No response except for slurping noises. Ew. That was something I would never get used to.
“Let go of her now, vampire,” Rourke ordered. He stood over us, his voice threatening. “Or I’ll bash your head against the rocks and we’ll see how long it takes you to regenerate from that.”
Naomi stepped forward. “He is not in control. His instincts have taken over. It’s very hard for a fledgling to disengage on his own from any feeding, much less the blood of a supernatural.”
“That figures,” I muttered. “So how do we get him off?”
“You must rip your arm away. We will brace his shoulders.” She nodded at Rourke, who already had Ray by the back of the neck.
“Let’s go on three,” I said. This is going to hurt like a bitch, I told my wolf. A shot of adrenaline hit my system in the next beat, fortifying me.
“As much as I’d love to stick around and witness Ray tearing your arm to pieces, I’m going to head out if that’s all right with you,” Danny said. He inclined his head at me. “I’m assuming it’s not necessary to stay. Seeing you harmed is ghastly on any level, but this is particularly gruesome.”
Tyler grumbled, “I’m going too.”
I felt their need to somehow fix the situation, but there was nothing they could do. Giving them a task would help. “Yes, go. Hank is out there. Find him. We need to figure out what to do with his body.”
Tyler’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “I scented him here, but it smelled off, too old to be recent.” His nose immediately went into the air and he turned toward the tunnel entrance.
“It seems he never left,” I said. “We fought last night. I’ll explain it all later.”
“We’re on it.” They both trotted out of the cave, and I turned back to a concerned Rourke and a poised Naomi.
They both nodded to me.
“Are you sure this is our only option?” I asked. “How about we try and coax him off with sweet talk? He’s such a sucker for niceties. It just might work.”
Naomi stifled a smile. “We must do this; I know it is not ideal, but he has already taken too much.”
“On three,” Rourke said. “Let’s get this over with. And if this bastard goes crazy, he’s in for the shock of his sorry life.”
“One … two”—I clenched my teeth—“three.” They held him as I tore my arm from his grasp. His fangs shredded my skin in a horrifying way, making my eyes water. “Gahhh,” I screamed through a locked jaw. I cupped my good hand over the wicked wound. It was healing quickly, but damn. I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Remind me not to do that ever again. If that wasn’t enough blood for a lifetime of normal for Ray, I don’t want to hear about it.”
In one motion, Rourke ripped the shirt clean off his body and wrapped it around my arm before I had time to stop him. “If I have to witness you feeding a vamp again,” he growled, “we’re going to have a serious problem.”
I grinned, holding the bloody T-shirt as I stood. “Ripping your shirt off was totally unnecessary, but the view is spectacular.” I nodded down at my wound. “My arm is already healed.”
I unwrapped it and tossed it back to him. He growled, “There’s no control when I’m around you. I just react.” His voice got throaty and I shivered. “But next time I’ll be sure to sacrifice my bottoms instead.”
Naomi interrupted us politely. “It seems the fledgling is unconscious.”
My gaze shot to Ray. His head was indeed lolled at a funny angle.
“Ray,” I said, bending next to him. “Are you okay?” I reached an arm out to shake him, but the moment it came close enough, he lunged forward snarling, his fangs lashing out, his eyes flickering like a movie reel. “Easy there.” I braced my palms firmly against his shoulders. We were lucky he was still in chains.
He seemed stunned by the sound of my voice, and calmed considerably.
I peered at him closely. “Is my blood hurting you?”
“No,” he half gasped, half coughed. “It’s energizing and … making shit change. I feel … different already.”
“What kind of shit is changing, Ray?” I asked patiently. “You need to be more specific.” I turned toward Naomi. “Is this normal?”
She made a sound close to a snort. “No. But nothing is normal when it comes to your blood, Ma Reine.” Touché. She edged in closer to examine him. “Does your mind have more clarity, fledgling? Do you see the way now?”
