only mimic emotions while in hype. The only thing she could really feel was bloodlust, sexual desire and rage; the vampire basics. I wondered if the King had something to do with her choosing to live her long life in hype, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t my business. My only concern was saving the girl I loved and telling her over and over how much I loved her. Now that she was gone, it seemed so foolish that I hadn’t told her that before. I was vaguely aware that Jace was probably thinking of doing the exact same thing after we saved Ana. Only time would tell who she would pick, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t do anything I could to make sure it was me.
“Open your mouth.” Cassandra ordered.
We only stared at her in confusion.
“The blood castle is spelled for vampires so you need vampire blood in you before you can enter.” She explained.
That made a lot of sense. If we had known that earlier, we could have just taken blood from Kim and avoided this whole mess.
Cassandra bit the tip of her finger and let a couple drops of blood fall into our mouths. I expected it to be gross and coppery, but it wasn’t. Her blood was surprisingly sweet yet bitter at the same time.
“That’ll buy you both a couple of hours inside before the witch catches on to your intrusion.” Cassandra explained.
I only vaguely listened to her because, right before my eyes, a shimmer appeared in the middle of the ocean. It was like someone was pulling an invisible blanket slowly off of the castle. Bits and pieces of the huge red structure began to unfold right before us. The dark witch must be so powerful to hide something so large in plain sight. From the gawk on Jace’s face, he was seeing it too.
“Are you ready?” I asked the witch.
Jace dragged his eyes and met mine. We locked our equally determined eyes. Jace wanted Ana back just as badly as I did.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Jace replied.
And with that, we both treaded into the cold ocean water; one step closer to finally reuniting with the girl we both loved.
***
Kim
After watching Jace fall from the boulder, I took off in a mad dash. The moment we arrived, I spotted the huge red stone castle sitting pretty in the middle of the ocean. It was only when no one else spoke of it that I realized they couldn’t see it. That was when it all clicked together then. Jace recruited me specifically for this mission because I was a vampire. Not that it mattered now seeing as I left them high and dry and I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for double crossing them either. My only thought was getting to that palace and saving Talon.
I came to an abrupt stop after reaching a safe distance from the others. Now all I needed to figure out was how the heck do I get to the middle of the ocean. Pondering for a moment, I began to take off my heels. The only fast way was simply to swim considering this side of the beach was deserted with no speed boats in sight.
“Going for a swim?” A male voice with an Irish accent asked.
I spun around, heel in hand, ready to take him. The man regarded me coolly. He had reddish-brown hair falling up to his shoulders, and he stood perfectly still in a black suit. He looked to be in his twenties, maybe older, with scruff covering his chin and cheeks. After a second of analyzing him, I knew without a doubt he was a vampire. No human could have snuck up on me so easily.
“Are you going to the blood castle for tonight’s festivities?” He asked casually with a fang-filled smile.
I opened my mouth to question him but thought better of it. I needed a way in, and as luck would have it, this stranger vampire just provided me with that. So, instead, I straightened my posture and slipped my heel back on.
“Why yeah. I mean, yes I am. But, umm, I can’t seem to find a suitable way across the water.” I replied, putting on my best innocent face.
The vamp looked me up and down, pausing on my legs and breast. After he was satisfied, he met my eyes with a smile.
“Well, my lady, it’ll be my pleasure to escort you there.” He smiled, gesturing for me to take his outstretched hand.
I forced a sexy smile and took it. We walked to the edge of the beach, taking slow steps into the freezing water. Mushy sand and rocks covered my toes. I turned to him, ready to what was going on, but he spoke first.
“I take it this is the first time you visited the castle?” He asked in a friendly Irish accent.
I nodded.
“Well allow me to show ya.”
He surprised me by using the tip of his very sharp fang to piercehis thumb. Blood rose to the surface, and I had to fight the urge to lick it. Hunger set in quickly. The moment ended when the vamp let the single drop fall into the water and disappeared. Seconds passed without anything happening, and I began to think this particular vampire had lost his mind. Then suddenly, something began to move under my feet and we started gliding across the ocean with speed and ease. The vampire smiled at my shocked face triumphantly. Within a minute, we were at the front doors of the immaculate castle.
“Until we meet again, my lady. Farewell.” The vamp said in a sweeping bow before turning and walking to the main double doors.
There were two guards standing at the entrance, and I watched as the Irish vamp reached into his jacket and handed one of them an envelope. The guard nodded and let him through without a question.
“Shit.” I cursed to myself. This event was invitation only. Even as I figured this out, I continued my slow stride to the front entrance. Seduction was all I had at the moment, and if that didn’t work, killing them would be next.
“Invitation?” The vampire guard asked.
He was huge to say the least, and I wondered for a moment if I could take them if this didn’t go well.
“Actually, honey,” I began in a husky voice as I trailed a finger down his large chest, “I left mine, but if you let me in now, maybe I can make it up to you later.”
I licked her lips. The stone face guard just stared at me blankly.
