Triquetra

by Marguerite Labbe

  “Sorry, man. Was just trying to get him back upstairs before he puked all over the place again.”

  The guy in the elevator eyed Tony. “He looks fucked up. Did he get caught in the middle of a riot?” He chuckled a bit nervously.

  Tony’s clothing was torn and bloodied, and I cursed myself for not thinking about that. “He tripped in a mosh pit. Bad idea. I wouldn’t recommend it. The people in there have no mercy.”

  “You know you could always enthrall him, plant a suggestion so he’ll forget meeting you and Tony.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not? Some moral code of yours that I don’t know about?”

  “No, people irritate me too damned much. I’d be brain zapping left and right if you showed me how to do that.” It would be too much of a temptation.

  The elevator doors opened on Kristair’s mental sigh and I gave the guy a cheery wave. “You do already know how to do it.”

  “Stop tempting me or I’ll start calling you Darth Kristair.” My lover’s confusion had me grinning.

  Someone must have been looking over me because I managed to make it to Kayla’s door without encountering anyone else. I’d barely knocked when the door opened and Steve peered out, the lines of anxiety on his face easing some. “About damn time,” he said and grabbed my arm, hauling me inside. “Is Tony okay?”

  “Lay him down here,” Kayla said, getting up from her bed.

  “I need to get him to heal himself and then he needs to feed. I don’t know how bad off he is. There was a whole damn herd of them on him.” I slung Tony down on the bed. Shit, he was heavy.

  Kayla glared at me as she straightened his legs and smoothed back his hair. “He’s not a book bag, Jake.”

  “You try carrying him all the way back, unconscious.” Worn out, I sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and tried to gauge how many bite marks there were on him. I was damn nervous at the thought of him feeding. How the hell were we going to control him? The memory of Kristair’s feeding after he’d been burned so badly came back to me. With all of his willpower, if he’d lost control, what chance did Tony have?

  “So what do we do?” Steve asked, worrying his lip.

  “I’m still trying to figure that out. He’s gonna go ape shit when he tastes blood.” Ugh. The thought of anyone else biting me other than Kristair was gross, even if it was my friend.

  “Here,” Kayla said, pulling out a bunch of silk scarves from her dresser. “We’ll tie him down and sit on his legs.”

  My brows shot up as I picked up a bright blue one with a flower pattern. “That’s my kinky girl.”

  “Perve. It’s called knowing how to accessorize.” Kayla picked up one and tied Tony’s foot to the metal frame of her bed as Steve slapped the back of my head.

  “Don’t give me that. You thought it too,” I muttered, and tied Tony’s other foot. I still wasn’t sure it’d be enough to keep Tony in line.

  “Get your thoughts off of my daughter’s bedroom habits and concentrate on the task at hand.” Kristair’s prim tone had me snickering until he gave me a mental buffet same as Steve had. “You can set a leash on his mind. Between the two of us we should be able to control him until the worst of his hunger has abated.”

  “I’ll go first,” Kayla said as I scooted up on the bed and laid my fingers against Tony’s temples.

  “No, I will,” Steve replied, rolling up his sleeves. He cut Kayla off as she began to argue. “I need to do this for him. Are you sure he’s okay, Jake? Fuck, he looks dead to me.”

  “He’s an unconscious vampire. He’s supposed to look dead. Trust me, you’ll see him react the moment he tastes your blood. But give me a sec.” I probed Tony’s consciousness until I caught the rush of his emotions, raw terror and savage hunger. I shuddered and gave Steve an abrupt nod. “Go ahead and nick your wrist.”

  The moment he laid his wrist against Tony’s mouth, Tony tensed under my fingers. His eyes flew open, his gaze feral and inhuman as he snarled and jerked against his bonds. Kayla plopped down on his legs and Steve cursed as Tony latched onto his wrist.

  “Tony, it’s us. Steve and Jake and Kayla. We’ll make sure you’re okay. Calm down. Focus on my voice. Fight through the frenzy. You’ve got to heal yourself. Slow down. You don’t want to hurt Steve. We’ll make sure you get everything you need. Come on, buddy. Trust me.”

