Gideon looked around, feeling the same way. He could feel the demon inside him reacting the scent. So heady. So mouthwatering. But where were they?
“Isn’t it great that Gabe is back?” Fallon asked suddenly and Gideon turned to him. “I just wish he didn’t have so many emotional attachments.”
The intensely sane dark brown eyes bored into Gideon’s and he wondered what was going on. Emotional attachments? The scent of Fae. Fallon was trying to use code, in case someone was listening.
“You of all people know how dangerous it could be to have those.”
“Yes, I do. I know all too well.”
Code. Fine. They could figure their way through this. They both looked around, keeping their eyes open for any hint that something might be wrong. Other than the scent, it was quiet out.
“I mean, he was fine when he left, but now he’s just not acting right. Think about it,” Fallon prayed Gideon would understand what he was trying to say. Code was difficult when one didn’t know the others. “He used to have his head in the books all the time. Now all he does is sit in the living room, talking to himself about that girl.”
Gideon jerked his head back. He didn’t keep tabs on the members of his group, but evidently, Fallon had been paying close attention to what was going on.
“And Alex, fuck, some friend. Makes the drunk guy stumble through the house by himself. He could have at least helped the poor guy to the study.”
Gideon knew he meant lounge. And he was also aware that Alex didn’t come back. He was happy to see Eve. Why didn’t he? “I think I need to have a talk with both of them. Maybe we can figure out a way of letting Gabe know that the thing he feels for her is wrong.”
“Or hit him upside the head a few times.” Fallon forced a laugh. He hated it. Gabe was his closest friend in the household. But that wasn’t his friend. Something was wrong with him.
“Well, I need to talk to her too. She can’t be around him. That attachment that he has to her could screw things up for everyone,” Gideon said.
“I told her I would find her with Sebastian when I was ready to talk to her.”
Gideon let out a slow breath. Gotta stay calm. At least she wasn’t alone with Gabe. Sebastian was old. Strong. Smart.
“Let’s go beat some heads together.” Gideon gave Fallon a sharp look. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy on him and he had already lost enough in his life.
“Let’s.” The nod said it all. Fallon would do what had to be done.
#
The blond vampire leaned across the bar-top and took a breath.
“How old are you?” Eve asked, curiosity getting the better of her. But there was also more to it than that simple question. Sure, things were weird right now, but she wanted to know if he still had to breathe, or was he deliberately smelling her. Something that kind of freaked her out. She didn’t know him.
“I’m old enough,” he said, dropping her a wink.
The earlier grin aside, he was really creeping her out. No worries about falling for this guy.
“Yes, he is. He’s about the same age as Fallon.” Sebastian said.
That answered her question. Fallon didn’t breathe. Okay. So, he was smelling her. Gross.
“Old enough for what?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “You can’t even handle your whiskey. So, seriously, pretend this is getting to know each other talk. How old are you?”
“I don’t want to tell you. It’ll scare you.”
“I know the age of most everybody that lives here. That includes Sebastian. If you are older than him, that might frighten me.” She gave Sebastian a glance, but he was staring at Gabe.
“It’s been so long, I don’t remember,” Gabe said with a sigh.
She looked at her lover again and this time, his eyes dropped to hers. Vampires didn’t forget. Even when they wanted to.
“Gabe?” she asked softly.
“What?” His reply was just as soft.
This wasn’t alcohol talking. There was something really messed up going on.
“I like talking to you. I like getting to know you,” she said. “How did you become a vampire?”
He frowned then, but it didn’t look right on his face. “I was… I mean… Why do you want to know?”
“It’s just me getting to know you, Gabe. Don’t you want that?” she kept her voice low, like she was talking to a child.
“Oh, yeah, I wanna get to know you alright.” His eyes took on a gleam that she didn’t like.
“Then tell me, how were you made? I know Sebastian’s story, I know Fallon’s. You can tell me. I promise.”
