One man tugged at his shoulder. “Come on! The guards will be here any minute!”
Sirens wailed in the distance as flashlights came into view. The leader scrambled to his feet and turned to run, tripping over his robe.
No you don’t.
Flipping the blade, I hurled it at the leader. It spun through the air, tip over sheath, before embedding itself in the back of his neck. He gave a strangled cry before falling to his knees, then collapsed in a red heap.
I looked around. Everyone was gone; Mrs. Knight and I were alone. My chest constricted as my heart went into cardiac arrest, and I stumbled toward Mrs. Knight. I wanted to ask if she was okay, but I fell before I could reach her. Every nerve felt fried, my brain cooked as I lay there, twitching uncontrollably.
A shadow wearing a white jacket appeared over me right before my anklet buzzed, then released. The electricity abruptly stopped as the anklet fell to the ground, but my body still convulsed. Spit gathered at my mouth as images flashed before my eyes: my brother, Leo, Aden, Angel and Rook… my life blurring together in one super-fast series of snapshots.
I blinked as a face blurred and focused in the flashing lights. Red-rimmed glasses framed by auburn bangs peered into my eyes.
Paris.
It was the last thought I had before blacking out.
***
Being chained by Scarlet Steel was incredibly painful, but nothing compared to being electrocuted. And yet, somehow, I was miraculously still alive.
Upon coming to, I found Paris checking my vitals.
“How long…” I tried asking how long I had been unconscious, but my voice gave out.
“Forty-eight hours, more or less,” she said, emotionless. “Probably longer if Aden hadn’t given you some blood and Dezyre hadn’t healed you.”
I blinked, a simple motion that had become surprisingly painful. “Dezyre?”
Paris’ eyes flashed, and then she turned away, hiding her expression. “You owe her your life.”
I was floored. Dezyre hated me, that much I was sure of. I knew she was good at her job, at least, according to the rumors of her wonder-works. But how come they had called her in to save me? Couldn’t Paris have handled it?
Stumped, my lids fluttered shut, trying to pull me under again.
From then on, I woke up at odd hours, or maybe I was dreaming, I couldn’t tell. Even sleeping hurt. At some point, I thought I felt feather-light lips brush against my forehead and a low, melodic voice whisper “thank you” into my ear.
And all the while, the scent of cloves and cinnamon hung on the air.
Chapter 14
After a few more days of drifting in and out of sleep, I was deemed well enough to return to the academy. Aden appeared in the door of my hospital room while I was tying my boots, a smile on his face.
“Hurry up, champ,” he said, leaning against the frame. “General Frost wants to see you.”
I froze, eyes wide with fear. Was she going to punish me for killing some vampires? I couldn’t remember that night very clearly – I think the electric jolts had fried my memory or something. But I could still feel the bloodlust rising in me as I sought to kill the vampires hurting Mrs. Knight. I had warred with myself for days, knowing I should feel guilty about killing them, but trying to justify my actions by saying they were self-defense.
Maybe I’m no better than the Rogues…
He held up a hand, noticing my expression. “Relax. It’s not what you think.”
“I hope not, because I really have no desire to play torture chamber with Frost again.”
He grimaced as I rose from the bed, and I saw the apology in his eyes. I nodded curtly then looked away, clearing my throat as butterflies rose in my chest. “Do I have to put on the, you know, ‘ankle bracelet from hell?’”
Aden’s lips twitched in a grim smile. “No, I persuaded Frost it was safe to leave it off.”
I let out a sigh. “Good.” My stomach flipped at the mention of Frost. “I guess this is kind of like ripping off a Band-aid. Better to make it quick and get it over with.”
Aden raised a brow. “Frost as a Band-aid brand,” he murmured, turning around. “Somehow, I don’t think parents would take well to the skulls and dismembered organs on the bandages, versus cute fluffy bunnies and My Little Ponies.”
I giggled, imagining Frost as a spokesperson for children’s safety products.