“What is he supposed to see?” I asked curiously, immediately envisioning a vampire headmistress with a high collar and a pointy stick tapping a blackboard to inform him about the basics of flight and impaling your fangs into unsuspecting humans.
“His inner mind should open and he should ‘see’ the way of the vampire. His body should give him cues. A normal fledgling vampire would be in awe of this and look for immediate guidance.” She narrowed her eyes at Ray. “However, I suspect he will remain himself, but now with a second sight.”
“I see it,” he grumbled again. “It feels like I’m remembering myself from a long time ago, but the visions can’t be real. I’ve never been afraid of sunlight or had an aversion to eating any food.”
“I get a cranky she-wolf in my head fighting me for control and you get nice, peaceful daydreams. It so figures.” I stood and took a step back. “Ray, pay attention to what you’re seeing. This is how you get your survival information. Make sure the pieces fit together so you don’t lose your mind again. Once you finish catching up, and my blood does what it needs to, all the information should seem like a nice, coherent package.”
“When does it stop?” he complained. “I don’t need my brain filled up with a bunch of useless crap. I get that I’m a vampire. I suck blood and sleep during the day. What more do I need?”
Naomi shook her head. “He is unlike any I’ve ever witnessed. There are no explanations.”
Raymond Hart was the most stubborn soul I’d ever come across, and as a human, he’d never been susceptible to Nick’s persuasion. It seemed logical to assume Ray’s mind had been resistant to change as a human so as a supe it would be twice as bad. That, coupled with my powerful blood, meant there would be no dealing with him now.
I waited for a minute and watched as his eyes continued to flicker. “How’s it going now?” I asked, glancing at Naomi. “How long do you think he needs? Didn’t you tell me new vampires lose their humanity for a time? He’s obviously gone through the major part of the transition already, because he is a vampire, but what happens now?”
Naomi shook her head. “I do not know. He might need another night or two to adjust fully, it’s not easy to see. I believe he will continue to be unpredictable.”
“I’m fine,” Ray grumbled. “And I want out of these chains. I need clean clothes and a shower.”
I sighed. “Ray, you just heard Naomi. You’re unpredictable, and I can’t let you out of here until we know for sure you won’t run amok. You wanted to eat my intestines only a short time ago,” I reminded him. “If we let you loose on humanity, and you’re not back to yourself, you could kill innocent people before we could stop you.”
As a former police officer, this should still be important to him. I knew Ray would hate the thought of being a harbinger of death to innocent people—if he was still Ray on the inside.
He eyed me, his eyes finally settling into their normal hazel color. “My head is clearing. I get what happened to me. I’m a vampire now. I see the dreams and I can guarantee I’m not going crazy. But if I were to go crazy again … you can tie me up. Is that good enough for you, Hannon? Now let me out of this place.”
I bit my lip.
If he learned to fly, he could disappear. Naomi could barely control him before, and he’d been weak. “I think the best thing to do is establish the Master-fledgling thing before I set you free,” I answered. Ray didn’t know he had to accompany us to New Orleans in the next few hours or that he’d be a key piece in saving my father’s life—whatever that meant. So I couldn’t risk him taking off an
d not returning, and I wasn’t exactly sure how much to share with him until I understood our new relationship. I turned to Naomi. “How much control does a Master usually have over the fledgling?”
“They have considerable control, but normally it is unnecessary to wield any power, because the fledgling would willingly do anything for their Master. They seek approval and love, much like a puppy to its new owner.”
I arched a skeptical brow at Ray. That so wasn’t happening. The day Ray was my puppy the Earth would cease to turn. I was going to have to barter with him and we both knew it. I turned to Rourke, who stood next to me, his expression severe. “What do you think about letting him go?”
“I’ve never come in contact with a fledgling before, but I think threatening him within an inch of his life to do what we say is the first step. I’ve heard young vamps can be unwieldy, and I have zero problem killing him if he doesn’t follow your program.”