“You know what happened to Fallon?” his voice picked up. “I want to know, tell me.”
“Gabe, you know what happened to Fallon,” Sebastian spoke up. “You’re his best friend. You knew before you came here.”
“But I don’t remember.” Gabe looked around wildly before grabbing at his head. “Why don’t I remember?”
“It’s okay. He can tell you again when he comes back from his run.” Eve was horrified to see tufts of hair in his hands. Calm. Keep him calm. Until the guys could figure out what happened to him, they needed to keep him calm. “Do you know where Alex is?”
“Why would I know that?” He flinched at the question, like it hurt him physically.
“He went to get you, when I realized I made you drunk.”
“I think he went to sleep.” This answer was almost normal. But she could still feel his emotions. It was almost like he was fighting himself.
“Mmm, are you sure? He wanted to talk to me.”
“No, I’m not.” He looked at her for a second before glancing around the room, almost like…. “Why won’t the whispers stop?”
“What whispers, Gabe?” She could feel her blood freezing.
“Micah!” Sebastian yelled from behind her. “Alex!”
“They can’t hear you, Sebastian,” Gabe said, his eyes locking on hers and his voice as cold as her blood.
“They will if they are in the house.”
“Oh, they are here, but they are in the dark where the whispers scream.” Gabe blinked and where once was a soft, constantly changing gray, there was an instant and violent red. “It’s a shame, really,” he said, standing tall. “I like you. You have intelligence. Making him try to remember. Memories that I don’t have.”
“Him? Shame?” She already knew the answer. This wasn’t Gabe.
“And here I just said you were smart. Gabe, the creature whose body I am controlling. Shame, because I’m going to kill you.”
She screamed as he lunged for her.
#
Fallon stopped running at the sound. There was something in the wind. Something evil. And this time, it wasn’t him
Time for code was over.
“Gideon!” he shouted to make himself heard over the intensifying noises. Sounds that slithered across his nerves.
The older vampire stopped and looked back at him. “Don’t listen! Block them out!” He got a quick nod.
Once more, stories that his people told might be the end of him. No! He would not let that happen. He gave her his word and he wasn’t a weak man anymore.
Gideon stood ahead of him and watched what Fallon did.
“Think of something, anything! Think of Eve!”
Gideon nodded once more before ripping the bottom of his shirt and rolling the strip into a tight ball then shoving it in his ears. Exactly like Fallon.
It didn’t block the sounds completely, but it helped. Now, all he had to do was listen to her talk to him. Her laughter, her yelling at him. The little moan the last time he kissed her. He followed Gideon into the house and together, they raced through the rooms, searching for Alex and Micah. On the plus side, the scent for Fae blood wasn’t around. On the downside, the whispers were stronger.
Avoiding the part of the house where Eve and Sebastian were, Gideon finally stopped. “If they are here, they have to be downstairs.”
“Well, that
’s typical,” Fallon gave a tight-lipped grin and Gideon snorted.
“Only every horror movie ever.”
They took off to the stairs that while, not hidden, were situated in a way that one had to know to look for them. The smell stopped Gideon. Blood. So much of it. And the smell of it was intoxicating. Gideon shuddered, fighting the urge to find her. Alex smelled this. No wonder he beat himself up. He met Fallon’s eyes and could see him suffering as well. He held up a hand in front of his nose and nodded at the gasping vampire.
Fallon leaned against the door frame and his fingers turned the wood to dust. But somehow, he was able to do it. He quit breathing. If the others were down there, they were in trouble. A long groan came from the other side of the closed door at the bottom. Gideon held his finger up and Fallon nodded.
Gideon opened the door and together they stepped through into a nightmarish scene.
#
He never touched her as Sebastian swept her behind him and threw out a hand. Gabe hit him and like nothing, the younger vampire was flung into the wall.
She could hear something, something faint. Something that sounding like leaves rustling in the breeze. Something that was growing louder.
“Sebastian!”
