“All you need?” Gabriel snapped, his superiority complex not reacting well to being told what to do.
“Shut up,” I ordered calmly. “Listen to me.”
Surprisingly, he did, albeit out of shock more than anything else, but I could work with that.
“I can’t open my own gate. I can’t visualise a place I’ve never been,” I explained, knowing it wasn’t entirely true. I’d somehow managed to open a gate directly into Samael’s boudoir without ever having been there, but that had been a fluke. “I imagine you being more powerful than I am. You probably can. Once I’ve got Jocelyn, I’ll hide her while I execute my plan to take down the Silver’s but it’s going to be messy and I might not come out of it in one piece. I just need someone to come back and get her in case I can’t get her out safely.”
“It sounds like a terrible plan,” Gabriel said sweetly, with a sarcastic smile.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, try being a human in a world full of vampires, demons, and angels. It’s not easy.”
“Are you still under the impression that you’re human, Quintessa?” Gabriel asked, in all seriousness.
I let out a long breath, considering his question, but not fully willing to digest it in its entirety. “No, but fingers crossed I’ll be dead later and I won’t have to think about that.”
Gabriel stroked a hand over his chin as though in deep thought before tugging at his hair and groaning as though he were exhausted. “Fine.”
“Fine what?” I asked, looking for clarification.
“I’ll do what you want, when?”
I glanced down at my outfit and grimaced. “Well, I hadn’t planned on dying in a man’s t-shirt and gym shorts so ideally after I’ve found a better outfit.”
“Our heroine, ladies, and gentlemen,” Gabriel muttered beneath his breath. “Come with me.”
After a quick rummage through one of the storerooms, we’d found a pair of dark jeans that fit, but not much else. Luckily, I still had my boots on and tied Xavier’s t-shirt so that it looked a little less like it was swallowing me whole. I looked presentable, at least. Gabriel clearly thought I was ridiculous, or insane, maybe both.
Not that he seemed to care. In fact, he looked as though he were desperate to get it all over and done with sooner rather than later. I still had to wonder if he was only doing this to piss off Xavier. He certainly seemed to have a deep-rooted hatred for him that overruled pretty much everything else. Funnily enough, so did Samael. Perhaps it was an angel thing.
If I lived through tonight, I’d have to ask about it sometime.
Not that I could see myself, Gabriel or Samael getting together for brunch sometime once all this was over with, but I was sure if I survived, my life wouldn’t go back to the normal, mundane, human existence I’d enjoyed all these years. I’d be running into angels and vampires for years to come, no doubt.
Having changed, I took a moment to glance at myself in the bathroom mirror. I ran the tap and splashed cold water over my tired looking face, brushing the cool liquid around the back of my neck until I shivered. Fear was gripping my insides and forcing unwelcome waves of nausea to tackle my stomach every few seconds, causing bile to burn my dry throat. If Thatcher knew about this, he’d be so angry—furious. There’d be no chance on this earth he’d let me do this.
But he wasn’t here. Not anymore.
Knowing he must have kept it for a reason, probably to give to me, I pulled the small crystal pendulum out of my pocket and slipped it around my neck. It hung there on its thick bronze chain, tucked between my breasts and hidden beneath my t-shirt, but I would know it was there. A little piece of Thatcher would be with me, at least.
“Is this more fitting attire to sacrifice yourself in?” Gabriel mocked as I exited the ladies’ bathroom and came face to face with him once again in the dome shaped hallway.
“It’ll have to suffice,” I replied nonchalantly. “Ready?”
“Are you certain this is what you wish to do?” Gabriel asked, his tone low and more serious than it had been earlier. It was strange hearing him sound almost sincere in his concern, but I shook it off.
I stepped forward; my hand wrapped around the vial in my pocket. “Nope, but I’m going to do it, anyway.”
“You understand I cannot interfere? If they kill you, there’s nothing I can do,” he said.
