“I was supposed to give the signal to Damius and Adreon that everything was clear. We stacked it in order of those you were least likely to kill.”
“And you were number two after Kaniul, why?”
He scoffed and held one hand to his chest as if he had been shot through the heart. “Boss, you wound me.” He started to make choking noises and held his other hand palm out against his forehead. His back dipped and he fell to the floor.
“Wow. Drama queen, much?” Lorelei laughed as she opened the door and peaked out. I smiled at her reassuringly, sighing internally in relief as I felt her emotions had calmed. She returned my grin and moved to my side as I held out an arm for her.
“Thank you.”
The words were simple, but effective. I inclined my head to her in response and kissed her temple, my lips lingering and savoring the sensation of her in my arms.
Nicolae hopped to his feet in a single move and placed his hands on his hips. “Lorelei, love, is this the thanks I get for helping? You wound me even more than the almighty demon lord.”
“A nuclear bomb couldn’t damage your ego, Nic,” she commented as she threw him a knowing glance and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
Nicolae smiled widely and his aquamarine eyes danced with mirth. “She can be as prickly as you, no wonder the fates stuck you two together.”
Damius clapped his hands twice. “Now that we have all exchanged more than enough witty banter let’s actually get down to business, shall we?”
“Fun killer,” Nicolae muttered under his breath. Damius shot Nic a glare that was positively glacial. He immediately sobered and shut his mouth. Lorelei smothered her laughter with a cough.
“I may have to borrow that glare if it shuts him up that fast.” I smirked at Damius, who let out a snort in response.
“So, Adreon, I’m still wondering how they made it seem like I was a vampire.” Lorelei asked as we started down the hall back toward the lab.
Adreon’s eyes lit up. “It is quite fascinating, really. You were never a vampire at all. From what I can tell the vampire blood they gave you activated your dormant Archangel genes.” He looked at her like she was a test subject. The doctor was always fascinated by the oddities of our genetics. Typically wanting to study them whenever possible to catalog them for future research.
“How were they dormant?” She cocked her head, confusion clouding her features.
“I’m not sure about that. I would guess that your father locked them away to keep the world from knowing about you.”
Damius nodded in agreement. “That would be something Akakaios would do.” Hatred laced his tone, something that was rare for Damius. I was never sure what had happened between Damius and the elder Archangel, but it was always a subject that shouldn’t be approached with him unless you wanted to bleed. Damius never spoke of his past. The only fact that was known about him was that Adreon was his twin brother, but they were not turned at the same time.
Damius was the first vampire ever created. Many believed that this was accomplished via a genetic experiment from the Archangels. Adreon was turned by Damius several years later. It explained the difference in their eye color. Why Adreon retained their native hazel color and Damius had an eerie shade of red.
Lorelei seemed to accept Adreon’s answer about her powers as she nodded her head and squeezed my hand a little harder. “Did the Syndicate suspect her origins in any of their testing or research?” I asked as I had not had the opportunity to review the data obtained from the facility’s hard drives.
Both Damius and Adreon shook their heads. “Everything points to them believing Lorelei is just a very powerful Nephilim with the key to restoring Xandrios to his former glory.”
“Do we know whose blood they used to—” she held up air quotes, “—turn me?”
Adreon cleared his throat and his fingers twitched as he looked to Damius. Damius sighed and gritted his teeth before speaking. “It would seem we have misjudged Antionette completely.”
“Why is that?” I growled at the mention of her name.
“She is a hybrid herself,” Adreon muttered sheepishly.
Kaniul hissed as I growled. Lorelei blanched as she stiffened in my arms. I felt the small tremble that ran in her body. “So, she used her own blood on me?” Speech shaky, her nails dug into my palm and I gathered her closer to me.
“It is probably why Kristoff kept her around for so long, even though she is bat shit crazy,” Nicolae commented.
Adreon nodded, his expression grim. “I suspect the blood will run its course and out of your system within a matter of days. It was faint in your results today. Comparing it to the samples The Syndicate had taken shortly after the final transfusion, it is rapidly dissipating.”
“What does that mean?”
“Lorelei, it means that essentially until her blood leaves your system, you have the equivalent of a sire bond with her,” Damius said, his face devoid of emotion. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked from my mate to me and back again.
My chest rumbled with a harsh demonic sound as we walked into Adreon’s lab. “And because of that, I’m not allowing you anywhere near her.”
She just sighed. “Here we go again with the allowing thing.” She turned and poked a finger into my chest. “You don’t allow me to do anything. I am my own person and I’m tired of decisions being made for me.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she held up a firm hand. “I know those decisions were made for a reason, but this is now and I will decide what I want to do.” Her eyes narrowed at me, trying to read my reaction.
Kaniul spoke first, “Actually Lorelei, this is one thing that none of us can allo—” he paused, cutting off the use of that word, “—let happen.” He took her hand into his. “The sire bond is something that can’t be contained, and it is highly unpredictable. She can command you to kill Vincent and you would be helpless to stop yourself.”
