"Not true," Amelia protested, scowling at Lucien in disappointment. "Let's say you don't mutate, Luna will still have broken the law. You know transformations aren't allowed without prior approval of the king."
"Screw the king!" I growled. "That makes me wanna do this shit even more! Seriously, dear old daddy's already gonna be pissed once we split. What's one more addition to his list?"
"I'm not trying to be a downer," she replied, glancing at her hands sheepishly. "But there's another problem. One slave to two vamps simply isn't enough. On top of that, I'm bonded to you, Luna. Lucien will have trouble feeding from me. In theory, if you guys drink at the same time, it should reduce a portion of the ill effects caused by our bond. That being said, it will assuredly result in small feedings for the both of you."
Lucien threw his arm around me. "We can do it," he urged, squeezing gently. "If a successful getaway is our primary objective, then changing me is to our advantage. Besides, I won't help with an escape plan that puts your life in danger, girlie. Fleeing from high court unprotected is suicide."
"I agree, we can't be defenseless," I muttered, steeling my resolve. "That's why I'm gonna turn you. I see that there are risks, nevertheless, I believe they're worth the rewards."
Amelia leaped forward in desperation, grasping my hand. "Luna, you mustn't..."
"No, I've decided and that's final," I growled, impulsively shrugging her off. Some situations called for a voice of reason, but come on! "You can either help us or go chill in your room. Either way, stop the incessant arguing."
Immediately, she nodded in acquiescence. "I understand. And I'm sorry, I merely sought to devise a safe plan. Don't mistake my caution for disobedience, of course, I'll help."
"Glad to hear it. Now, I assume that once Lucien completes his transformation he'll have to stay out of sight in the interest of not revealing our hand. Therefore, your primary responsibility will be to obtain the pass code. Yet, I also want you to learn the route that'll most efficiently lead us above ground."
"As you wish," she agreed, promptly standing and walking toward the bathroom door. "They brought us into high court wearing hoods, intending that we'd never orient ourselves with the tunnel system. So, this will take some work; I should get going." She paused, briefly peeking back at us. "Either of you need anything while I'm running errands?"
"A clock and the time," I replied curtly. "Oh, and a television might be nice. Who knows how long we'll be stuck in here before we get the opportunity to escape."
Lucien picked at his torn gown, grimacing in distaste. "I'd like some actual clothes, instead of this hideous ceremonial dress. And try to find a couple backpacks for us to carry supplies in. Above all, avoid retrieving any items that could be mistaken as weapons. It'll raise suspicion if discovered by the guards."
Amelia agreed and pushed off in a hurry, closing the door behind her and leaving the two of us to stare at each other in a slightly uncomfortable silence. "Okay," I eventually grunted, clearing my throat and squaring my shoulders. "How do we do this?"
Lucien's thin lips curled upward in surprise. "You wanna change me, uh, now?"
"Yeah. If you're gonna turn into a crazed vampire killer we might as well find out, right?" I scoffed, chuckling at the absurdity of my new reality.
"First, you must feed; drain my body almost entirely," he instructed, using his words to project an air of seriousness that abruptly halted my flippant attitude. "It'll cause me to grow extremely weak. This means that once we begin, we must finish, or I'll die."
I cringed, readying myself for a hasty bout of protesting. "I don't wanna drink your blood. Can't we drain it in the bathtub or something? If I heard you correctly, I already gave you the initial virus during the ceremony yesterday. So, why feed from you again? Seems like overkill to me."
"You'll need the strength. And, seeing that your change occurred recently, you won't be as healthy as most vamps are when they bestow the gift. We can't risk you going into this in any weaker of a state. Also, you'll require another feeding subsequent to my change. It may take several days for you to fully recuperate."
At a loss, I deliberated on my options for a few moments, weighing the positives and negatives of our little endeavor. In the end, I finally verbalized my concerns. "I see your point, but how will I know it's time to quit drinking? What if I accidentally go too far?"
He reached over and squeezed my hand warmly. "No worries, they taught us a method of measuring our blood loss; I'll tell you when to stop. I promise, we'll both live through this."
