The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series)

by Christine Asher

  "I'd pitch in, but I'm hanging on by a thread myself," I added, hastily grasping the severity of our predicament. The horizon was lightening into shades of purple. If we didn't find shelter soon, Lucien and I would probably die.

  "I'll make it, just walk slow," Amelia faintly murmured, her teeth chattering again from the cold.

  Having no choice, we continued on with our seemingly never-ending journey. And, unsurprisingly, Amelia collapsed within a couple miles. Seriously, why was life so goddamn difficult? Groaning in frustration, I flopped onto the ground at her side and tenderly cradled her in my lap. My fault. All mine. I'd fed on her, made her weak. Might be the cause of all our deaths.

  "No worries, there's a drainage ditch," Lucien observed. Turning to the north, he motioned to a metal culvert that ran under the highway, one large enough for us to crawl into on our hands and knees. "It'll shelter us for the day."

  Hesitantly, I refocused on Amelia, taking in her exhausted eyes as she blinked them and struggled to regain consciousness. The poor girl couldn't drag herself an inch farther. And, honestly, who was I kidding? Lucien and I couldn't go that much farther either. Surveying the area, I quickly understood his logic; the ditch was our best option, even though, the idea of sleeping in such a place totally sceeved me out.

  "Here, I'll help," Lucien grunted, lifting her from my arms and wobbling toward the culvert. Bringing up the rear, I chided myself for having to lower ourselves to the rungs of homeless people. What if it rained and the ditch flooded? Or we froze to death? Jeesh.

  My apprehensions aside, Amelia crawled in first, followed by Lucien, and then me. I moved cautiously, praying that we wouldn't encounter any hostile raccoons or other small animals. And, once we got to the middle, my butt only needed a minute of contact with the ice-cold metal to go completely numb. Exactly what I'd been dreaming of on my first day of freedom...

  "Amelia, scoot between us to share our body heat," Lucien ordered matter-of-factly. "We can handle more of the cold than you can."

  "Sounds good to me," she squeaked through cracked lips, hurriedly crawling over Lucien to situate herself in the middle. And, within seconds, we'd all smooshed together, creating an Amelia sandwich. The thought brought with it a mental image that almost made me start giggling. Although, instead, it spurred my stomach into rumbling angrily. Food.

  "I'm hungry too," Lucien replied, either hearing the growling or perceiving my nonsensical inner babble.

  Fortunately, I was beginning to adjust to his constant perception of my, well, everything, I guess. And I deflected the comment, striving to push our conversation onto more productive matters. "Listen, we need to figure out what we're gonna do tomorrow, once the sun goes down."

  "Before we came to high court," Amelia sniffled, wavering briefly as if she was choosing her next words wisely. "Lord Adrian gave us a phone number to call in case we ever required his assistance. I guarantee he'd be willing to hide us."

  "Thanks for trying to help and all, but notifying the main person who wants me dead of my whereabouts isn't smart." The exhaustion must've clouded her reasoning.

  "Actually, it's a viable plan," Lucien interceded. "The evidence against Lord Adrian is merely circumstantial; he didn't send the assassin."

  "Yeah, well, there's more to the story and I, uh, I apologize for not telling you earlier," I faltered, wishing my guilty emotions would subside. "I wasn't certain that I could trust you guys. At any rate, Adrian and I have been communicating telepathically for awhile now. And, uh, he was in my room that night."

  Immediately, Lucien's face contorted in bewilderment. "You told us you were alone when the intruder came."

  "Yes, I was by myself at that point. You see, Adrian poofed in for a visit before the attack. And since I couldn't fall asleep, he volunteered to stay with me, um, so I'd feel safe enough to be able to relax." Jesus, how retarded! Sane people don't protect themselves by inviting men they hardly knew into their beds for cuddle sessions. Dumb, totally dumb. "So, uh, basically, he left ahead of the attacker's arrival."

  "That still doesn't mean he was involved," Amelia objected, an agitated tone edging her voice.

  "Well, it's definitely not in his favor. I mean, we're unsure how that human got past the guards. And Adrian has the power to move unseen; he could've brought the guy into my room. Pretty suspicious, if you ask me."

  "Luna, are you well? I heard of your escape," Adrian thought to me, barging into my mind.

  "Shit! Why'd you guys go and mention him. Now he's invaded my head!"

  "I'm, uh, I'm sorry," Amelia stammered. "I didn't realize talking about him would enable a connection with you."

  "Yeah, the creep can insert himself into my mind whenever I think of him." I balled my hands into fists, contemplating how good it'd feel to punch the frigid metal of the culvert.

  "Luna, stop ignoring me. I'm offering help," Adrian thought to me again. "My safe house is in Salina, a half-hour from high court. Only my most trusted guards are aware of it. You'll be protected there until I can make arrangements for you to join me."