It was the harsh reality of a vampire fledgling. A sire could control every move of their bodies if they chose to. It wasn’t unheard of within The Syndicate. They would turn a person then control them for the rest of their immortal life. There were stories of Kristoff forcing newly turned vampires to kill their entire families, just for the sport of it.
Lorelei looked as if she was going to be sick. I wrapped my arms around her again, even as she stiffened under my arms. “Theera, please.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed deeply to steady herself. “Fine. I can see the point of this one.”
“I’m not completely unreasonable Vincent. We just need to get her damn blood out of my system.” Her pupils dilated and I knew she was thinking of drinking my blood.
Fuck. That set my blood on fire. “Soon, love.”
“Lorelei,” Damius pointed to a row of monitors that were connected to the security cameras. “You can watch from here while Vincent and I go over some questions with Antoinette. Adreon will stay with you.”
“I thought Leo already questioned her?”
The vampire nodded firmly in response. “We have new information that we want to ask her about. While Leo is persuasive, Vincent is, shall we say, more direct.”
I shot him a glare as I crossed my arms around my chest. Lorelei looked at me, a question lingering in her blue irises. “One of my more useful abilities is mental manipulation,” I answered.
“Meaning?”
“I can make anyone do or say anything if I assert enough power.” I ran my hands through my hair, tussling the blonde strands and looked down at Lorelei. She was giving me a curious expression that I was desperate to know the meaning behind. It was yet another thing we would have to discuss later, as Damius was becoming increasingly impatient.
“He is going to get everything we can from Antionette before her execution,” Damius said matter of factly. Subtlety in these types of situations was never one of Damius’ strong suits.
Lorelei gasped and I turned toward her. “The council i
s not going to let her live after all of the atrocities she has committed.” I tucked a stray hair behind her ear, my hand lingering on her neck. “She was dead the second she laid her hands on you.”
Chapter 9
Vincent
Lorelei placed her hand over mine and squeezed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Thank you.” She mouthed the words. Nodding in response, I wrapped my arm around her and moved her body closer to mine.
“Vincent, we are wasting time,” Damius growled as his eyes flashed.
Grunting, I gave Lorelei’s hand a final squeeze and followed Damius as he walked out of the room. “What the fuck is your problem?” I asked him as soon as we were out of hearing range.
He didn’t say a word as we walked down the stairs to the lower level, where the dungeons were located. Landing on the dark concrete floor at the bottom of the landing, he turned to me, his eyes were full of despair. A blink later, his face was back to being devoid of emotion.
“This war is going to be long and bloody. You need to be prepared for the consequences and sacrifices that need to be made,” he said, the words echoing in the basement corridor.
“Are you a prophet now Damius?” I arched a brow at him as he just stared at me with that same blank expression. He knew much more than he led on, which pissed me off to no end.
“No, just stating the obvious.”
We neared Antionette’s cell and Damius unlocked the door with the biometric lock. He let me enter first and my eyes narrowed in on the blonde who was secured with chains to a chair that had been set up just for this interrogation.
The maniacal giggle that echoed in the room made me cringe. Antionette was once a brilliant scientist and research scholar. When she was taken by Kristof, her mind was corrupted, and she went insane. While her intelligence survived, all humanity she once held inside was purged.
“The demon prince and the king of the vampires, coming to pay little ole me a visit.” Her head was cocked to the side as her wild blue eyes darted around the room. Her pale blonde hair looked white in the harsh fluorescent lighting and there was an unhealthy tint to her skin.
All prisoners of the council were treated humanely and fed just enough rations to sustain them, but not allow their abilities to be used. With the haggard way that Antionette looked, she had been refusing the rations.
“Let me guess, the all mighty demon prince is going to reach deep into my mind and pull out all my secrets? Then I will have a date with Monsieur guillotine.” She pulled at the chains holding her body, testing their strength.
Turning to Damius, I couldn’t help the surprise that crept into my expression. If she knew of my ability, then so did Kristoff. It was not something that was widely known outside of the council inner circle.
The evil cackle started again. “Oh, poor princey. You didn’t know? Everyone knows about your little talent. Hehehehe.” The chains rattled as she clapped her hands together, her head bobbing along with the rhythm.
“Enough.” My command was laced with power. Her mouth snapped closed and her spine stiffened. At least I knew that my abilities worked on her. The thought had crossed my mind that if she had knowledge of my abilities, then perhaps they had worked out a way to circumvent them.
“You will answer every question we ask immediately and truthfully. Nod if you understand.” Her head bobbed up and down, the fear on her face reflected in her eyes.
The tendrils of my compulsion reached out and took hold of her mind. The familiar rush washed over me. There was damn good reason behind the terror that most felt when they stood before me. It was a heady feeling of complete power and control over another being. It had taken me centuries to perfect my ability, the first few attempts had me drunk on power that lasted for days.
“Now, Antionette, are you a Hybrid?”
“Yes.” Her jaw was clenched and sweat beaded on her forehead. She was trying to fight me. It would be in vain, but she was trying all the same.
“Good.” I smiled, my features twisted with the demon and I saw the horror reflected in her eyes. “Who are your parents?”
