Even though I didn’t detect a lie in our bond, I wasn’t sure I believed him. He’d convinced himself he would stay by my side, but he could also change his mind. I didn’t want to give him a reason to do so.
“We should get back on your normal schedule,” I suggested. “Being up all day isn’t good for you.”
“It’s the best time to hide from the council,” he said, surprising me. I hadn’t thought of that. “Most vampires are too selfish and arrogant to change their schedule. They believe everything should revolve around them. So the likelihood of us meeting them in broad daylight is pretty slim.”
“But it’s also really hard on you,” I argued.
“It’s worth it to not have to constantly watch my back.” He laced his fingers behind his head and grimaced. “Which is why I’m worried about your admirer at the mall. The council may have hired a human to watch for you.”
“In Reno?”
“They’re not stupid. They know you won’t show up in Vegas,” he replied, closing his eyes. “If I were them, I’d have people watching in all the closest cities.”
“But we could be in Florida or Maine,” I insisted, not really believing that my pursuer was tied to the vampires.
“Or Reno,” Logan pressed. “They have the resources, so why not use them?”
“I guess,” I replied. “Should we change into one of our new outfits while we wait?”
“Yes, that’s probably a good idea,” he responded, laying his seat all the way down and crawling towards the back. “Can you change in the car or do we need to find a restroom?”
“I’m good as long as a bunch of people don’t start piling out of the studio.” I laid my seat down as well and crawled into the back. I dug through the pile of clothes until I found the dress I wanted: a cute, white sundress with large yellow flowers on it. It was bright and sunny, unlike my current situation. It made me smile the minute Manny pulled it from the rack.
After five minutes, and several fights with the front seat, I sported my new outfit. During my distracted shopping spree, I hadn’t noticed Manny tossed in several boxes of shoes. I slipped on a pair of white, strappy sandals and smiled. They fit perfectly. How did he do that without me trying on any of them?
I looked over at my vampire as he leaned back and buttoned a pair of tan dress pants, then buckled the leather belt around his waist. He hadn’t tucked in the pale yellow t-shirt or the baby blue, long-sleeved dress shirt. It was so ‘not’ Logan.
“Can you roll this sleeve three times?” he asked, shoving his arm at me.
“Sure,” I replied, my smile widening. “You act like you might have done this before.”
He turned his gaze on me and frowned. “Some of us were adults in the ‘80s.”
“This outfit does not look like 1980’s preppy fashion,” I argued, carefully rolling up his sleeve, even though it sort of did. “Did Manny stash shoes in there for you as well?”
Logan’s frown deepened as he held up a pair of brown leather loafers. I didn’t stop the laugh escaping my lips. “You look amazing,” I said. “And no one will recognize you.”
When I finished one sleeve, he slipped on his shoes and rolled his other sleeve.
An old truck pulled into the parking area, drawing our attention. “Looks like Elaine is early,” Logan said. “Let’s see if we can get this meeting over with before the vampires show up.”
Chapter 6
Elaine’s old truck parked in front of the martial arts studio, shuddering as the engine died. Jonathan needed to pay her more if that was all she could afford for transportation. What a piece of junk. The tall blonde didn’t hesitate to get out of the truck and cross the few yards into the studio.
“That’s our meeting site?” I asked, not hiding my surprise. “How do we avoid the people already in there?”
“The class ends at two-thirty,” Logan replied. “They should be packing up and leaving anytime.”
“Oh. The four o’clock meeting time makes more sense now,” I said. “That way there’s no chance the humans will interact with your team.”
Logan remained silent as a gaggle of boys and girls swarmed out of the studio followed by a bunch of adults. Ten minutes later, the only vehicles left were Elaine’s truck and us.
“How do you know Yun is here?” I asked just as Logan opened his door.
“She teaches the class,” he replied. Within seconds, my door opened and he held out his hand. “If Otto and Fiona show up, do not let them bait you into anything.”
I put my hand in his and he pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me. What was that about?