He signed my discharge papers and I followed him out, my stomach still queasy at the thought of facing Frost again.
***
I paused outside the ominous black door, on the equally ominous black giant-of-a-building. The thing stretched all the way to the ceiling, by far the tallest structure in the dome. “Ugh… are you sure they don’t want to torture me some more?”
Aden had his back to me, punching in a security code. “It’s the Council Chambers,” he replied as the door opened with a beep, “where the High Council convenes to conduct business affairs for the base, like for instance, the fate of criminals.” He glanced back at me with a smirk.
“Haha,” I said, following him inside. “I’m definitely the picture of a hardened criminal.”
I still felt shaky and a bit weak as we walked, but it was definitely a vast improvement over my condition from a few days ago. At least I wasn’t half-dead.
“Who’s on the High Council?” I asked.
“Twelve elected officials, all of which are pulled from the community. It’s basically our version of a Grand Jury.”
Entering the building was like walking into the night itself. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all black, with small white bulbs along the ceiling providing just enough light to see. Though everything looked the same to me, Aden seemed to know where he was going, and I stayed close to his side as we meandered down one hall after the other. He would take sudden turns, seeming to disappear right into the wall before my very eyes, but then he’d poke his head out to look for me and I would realize there was actually a hallway there. The place reminded me a bit of a maze.
Aden finally stopped before a set of black doors, so polished they gleamed like onyx. “Wait here,” he said, knocking once before stepping inside.
I fidgeted in the hallway, nervously shifting my weight. I glanced at my ankle. I was incredibly thankful they hadn’t replaced the anklet, though I knew that was too good to last. They’d probably cuff me as soon as I got home.
Home. I blinked. Since when did I start thinking of this place as home? Home was above ground, with Leo and the sun and moon and stars. This place wasn’t my home.
Was it?
Aden reappeared. “They’re ready for you.”
I gulped. “Who?”
“The High Council.”
My eyes almost bulged out of my head. “I’m going before the High Council?”
Aden nodded. “That was sort of what I implied when I said we were going before the High Council.”
“You never explicitly said that,” I snapped, blushing. I remembered him telling me about it on the way over, but the thought hadn’t really hit home until now. The more I thought of it, the more I was convinced I was in some sort of trouble, possibly even danger. I had killed two vampires, living up to the hunter reputation. Maybe they were going to punish me – or worse, kill me – for acting “out-of-line.”
Cold sweat washed over me, and I suddenly felt very sick. This was it. I had blown my chance at ever seeing Leo or warning my mother of the impending attack.
I’ve failed Orion, now I’ve failed everyone else. I’m so sorry Leo.
“Sloane?”
I looked up, startled. I had forgotten Aden was there, watching me with worry creases around his eyes. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “Let’s do this.”
Aden pushed open the doors, and we stepped inside. The room was huge and circular, with twelve high chairs in a half moon arc toward the front. Men and women I didn’t know looked down on me, their
faces hard, their eyes scrutinizing. My eyes found Frost sitting at one chair to my right, and I shivered. I scanned the faces of each Council member, from one end to the other. My jaw dropped when I saw who the last member was.
I gawked at Aden. “Your mother is on the High Council?”
“Yes,” he said, gesturing for me to be quiet. “Face them and don’t speak unless spoken to.”
I did as he said, anxiously turning around to face the High Council.
A gavel rang loud in the chamber, signaling for the session to start. Frost stood. “Sloane McAllister?”
My mouth felt dry. “Yes ma’am?”
Her eyes grew impossibly colder. “Do you deny killing two of our own?”
My knees shook, but I kept my face composed. “No ma’am, I do not. It was self-defense.”
“I didn’t ask what it was! Do you realize the weight of your actions?”
My eyes narrowed. “I certainly hope so, as I don’t take death as lightly as some of us seem to.”
“Sloane,” Aden hissed.
