Heat crept up my face and I wanted to retreat in mortification at the thought that Damius knew exactly what had taken place in that room.
“Stop trying to embarrass my mate. You know exactly what that was and why we had to do it,” Vincent growled and took a step toward the tall leader of the vampires. “Nicolae is awake and his physical injuries are healed, just in case you were wondering. Or cared.”
That damn smile across the vampire’s face just widened. “Your mate is rather fun to embarrass. Plus, I’m still trying to get a little bit of revenge for her knocking me on my ass last week.”
I threw back my head and let out a snort of laughter. “I will do it again if you keep up the comments, vampire king.” It was total bullshit. I had no idea how I made the lightning appear and couldn’t replicate it in any of the times I had tried since.
Damius slid his gaze toward Vincent and scoffed. “I know you are full of it, little Nephilim, but I will ease up for your mate’s sake.” He gave me a wink. “Now, if you would please join us, Naomi is going to have her debriefing now that Adreon has given her the all clear.”
“Is Nathan going to be there?” Vincent growled.
Damius sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, Vincent. He was a guardian of the council and a valued member of our society. He needs to debrief as well. You seem to forget he was held in that facility for quite some time.” He pinned Vincent with a piercing glare.
Nathan would probably always be a very sore subject for my mate. Within a short amount of time of being appointed as my guardian, I had been captured by The Syndicate. And that was after he spent the night seducing me and was planning on taking me home.
Vincent’s low rumbling growl echoed in the corridor. “Stop thinking about that playboy or I swear I will not be able to contain my demon. He is calling out for Nathan’s blood right now.”
“Well, then I guess it is a good thing that he is bonded to Naomi. He won’t even be looking at your mate in that manner.” Damius turned back toward the stairs. “Now let's get moving demon.”
“Vincent,” I said as I laid my hand over his heart. “It is okay. The past is behind us. We just have to move forward with the future, right?” I cocked my head to the side and quirked my lips up in a smile.
He let out a heavy sigh and put his hand over mine. “Damn it, I hate it when you are right. Or when you throw my own words back at me. At least the stupid idiot is bonded and won’t be thinking inappropriate thoughts about you anymore.”
I rolled my eyes and followed Damius up the stairs with Vincent close on my heels.
******
Naomi and Nathan were seated at the large circular council table, whispering softly to each other as we approached. Their heads snapped up as soon as they felt our presence. Nathan’s eyes bore into mine. The sharp green irises sparked with recognition, which quickly flowed into regret.
“Lorelei,” he muttered softly, his hand clutching at Naomi’s on the top of the table.
“You don’t get to speak to her,” Vincent growled and shoved me behind him. “Don’t say her name. Don’t talk to her. Nothing. Got it?”
Damius coughed and pulled out a chair. “Vincent, that isn’t really feasible now is it? Didn’t we discuss this? Now sit your ass down so that we can finish this fucking debrief and I can go get something to eat.”
Eyes narrowing, Vincent snorted and led us to sit down in a chair on the opposite side of Naomi and Nathan. “Debrief away then, master vampire,” he muttered, waving his hand through the air. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
Naomi cleared her throat and looked to Damius first. “Shouldn’t Leo be here as well?” she said softly. Her honey colored hair was gathered into a messy bun on the top of her head. Amber brown eyes took in the room from beneath long lashes and scattered around her nose were a flurry of freckles. She had high cheekbones and a delicate mouth, but underneath her soft feminine features, she was hardened and cold. Those brown eyes were like ice as she clenched her jaw together.
“No. He is otherwise engaged. We need to finish this debrief so that the two of you can finish your mating process. You are both killing me with all of the tension going on.” Damius rubbed at the bridge of his nose in agitation.
Throat contracting on a harsh swallow, Naomi nodded and addressed the room. “When I infiltrated the facility, I was immediately thrown into a training room so that they could assess my skills. From there they placed me in a cell until fights could be arranged based on my classification and skill set.” She paused and looked toward Nathan.