“Especially Fiona,” he whispered. “She will do everything she can to get a reaction from you.” He loosened the embrace and kissed me just like always, with more compassion than any man should possess. “My heart belongs to you and no one else.” He stepped back and gently pulled me from the SUV.
I paused, dumbstruck. Did he just confess his love to me… in a parking lot right before a meeting with a bunch of supernatural creatures? How did I even respond to that? I had no idea, so I remained silent as he pulled me towards the building.
He stopped at the glass door and looked inside without opening it. Elaine sat alone on a bench just inside the door, her focus on something across the room. She glanced at us for a second, then returned her attention to something we couldn’t see. I almost giggled as her head snapped back to us and she rose to her feet.
Logan pulled open the door and motioned me to go in first, leaving his hand on the small of my back as he followed me in. Elaine’s gaze traveled up and down Logan, then landed on me.
“Well done,” Elaine said, the corners of her lips rising as if they wanted to smile, but she wouldn’t allow it. “Give Marissa my regards.” She reached around Logan and locked the door, then flipped the ‘Open’ sign over to ‘Closed.’ “We have a lot to discuss before Otto and Fiona arrive,” she said, moving across the large room covered in small foam mats.
It smelled of sweat and pine cleaner, instantly making my stomach churn. Thankfully, we didn’t linger, instead passing through another door and a short hallway that ended in a small break room.
A tiny Asian woman sat in one of the six chairs surrounding a round table. Her straight black hair stopped just below her ears and her dark eyes widened at our arrival.
“Logan?” she asked in soft, high-pitched voice as she rose from her seat. “You look so…” Her gaze drifted to me and her small hand went to her mouth. “You’re the Magister’s daughter, aren’t you?”
I nodded, not sure what to say. Logan’s fingers found mine, wrapping around them tightly. Was he trying to tell me something? Should I not reveal my identity? I thought he trusted these two women.
“AJ, this is Yun,” Logan said, answering for me. “Let’s have a seat.”
He led me around the table and pulled out a chair. I sat and tried to smile. The tension in the room became thicker with each passing moment as if everyone here was afraid to talk.
Elaine took the chair next to Yun and Logan sat next to me. “Sit down, Yun. We had a visit from Braden yesterday.”
“Oh shit,” Yun said, dropping into her chair.
I felt Logan tense next to me. That couldn’t be good.
“It was a very enlightening conversation,” Elaine continued. “The council is looking for AJ, which we already knew. And now their search includes Logan, of course. They’re also reforming their army to attack Victor again.”
Logan huffed. “That’s stupid. Kellen will mobilize the mages to support Victor. Surely Jack knows that.”
At the mention of Jack—the leader of the vampire council—I stiffened. I’d met him once, in Vegas, before I’d even learned I was a mage. He hadn’t seemed so awful then. Unpleasant? Sure. An asshole? Absolutely. But if he was in charge of this movement to expose the supernatural community, he had to be worse than I thought.
“Yes, but he also plans to eliminate the small contingent of mages still
left in Australia first.” Elaine’s gaze settled on me. “Kellen will divert his resources to save them, leaving Victor at a disadvantage.”
“Why would Kellen do that?” Logan asked, also turning to me.
I just stared at Elaine. Did she know about Kellen’s family in Australia? Kellen didn’t even know until Göksu mentioned it—or at least that’s what he’d claimed.
“AJ?” Logan asked, putting his hand on my thigh.
“Kellen’s mother’s family is in Australia.” I continued to stare at Elaine. “But no one knew that, not even Kellen until recently. How did Jack find out?”
“Too many people know too much,” Elaine said, glancing between the three of us. “Kellen didn’t know to ask, and I’d like to know how he found out.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, not feeling the same trust Logan felt. She seemed to know too much, almost implying that Kellen wasn’t supposed to find out about his mother’s family. Or was she referring to my knowledge of his heritage? “You’ll have to ask him,” I responded. “Though at this point, it doesn’t really matter. Can we convince him that Jack intends to use it against him?”
