Arctic Fire

by Erica Stevens

  “Is Julian your mate?” Helena inquired as Quinn was led from the water and wrapped in a plush, white towel. Her mouth remained closed, but she could feel the answer pressing against her lips, fighting to break free. “Answer me.”

  “Yes!” The word was painful as it tore from her throat.

  A smile curved the edges of Helena’s full mouth. “That means he’ll come for you, and then we’ll have an Elder too.” She strolled around Quinn, her hand trailing over her shoulders before moving into her hair. “A mate will do anything for the other.” Helena stopped before her again. “And while you are like this, he will have no choice but to fall in line and return to the vampire he once was. Our kind will rule again. There will be no hiding, no fear of the Hunters or Guardians. No more disarray and fighting each other.”

  Quinn would do everything she could to keep Julian from becoming a killer again, especially not because of her. Another vampire arrived with a goblet full of blood. Helena took it from her and held it out to Quinn. “Take it and drink.”

  Quinn’s hands rose and clasped hold of the golden goblet. Lifting it to her mouth, her nose wrinkled when she realized it was human blood. Warm human blood. Her lips clamped shut against it. Her body burned with hunger, but she had a feeling this hadn’t come from a willing victim.

  “Open your mouth and drink it,” Helena commanded.

  Quinn’s hands shook as she tried to keep her lips closed against the enticing liquid, but they skimmed back of their own accord and the blood spilled across her tongue. Even as her mind screamed against it, her body greedily gulped the empowering liquid. So much better than animal blood, sweeter and more tantalizing.

  Inwardly, sobs wracked her body. Outwardly, she handed the goblet back to Helena, hungry for more, as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. Helena gave her a knowing smile and turned to accept another goblet of blood from one of the vampires. “You’ve been denying yourself the nectar of life, child. Drink,” she commanded.

  This time, Quinn didn’t try to fight it; she needed the strength the blood gave her. She couldn’t stop what was happening to her, but Helena had just secured her spot at number two on the list of vampires she was going to tear to shreds as soon as she had the chance. She smiled at Helena over the top of the goblet as she handed it back. Mistaking the purpose of her smile, Helena smiled back and took the goblet away.

  “You’re already looking much better. The others may actually believe you’re a threat now.”

  You have no idea what kind of a threat I can be, but you’ll find out. Quinn wiped the blood away from her mouth again and flicked the remaining drops onto the white marble beneath her feet.

  “Dress her,” Helena commanded the others.

  The towel was torn away from her, leaving her bare body exposed to Helena’s assessing gaze once more. One of her full lips curled when they fell upon the scar in the center of her sternum. Quinn turned her palms outward so Helena would be able to see the slices across both of them. She turned her hands to reveal identical scars running across the backs of her hands too.

  “Disgusting,” Helena murmured. Quinn lifted her chin at the woman; she didn’t care what others thought of her scars. They were hers to bare, and she would do so for an eternity. “It must be your power that attracted Julian to you.”

  “Earl left these scars on me. This is what he did to me on the night I turned.” Apparently, she could talk to Helena without being commanded to do so, but that was all she had to say to the repulsive woman.

  Helena’s eyes widened briefly before narrowing on her. Without warning, Helena grabbed hold of her wrists and jerked her arms forward. Her shoulders slid back into place with an echoing crack. Helena’s eyes were remorseless when they met hers.

  “You will receive no pity from me,” Helena said and stepped away.

  “I want no pity from anyone,” Quinn replied as she unflinchingly met Helena’s gaze.

  “Do not speak again.”

  Quinn glowered at Helena as her lips compressed. Having redressed themselves, the other vampires brought forth a small black dress and pulled it over her head. Helena’s, she realized when the dress was snugged into place. She wanted to pull it up to cover the ample amount of cleavage the top of the dress exposed, but she was afraid she would bare her ass if she did.

  Thankfully, they brought out a pair of underwear and tugged it up her legs. Please let it be a new pair. However, she didn’t get the impression Helena bothered with underwear, ever.

  The slinky, skin-hugging material of the dress felt out of place on her body. She would give anything for her pants and stakes. Her hoodies and tees. This dress wasn’t her. They were trying to take everything she was away from her, and she despised them for it.

  They could take her clothes and force her to do things she didn’t want to, but they couldn’t take who she truly was from her, she reminded herself. She’d never forget who she was, no matter what they did to her or made her do. Earl wouldn’t be able to break her, not even if he was successful in the promise he’d mouthed to her earlier.

  One of the vampires brushed her hair roughly out and left it to tumble around her shoulders. Helena grasped her chin as she stepped back to survey her again. “I think that’s the best we’re going to get with you,” she muttered. “Bring her.”

  Quinn glared at Helena’s back as she was led forward by two vampires who were holding her arms. The blood had helped to replenish her strength, but she still felt hollow and hungry for something more than blood. She attempted to latch onto the vampires holding her with her ability. Her power swelled against their hands but remained as caged as a bird.

  CHAPTER 26

  “Where are Jeb’s friends, Ross and what was the other one’s name?” Julian demanded of Clint when he hung up the phone with Hawtie in the hospital.