“I was trying to locate where the Nightmare demon was kept when I stumbled across Nathan.” A wry smile touched her lips. “At first I didn’t know what was going on, but my body instantly reacted to his and well…” she trailed off while nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Our connection snapped into place pretty much right away,” Nathan continued the story. “I was able to pick up from her mind the reason she was there and who had sent her. Of course I had heard the rumors around the prison that Nicolae had been brought there, but I hadn’t actually seen him.”
“Naomi was able to shield me with her abilities and we jumped a couple of guards. Once we were able to locate where Nicolae was, shit hit the fan.”
“Why is that, Nathan?” Vincent growled at him.
“Because Adrianna was with him when we found him and pierced through the glamor that Naomi had built around us.” Nathan’s eyes narrowed at my mate, his green eyes glowing in challenge.
Naomi put a comforting hand on his forearm and turned back toward us. “She threw us into a nightmare.” She shuddered with the memory. “Nicolae was the only reason that we were able to escape. When we got back to reality, he was crazed. Didn’t know what was real and what was the nightmare. He almost turned on us at a couple of points.”
Nathan shook his head. “I have no idea what exactly Adrianna did to him, but it was fucked up. He came to his senses as we were making our final escape.” He let out a heavy sigh. “He threw up several illusions that allowed us to slip past guards. Even though he barely had any energy left and he was collared. He still made sure that we were all able to escape.”
My hands trembled as I reached under the table and grasped onto Vincent’s thigh. He laid his hand over mine and squeezed it tightly. Waves of comforting energy flowed into me through our bond.
Damius rose to his feet and paced along the front of the room. “Adrianna running the prison behind the fighting pits is a troubling matter,” he pondered out loud as he scrubbed his hand over his face.
“Indeed,” Vincent agreed in a low growl. “That bitch should have been dead centuries ago. How has she remained hidden this whole time?”
“Her and Kristoff are mated,” Nicolae muttered as he leaned heavily on the entrance of the door frame. “They have been for all of those centuries. It is why they killed my father.” His voice broke.
“What the fuck are you doing out of bed? You need to be resting, damn it!” Vincent bellowed and caught him a second before he collapsed to the floor.
Nicolae shook his head and pushed Vincent away as he kept his body pressed against the wall. “I heard you talking. Needed to tell you what was going on.”
“Stubborn demon,” Damius muttered and Vincent helped Nicolae into a chair at my side. “How have they been mated this whole time and no one has known about it?”
Nicolae shook his head. His eyes were closed and he leaned heavily against the back of the plush chair. “No idea. But trust me, it was a fact that she loved to throw in my face every opportunity she got.”
Adreon rushed into the room and sighed when he caught sight of Nicolae sitting at the table. “Stubborn demons,” he said and took a seat next to his brother.
I snickered. “Your brother said the exact same thing.”
“Not surprised. They are stubborn demons,” Adreon replied.
Vincent raised an eyebrow at the vampires. “You two are just as stubborn. It probably has
more to do with our age than our heritage.” He paused and rubbed his fingers over his lips. “Although Lorelei is just as stubborn and she is a baby.”
I furrowed my brow and turned toward him. “How did this get to be about me?” I asked incredulously. “I am not stubborn,” I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.
Nicolae barked out a laugh that ended in a cough. He cleared his throat at my deadly glare and blinked back at the table. “Are you two alright? I didn’t hurt you?” He asked Naomi and Nathan.
Nathan wrapped his arm around Naomi’s shoulders and drew her closer into his body. “We are fine thanks to you. Never would have gotten out of that mess if it wasn’t for your illusions or powers.”
“Thank you, Nicolae. For saving us,” Naomi whispered softly. Something told me that thank you was not something this woman said often. She was much too hardened for that.