“Normally, we would ask Logan to intervene,” Elaine said, her gaze landing on me again, “but it seems we’ve lost that asset.”
Now I really didn’t like her. She’d just accused me of taking away her line of communication. There was a very good reason Logan and I had left Kellen’s estate, but I bit my lip trying to hold back the caustic response on my tongue.
“I’ll talk to Kellen,” Logan intervened, drawing Elaine’s attention. “He’s pissed at me, but he cares about his people. He’ll listen. Do you have a timeline for Jack’s plans?”
“No, but he has people in Australia, so it’s only a phone call away,” Elaine replied. “The attack on Victor’s lodge won’t happen until they see Kellen’s forces leave.”
I thought about her comment. It was layered with tons of meaning. Jack still had spies at the palace, otherwise he wouldn’t know when the mages left. And there must be a portal to Australia or Kellen’s people wouldn’t arrive in time.
“Do the mages have a portal to Australia?” I asked. “And do you know who the spies are at the palace?”
Elaine’s eyebrows rose, and her lips twitched again as she turned back to me. “She’s quick. Yes and no.”
“Why is Braden giving us this information?” Logan asked. “What does he gain from helping us?”
“Apparently, he is tasked with finding the princess,” Elaine replied, leaning forward and resting her forearms on the table. “What surprised me was his willingness to give up the information before learning of the princess’ whereabouts.”
A low growl rumbled in Logan’s chest. “What did you tell him?”
Elaine shrugged. “That she must be hidden at the palace.” She tapped her fingers on the table before continuing, making Logan growl again. “We had no idea she was with you, not that we would’ve shared that information anyway. She is even more valuable now than before, if the rumors are true.”
“What is our assignment?” Logan asked, his voice barely above a low rumble. Was my distrust of Elaine rubbing off?
“Keep her away from the vampires and convince Kellen to keep his mages here.”
“All vampires? Or just the council’s?” Logan asked, leaning back in his chair. “I notice we’re missing part of our team.”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Elaine replied.
That didn’t bode well for me or Logan. This woman expected us to find a way to talk to Kellen without being noticed by anyone. Logan couldn’t go to the palace or to Victor’s lodge, the two most likely places to meet with Kellen. And I didn’t see my vampire letting me go without him.
A slamming metal door had all three of my companions out of their seats in seconds. I turned in time to see an extremely tall man, with dark skin and even darker eyes fill the door to the break room.
“Otto, welcome to the meeting,” Elaine said.
My eyes remained fixed on the man in the doorway. Even if I didn’t know it in advance, everything about him screamed predator. But his appearance held nothing over the smell of fresh blood mixed with…recently cut wood? Was that his signature smell, like Logan’s spearmint?
“Why is there a human here?” he asked, his voice deep and raspy. “Did someone bring me dinner?”
“Do you guys normally take turns picking up dinner?” I snapped. Yes, I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but seriously?
Logan’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I heard him growl again. I looked up and didn’t miss the red circling his hazel eyes.
Otto held up hands in surrender and a smile spread across his face. “Sorry, bro. Didn’t realize she was yours. Too bad. I like ‘em feisty.” He strode past me and plopped down in the chair next to Yun, who let out a long breath. Were they expecting him to eat first and ask questions later? “I like the look, Logan.”
“If you need nothing else from us, we’ll be going,” Logan hissed between his teeth, which had elongated.
“We are not done,” Elaine stated. “Now, get your shit together.” She dropped into her chair and glared at my vampire, who slowly lowered himself into his seat. “Otto, where’s Fiona?”
“I ain’t her keeper,” Otto replied. “Who’s the chick?”
I pulled my eyes away from Logan’s brooding face and glared at the other vampire in the room. He winked at me and flashed his fangs. Seriously? I fought the urge to roll my eyes, and instead just glared back.
“That’s none of your concern,” Elaine replied. “When did you last see Fiona?”