He turned to look at her and Gabe jumped to his feet. Her tiny power flared, and she shot a green ball at him before he touched her lover.
Sebastian smiled at her before cocking his head. “What is that?”
“It’s whispers,” Gabe said, getting to his feet once more. “Soon, he will have no choice but to end your life.” He leapt at them again and this time, Sebastian was a touch slower. Didn’t matter, the other man still sailed into the bottles behind the bar.
Her love shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. “What are they saying?”
“Don’t listen, big guy. They are telling you to kill me.”
Broken glass tinkled as Gabe stood. “Oh, he’s going to listen. There’s no way he can’t.” His smiled looked wrong.
“But why do they want her dead?” Sebastian tilted his head again before he growled.
“Cover your ears,” she said.
“That will not be happening, Princess.”
Making sure Sebastian never had a chance, Gabe came after her again and again. So quick that Sebastian was constantly blocking him. Gabe slowed his attack at one point, and she fired at him, not knowing what to do to make the balls bigger. He laughed at her attempts, but he moved to the side anyway.
“Sebastian, a little help here?” She glanced back at him and he was on his knees, fingers digging into the floor.
“Don’t want… to hurt… you.”
He looked up at her and all the chills in the world broke out on her skin. She was looking at her death and it was going to come from someone she loved. There was a laugh and somehow Eve was able to look away from the blazing eyes of her lover.
Gabe leaned against the bar, just watching him struggle. “I have no desire to fight him,” he said, glancing at her. “He’ll kill this body. I simply needed to keep him too busy to block the sound. And they have him now.” The possessed vampire paused for a moment. “Besides, him doing the job will just make it so much better. Beauty and the beast, but without the happy ending.”
There was another horrific groan from her kneeling vampire, and she could imagine what this was doing to his soul. His story that he just told her flashed through her mind. He was so afraid to love. What was this going to do to him?
She looked down at him as he trembled on the carpet. Where was Gideon? Fallon? Any of them?
“I can see you thinking, and your cavalry isn’t coming.” Gabe took a step closer to her and she formed the smallest ball of green yet.
He barely gave it a glance. “Poor Unseelie princess that doesn’t even know her own strength. I wish you did.” He quirked his lips at her. “I really do. This would have been a better fight. But, that’s your mother’s fault. Keeping you hidden away, binding your abilities. So hard to find.”
“Run.” The word was a whisper from Sebastian.
She tried. Damn her, she tried. But every time she took a step, Gabe was in her face. He didn’t touch her. No, she knew he was leaving her for Sebastian.
And then he had her. A hand wrapped around hers, fingers like steel. Sebastian’s shout was one of despair as he pulled her to him. His fangs were on show as he pulled her to his mouth. Cursing herself for what she was about to do, she sent the last of her magic at his face. He howled in anger but let her go.
“What did you do to the others?” She backed away from both men that wanted her death.
“Don’t worry about them. They are being taken care of. The sweetest of whisperers tickle their ears and they are feasting at a buffet. All the Fae blood they could want. The sacrifices one makes for the higher good is astounding. Truly, I’m honored.” He dipped his head.
“Why do you want me dead?” she asked, glancing around wildly. There were only three ways out of that room, and she had to get past two vampires that wanted her death.
“Blood of rose with bands of light.”
That meant nothing to her but the next thing he said made more sense.
“I need the throne.”
“We want nothing to do with that world.” She tried to reason with him.
“It doesn’t matter, your Highness. You have a claim and that doesn’t suit my purpose. My apologies, but you must die.”
So cold. So unfeeling. Just the way he appeared in her dream? The finality of his words gave her no indication that he meant anything other than what he said. There would be no talking her way out of this. Her laugh was bitter. No wonder Rosewen hid her away. She’d looked away from Sebastian while the monster was talking and never had she regretted anything more.
Once again, he gripped her arm, but instead of pulling him to his teeth, he flung her across the room. Hitting the wall, she was certain she broke a couple of ribs. Her breath hissed out of her as she tried to move. Despite the adrenaline dumping into her blood her, agony ripped through her.
