Unraveled i-2

by Gena Showalter

  “Perfect.”

  Aden, Elijah said. Go home. You have to go home.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Of course you will, but instead of going to the movies, what do you think of going to a dance club?” Victoria asked, unaware he’d been talking to the souls. He didn’t correct her.

  “I think that’s…doable.” He didn’t know how good a dancer he was, never having danced before, but for her, he would try. And he would get to hold her close, so that was even better.

  Aden, please.

  One night, Aden thought. That’s all he wanted. “Tomorrow,” he said.

  “The souls?” Victoria asked, getting it this time.

  “Yes.”

  “They’ll be our next project.” Victoria’s skin was hot against his as they strolled down the street, joining the crowd. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. I mean, I love you, you know that, but this feels so…frivolous.”

  “Frivolous is what we desperately need right now.” Do you hear that, Elijah? I need this.

  “So true. So guess what?” Too excited to wait, she answered before he could reply, releasing his hand to jump in front of him. “I know a human joke.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He hooked several strands of hair behind her ear. “What is it?” From the corner of his eye, he saw a strange movement and frowned. Had that trash can just moved several inches on its own? Surely not. Surely he was simply paranoid now, looking for danger in every shadow.

  “There was once a boy who—” Victoria frowned, too, and followed the line of his vision. “What is it?”

  Aden. Aden, leave now.

  A second later, Tucker seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly right in front of Aden, tears streaming down his face. “What the—”

  The crowd and cars disappeared—Victoria, too—leaving Aden on a deserted street. A deserted street he’d seen in countless visions. One he’d dreaded finding. One he’d hoped to avoid.

  Aden backed up, gearing to fight. Tucker followed.

  “I’m sorry, so very, very sorry,” Tucker said. “He told me you would be here. Why did you have to be here?”

  Before the last word left his mouth, before Aden could go on the offensive, a sharp pain he recognized, hated, dreaded, expected, lanced through him, slicing through bone, through muscle, through…organ. Every beat of his heart sliced the wound deeper, wider.

  The very heartbeat that kept him alive was killing him.

  Tucker fled, footsteps pounding.

  The pain exploded, as sharp as the blade. Aden looked down, saw the hilt dripping crimson. A gasp of blood gurgled from him, and he heard Victoria scream his name. Where was she? He still couldn’t see her. He was alone. Was going to die all alone.

  Not even a day. He hadn’t even had a day of rest. Even God had had a day of rest. Strange thoughts, he mused. “Worth…it,” he said, hoping Victoria would hear him, wherever she was. She was worth anything, everything. He wouldn’t trade a moment of his time with her.

  The deserted street shimmered, faded, the busy street coming back into view.

  Oh, Aden, Elijah said.

  Caleb and Julian shouted denials.

  Not alone, then. He had the souls. Made sense. They’d started life together, and now they would end it together. Oh, God. End. End. This was the end. With the word echoing in his head, he realized he wasn’t ready. But the pain soon dragged him down…he was falling…a shroud of black was sweeping him under a burning tide…

  He knew nothing more.

  SOMEONE MUST HAVE USED electric shocks on his brain, because suddenly Aden’s entire body spasmed, and he felt the pain, so much pain. Too much pain. The shroud of black quickly wrapped back around him, thank God, thank God, thank God, but the electric shock pulled him back out. The process was repeated over and over again.

  “—save him,” Victoria was pleading to someone. “You have to save him.”

  “He’s been injured too badly,” an unfamiliar voice said, “and you’ve given him all the blood you can stand to lose. Any more, and you’ll both die.”

  “He’s not going to die,” she screeched. “We can’t let him die. He’s our king!”

  I’m here, he tried to tell her, but he couldn’t force his mouth to move. The souls were still with him, he thought, because he could hear them crying, but they couldn’t form a single word, either.

  Was this it? The end?

  The end. Familiar words.

  “Try and turn him,” Victoria said on a rush. “Drain him completely and fill him back up with what remains of my blood.”

  A sigh, weary and sad. “We’ve tried that before, princess, with others. This you know. Not since Vlad’s time has a turning ever ended successfully.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Sometimes the donor died, as well.”