“No invite, no entrance.” He grunted.
I instantly sobered up, dropping the sexy act. Okay, that didn’t work. Normally, that act would have had an army of men at her feet.
Too bad, it looked like someone was going to die tonight. I just hoped it wasn’t me.
I rolled my neck and sized up the two guards. I knew what I was about to attempt was dangerous, but I’d rather die here than give Ana or her stupid friends the satisfaction of killing me. The vamps seemed to notice the change and became more alert in response.
“Let her in. She’s my guest.” A voice called out, stopping the building tension.
I peeked behind the guards and locked eyes with a vampire I instantly recognized. He still looked as darkly sexy as he did the first time we crossed paths. As a matter of fact, he was the reason I was even here right now. Maximus was the name Talon had called him.
Maximus stood in the entrance, staring at me expectantly. I couldn’t make head or tails of him. The smart part of me was screaming that this was a set up, but the other part of me was swiftly running out of other options.
Cautiously, I moved in between the guards and locked arms with Maximus. For a second, I was uttered speechless by how amazing the inside of the castle was. It was huge, and the chandelier alone looked as if it cost a fortune. Servants hustled about as Maximus led me through the maze of the house.
“I assume you’re here to free Talon.” Maximus stated, pulling me from my gawking. I didn’t feel the need to answer that question because he
knew the answer. Instead, I just asked one myself.
“Are you helping me or leading me to my death?” I spat.
There was no need for pleasantries as we weren’t friends. Maximus turned another corner, swiftly taking me through the maze of the palace. He finally came to a stop outside a very worn-out-looking iron door. It contrasted greatly with the rest of the place. With a flick of his wrist he dismissed the vampire guards that were standing in front of the doors. After unlocking the door, he finally turned back to me.
“Talon is on the third cell to the left. Be quick and quiet. There should only be one guard down there seeing as the majority of the guards are busy preparing for the event tonight. Kill whoever you need to, but don’t get caught. If you do, you’re both dead.” Maximus then walked away.
I stood there, staring after his retreating back, speechless. This was the last thing I expected.
“Wait!” I called out before he turned the corner. “Why are you helping me? You’re the one who brought him here.”
In my experience, no one did something like this for nothing. There had to be a reason unless this was still part of some elaborate setup. Maximus stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder at me.
“Who said I was doing this for you? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m doing this to stick it to that bitch of a Princess, and I won’t stop here. Catalina will pay for betraying me.” Maximus snarled. He stood a moment longer, seemingly lost in thought before he continued walking, disappearing from sight.
I didn’t have a clue what that cryptic response meant. The message itself seemed to be meant for someone else. However, that wasn’t my problem.
Not wasting any more time, I pushed the door. The smell was the first thing I noticed. It was awful. If death had a smell, this would be it; rotten, spoiled, and bloody. The stairs spiraled down into what I assumed were the cells. Cautiously taking a step down, I hesitated, still expecting a group of guards to rush in. However, nothing happened except for a torch lighting up along the wall. Deciding it was as safe as it could be, I darted down the spiral steps, torches automatically lighting up behind me.
“What are you doing down here?” A deep voice snapped right as she stepped off of the last stair. The guard must have heard me coming down even though I didn’t make any obvious noise. Quickly, glancing over my shoulder, I noticed he was alone just as Maximus said.
“I said wh…” He didn’t get to finish that sentence. I took him by surprise by swiftly reaching forward and breaking his neck. Talon had taught me how to properly snap a neck, and it was the first time I had to do it on a vampire. I wasn’t sure if that killed him, but his body wasn’t moving. It should be good enough for now.
The prison was lit only by torches. Cells ran along both sides. The smell of blood was stronger down here. I stepped over the guard’s body and went right to the cell Maximus informed me of. What he failed to mention was what exactly I would find in the cell.
Yes, it was Talon, but he looked barely recognizable.
Talon lay on the floor of the cell taking shallow breaths. His skin was sickly pale and covered in sheen that appeared to be sweat. The hand over his stomach was covered in blood. I instantly remembered when Maximus stabbed him, but I didn’t understand why he wasn’t healing.
“Talon?” I whispered through the bars.
Talon slowly turned his head to the direction of my voice. I gasped when I saw the faint metallic silver veins crawling up his neck to his face.
“Hot stuff? I see you made it to the party.” He rasped weakly.
“What happened to you?” I asked fearfully and angrily. I reached for the handle, but the cell was locked. Gazing around frantically, she spotted the guard I just killed earlier. The cell keys must be on him.
“Maximus stabbed me. All elite army blades are forged with platinum, and upon contact, they inject liquid platinum into you, ensuring the kill.” Talon explained; his voice barely above a whisper. While he spoke, I found a key ring on the guard’s back pocket. The problem was there were nearly a hundred keys jangling from it. One by one, she quickly went through them, trying to open Talon’s cell.