Get up!
She tried again as Sebastian got closer. A wave of warmth washed over her, almost hiding the searing pain in her hand as Gabe’s mark flared to life.
“What was that?” Gabe asked, sounding confused.
She didn’t have time or the inclination to answer as she jumped to her feet. There was no way she was going to dodge Sebastian, but self-preservation dictated that she try anyway. Once again, she was airborne. Her arm took most of the impact before snapping and she couldn’t hold in the scream. The thing hurting her groaned and she was certain that her Sebastian was gone. Once again, the wave of heat surrounded her.
“What is that?”
“Not your bones breaking, I can promise you that. But Gabe was marked by me.” She glanced at the good and bad guy wrapped in one. “He’s healing me.
She was able to form another ball and she shot it at Sebastian again, keeping him off her for a moment.
“That’s okay. It’ll still end the same, just take longer. Delayed gratification being just as delicious, if not more so. I can wait.”
#
What Fallon saw when he stepped through the door was something he would have never been able to imagine on his worst day.
Alex and Micah. Both covered in blood. Of course they would be. They would have had to breath. And all the glittering red, a sea of blood. Bodies littered the stone floor. So many bodies. How did they get here? But there were live Fae as well, standing against the walls of the open cells.
“Come, drink from me,” one said to him as he passed and damn him if he didn’t think about it. He could still remember the otherworldly scent of Fae blood. Of Eve’s blood. Would he ever be able to look at her without thinking of this moment? Would Gideon?
He bared his teeth at the woman and she simply smiled. “It’s what you want. What I want. Come, let me fill your veins. Find peace with me.”
“I want Eve,” he growled at her and she l
ooked at him, a tiny frown creasing the pale flesh between her eyes. Flesh that looked as if it should bleed moonlight instead of the red that surrounded him.
“Eve is dying, Vampire. Stay here with me.”
He had her by the throat in a second as Gideon pulled Alex and Micah behind him. “How do you know?”
“The whispers tell me. They’ll tell you too, if you listen.”
“Who’s killing her?” He squeezed her throat and finally some fear to sooth his unfulfilled bloodlust.
“The one who loves her.” Her hands covered his. “Do you not want me? Do you not wish to stay with me?”
“Nope.” He dropped her to the ground and turned.
“Gideon!” he yelled. “Go find Eve. Sebastian’s hurting her.”
Gideon’s face lost all color and he dropped the two youngest, disappearing.
“Come on, guys.” Fallon sighed, pulling their fighting bodies out the door. Dropping them, he closed the door. Reaching over the thick wooden frame, he pulled down the key and locked the door.
After replacing the key, he started hauling them none-to-gently up the stairs. He couldn’t be gentle. There wasn’t time. Time. Tick tock. Gideon was going to need help against Sebastian, if what the Fae woman said was true.
He only hoped that his and Gideon’s strength was enough.
#
Eve lay curled at the base of the wall, Gabe out of magic ‘heal Eve’ juice. The cool thing was that he was as pissed about it as she was. He had slid down the wall beside the French doors and while there, they could only glare at each other. That was all she could do. She was… shattered.
The last throw followed hard on the heels of the one before ended with her having renewed broken ribs and multiple snaps in her arm. And her skull was probably fractured as well, thanks to bouncing off the stone fireplace.
She wasn’t sure it was Gabe she was looking at as her sight dimmed once more before disappearing completely, the pain in her head reaching new heights. Her brain was swelling. But it didn’t matter now. Nothing did.
She coughed, choking on the agony in her body and tasting copper on her lips. Everyone in the world knew what that meant. Punctured lung. Even if Sebastian didn’t drink her dry, eventually, it would collapse. There was the slightest chance that she would get to drown in her own blood. She wanted to laugh at the irony but knew that would be a bad idea.
Bound by Destiny Page 30