  I repeated it over and over again, hoping to break through the animal haze in his head. I sensed Kristair’s ruthless control over him, forcing Tony to pull back from Steve after several long moments. Tony hissed and snarled, jerking and half-rising up off the bed.

  Then Kayla was sitting down next to him and tersely muttered to Steve, “Don’t frickin’ argue or try to get all overprotective. It’s a bad habit you’ve developed.” Kristair’s hold on Tony tightened until my friend’s mind cried out in distress, pain lancing through him. “It’ll be okay. Kayla’s stronger than the rest of us,” I soothed. “Ease up, Kristair.”

  She made no sound as Tony sank his fangs into her wrist and I couldn’t help but wonder if Kristair had ever bitten her. Mentally, he shook his head. “That wasn’t something I wanted to open up between us, especially with the way she felt. It would have only complicated matters.”

  Tony didn’t fight as much this time when Kristair and I forced him to let go of Kayla. His gaze was almost lucid as he watched me with hard eyes. “Let go of me, Jake,” he hissed in my thoughts.

  “Promise to behave.”

  He snarled in response. It was so damned surreal to see my friend with fangs, blood around his mouth, and a predator’s light in his eyes. Knowing he was a vamp was one thing; seeing proof fucking positive was another.

  “He should be fine. His injuries weren’t as extensive as mine were and his wounds aren’t deep.”

  “Who’s that?” Tony demanded.

  “It’s my alter ego. Now shaddup. Here’s the deal. I’m gonna let you bite me and then you’re gonna heal yourself. Got it?”

  “Fine!”

  It was over with quickly. Even as Tony fed, the bite marks closed up and his gaze lost some of its rabid hunger. He ceased straining against Kayla’s scarves and relaxed back against the bed. He didn’t make one sound of protest as I pulled back, grateful for the loss of contact. I couldn’t stand anyone other than Kristair biting me.

  The room was silent at first as he licked his lips. “How are you feeling, Tony?” Kayla asked, nudging me aside.

  “I’ll be fucking dandy once you untie me,” he snapped.

  Without hesitation she picked at the knot and undid it. Steve stirred uneasily and I gave him a reassuring smile as I started on one of Tony’s ankles. The scarves would have barely slowed Tony down for a moment now that Kristair wasn’t holding him still with his mind. They’d only been an extra deterrent if I hadn’t been able to control him as much as I had. If he was showing enough restraint to keep from ripping them off, then I trusted him not to go crazy once he was released.

  When the last scarf fell away, Tony uncoiled himself from the bed in a fluid, dangerous move. “Don’t wait up for me. I’ll call you tomorrow night.”

  “Hey, Tony.” He paused and looked back at Kayla, who gave him one of her winsome smiles. “Thanks for everything.”

  He grinned back at her, an odd mix of Tony’s old boyishness and lupine grace. He winked at her. “You can tie me to your bed anytime, sweetness.”

  Steve let out an explosive breath as Tony left. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this.” I didn’t even have to ask to know exactly what he meant and I shared his feelings one hundred and fifteen damn percent.

  “Oh, he’ll be back to himself once he’s hunted,” Kayla said, plopping down on her bed with almost obscene casualness.

  I winced. I’d hate to be the poor sucker who ran into Tony tonight. “It won’t be so bad, Jacob. He’s not hungry enough to hurt anybody, and if he does it right, they won’t even remember.”

  “The thought of being so
mebody’s midnight snack is unnerving.”

  “You never minded being my midnight snack,” Kristair reminded me. “No one animal is at the top of the food chain, no matter how much they’d like to delude themselves. There’s always something or a pack of somethings ready to take you down. Gives life a certain zest, don’t you think?”

  “I think you’re trying to ignore the fact that Kayla’s sitting a foot away from you, and you’re doing a rather bad job of it too.”

  I glanced over at her only to find her studying me calmly. I swear nothing ever seemed to rattle her. “You just don’t know the signs. She’s rattled all right, and not liking it one bit.”

  I gave into Kristair’s want and sat down next to her, skimming my fingers over her jaw. “How are you holding up, troublemaker?”