The nightmare demon looked sheepish as he squirmed in his chair. “So, what are we going to do next?” he asked in a low voice. His aqua eyes looked haunted and there were deep circles under them. It made him appear so different. The normally vibrant and sarcastic demon that was teasing my mate. I needed to get that back. I wanted to make that haunted look disappear from his eyes.
Damius sighed and kicked his feet up onto the table. “We plan. Strategize. Leo is already exploring several options and we are trying to gain more information about Adrianna and Kristoff. What can you tell me about their mating? I find it odd that this is the first we are hearing about it.”
“I don’t know much. The little bit I was able to gather from her was that it is not your typical mating. Adrianna does have some succubae genetics as her father was an incubus. But it seems that their pairing is unnatural and more about the collection and sharing of power.” Nicolae paused and ran his fingers through his hair.
“She was somehow siphoning off my power, but it was more than a feeding. She wasn’t taking my energy but taking my actual abilities and absorbing them. I can’t explain it.” He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he visibly fought to control himself.
“Do you think that this is how Kristoff has gained so much power even though he wasn’t of a very strong vampiric bloodline?” Nathan asked.
“It has to be,” Damius answered. “It would explain so much about the mystery. He seems to have abilities that are far beyond his potential. Things that are beyond just normal age and power progression. If they have found a way to absorb abilities and siphon energy from other powerful supernaturals? It is a game changer.” He ran his thumb over his bottom lip. His expression was pinched, eyebrows drawn together in a firm V above his nose.
“This is very, very concerning,” Adreon added, his mind working on overdrive as he tried to piece together the situation. “They have to have someone else that is helping to act as a conduit for this type of power exchange. It is a rare ability, but not something that is unheard of.”
“What is a conduit? That is a power that people have?” I asked curiously.
Adreon nodded. “Like I said, very rare, but we have a couple of documented cases of conduits over the centuries. Essentially, they are able to absorb one person's powers and then can either release the powers back into that person or pass them along to another. It makes them very dangerous as they can take on any ability as long as they have direct contact with someone.”
“That is just a little scary,” I muttered.
“Correct. The last individual that we had that was a conduit had to be stripped of their powers because they went on a rampage. Too much power flooded his system and he went insane.”
“Sergio,” Vincent said softly. “He was a good man before he accidentally took too much power from the wrong person. Another downfall of conduits is that they also absorb emotions and intentions of the powers that they take in.”
“So if they absorb the powers of an evil person, then the powers will try and make them evil?”
Damius inclined his head in answer. “With Sergio, it was completely accidental. Powers are transferred through touch and he made contact with a woman who was completely insane. It corrupted him beyond redemption.” He let out a heavy sigh. “If the conduit is able to expel the abilities quickly enough, then they will not have any of the lingering effects, but Sergio was not so lucky.”
“Any ideas on who this conduit could be?” Adreon asked, pinning Nicolae with a curious look.
“Her daughter Layla,” he whispered as his eyes fell closed. Black flickered over his skin and his horns grew out of his head.
“Adrianna killed her when she was just a child.” Damius rose to his feet and started to pace.
“No, she didn’t,” Kaniul said as he entered the room. “My apologies for being late.” His dark hair was mused around his head and the white shirt and black slacks he wore were wrinkled and dirty. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up on his powerful forearms, the edge of his eye of Horus peeking out from beneath the fabric.
“What do you know of Layla?” Nicolae growled and tried to climb to his feet. His legs were still not ready to fully bear the weight after his quick movements and he collapsed back into the chair.
“Calm, Nicolae,” Kaniul said as his amber eyes warmed while looking at the Nightmare demon. “She has just entered my visions. It will be vital to us to rescue Layla from her mother’s clutches.”
“But after all these centuries if she is absorbing these powers, wouldn’t she be corrupted? Kind of like that Sergio guy?” I blinked and flickered my gaze between Nicolae and Kaniul.
Nicolae shook his head while narrowing his eyes at me. “Adrianna makes her give the powers over to either her or Kristoff too quickly before she actually absorbs any of the evil intentions.”