Frost stared at me, a slow smile spreading across her pale lips. “As much as I would love to see your actions as the bloodlust of a vicious hunter, I can only see them as… heroic.” She struggled to spit out the last word, and I held my breath, hanging on to her words.
Mrs. Knight stood, looking lovely and fragile but healthy. She wore a turtleneck blouse, hiding the mark on her neck. “You saved my life,” she said, smiling with a wince. Her jaw had been re-aligned, though purple bruises splotched her fair skin. “And for that, I will forever be grateful.”
“As will I,” Aden murmured behind me.
“As reward for your bravery,” Frost declared, “your house arrest is to be lifted, and your bonds permanently removed.”
I exhaled with a half-laugh, smiling. I couldn’t believe this. It was the best stroke of luck I’d had. If they trusted me enough to let me roam freely, then I would have a better shot at finding a way out of here.
I smiled up at them, and Frost raised a brow, looking like she’d swallowed a lemon. “Thank you.” I glanced at each of the Council members. “Thank you all so much.”
“Don’t give us reason to regret our decision,” Frost said icily.
I shook my head, saluting her. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The gavel rang again, dismissing us, and I practically skipped out of the room. Once we were in the hallway, Aden was all grins. “Well, I’d say from the week you’ve had, you could use some fun in your life. Come on. We’re celebrating.”
I cocked my head. “Don’t you think I’ve missed enough training?”
Aden gave me a look of disbelief. “I’d say you’re more qualified to teach the training courses than some of our instructors. One more day won’t hurt. And besides –” he gave me a devilish grin – “you still owe me a date.”
I flushed. “I am not going out with you.”
He was already starting to walk away. He turned, walking backwards, and held both palms up in a disarming shrug. “Then don’t think of it as a date. Just think of it as an outing with a friend.”
I didn’t reply, shifting my weight.
“Please?” Aden said, stopping. “It’s on me.”
An outing with a friend. Did I think of Aden as a friend? Did I want to think of him as something more? Mentally, I shook my head. The scars he’d given me would take a long time to fade. But I supposed…
“Fun does sound pretty wonderful, actually,” I admitted. When was the last time I had relaxed? Not in a long, long while, not since before my mother had become Sovereign and the world had gone to hell.
Aden smiled, his excitement and joy seeping into me. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
Chapter 15
“Welcome to Paradise,” Aden said, opening up the door to the restaurant. The smell of fresh lettuce, melted pepper jack cheese, and cooking hamburger meat invaded my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, and ran my tongue along my lips. My stomach growled as we walked into the burger joint, and I scanned the menu with a smile. “Seriously? Vampires like burgers and fries?” This was the last place I thought I’d find in an underground vampire base.
“Yeah, cheeseburgers are almost as good as humans. Kidding,” he added quickly at my look of horror. “We can go somewhere else, if you like…”
“No!”
I laughed when he jumped at my outburst. “I’m really excited, actually. It’s been ages since I’ve had a good, greasy burger. My mother never let me have them back –”
I bit my lip in guilt, on the verge of saying home. Why did I just do that? Pittsburgh is my home, so why should I feel guilty about calling it that?
We ordered, and Aden reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.
“You don’t have to get mine,” I said. We had set up a bank account upon my enlisting, since I would be getting paid for my training. But they only deposited checks – or whatever form of currency they used – at the end of the month, so I hadn’t gotten paid yet.
“I’m not going to let you wash dishes,” he said, smiling. “Really, it’s not going to break the bank, I assure you. Besides, we’re celebrating, both for you saving my mom, and for your newfound freedom. Please, it’s the least I can do.”
I blushed slightly. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” Aden pulled out a few of the odd colored bills and something white fluttered to the floor. I reached for it, flipping it over. It was a photograph, fairly old from how worn it looked. Wrinkles from the paper ran down the faces of a man and a woman, who stood on either side of a young boy. Their collective happiness radiated off of them. They practically glowed, a joyous American family against the cheery sunlit park in the backdrop. There was a tear in the photo running almost from one end to the other, nearly severing the man from the woman and child. My eyes remained fixed on the man. He looked familiar, though I couldn’t figure out exactly where I had seen him.