  “Just fine, and glad to be home.” Even that little of a hint of relief told me Kristair was right and she was on edge. I slung my arm around her and after a moment she leaned in and laid her head on my shoulder. As much as I wanted to go back to my own place and be alone with Kristair, I couldn’t ignore what had happened to her today.

  Steve took the chair and sat down across from Kayla and took her hands, kissing her knuckles. I had to smile. I don’t think I’d ever seen Steve quite this way with a girl. I wondered if he realized yet that he was in love with her.

  “What are you talking about?” My lips twitched at Kristair’s outraged tone.

  “Just hush. They’re good for each other.”

  “Are you okay?” Steve asked, studying her face. There was tenderness in the question that had me eyeing the door before his voice turned fierce. “They didn’t touch you, did they?”

  “They didn’t dare. I think they were a little scared of the situation they’d gotten themselves into. They were worried enough about what Jake would do and not so certain you wouldn’t bring Uncle Ghedi into it. I’m surprised you didn’t actually.”

  “I didn’t, but Tony did.” Steve’s eyes jerked toward me and I shrugged. The gamble had paid off. Tony had risked himself in the end, so I wasn’t going to bitch about it anymore.

  “Well then, since you’re okay and I see that Steve isn’t going to let you out of his sight, I’m heading back to my dorm. It’s been such a freaking crazy day I don’t know which side is up anymore.”

  “Wait.” Kayla grabbed my hand and studied my face. Kristair fell silent and drew back into that small corner of my mind, walling himself up. I knew what she was searching for and hesitated. Despite what I’d said to Kristair earlier, I don’t know if this was the best time to reveal that he was kinda, sorta back. “I guess I was just imagining things,” Kayla murmured, releasing me with a tired sigh.

  She turned away, her tawny hair falling across her face so I couldn’t see her expression. I let her be. She wouldn’t appreciate me making a big deal out of her mourning and it had been a rough day for all of us. Maybe telling her that her father was back, but unable to communicate with her, was a bad idea. At least for tonight.

  Steve tugged Kayla into his arms and I slipped out the door. “Thank you, mo chroí,” Kristair murmured, emerging fully once more into my thoughts. “I don’t want to get her hopes up if this doesn’t work.”

  “It’ll work,” I replied with grim determination. I’d make damn sure of it.

  Chapter 19

  I LAY on Jacob’s bed on my stomach, watching him prowl the room like the predator he so ardently claimed not to be while he spoke on the phone with Ussier. As much as I enjoyed the intimacy of being one with him when I occupied a corner of his mind, I missed watching him like this.

  My lover was so expressive, and not just in his face either. He showed what he was feeling in how he moved and in the shade of his voice when he spoke. I didn’t need our connection to know his emotions, and right now Jacob was trying to work through something in his mind before speaking of it. I could dip into his thoughts easily enough and nudge him to talk, but I preferred for him to tell me, in his own time, and his own words.

  I savored our bond after having only a shadow of it for so long. It still didn’t seem real. I was back home in one fashion and reunited with Jacob, though my Mistress had arranged it in such a way that we’d be left frustrated and unsatisfied with our reunion. Or at least I believe that was her intention.

  Jacob wanted to look at me and touch me at the same time. And I wanted to be free to walk beside him, to aid him in his battle against the Syndicate instead of dispensing advice from inside his head.

  Still, I think she had underestimated the impact my return had had on the both of us. And the restrictions only had made us both more determined.

  We had slipped so easily into our connection, almost as if we’d never parted. Merging with him had been as natural as feeding once had, and far more fulfilling. This was where I belonged. Yet time weighed on my mind. Fourteen days. We had so little with which to destroy the Syndicate beyond any hope of recovery and to ensure Jacob’s safety.

  Jacob’s shoulders tightened further and he scowled at me as he shut off his phone, tossing it without a care on the desk. “The Syndicate isn’t our main problem, Kristair. In fact, it’s not even our problem at all anymore. Ussier’s gonna take care of them.”