Vincent turned in his chair and blinked at him in confusion. “Did you actually talk with Layla when you were captured?” A look passed between the two demons and I reached out to Vincent mentally to figure out what was going on.
The brick wall he threw up made fury rise in my throat and heat spread over my cheeks.
“Enough, Lorelei,” Vincent snapped at me.
“Someone tell me what is going on immediately,” I demanded as I rose to my feet, ready to stomp out of the room. I did not tolerate being shut out and I would make my mate realize that.
Chapter 20
Vincent
“Nic, what aren’t you telling everyone?” I projected to Nicolae as the perfect mask of indifference slipped over his face.
“I can’t, Vincent. I almost died trying to get her out of there. It was why I was so crazed when we were trying to escape.” His mental voice shook with emotions.
Curiosity overwhelmed me. Nicolae had rarely mentioned Layla. She was a few years older than he was and entered his home when Adrianna had mated with his father, Konstantine. Layla was a child from a previous relationship. With Adrianna’s succubae genetics, she was a promiscuous creature and she had produced a child before she learned to control her abilities. The fact that Layla was a conduit was curious as it was always a trait seen in Hybrids or Seraphim.
“Is Layla a Seraphim?” I asked curiously.
Nicolae’s mask of indifference slipped for just a moment before he regained his composure. He mentally sighed “Yes. One of Adrianna’s previous conquests was a Nephilim that was her fated mate. But they never exchanged the bonding words and Adrianna definitely didn’t feel the love for him that he felt for her. That woman is incapable of emotions even toward her own daughter. Bitch,” Nicolae spat.
Lorelei reached out to me along our familiar mental path and I snapped up a wall to shield my conversation with Nicolae from her. She wasn’t ready to hear this quite yet. I had a feeling that there was a lot more to Nicolae and Layla’s relationship than what he was letting on.
“Enough, Lorelei,” I snapped at her as she rose to her feet and pouted. If she wasn’t so pissed right now, I would smile with how adorable she looked.
“Sit back down, Theera,” I curled my arm around her waist and pulled
her down into my lap.
Nicolae’s lips twitched as he looked at Lorelei and he let out a deep sigh. “Layla is a Seraphim. I connected to her through dreams, our connection powerful enough that Adrianna did not detect it. Not at first anyway.” His long fingers tunneled through his hair. His face was regaining some of its color as his energy levels balanced out. He would need to feed several more times in order to regain use of his full abilities.
“Fuck. That is not good news,” Damius muttered as he slammed his fist against the table. His red eyes lifted to Nicolae. “How did you connect with her? I would imagine that Adrianna has her held under extremely controlled conditions. I know you are the most powerful Nightmare demon and therefore your control over dreams is unprecedented, but still how did you connect with her?”
He let out a deep sigh and shifted uncomfortably. “It would seem that—” he paused as if trying to gather his words. “—I am Layla’s fated mate.”
Silence fell over the room as the words sank in.
“How the hell did you not realize this centuries ago?” I asked him with my brows furrowed together. “You were around her all the time, didn’t either of you recognize it?”
“We were both underage. The bond hadn’t formed and solidified yet. That is probably the only way that I can explain it.” Nicolae sighed as he spoke. “Adrianna had faked Layla’s death when she was sixteen and I was twelve. It would have been before either of us were of age. She had her hidden away so deeply that the connection didn’t snap into place until we were physically close together again.”
“Fuck,” Damius cursed. “We have a centuries old Seraphim conduit that is being held captive by a deranged demon and vampire that are hell bent on bringing about the end of the world through Lorelei’s blood sacrifice. Oh, and they seem to have unlimited powers. Am I missing anything?”
“No, that about sums it up,” Nicolae answered sarcastically, a ghost of a smile lingering over his face. Just a hint of the old Nicolae hidden beneath the surface of the fractured Nightmare demon.
Out of The Shadows (Shadows Ascending Trilogy Book 2) Page 15