Exhaling a long breath, I nodded. “Understood.”
Gabriel wrapped a thick arm around my waist and pulled me to him before his large white wings were thrust out from his back, wrapping themselves around both of us.
“You’ll need to hold on,” he ordered. “It’s not like the gates.”
“Any excuse to get me close, huh?” I joked nervously, but Gabriel didn’t laugh. I hid my bleary eyes in his chest and wrapped my arms around his broad torso before the world spun away and the ground fell from beneath me.
Chapter Twenty Nine
At this time of night, the centre of London was lit up and twinkling as if it were its own universe. The streets were still bustling in this part of town. They always were. Although quieter than usual, you could still pinpoint the early risers and the late night stragglers, it was the one part of time where these two contrasting types of people would cross paths.
Gabriel’s hands moved to mine and unfurled my fingers from his t-shirt, putting distance between us now that we were back on solid ground. I pulled my focus away from the ant-like figures of the people below us and back towards him.
We were in a room high above the city, somewhere in the Canary Wharf development—it looked to be one of the larger scale buildings.
“Where are we?” I asked quietly, unsure if we were alone.
“In one of the empty apartments,” Gabriel replied. “On the 24th floor.”
“This is the building they’re in?” I asked, realising the scale of what I was supposed to do. How had I planned to find Jocelyn in an entire apartment building? I’d been at least anticipating that Gabriel would drop me off in the right area, not just a random empty flat.
“Don’t panic, the Silver’s are in the lofts. 3rd level, these apartments.” he pulled out a business card and started scribbling on it, drawing what I presumed were directions.
“An angel with a business card. How quaint,” I mocked, and he shot me a look that could kill. “Sorry.”
“What are you planning on doing if Lilith is with them?” He asked, passing me the small piece of card.
I pushed it into the pocket of my jeans, “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“Great,” he sighed. “Can I just check you understand I can’t interfere if you get in trouble with the Silver’s?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’m aware you’ll get in big trouble if you come to my rescue. All I need is for you to get Jocelyn after I’ve poisoned them all.”
“Poison them?” Gabriel frowned, catching my arm just as I was about to walk away.
I nodded. “How else did you think I was going to kill a room full of vampires? Talk them to death? Dazzle them with my wit?”
“Poison them with what?” The question was more urgent this time around, as if time was running out—I guess it was. The sun was coming up and by now Xavier would know I was gone. He’d be searching this city high and low for me and no doubt Gabriel would be one port he’d eventually call at.
“Me,” I clarified. “Catch up.”
I stole a quick look at one of the bedrooms and took in as many of the features inside the apartment as I could, including the bathroom. But the most important aspect of the living space I could find was the large amount of storage space—a vast walk-in wardrobe in the bedroom and a pantry in the kitchen, both large enough to hide in.
“What are you doing?” Gabriel called, following me around the flat.
“Presumably, even the lower floors are similar, right? And I can’t imagine the Silver’s have done much upgrading. If I open a gate into their apartment, I’d prefer to open it up somewhere I can hide, get a
scope of the place before I burst in there, all guns blazing,” I explained. “Did you think I was just going to knock on the front door and hope for the best?”
“To be honest at this point, yes.”
Gabriel didn’t stop me this time around and I walked out of the apartment without hesitation. With each step, I focused my eyes in front of me. I took the elevator down to the fifth floor and took the stairs the rest of the way down, not wanting to get stuck in a confined space with a security guard or, if my luck was bad enough, a vampire. Coming to a standstill just above the 3rd floor, I rummaged in the small brown bag and pulled out the dagger for the gate and made sure the vial was still safely held inside the pocket.
I’d become accustomed to pressing the dagger into the tip of my finger and pushing it through one of the healing scabs just enough for a drip to appear before swiping the ground at the toe of my boots. It was now or never.