  I propped my chin on my fist and studied him. At last, we were getting to what troubled him. I could count on it not taking long with my lover. He was not one to sit around and brood for days on end. He was driven to action, even when action wasn’t called for. Jacob was in a dangerous mood, emotions swirling in a volatile mix, yet I couldn’t deny the thrill of excitement it gave me. “Just because Ussier’s leading the charge doesn’t mean they’ll leave you in peace.”

  “I know that,” Jacob snapped. “But I have more damned important things on my mind than worryin’ about those bastards. Ever think about that? Fuck, you say I’m stubborn, but you, once you get yer mind on a goal, you don’t drop it for nothing.”

  Jacob’s accent had thickened, always a sure sign that something was really eating at him, versus a rush of temper that always disappeared as quick as it came. I took time sitting up and drawing my bare knees to my chest to give myself a chance to think out what I wanted to say. “They aren’t the kind of people we can just ignore. They won’t stop until they get what they want or they are destroyed.”

  “That’s not why ya came back!” I blinked at Jacob’s shout, but before I could respond, he was moving on. “God fucking dammit, Kristair! You came back so we could figure out a way to be together again, not to get involved in the middle of another bloodsucker war.”

  “I just need to be sure you’ll be safe if—”

  “No, don’t you fucking say it,” Jacob raged. “Don’t say if; don’t even think it. I swear I can’t handle you giving up once more. It’s happening all over again.”

  I tried to probe his mind, but couldn’t make sense out of the welter and confusion of emotion and his seething thoughts. I wanted to reach out to him, but knew he wouldn’t welcome it until he got everything on his mind out in the open. “In what way? What’s happening again?” I asked. I didn’t think he meant the Syndicate’s attacks, at least not for the most part.

  “First, you show up all unexpected again, not that I’m complaining. Then the Syndicate starts making asses out of themselves again. And at the same time we’ve got this short amount of time where we need to figure out how to save you, but you’d rather fight the Syndicate instead of using that overstuffed brain of yours to figure out a way to get us out of this mess. I’m not watching you give up again. Not this time.”

  Shocked, I stared at him until my mind could pull together my thoughts. “How can you say such a thing? I wouldn’t give up on you. Not ever.” And the thought of Jacob ever giving up on his own was unfathomable.

  “That’s the point. Can’t you see? You may not give up on me, but you sure as hell are quick to give up on yourself.” He leaned against the wall with a cynical smile. “You stopped fighting last time, distracted yourself with the Syndicate a
nd stopped looking for answers. Don’t try to deny it, because I know it’s true. I have all your memories, remember? That last night in the hotel, you had made the decision to stop looking for an answer.”

  “Jacob.” My heart lurched at the sudden wave of anguish within my lover. “I’m sorry, mo chroí. There was nothing I could do anymore. Nowhere else to look. It was inevitable and I hadn’t wanted to waste what time I had left with you. I wanted to savor it.”

  “You didn’t know that for certain. You can’t look me in the eye and tell me that you knew it then, and just because you’ve discovered it since then doesn’t count. Even if you did know, I can’t do it again. Losing you is one thing. Maybe we won’t win this fight either, but I need to know you’re going to give it everything you’ve got this time. Everything, until the bitter fucking end.”

  Unable to stay away anymore, I began to rise so I could go to him. He shook his head and the surge of denial I sensed in him had me sinking back down, trying to ignore the little stab of hurt. Jacob ran a hand through his hair, standing it up in little spikes and tumbled waves.

  “And then you admitted to almost not coming back at all, of letting me go, which I get, sorta. But just tell me now, are you here to ease your own worries about me or are you really back so we can find a way to keep you here?”

  What could I say? Of all the ways I’d known I’d hurt him, this had never even occurred to me. This time when I stood up, Jacob only looked at me as if I somehow could give him all the answers he sought. I reached out to take him by the shoulders then remembered I couldn’t touch him and let my hands fall. I had not realized how difficult that rule would be to bear, hadn’t recognized my own need to touch and look.

  “Just answer the question, Kris. It’s not a hard one.”

  Didn’t he know already? Couldn’t he sense my commitment to him? To us? “I am here to stay.” I paused, sensing it wasn’t enough, and searched his face, felt his doubt echo my own fears. “I swear to fight ’til the end, if need be.”