  Clint rubbed at his bloodshot eyes and slid his phone into his pocket. “Ernie. I don’t know where they are, up north at their boss’s other ranch, I ‘spose.”

  Julian folded his arms over his chest, most of his flesh had healed by now, but his skin was still reddened and there were a few blisters covering his arms and face. Cassie had found a set of clippers and carefully buzzed his charred hair off, but his skull felt raw from them scraping against the burns. Stubble lined his head now, but a couple of burnt spots on his skull remained.

  “How far away is that?” he asked.

  “Three, four hours, I guess. Why?”

  Julian spat out a curse as he turned on his heel. He stormed across the floor to the pool table before turning back. “They may have seen something helpful, or somehow know where the vamps are hiding.”

  He’d already gone through all of the buildings he was able to get into around the ranch and touched as many things as he could. The others brought out objects for him to touch from the few buildings he wasn’t able to enter. All he’d learned was that some of the people who worked for the ranch held some secret addictions and odd fetishes. He’d discovered nothing sinister or useful to help him find Quinn.

  “I know where Ross lives. He’ll have gone home in-between staying at this ranch and the other one to see his wife and kids. If he does know something, would you be able to pick it up from his family or the things in his home?” Clint inquired.

  “Maybe,” Julian said. “Let’s go.”

  It was the first lead they’d had to go on; he didn’t intend to wait.

  “I’ll get the car,” Devon said. “Both of you wait here.” Devon shot him and Cassie a pointed look before running down the steps and into the sun dipping toward the horizon.

  “I’ll get the RV,” Luther volunteered.

  “The rest of you should go with him,” Julian said. “I don’t plan to leave this building standing.”

  He watched as the others hurried down the porch steps toward the drive. Turning away, Julian walked into the dining room, lifted the hutch, and smashed it onto the floor. He gathered the pieces and built a small pile on the floor of the kitche
n before walking over to the gas stove. Turning it on, he held a small piece of the wood over the top of the flames until it caught fire.

  He tossed it onto the pile of kindling and walked over to rejoin Cassie by the front door. “What about the bodies upstairs, their families?” Cassie inquired.

  “They’ll still find their bodies, but no one should discover their loved ones like that,” he replied.

  “You’re right.”

  Devon brought the car down the gravel drive and parked it before the house. Julian turned to Cassie, making sure the blanket covered all of her flesh. Only her eyes could be seen beneath the swaddling of material covering her.

  “Come on.” He wrapped his hand around her head as Devon leapt out of the car and hurried around to get the door open and the passenger seat leaning forward so she could duck into the backseat.

  Smoke drifted out the top of the blanket when Cassie dove into the car. Devon pushed the seat into place and closed the door after Julian climbed inside. Cassie tossed the blanket aside and sat up in the seat. Julian’s still healing flesh had reddened and blistered again, but it was nothing compared to what he’d endured earlier in the day.

  Devon climbed into the driver’s seat. “You okay?” he asked Cassie.

  “Fine.”

  Devon shifted into first before following the RV down the road. Smoke from the burning building billowed into the air by the time they were halfway back to town. This had to work; he had to discover something that would lead him to Quinn. Julian’s hand gripped the armrest beside him as he fought the urge to tear it from the car in frustration.

  Entering the town again, they made a right onto one of the backroads off the main street. The sun had slipped over the horizon before the RV stopped in front of a yellow house with a farmer’s porch and cactuses lining the rails. A pretty blonde woman in her thirties was sitting on a porch swing, reading a book as she idly swung her feet back and forth.

  She looked up when Clint emerged from the RV and waved to her. Julian opened his door as Clint called out a greeting, “Hey, Cathy!”

  Cathy’s brow furrowed as she placed her book down and rose to her feet. “Clint? What are you doing here?”

  “I was looking for Ross,” he said as he climbed the porch steps.

  Her gaze drifted to Julian as he strode down the flagstone walkway to stand behind Clint. “What for?” she asked suspiciously. “He had nothing to do with what Jeb did.”

  “I know that,” Clint assured her. “My friend here,” he gestured back at Julian, “is looking for a job. I didn’t know if they were hiring out at the ranch.”

  “Oh,” she said and glanced at the screen door. “Probably. I can get his number for you. He’s been spending more time up north lately.”

  “That would be great,” Clint replied.

  “Come on in,” she said and nodded toward the door. “I’ll get you both some iced tea.”

  Clint followed her through the door with Julian trailing behind. He slid his hands over the doorframe, picking up pleasant memories of laughter and children running in and out while playing cops and robbers. He felt the top of a table, picking up more laughter and some fights as was typical for any family.

  “What are you doing in a RV?” she asked Clint.

  “After everything that’s been going on at the bar and in town, I’ve been thinking about buying one. Some old friends agreed to let me test-drive theirs. This here’s their son. He’s come into town with some of his friends.”

  “I’m so sorry about what happened last night. I can’t believe Jeb would do such a thing. He was always so stable, so tenderhearted.”

  “He was,” Clint agreed, “but I guess we never know what goes on in a person’s mind. Is Ross coming back for the funeral?”