Recognizing that waiting would only give me an excuse to chicken out, I lifted his wrist to my nose and inhaled deeply. All the while, his vein throbbed as a tempting invitation. Fangs protruding, I hesitated for one last second to gaze into his almond-shaped eyes. In them, I saw trust, respect, and love. I prayed this was the right course of action. No going back, if it wasn't.
As I pierced his soft skin, evoking a flow of delicious energy to tingle across my tongue, I felt myself gaining strength. And, like before, I perceived his feelings, everything I'd seen in his eyes. Trust, respect, love. Not even the barest glimpse of anxiety. And my mind whirled at the realization.
For real, if I was him, I'd be about to have a heart attack! Wait a minute, I was about to have a heart attack! Too many things could go wrong! What if he died, or he attacked me, or I died!?
"Breathe girlie, it's going to be alright," he replied, once again hearing my thoughts.
"I know," I thought to back him while continuing to guzzle his life away. "I'm just nervous."
"There's no reason to be; we're nearly there," he panted, his voice sounding faint as he leaned his weight onto me for support.
"Should I stop now? You're getting weak."
His eyes drifted closed. "Almost, girlie, a bit..." I'd already begun letting go of his wrist when he whispered, "We're there, that's enough."
With his body limp, supporting him on the edge of the tub was becoming quite a battle. As a result, I moved us onto the floor positioning him carefully on my lap. Now what? We hadn't discussed this part. No knife to cut myself with or cup to drain my blood into. Damn, he'd have to drink straight from me. I shuddered at the idea. Although, I'd drank from him. Quid pro quo and all. Jeesh.
And how to get my blood flowing? Should I bite my wrist like they did in the movies or break open the gash on my arm? Glancing down at Lucien, I quickly saw that he wasn't gonna be of any help. The poor guy simply laid there, incoherent and pale as snow, taking in raspy breaths.
And, since biting myself sounded less than appealing, I chose option number two. Unfortunately, after removing the bandage, I discovered that my wound had completely healed. No scab or even a scar. Well, cancel that plan; I'd have to use my fangs. Wincing, I sniffed my skin, attempting to stimulate my chompers into re-extending. Nothing. Crap!
No time! He could die at any moment! And so, that's how it went, how I proceeded to gnaw on my own wrist with my blunt human teeth. Forcefully, I ground at the skin and there was intense pain. Regardless, following a couple good nips, I hit pay dirt. Absolutely disgusting pay dirt. No wonder my fangs refused to come out and play!
Trying not to hurl, I placed the open wound at Lucien's mouth, gradually letting my blood trickle in. And, a few minutes later, he started to suck. It was a strange sensation. Comforting, uniting, and sensual. Inherently being joined with his feelings, while simultaneously beginning to perceive his thoughts. At first, his ramblings were a jumbled mess, unintelligible. Yet, in time, they grew clearer.
"I swear loyalty for the length of my existence," he thought to me. "I'll happily trade my life for yours whenever the need arises. And, if you ask anything of me, you'll receive it. I'm yours and yours alone until eternity takes us both." He punctuated his words with a wave of the purist, most unadulterated love.
Automatically, tears filled my eyes and I knew something had transpired between us that was truly amazing. I pushed my unconditional love back in his direction, instantly
comprehending that we were family. In fact, I felt closer to him than I'd ever been with anyone, even my mother. "You've given me a gift much greater..." And, suddenly, as though my strength had been stolen, I was unable to finish my sentence.
The room spun and small bursts of light speckling my vision, making it impossible to send him my thoughts or hear his in return. So, with intuition as my guide, I removed my wrist from his lips to ensure I'd keep the remainder of my blood and slumped against the wall in an exhausted heap. I mean, he said I'd be weak, but that was a gross understatement. It was like being half-dead with the bird flu, or H1N1, or a disease equally as hideous.
"Are you alright?" Lucien gurgled, blood dripping from his chin. Then, seconds ahead of my response, his body exploded with convulsions.
I remembered my own change. Scary and confusing. Still, I couldn't lift a finger to comfort him. My eyelids were heavy, my brain incapable of functioning, as the world swiftly narrowed to blackness and I lost consciousness.