“I don’t want Rourke to kill you,” I told Ray, “so it would be nice if you followed the program. Does that mean anything coming from me as your new Master?” Crossing my fingers would be childish, but that’s exactly what I felt like doing. Any extra nugget of help I could get, I’d take right now.
Ray’s irises flicked silver. “Yes.”
His response had come through gritted teeth, but it was a start.
I’d also felt something jump in his blood at my question. Like he hadn’t wanted to answer but had been compelled to do so. Naomi had knelt next to me. She’d had my blood, too, but nothing like that had ever happened to us. “Naomi, I have to ask you something. I gave you just as much blood to heal your wounds as I did to Ray, but Ray and I seem to have an internal connection. I can feel Ray’s emotions, almost like I can with the wolves, but I don’t get much of anything from you. Do you know why that is?”
She shook her head. “I do not. But I’m very old and have drunk from many, including some very powerful supernaturals. My blood is a thousand times more potent than any human’s. I would likely need to drink much more from you for us to forge the same kind of connection. But, again, your blood is an anomaly, so it’s hard to know.”
“Hannon,” Ray said. “I don’t care about all this other bullshit. I want out of here.” He rattled his chains. “I promise to follow your program, but I’m done with the prisoner routine. I deserve time to myself to process this like a grown-up. I’ve been on your leash for weeks now and I want my life back, starting right now.”
“How do I know you won’t get into trouble and that you’ll come back?” I asked.
“Where the hell else would I go?”
“It’s not that easy,” I replied.
“Of course it is. You let me go and I come back. End of story.”
“When?” I asked.
“When I’m good and goddamn ready.”
“I don’t think so.” I put up a hand to quiet his protests. “And before you go off on another tangent, consider what we just talked about. You’re too unpredictable. We need one more day to see how things settle, see how this is going to work.”
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “If you don’t let me go now, you will regret it. I can feel the bond between us, and it’s not like it was with her”—he nodded toward Naomi—“but I want to be free. I’m not going to compromise. You can’t keep me locked up here like an animal.” He strained against his chains, some of the links bending. “You want me to follow your program, but you’re not willing to give me a chance to prove I can. Looks like the shoe’s on the other foot and you’re the one who needs to trust me. It’s either that or we keep fighting.” His fangs snapped down and he hissed. “And I get out of here on my own and don’t come back.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Gods, Ray, why do you have to be so damn bullheaded? This would’ve been so much easier if Nelson were here instead,” I complained. Chris Nelson had been Ray’s partner when I’d been on the force. He was a mild-mannered cop who’d transferred willingly to traffic violations after two years with Ray.
“Nelson was a putz. He had no gumption,” Ray retorted. “Consider yourself lucky I’m strong and capable and not going to be some ninny vampire.”
“Why can’t you be like all the other fledglings?” I said. “I want a puppy, not a hound from hell. Is there any part of you that feels the need to obey me?” I pushed power into the last words and I watched Ray react as the echo of my voice bounced around the cave.
He’d tried to cover it, but he hadn’t been fast enough.
“Raymond Hart, if I let you go, will you come back here in a few hours?” I shoved as much emotion as I could into the words.
His eyes went full black. “I already told you I would. What else do you want?” He gritted his teeth as he fought against my question, his features shifting slowly, but I knew he was answering truthfully.
“If I let you go, you can’t go near humans.” I continued the onslaught of power, until he was cringing back into the cave wall. “You can’t get into any trouble and you can’t feed from anyone.”
“I’m not fucking hungry. I just ate,” he snarled.
This was working, but I needed him cooperative in the end, not hostile.
I glanced at Naomi and she shrugged. “I’m obviously getting through to him, but he’s still as pigheaded as ever,” I said. “I don’t think the Master shtick is going to work. If I continue to use it, we’ll be at each other’s throats when this is all over. Literally. We’re going to have to think of something else.”
“Oui,” she replied. “It is quite shocking.”