“Oh,” Aden said, taking the photo from my grasp and placing it back in his wallet. “I must have dropped that.”
The image of the woman with the pale, blue eyed child lingered in my memory. “That’s you, isn’t it? And that woman is your mom.”
“Yes,” he said quietly, taking two empty glasses from the cashier and walking away.
I walked after him. “Was that your father?”
He stopped at the machine, sighing as ice cubes clinked into our glasses. “Yes.”
I watched him, chewing on my lip and unable to stop myself from asking, “What happened to him?”
Aden’s shoulders hunched up, and I was afraid I had asked the wrong question, that I’d pried too far. But a moment later, he turned around, smiling warmly. “I’ll save you the whole tragic story. After all, this is a celebration. Pepsi?”
I blinked. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
He filled up my glass and I rubbed my arms, thinking about what he’d said. Mrs. Knight and Aden seemed so happy, perfectly content at being together. What tragedy could he be running from in his past?
After filling up our glasses with soda, we sat down at a booth to wait for our food.
Sitting there with him – alone, I might add – made me suddenly feel very self-conscious. I fiddled with my hair, which was pulled back in a flabby ponytail.
This is not a date, I told myself for at least the tenth time. Chill out already.
Then again, how would I know? I had never actually been on a date. It’s not that no one had ever been interested. I never had a problem being asked to dances or parties, but I was so focused on my grades I didn’t want to have any distractions.
Aden leaned forward, pointing to one of the cashiers. “See that guy, the one that looks like Shaggy off of Scooby-Doo?”
I glanced at the counter, sipping on my Pepsi. “What about him?”
“I’ve played a few gigs with him. Believe it or not, there are guns beneath the baggy sweatshirt. He’s a killer drummer.”
My eyes swiveled back to the bar; the “guy wi
th guns” looked no bigger around than a toothpick. “If you say so,” I said, not sounding very convinced. I turned my attention back to Aden. “You’re a musician?”
He shrugged. “I like to play bass guitar in a small cover band for fun. Just every now and then, you know, for parties and events. You have to loosen up somehow, especially down here.”
I lifted my brows, a bit surprised. “Cool,” I said lamely. “According to my brother, I’m tone deaf. I like to sing in the shower.”
“I never hear you sing.”
“Trust me, it’s better that way.”
A waitress scurried up to the table and dropped off our plates, piled high with steaming French fries and the biggest cheeseburger I’d ever seen. I had opted for the spicier version, putting jalapeños, spicy mustard, and pepper jack cheese on mine. I lifted it to my face and took a huge bite. Flavors sizzled on my tongue, almost a little too hot, but it was every bit a “dream burger.”
We ate in silence for a minute or two. Aden, who had a black hole for a stomach, was nearly finished with his entrée. He had stopped mid-bite to pick at a bandage on the inner part of his elbow.
“Do you give blood or something?” I asked. “That’s the second time I’ve seen you with a bandage.” The first time was at the hospital, along with the one he had wrapped around his Scarlet Steel wound. Looking at his hand now, you couldn’t even tell the flesh had nearly been eroded away by the corrosive properties of the steel. All that remained was a patch of flesh that was shinier and slightly lighter than the skin around it. If I didn’t have vampire vision, I’m not even sure I’d have noticed it at all.
Aden immediately stopped fiddling with the bandage. “Yeah, something like that.” He didn’t elaborate, instead stuffing one last handful of fries into his mouth.
I cringed at the thought of giving blood. Last time I’d done so, I’d nearly blacked out. When I was about ten, my father thought I had mono and took me to the doctor. After the nurse had drawn a blood sample, I spent the rest of the visit with my head between my legs, breathing into a paper bag. It made me a little pale just thinking about it.
The Scarlet Dagger (The Red Sector Chronicles, #1) Page 14