“I heard,” Talon rasped on, “When a turned vampire is about to die, their body slowly begins to act human again; taking them back to mortality before ending their existence. Guess that explains my sweating and the need to take a breath every fucking second!” He yelled angrily, but it only caused him more pain as he started coughing uncontrollably and spitting up blood.
I had finally found the correct key and rushed to his side. The blood from his wound was so dark, it looked black. Judging from the way it pooled around him, I realized he lost too much, and he needed help immediately.
“Fuck!” I cursed, lifting his body into my arms. I knew if I didn’t get him help, he would die. The problem being I had no clue how to save him. Blood was the only thing that might save him. Too bad, the castle was swarming with vampires.
Suddenly, she remembered something.
The servants hustling about had heartbeats. They were human. A plan began forming in my head faster than I ran up the stone staircase. Carrying Talon slowed me down, but not by much. When I reached the top, I eased the door open, making sure the coast was clear. Luckily, the hall was empty, and they crept out easily. My plan was to find a servant, and let Talon drain her/him until he healed. It wasn’t much, but it was all I could think of.
I used my vampire speed to dart down one hall and then another; only pausing to make sure the coast was clear before moving to the next.
Their luck ran out in the form of a blast of energy slamming to her body! The force of it was so hard, it slammed her against the hallway wall, causing Talon to slip from her grasp.
“Hello, Kim Walker.” A slightly high-pitched feminine voice greeted me.
I shook off the haze from being practically knocked out by an invisible force and jumped to my feet. I spun to face my attacker and froze by who I saw. A woman, or what I assumed was a woman from her voice, stood a few feet away. But that wasn’t what stopped me midstep. The “woman” was dressed head to toe in all black; long black skirt, long black shirt, and even her face was completely covered by a black veil. It was creepy gothic.
“How do you know my name?” I demanded, preparing to launch myself at the weird woman.
“Wrong question. The right question would be who am I? And what can I do for you? But I’ll save us some time by answering them both. I am Raven, a dark witch, or should I say the best dark witch. Oh, by the way, sorry for slamming you into that wall. You vampires are fast. I didn’t have a more polite method of stopping you,” she said casually.
I tilted my head, not following the point of this.
“Oh, yes, as to what I can do for you…well, I can save him.” Raven pointed a thin finger towards Talon’s body.
His eyes were closed and his breaths sounded more shallow and erratic. I desperately wanted to go to him, but I didn’t want to turn my back on Raven. Now that she had announced herself as a witch, I wasn’t sure what she was capable of.
“How and why? I don’t even know you.” I pointed out. This was all really strange. Considering all the bad karma I racked up, I knew this wasn’t a-something-for-nothing offer.
“I know you, all of you, and you’ll know me soon enough. As to how…” She trailed off, reaching up her sleeve.
I tensed, ready to dodge if she pulled out a gun. Instead, Raven withdrew a syringe filled with a yellow liquid. I wondered for a moment how she hid that up her sleeve with the needle attached, but I didn’t ask.
“This is shifter venom; very rare considering werewolves have been extinct for more than one thousand years. See, the shifters were created by Celeste and the fairies to help protect the humans from vampires. It was a long time ago when the vampire population got out of hand and began using the portals from Nexus to have a feeding frenzy on humans. Anyway, one bite would inject the purest form of platinum into the vampire and kill them in seconds. Let’s just say after t
he shifters emerged, vampires cleaned up their act. Well, until Erebus started a war, but that’s beside the point. One very special werewolf named Lycus was leader of all the wolves. He was bigger, stronger, and the personal guard of Celeste. Because of this, his venom was more unique. He could use it kill, but he could also use it to heal a platinum infection just in case Celeste was injured. What I hold in my hand is the last known healing venom from Lycus himself. I stole it from a light witch a long time ago.”
I scoffed. None of what she said made any sense to mer! What is it about these people talking about things I didn’t have a clue about!
“Werewolves? Fairies? Celeste? What the fuck are you talking about?! You know what, I honestly don’t give a crap about your crazy ramblings! What I want to know is if that stuff does what you claim it does then what do I have to do to get it out of your hand and into mine?” I snapped, frustrated. I didn’t have time to stand in this hallway and talk to some freaky ass witch. The longer we stayed here, the more they risk of not getting out. From the corner of my eye, I could see Talon quivering on the floor. Time was running out.
“Right to the point. I like that about you. Well, all you have to do is give me your left hand and agree to be my link.” Raven explained simply, taking slow steps to close the gap between them.
“Link? What the hell is that?”
Raven stepped closer
“I could bore you with the details, but Talon has about 90 seconds before he’s good and dead so I suggest you make your decision fast.” Raven taunted and held out her hand, waiting.
I hesitated, but after seeing Talon’s dying form, the decision made itself. I placed my palm into Raven’s outstretched hand.
“Okay. I agree to be your link or whatever. Now save him.” I urged when Talon began convulsing.
Raven was standing so close now that I could see her smile behind the veil.
“Then it shall be done. Sealed in blood.” Raven tightened her hold on my hand and then used one of her sharp nails to pierce the skin.
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 45