The image of the apartment upstairs came into view, but instead of imagining it exactly how it was, I tried to picture it lower down and larger. It would be darker but more open, it would have more bedrooms and there’d be easier access to outdoor space—I’d have to use my imagination, but the living area and kitchen would need more seating for all the Silver’s. I pictured them as a messy bunch, but tried not to make that image too concrete in the forefront of my mind. There was a risk I could end up anywhere, in any of the apartments in this complex. Or, even worse, right back up on the 24th floor, standing next to Gabriel. That would be a real slap in the face.
When the gate opened, slower than it usually did, it felt tighter and I had to squeeze my way through—as if it were a small pass through a cliff-side. I walked with trepidation, unsure of what was going to be on the other side. As my vision cleared to see a bedroom on the opposite side of the gate, I quickened my steps and crept out towards the stable ground.
The carpet was squishy beneath my feet, and while my eyes adjusted to the darkness of what was an empty bedroom, I listened out for any signs of life nearby. There was laughter and raucous chatter from through the ajar doorway, only slightly marred by my racing heartbeat.
As gracefully as possible and with the dagger still clenched in my grasp, I tiptoed towards the door and peered through the crack. It was only a few inches wide, but it was enough to see them all gathered in the living space.
I’d been right about it being larger—it was entirely open plan with huge bi-fold doors open onto a green terrace just above ground. They didn’t look as feral as they had done back at Omen. In fact, they didn’t look like the same people at all. Except for one.
The man Xavier had recognised, Bardric.
He’d tidied himself up a lot, dressed in smart blue jeans and a striped shirt. He could’ve easily been mistaken for a middle-aged man working in finance. His eyes still held that same cruel edge though and as he lifted the flute of bubbling champagne to his thin, aging lips—I spotted the telltale silver canines glinting beneath the lights. They were nothing more than a glorified gang, preying on innocent girls to benefit themselves. Living it up in places like this and pretending they were more than they were.
In my anger, I barely noticed when his movements paused and the rest of the room seemed to follow suit. As though in slow motion, every Silver stilled and conversation fell silent. Heads turned, neck’s craned, until all eyes were towards the bedroom and Bardric’s eyes were on mine.
“Flutter, flutter,” he mewed, setting his champagne glass down and walking towards the door. I stepped back, realising I’d made a terrible mistake. I froze as he pushed the door open with ease and peered inside, grinning widely when he saw me.
“You can’t hide a heart from the hungry,” he said proudly, lunging forward and grabbing me, forcing me to drop the dagger to the floor as I struggled against him.
He was too strong, too powerful.
“Don’t struggle, little one,” he soothed with a pout, his mouth too close to my ear. I winced and fought to get away while he dragged me kicking into the middle of the room and threw me down to the ground.
“Where is she?!” I screamed, realising I’d already fucked up—already stormed in here with nothing more than a death wish. “Where’s Jocelyn?”
Bardric glanced from left to right, smiling at what had to have been ten, possibly fifteen, other vampires. All with the same silver canines shining back at him with their own frightening sneers. They were all enjoying this, all watching as if this were the show they’d been waiting for.
“Jocelyn who?” He asked sarcastically.
He kneeled at my side and I crawled backwards, desperately trying to put distance between us.
“What were you planning on doing when you got here, hm? Strutting on in with your little dagger and your rescue mission, saving some girls and killing us all?” He chuckled, looking at the others, who all joined him in laughing. “We have a goddess on our side. What is a little girl like you going to do?”
His words sunk in so deep I could feel myself deflating in front of his cold, dead eyes. I wanted to curl into a ball and die—I wanted to give up, wanted to let him take what he wanted. It didn’t matter. I didn’t matter. But then my eyes found someone I recognised, warm, chocolate pools I’d known for years, and they were pleading with me to do something.
Beth.
“Your Goddess is using you,” I replied, keeping the tremble in my voice to a minimum as I pushed myself up on my elbows.
“Is that so?”