“This morning,” he replied, still focused on me and not Elaine. His dark eyes studied my face with intensity. If I weren’t so mad at his rudeness, I would’ve blushed. “I told her to meet us here at four, but you know how she is about telling time.”
“I need to know Jack’s newest spies at the palace.” Elaine slapped the table with her palm, drawing the vampire’s attention away from me. “Tell me you can find out.”
“It might be a little difficult,” Otto stated. “Kellen didn’t spare anyone.” He glanced at me again. “Should we be discussing this in front of her?”
“Yes, she’s fine.” Elaine waved her hand at me. “What else did you find out about his culling?”
Otto glanced at me, then Logan. “All suspected allies of the Magister were imprisoned.”
“Imprisoned or killed?” Yun asked.
“The official word is imprisoned, but I got a call from a buddy in Salt Lake who says they were killed.” Otto’s glance towards me lingered again. “Says he overheard a group of drunk mages bragging about burying the traitors alive.”
A soft gasp escaped my lips. Was Kellen capable of killing them? I’d watched him open a hole in the earth during our fight at Victor’s. Did the traitors get a trial to determine their guilt? It’d only been a few days since we’d left, since we’d defeated the Magister. Was that enough time to convene a trial? Unless they admitted their guilt, but even then, being buried alive shouldn’t happen. People had rights even if they were guilty, but maybe that was my idealistic human side talking.
“See if you can find the spies. We need to know how close they are to the mages’ new governing body,” Elaine said, interrupting my thoughts. “Let me know if you need resources to travel and take Fiona with you.”
“Why do we get stuck with the bitch?” Otto complained. “Logan and I can find out much quicker without her.”
“Logan is not going with you,” Elaine replied. “He has another task or three.”
I looked up at my vampire, whose focus had not drifted from Otto. Logan’s fangs had retreated, leaving his lips pressed in a thin line. Had I just tossed out his trust of Otto as well?
The door slammed open again and I dropped my head to the table. It could only be Fiona. I wasn’t sure how much more tension I could take. It was already palpable in the air, making my stomach churn. I had questions, but I really would have prefer
red to just leave.
“And here I thought I was early.” A sultry voice drifted from the doorway.
I caught Logan’s chair scooting away from the table out of the corner of my eye. I decided to let him handle it. I’d be the fragile human incapable of facing down a room full of vampires and shifters. Which technically I was, even if I was a dual mage.
“You didn’t save any for me,” Fiona continued. “How rude.”
One moment I was moping peacefully in my seat and the next my body slammed against the wall, with long claws digging into my shoulders. The pungent smell of some flower assaulted my nose as a sharp stabbing pain speared my neck. She’s biting me!
Half a second later, a high-pitched scream pierced my ears and I slid to the floor. Fiona’s body smashed into the ceiling, raining drywall onto the table. A dozen translucent shards impaled her body, securing her in place.
You did give me your blessing to protect you, princess, Niyol’s voice echoed in my head.
And I don’t regret it for a moment.
The room fell silent and all eyes, including the bitch on the ceiling, turned to me.
I rose and brushed down my dress, then brought my fingers to my neck. The sticky feel of my blood made me forget my fear and confusion. She bit me and no one here did a damn thing about it! My gaze fell on Logan first, whose eyes focused on my neck. I glanced at Otto, finding the same expression. Damn vampires. Yun’s wide-eyed expression appeared comical on her small face. Finally my gaze settled on Elaine, whose twitching lips gave in to laughter’s temptation. A soft chuckle erupted from the woman.
“Get me down!” Fiona bellowed.
I looked up at her and anger flooded over me. Her elongated fangs dripped with my blood. My blood!
“You will never approach me again,” I commanded, taking a step towards the table. “You will not even look at me. If you speak to me, it will only be because I ordered you to.” I put every ounce of power I could muster into my voice, willing the command to stick with her for eternity.
Vampire's Crucible Page 5