  “I don’t know. He was really upset when I talked to him earlier. He’s pissed at Jeb. I think he’s mad at the world right now.”

  “Understandable,” Clint replied.

  “You must be furious.” They followed her into a small kitchen where she poured two glasses of iced tea and pushed them across the table. “How is Hawtie doing?”

  “She’s going to pull through,” Clint said and took a sip of his drink. Julian wrapped his hand around the glass but didn’t lift it.

  “I’m surprised you’re not with her.”

  “You know how Hawtie is; she won’t let anyone fuss over her, and she hates being coddled.”

  Cathy released a snort of laughter. “That she does.” She walked over to the counter and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. “Here’s his cell,” she said as she scribbled on the paper. She flipped through some papers in a phone book before tapping her finger against one. “And here’s the number where he’s staying now.”

  Walking over, she handed Julian the piece of paper. “You should probably wait a couple of days before calling. If they’re looking for help, it’s going to be to replace Jeb.”

  Reaching for the paper, Julian slid his fingers over hers. Images from her life unfolded like a flipbook through his mind. He saw her as a little girl with her puppy, a teen with a cigarette and leather jacket, a college student with her boyfriend, her wedding day, and the joy of the day she gave birth to her twin boys.

  A tangled web of pictures from her life and the lives of those she’d encountered flooded him. Centuries of practice at dealing with the barrage of insight that came with his ability allowed him to sort through them rapidly.

  One of her last memories caught his attention the most. The image was from when her husband had been home a couple of days ago. It didn’t fit into what he’d learned of the lives of the couple in this home. It didn’t fit with what he’d come to know of the surrounding area either. Ross could have picked the image up from Jeb and transferred it to his wife, but just in case, Ross would be avoided until he succeeded in killing Quinn’s captor.

  Julian slid his hand away from Cathy’s. “Thanks for the advice and the numbers.”

  “Best of luck to you.” She turned to Clint. “Send my love to Hawtie, and tell her I’ll be baking a peach cobbler for her.”

  Clint grinned as he slid his thumbs into his waistband. “That news will cheer her up.”

  Cathy smiled and followed them toward the door. Clint pulled out a piece of gum and stuck it in his mouth as they walked toward the vehicles. “Did you learn anything?” he inquired.

  “There was a residual memory on her that wasn’t her own and didn’t fit with the rest of what I saw,” Julian replied. “I’m not sure if it was Ross’s memory, or something he may have picked up from touching Jeb and then left on his wife. Either way, tell the others Ross is to be taken down if he approaches them.”

  “Will do. What did you see?”

  “A massive building, extremely luxurious in the front and surrounded by desert. It had a lot of windows, which wouldn’t make sense for vamps, but they’d all been blacked out with paint or covered with thick drapes.”

  “Which would make sense for vamps.” Clint chewed on his gum as he stopped walking and his gaze focused on the side of the RV.

  “Does it sound like anything you know?” Julian asked.

  “About five years back, some business men got together from New York or something like that and decided to build a luxurious hotel in the middle of the desert, turn it into a spa or something. Figured people would like to get away to an oasis of sorts. What they didn’t figure was how much it would cost to keep their pools and green landscapes going, or that there were already plenty of spas near water that people liked to visit. The project was shut down before it was completed.”

  “But the building still stands?”

  “As far as I know it does, and it had a ton of windows. It’s about fifteen miles beyond the ranch.”

  Julian closed his eyes as he fought against the excitement and urgency pulsing through him. “Take us there.”

  Clint nodded and climbed into the RV. Julian walked over to the door of the vehicle and poked his head inside. “Is there any
more blood?”

  “There is,” Melissa answered. “How much do you want?”

  “All of it.”

  She came back with five more bags and handed them over.

  CHAPTER 27

  Quinn felt like a show dog as she was paraded through hallways painted in desert tones of orange and yellow. The lack of imagination in the coloring grated on her nerves. It was such an odd thing to be bothered by, but considering all she could do right now was look around and think, noticing the colors was unavoidable. She expected bull skulls and wagon wheels to make an appearance at some point, but for now, the walls remained bare of décor.

  Vampires stood in a few of the doorways lining the hall. They gazed at her curiously. Some licked their lips, and others grinned in a way that made her want to spit in their faces. She’d counted twenty of them so far, but there were at least thirty rooms along this hall, and there’d been another thirty lining the one before it.

  It had to be some sort of a hotel, but one she’d never seen before. The room with the pool had been opulent. The halls held what looked like real brass sconces, and each one she’d traversed had a large chandelier hanging from the dome ceiling stretching over the hall.

  For all of its grandness, there was still an air of disrepair and neglect about the building. Dust kicked up from the thick, red carpet beneath her feet. The glass of the chandelier didn’t shine beneath the layer of dust coating it, and the brass was dingy and faded from lack of polishing. Burning lanterns hung from the bottom of the unlit sconces. Their flickering light danced over the walls and carpet.

  She’d never seen anything like this place before. How far from home had they taken her? Apprehension burned like acid in her stomach. If she was hundreds of miles from her town, it may take Julian days to spread out that far in his search.

  I will not panic. I will not panic.