  “I know that, too! Just do it! There’s no other way, and I have to try. I have to try,” she repeated on a sob.

  No, Aden wanted to shout. Don’t risk your life, Victoria. Anything but that.

  Another sigh left the stranger. “Very well. He’s all yours. But know this. When your people discover his weakened condition—and they will, we can’t keep this a secret for long—there will be a struggle for the crown. No matter how worthy a king Aden has proved himself to be, there will always be those who hunger for power. Contenders will want to strike him while they can.”

  “They’ll have to find him first. And when he returns, and he will, I’m sure anyone who dared issue a challenge will be punished. Severely.”

  A knock sounded, several hard thumps. Footsteps. A gasp.

  “Riley?” Victoria said.

  “What happened to him? What the hell happened?”

  “Stay back! Don’t touch him. I’m turning him. Just stay here and keep everyone calm. I’m taking him away.”

  “Turning him? Away? Victoria, you can’t do that.”

  “I can and I will. Stay back!”

  A pause. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay back. But there’s something I have to tell you. Several somethings, actually. And I can’t stay here for long. Mary Ann ran away, and I followed her to make sure she made it someplace safely, and I only came back to talk to you. I have to return to her before she decides to head somewhere else and I lose her trail. So listen up. You’ve been challenged by Draven for rights to Aden. Your father is alive and—”

  “A challenge? No! Not yet! Is Mary Ann okay? And…and what you do mean my father is alive? Riley, he can’t be alive. He can’t be alive. He’ll hurt Aden, he’ll… No! I won’t let him!”

  Silence, then. Floating. Darkness. Then, Aden felt as if his neck was being ripped open, and this time, he did make his mouth move. He screamed.

  He thrashed, he fought, he stilled. Nothing, he had nothing left.

  The shroud, that blessed shroud. It covered him, protected him. Slipping away…

  …cold, so cold…

  Stupid shroud…he tugged it back in place.

  …hot, so hot…

  He pushed it away… Better, but not for long. Slipping again…

  —COLD, SO COLD—

  He tugged.

  —HOT, SO HOT—

  He pushed, as hard as he could. He kicked. No shroud. No more shroud.

  …pain, so much pain…

  —PAIN, SO MUCH PAIN—

  Time was an endless ocean of change. He drifted on the waves, was pulled under, struggled, was jerked back up, drifted some more…cold, so cold…and wondered…hot, so hot…if he’d ever find his way home. Home, where was home? The answer eluded him. Too much chatter, incoherent, bothersome. The pain had returned. But not the shroud. Thank you, God, not the shroud.

  The ocean vanished in a sudden blink. He saw a cave, he hated caves now, saw himself, how sick and pale he looked, writhing, sweat pouring from him, washing away the blood that coated him, and he saw Victoria, how sick and pale she looked, lying beside him, thrashing, moaning, and he heard her thoughts, all her thoughts from all her life, so loud he cou
ldn’t deal with them, couldn’t listen to them, there were too many memories inside his head, her memories, his own, her pain, his own, more than could possibly fit, and if something didn’t give soon, he would break, break into a thousand pieces and never fit back together.

  He wanted the shroud back.

  Then there was silence. Calm. They came, but they didn’t last. In the distance, he heard a roar. No, not in the distance. Louder…louder…closer…so close. Inside him. The roar was inside him, filling him up, nearly ripping from his pores. At least the chatter stopped. Hot…he was hotter than before. Burning, blistering, smoldering to ash. Reforming, weaving back together, harder, heavier, still hotter.

  “Aden.”

  Where was the cold? He wanted the cold to return.

  “Aden, please.” The voice blended with the roar. “Open your eyes.”

  His mouth was as dry as cotton, his gums and tongue swollen, his lips bruised. His muscles and bones felt like they’d gotten up close and personal with a baseball bat.

  “Aden!”

  His lids popped open of their own volition. He was panting, still sweating. A wan Victoria loomed over him, her dark hair falling like a curtain around his face. There were circles under her eyes, eyes that were glazed with pain, and she was clutching at her ears, cringing.

  Was this a dream? Or had he died and gone to heaven? No, he couldn’t have gone to heaven. He still heard that godawful roar, still felt as if he were on fire, battered and bruised.