A desperate sound of pain left her mouth, echoing in the sterile interrogation room. “They were named Michel and Gabriella. My father was a vampire, Mama a Nephilim,” she panted, her fangs extended and a red glow tinting her eyes.
“They are dead?” At her slight nod, I continued. “How did they die?”
“Council killed them.” She screamed in agony. This was what happened when they resisted my power. I saw the line of blood trickle from her nose and eased back my mental pull to allow her brain to heal. If I pushed too hard, too fast, her brain would be damaged beyond repair.
“Of what line was your mother from?”
“Ashanti.”
So, she was of the air line. Although her blood must be very weak, or she is just that good at hiding her powers.
Damius arched a brow at me in question. “I do not remember a vampire or a Nephilim by that name. We haven’t sentenced a Nephilim to death in centuries.”
I ran through my memories and the only Nephilim I recalled executing was shortly after the war ended and the crimes of that individual warranted the punishment fully.
“When did this happen?” I pushed just a little harder. She was wearing down and did not provide as much resistance as before. Yet, her jaw was still clenched as her head hung low against her chest. Lines of pain were etched in the corners of her mouth, her lips thin and pale.
“I was a child, the council assassins killed them in front of me. Said they violated the council laws by having me.” Her voice was so quiet, I could barely make out her words. “I was able to get away, but not before they were staked.” Eyes glassy with tears she turned her gaze on me. “You council pigs think you are so superior. Killing anything that doesn’t fit into your little perfect box,” she spat at Damius’ feet.
I knew she was telling the truth, my gift demanding no less than complete honesty. It just didn’t fit. The council would never order an execution of a bonded couple.
“Antionette, I know you will probably not believe me, but the council has never and will never ever order the execution of a bonded pair.” I sat down in the chair across from her and took one of her chained hands between mine. “Having had my own parents murdered in front of me, it would be a cold day in hell before I allowed that to happen to another child.”
Her bottom lip trembled as the tears fell from her eyes. Gaze never dropping from mine, I saw a multitude of emotions cross over her face. A shaky breath left her mouth before she straightened her spine and her face hardened again. She jerked her hand away from mine and hissed, spittle flying from her fangs.
“I will never believe that.”
Damius stepped in front of me. “Be that as it may, Antionette, it doesn’t make it any less true. I’m sure it was Kristoff who told you that it was the council that was responsible for their murder, correct?”
He slammed his hand down on the table before her, causing her to jump and gasp. “Don’t you see that Kristof has twisted you to his side? He has tortured you and warped you into this.”
She was scared. The terror crept into her eyes and played out over her face. I realized that Damius and I wouldn’t get anywhere. We would get information from her, but we could never convince her of anything. Kristoff had brainwashed her beyond redemption.
I shook my head at Damius, who backed off with scowl on his face. “Antionette, what do you know about Lorelei?” We needed to get the information that we could and be done with this.
A giggle was my answer. “Now we get to why you are really here. Your pretty little vampy Nephilim mate. I turned her. You should be thanking me.”
Fighting to maintain a straight face, I wrapped my power back around her mind. She let out a strangled cry as it took hold of her body. “Why did The Syndicate take her?”
“Prophecy. She is the key to returning Xandrios to his former glory.”
“Does your prophecy say how this is going
to happen?”
Her eyes dropped to the table and her hands clenched into fists. “Kristoff wouldn’t share that with me. He only said she was the key. I was told to capture her. Study her blood and she would wake the Dark Lord from his slumber.”
“What information did you find out from studying her blood?”
Hands clawed at the metal table, her nails making a screeching sound as they broke. I pushed harder. My energy was rapidly draining. I would need to replenish my energy with blood and raw energy, my mate providing the perfect source of sustenance for me. My power hadn’t been tested to this degree in centuries. Fuck. I needed this to be over and fast.
“It was like nothing I had ever seen before. She was Nephilim but not. I didn’t know what to make of it.”
“Did Kristoff see the results or did you discuss them with him?” I rapidly fired the questions at her, trying to not give her too much time to fight the tentative grasp I had on her mind.
“Your attack interrupted that,” she bit out through gritted teeth.
“So, he never saw the data?”
She shook her head. Tears streamed down her face, the desperation etched in the lines of her eyes and mouth plain to see. Blood trickled from her nose, crusted below her ears and flowed over her lips. As I eased back, I had to resist the urge to exhale deeply. Her will was strong and her mental abilities were far superior than what was first reported.
“We are done here.” Damius nodded at my thoughts and we turned to the door.
“Wait. Don’t you want to know what else I found?” The smile on her face was pure evil. “This little fact I will give you without you having to use your little gift.” She giggled again, obviously delirious after the mental toll of the mental manipulation. She licked at the blood on her lips, her eyes wild as she cannibalized on her own essence.
“Your little mate is also the last remaining descendent of Xandrios, which is why she is the key to returning him to his former glory. Her sacrifice will make our Dark God even more powerful than Akakaios.”
Out of The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 2) Page 7