I have no recollection of the amount of time that actually passed. However, when I awoke, a frantic Amelia was hovering above us, shaking me. "Princess! Oh no, Luna!" she screamed as she carried on with her relentless shaking. "Open your eyes! Come on! Wake up! You must feed from me! Now!"
"Okay, okay, I'm awake," I moaned, lacking the strength to argue. "Give me your wrist."
She followed my orders without hesitation and, in a flash, I was swallowing gulps of her blood. Weak, so terribly weak. My taste buds awakened, ecstatic at languishing in the silky liquid. Meanwhile, Amelia's emotions collided with my tattered consciousness, causing doubts and worries to overtake my mind. Anxiety. Foreboding. Fear.
Clinging to alertness, I sluggishly reevaluated my decision to change Lucien. Had it been the wrong choice or the right one? Would we make it through this? Nausea, spinning, awkwardness. Twinkling lights in my periphery. Damn, I might pass out again...
"You have to stop, Luna. I've given all I can," Amelia cautioned, her voice hoarse as she extricated herself from my grasp.
"Thanks, uh, I feel a little better." Although, truthfully, with this feeding as a gauge, I'd require buckets of blood before life would improve. Sigh. "So, um, how's Lucien doing?" I murmured, unable to tell if he was breathing despite his position on my lap.
"He'll be fine; you're the one I'm concerned about. I told you guys this would deplete too much of your energy. You really should've listened to me." She paused, exhaling loudly as she gripped Lucien shoulders and struggled to pull him out of my arms. "Here, I'm gonna move you to the bedroom."
"No!" I squeaked, pulse thumping in my ears. For some reason, the idea of being separated from him felt like a stab to the heart, very similar to the dream of my attack.
Immediately, her face swelled with kind compassion. "I'll take him in there too, don't worry. Let's just get you situated first."
I wished I could've argued with her, but she wasted no time in wrenching him away from me. I must've lost consciousness shortly thereafter, because I woke to the soft feel of my comforter and the sound of her heavy inhalations as she hefted Lucien's deadweight onto the bed next to me.
Reaching over, I settled my hand comfortably on his chest and appreciated the repetitious movement, the rising and falling, the breath followed by steady breath. He'd live, perhaps we both would. And, with that realization, a sliver of contentment accompanied me into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 13
"Girlie, hey, you need to get up," Lucien purred into my ear, awakening me from my slumber. "They've been asking for you and we can't hold them off any longer."
"More sleep, a couple hours," I moaned, rolling away from him and curling into a ball. Seriously, I felt like crap; I'm talking hospital material. Why wouldn't everybody just leave me alone? Couldn't they see I was in bad shape?
He stroked my hair gently. "We know you feel horrible. Regardless, the guards are preparing to enter. They can't find you in this condition or they'll realize something's wrong. If you truly intend on escaping, you must summon the energy to deal with them."
"How, um, how long have I been out?"
"Here, Luna," Amelia murmured, placing her wrist beneath my nose to stimulate my fangs. "You were both unconscious for two days, with Lucien waking yesterday. I'd hoped you'd be able to rise on your own as well, but the guards are growing suspicious." Following instinct, I pierced her skin and started to feed as she went on with her explanation. "I told them that killing the intruder took its toll on you emotionally and, for this reason, you aren't receiving visitors."
Slowly opening my eyes, I was greeted by the brand on her arm. It'd turned from an ugly blister to a brown scab. Meanwhile, I felt her strength waning and promptly took it as a cue to stop drinking. "And they bought that lame excuse?" I asked, once I'd released her. "I mean, so far the guards have basically forced me to do whatever they wanted. How'd you convince 'em to listen to you?"
"You're the princess; they're the royal guard. The only person outranking you is the king. They must follow your commands, unless his majesty has given express orders to the contrary. Since I'm your bonded slave and I came with your instructions, they retained no option other than compliance." She flashed me a mischievous grin, then rushed off in the direction of the bathroom.