“If she was so mighty, so powerful… don’t you think she’d do all this herself?” I questioned, trying to buy myself enough time. Beth looked torn between pleading and frustration—as though she knew what I was doing and was impressed by my lack of sense, but also a little disappointed by my inability to at least try to keep myself alive. She knew about Jocelyn, knew that the only reason I’d got mixed up in all of this in the first place was because I wanted to get her back home to her sister safely. If that wasn’t a possibility, she would’ve told me by now. No, all she’d done was send me warnings to stay away or keep out of it. That was her way of telling me not to get myself killed.
Well, it was too late for that now. Here I was, on the cusp of doing that. Might as well try to get Jocelyn while I’m here.
“Lilith’s power is fading every minute she’s in this realm,” I continued, beady eyes studying me with curiosity. “She doesn’t intend to give you anything she’s promised. She’s done this before.”
“And how exactly does a human girl, a child, know all this?” He got a little closer this time, his knees embedded in the broken glass of the shattered coffee table as if it didn’t bother him. All the while, the small shards were digging into my skin, forcing tiny drops of blood from my skin. Already, I could see a few of the Silver’s sniffing the air as though they’d caught the scent.
I clenched my eyes shut in annoyance. “I’m so sick and tired of everyone referring to me as a child. You guys are going to have to adapt your age standards, honestly.”
A quick glance to the back of the crowd of vamps had me disguising a smile. Beth was gone, leaving me hopeful she knew where Jocelyn was and had taken this opportunity to free her. The brown back where my dagger had once been still hung haphazardly over my shoulder. To the untrained eye, I supposed it appeared empty, but I knew better.
I flexed my hands in the broken glass from the table, picking up the pieces and squeezing until I could feel the warm, moist blood soaking the skin. Some of the younger Silver’s, possibly newly turned and not as controllable, grew agitated.
Bardric’s face twisted in suspicion, but before he could ask questions, I reached my bloodied hand back towards the vial. Before any of them could put two and two together, I flicked the cork from the top and brought it to my lips, gulping it down in one go. The bitter taste made my throat clench as I fought to keep it down. When I was certain I wasn’t about to vomit, I grinned.
“Surprise.”
Chapter Thirty
Not even seconds passed
before the first few Silver’s lost control of their senses and rioted. A few of the older vampires did whatever they could to hold them back from me as I fought against every impulse to run or fight back.
I had to make sure most of the Silver’s got a bite in—it was necessary for the plan to work. Even if I didn’t kill them all, I had to make sure Jocelyn had a clear enough path out of the building. When the perfume from the vial hit even the most senior of the Silver’s, that was when I realised just what I had got myself into.
Terror chilled me to the bones as I scrambled backwards on all fours, watching as their faces morphed into something that no longer looked human. Their jaws widened and their silver coated canines jutted from their mouths, becoming even more pronounced. The first bite was the worst of them all and I hadn’t been prepared for the searing pain as the teeth ripped through my ankle, tearing through the flesh effortlessly.
They came in quick succession after that—another on my arm, my shoulder, my throat. I couldn’t breathe beneath the weight of them, men and women, writhing like a pit of snakes to find enough space to feed. The pain. The pain was unbearable.
My clothes vanished until there was nothing left but the small black pendulum from Thatcher’s shoe box. It weighed heavily on my collarbone, and I made a point to focus on it.
The only thing covering me was the mountain of vampires, each taking their place at my flesh as though it were the feast of the century. My screams turned low, guttural, as I spluttered and choked. Hands and arms were across my face and turning the room darker than it should have been given the fluorescent lights.
My consciousness started to fade, my eyes edging in and out, the blur of faces passing from in front of my focus in slow motion until the weight on my chest lightened. Noise ruptured my eardrums like an explosion, sensitive as my heartbeat quietened under the strain of the blood loss. One by one, the Silver’s dropped from me. The noise that was causing me such grief should have been music—it should have been a relief.
Silver Vein: Beneath the City Sleeps Book 1 Page 23