In the meantime, Rourke had leaned over and hauled Ray up by his dirty shirt. The chains cinched tightly around Ray’s middle, causing him to gasp. I guess that counted as something else. He brought Ray close to his face and snarled, “If we let you go, you return in two hours. Don’t go anywhere near humans. If you’re not back on time, we hunt you down and kill you. Understand, vamp?” He shook him hard. “And I will make it personal. You will hurt like you’ve never experienced, and I will start by removing your feet at the ankles and move my way up.” Rourke’s power pinged around the cave. Ray felt it too. But this may work, because it was pure strength and not a Master’s order. “This is your test. The only one you will get. You pass it and you’re free. You don’t, you die. This is it, so don’t fuck it up.”
“Fine,” Ray bit out. “I’ll be back in two hours.”
With his other hand, Rourke pulled the chains from the wall in one tug, demonstrating in a single instance what he could do that Ray could not.
The chains dropped to the cave floor, unraveling at once, and Ray shot out of the tunnel before I could take my next breath. He disappeared into the night without looking back, no doubt testing to see if we would go after him.
Naomi made a move to follow.
“No.” I held her arm. “He goes alone. Rourke’s right. This is his test. If he’s not back in a few hours, we’ll decide what to do then. I can’t be in a constant head battle with him. I’ll kill him myself before that happens. Let’s go back to the cabin and figure out the plans. We leave for New Orleans at dawn. You and Ray can meet up with us after nightfall tomorrow.”
Naomi cleared her throat. “It will not be necessary for us to wait. We will accompany you when you leave.”
“What are you talking about? Don’t you have to sleep during the day?”
“Not anymore,” she replied.
Everyone was gathered in the cabin except for Ray. “Run that last part by me again,” I said to Naomi. My hips were pressed against what was left of the counter, my arms folded. “I don’t quite understand what you’re telling me.”
“As vampires age, our abilities strengthen, like most supernaturals. One of those abilities is our tolerance of sunlight. We mainly feed on human blood, which is weak, but as our own body ages, we eventually strengthen ourselves: bones, skin, everything.”
“But sunlight is your ‘vice,’ right?”
“We cannot die from sunlight
exposure,” she said. “Or explode as some myths like to portray. Our skin simply gets severely burned, a reaction to the sun’s strength. Our skin is very thin and it’s painful. It takes time to heal, but nothing more. We are also very sleepy during the day; it’s our natural time of rest. We are nocturnal by nature, but we are not comatose when the sun rises. But your blood has strengthened me. I do not feel pain when sunlight hits my skin.” She smiled shyly. “It is quite wonderful to feel it again. It has been a very long time.”
“I understand why this may have happened to you. You’re hundreds of years old and have had time to strengthen your body before you drank from me. But how do you know Ray will have the same reaction? He’s only had my blood for a few hours.”
She shrugged. “I do not. It is purely an assumption. But if your blood worked that way on me, it will likely do the same for him.”
Ray hadn’t returned, but he had a half hour left before his imposed deadline. “Okay, things my blood can do is ramping up to fantastical levels, but more importantly, we have to keep it all a secret,” I cautioned. “Does everyone understand?” I glanced around the group. “We’re heading deep into vampire territory, and if word gets out that I can break bonds and allow them to walk outside during the day, there could be an uprising. The Queen won’t tolerate a single vampire defecting.” If they found out, I imagined it would be like a gaggle of vampires running after me with their fangs out, screaming for sunlight.
A chorus of voices agreed.
I turned to my brother. “After you found Hank, did you find any trace of the wolves who were sent here by Dad to find him?”
Tyler had dealt with Hank. He and Danny had just come in a few minutes ago. “Yes,” he said grimly. “He’d broken their necks and tossed them over a cliff.”
“Did you know either of them?”
“We couldn’t get down close enough to them to get a facial ID, but going by scent I only knew one,” Danny answered. “He’d been a nice enough fellow, but too young to know any better.”
“Dad should’ve known.” Tyler shook his head.
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