In her absence, I transferred my gaze onto Lucien. A layer of brown stubble had grown across his formerly clean-shaven face and his burn had completely healed, exposing the unblemished scar of a crescent moon. Besides that, he seemed the same. Tussled brown hair, kind eyes. "Your transformation, it went alright? You didn't feel the urge to bite me?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, no black demon here. I wish it hadn't zapped so much of your power though. We've been trying to wake you for at least an hour. Amelia was totally spazzing."
And with that, she rushed back into the room carrying an armful of makeup. "Sorry to tell you this, but you look like death warmed over. If they see you in your current state, we're in trouble. Come on, Lucien, help me reposition her." Instantly, he jumped into action, propping me up with a few pillows. And, honestly, I was glad for the help on account of my body's pathetic weakness.
Awkwardly pulling a brush from her pocket, Amelia dumped her load onto the bed. And, yeah, I really must've been out of it because, until that moment, I hadn't noticed her clothes. She wore black jeans with a form fitting red baby-t. In turn, I re-examined Lucien, taking in his red button-down and black slacks. "You guys are twinsies," I teased, stifling a giggle.
"It's better than matching dresses," he groaned. "That was hideous."
Amelia, raising her eyebrows in feigned obstinance, wriggled her finger at me. "Don't make fun, these outfits were the best I could find. Now, lean forward; I need to brush your hair. We don't have much time."
"What are they gonna do, bust the door down?" I quipped, aggravation filling my voice.
"Maybe," she shrugged noncommittally, hurrying to tame my tangles and cover my face with a layer of liquid base. "William's extremely insistent upon speaking with you in person. I pushed him off an hour ago, placating him with a story about Lucien helping you bathe. I promised that once you finished, he'd receive an audience."
Damn, all the vamp rigmarole was exhausting. Still, I had to give the girl props. It sure sounded as though she'd been lying up a storm to keep Lucien's change and our impending escape a secret. "By the way, did you ever get the pass code?"
"Yep," she bubbled, a proud smile reaching to her ears. "And, you were right, the guards aren't as careful around me."
"Thank god!" I cheered, heartbeat quickening at the idea of freedom. "We're actually gonna get outta here!"
Lucien cleared his throat, interrupting us. "I hate to rain on your guys' parade, but we're nowhere near ready. Look at yourself, Luna. You're a mess. In this condition, there's no chance of us outrunning the guards."
On the heels of his comment, Amelia's happy demeanor grew thick with apprehension. She'd finished brushing my hair and was applying foundation to my face. "The exi
t isn't too far from here," she offered. "About a five minute walk. That being said, we do have a slight problem. The last tunnel is packed with surveillance cameras and there's another numeric lock on the exterior door."
"How in the hell are we supposed to maneuver through all that?" I grumped, my mood plummeting at the news. For real, one bad thing after another. Sigh.
"No worries, girlie. Where there's a will, there's a way."
Amelia pursed her lips, staring blankly into the distance. "I understand you don't trust Lord Adrian. Nevertheless, I spoke with him yesterday."
"You did what?" I snapped, causing her to cringe back and spill the majority of the cosmetics onto the floor.
"I know you're angry," she shrilled, holding up her hands as if to ward off a blow. "Just please, please give me a moment to explain. It was the most efficient way of learning the code to the second door." She hesitated, glancing nervously between us, before discharging a shaky breath. "You see, I helped them carry out their belongings. The king banished Lord Adrian and all his people from sector one until further notice. They were in a rush to depart and gladly accepted my assistance."
I really wasn't too keen on the fact that she'd schmoozed with the scumbag who obviously wanted me dead. Regardless, I did see her point. And perhaps it was the best approach. "It's okay, I'm not mad. You got the numbers though, right?"
She returned my scrutiny with glossy eyes. "Oh yes. I also have a message from Lord Adrian. He said he'll be there whenever you require his help and that you'll remember how to contact him."
"Like that's ever gonna happen," I scoffed, briefly wondering why Tsedaka didn't punish Adrian worse. Seriously, the creep had hired an assassin to kill me. Was my safety of that little value? Probably...
"Being in possession of both codes greatly improves our chances," Lucien noted, shifting the discussion back to our escape. "We should be able to make it past the security cameras if we choose the correct time and run fast enough."
Knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!
The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) Page 11