  “Aden,” she moaned.

  He jolted upright. Dizziness hit, then subsided. Pain hit, and remained. “What’s wrong?” The words were slurred, pushed through teeth he didn’t recognize. Through…fangs? He flicked his incisors with his tongue—no, no fangs. He wasn’t sure what that meant. Wasn’t sure what was wrong with him or what had happened.

  Oh, he knew Victoria had given him some of her blood. Knew she’d tried to turn him from human to vampire in order to save his life. He hadn’t forgotten the conversation he’d heard. But he didn’t know any more than that. How was he alive if the change hadn’t succeeded?

  He wanted to ask.

  “The souls,” she said before he could. “I have the souls. Inside me. Talking. Why won’t they stop? And you…you, I think you have my beast.” As if she’d managed to maintain her strength only long enough to issue her confession, she collapsed, falling into his arms.

  Unable to process what he’d heard, Aden gathered her close, held her tight. His brain hadn’t sparked back to life yet, his thoughts fragmenting quickly, fatigue beating through him. He eased to his back, taking Victoria with him.

  They were alive. That thought was clear. Whatever had happened to them, they were alive. The rest could be figured out later. And whatever changes they’d experienced, whatever they would next need to do, they would triumph; he had no doubt. They’d defeated the witches and the death curse. They could get through this, too. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.

  “Don’t let go,” Victoria said against his chest.

  He was surprised she had roused, surprised but glad. “I won’t. I’ll never you let go.”

  Yes, they had each other, would always have each other. They could handle what came next.

  He hoped.

  Glossary of Characters and Terms

  Blood-slaves humans addicted to a vampire’s bite

  Bloody Mary queen of a vampire faction that’s rival to Vlad’s

  Brian resident of the D and M

  Brianna Buchannan friend of Mary Ann’s, sister of Brittany

  Brittany Buchannan friend of Mary Ann’s, sister of Brianna

  Caleb a soul trapped inside Aden’s head. Can possess other bodies

  D and M Ranch a halfway house for wayward teens

  Dan Reeves owner of the D and M Ranch

  Dmitri deceased betrothed of Victoria

  Dr. Hennessy Aden’s new therapist

  Dr. Morris Gray Mary Ann’s father

  Drainer a human who feeds from and ultimately destroys those with supernatural abilities

  Draven vampire female, chosen to date Aden

  Elijah soul trapped inside Aden’s head. Can predict the future

  Eve a soul formerly trapped inside Aden’s head. A time-traveler

  Fairies protectors of mankind, enemies to vampires

  Goblins small, flesh-hungry creatures

  Haden Stone known as Aden. A human who attracts the supernatural and has three humans souls trapped in his head

  je la nune a poisonous liquid that can be fatal to vampires

  Jennifer a witch

  Julian soul trapped inside Aden’s head. Can raise the dead

  Lauren vampire princess, Victoria’s older sister

  Marie a witch

  Mary Ann Gray human. Repels the supernatural

  Maxwell werewolf shape-shifter, Riley’s cursed brother

  Meg Reeves Dan’s wife

  Ms. Brendal fairy princess, sister to Mr. Thomas

  Mr. Hayward Crossroads High Anatomy teacher

  Mr. Klien Crossroads High Chemistry teacher

  Mr. Thomas fairy prince, ghost

  Nathan werewolf shape-shifter, Riley’s cursed brother

  Ozzie deceased former resident of the D and M

  Penny Parks Mary Ann’s best friend

  Riley werewolf shape-shifter, guardian of Victoria

  RJ resident of the D and M

  Ryder resident of the D and M

  Seth resident of the D and M

  Shane Weston human teenager, friend of Tucker

  Shannon Ross Aden’s roommate

  Stephanie vampire princess, Victoria’s older sister

  Terry resident of the D and M

  Tucker Harbor Mary Ann’s ex-boyfriend, part-demon illusionist

  Vampires those who live off human blood, and have a beast trapped inside them

  Victoria vampire princess

  Vlad the Impaler former king of Romanian vampire faction

  Witches spell-weavers, magic producers

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