  "Do you think I'm an idiot? I'd be a sitting duck, ready for the kill. Sorry to say it, but I trust you about as much as I trust Tsedaka. And I just escaped his ass! I'm not gonna let another man lock me in a room and hold me prisoner. Piss on that!"

  "You'll have the ability to leave at any time. And, to be frank, my resources can safeguard you against whoever sent the assassin as well as Tsedaka. This is important because, if the king finds you, he'll insist on some form of punishment. In short, he must redress challenges to his authority publicly, otherwise, he'll look weak among the vampire community."

  "It doesn't make sense. Why do you wanna help me so badly?"

  "Our futures are inextricably intertwined. Understandably, you're not ready to accept this at the present time. Nonetheless, you will in the near future. I merely hope to keep you alive until then."

  "If that's true, why'd you poof the psycho killer into my room?"

  "I did nothing of the sort. In fact, I ensured that you were surrounded by specially educated slaves. I provided Lucien with additional guard training and college to prepare him for your service. Furthermore, they both were raised in my private household to give them practice maneuvering in vampire social circles. I tried my best. Believe me, if I could've predicted the assassination attempt, I would've remained to protect you. I assumed you were safe."

  "Whatever, just get out of my head. And I don't want your help."

  "Please, at least permit me to wire you money. You're in desperate need."

  "No. I'm not giving you a chance to meet up with me at the western union. Seriously, how can I put this any more clearly? LEAVE ME ALONE."

  "But, Luna..."

  "I've said no. NOW LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE."

  "I won't force your hand, darling. Still, remember that my door is always open."

  And with that, he left me to the disharmony of my own psyche. Lucien and Amelia were gawking at me with big eyes, apparently wondering what'd transpired. Clamming up with the knowledge that I'd gotten us into this mess, I silently prayed escaping was the right course of action. We were all run ragged. Starving. Freezing. And I'd done this. If we'd stayed at Tsedaka's stupid missile base, we'd be fatcats sleeping in a plush environment. Damn.

  "Look, let's get some sleep," I demanded, hastily realizing that if I confronted their questioning faces an instant longer I'd be likely to snap. "I'll have everything figured out by tomorrow night. For the moment, though, we need to rest."

  "Agreed," Lucien replied, sensing my agitation. "I think we all could use a little shuteye prior to making any firm decisions."

  "A nap sounds divine," Amelia murmured, turning onto her side with a yawn.

  Automatically, her breathing deepened, signaling the beginnings of sleep a few minutes later. I mean, she must've been severely exhausted in order to drift off so easily under these horrendous conditions. Stressed, scared, uncomfortable.

  Perceiving my unease,
Lucien reached over and stroked my face affectionately. Shortly thereafter, a picture perfect scene consisting of the two of us snuggling in front of a warm fire permeated my consciousness, immersing me in the pureness of his love and respect. I leaned into his hand, reveling in the comfort of his physical and mental caress. Yep, telepathy was good for some things. Sigh.

  Feeling his smile at my offhanded thought, I slowly began to forget about the cold nipping at my nose and the hunger pains racking my stomach. And, with happiness filling my heart, I finally relaxed into a dreamless sleep. Safe and content.

  Chapter 16

  "Come on, get your lazy butts up!" I teased, simultaneously shaking Amelia's arm while kicking Lucien's foot. And, thank god, they both finally responded, opening their drowsy eyes at the same instant. "It's about time! I've been trying to wake you guys for at least five minutes."

  "Is it still day?" Lucien mumbled with a yawn.

  "Yep, the sun's setting right now. And guess what? I brought you guys a surprise!" Then, before they could say a word, I pulled two bags of blood and a bottle of orange juice from the deep pockets of my coat. "A snack!"

  "You mean, you went out? The light didn't harm you?" Lucien questioned, pulling me over Amelia and snuggling me in tightly to his body.

  "Not a bit. It hurt my eyes a lot more than usual. Although, I'm sure I can fix that by snagging a pair of sunglasses."

  "Thanks, Luna, I really need fluids," Amelia beamed, grabbing the orange juice. "That being said, I could also use a hot meal or three."

  "Next on our list," I reassured with a smile. "Don't worry, I've got it all under control."

  Immediately frowning, Lucien shifted away from me uncomfortably. "Wait, how'd you procure the blood?"

  "I stopped time of course," I bubbled, proud of my afternoon's little escapade. Seriously, the ability to freeze reality in its tracks was pretty freaking amazing. Extremely handy.

  "You shouldn't have left alone," he grumbled, jaw twitching. "What if someone saw you? Or you were attacked again?"

  "Look, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," I grumped, pursing my lips in irritation.

  In turn, he raised his eyebrow cynically. "I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad news. But, beyond the fact that you risked your life, bagged blood won't help us much. Depending on how long it's been on the shelf, it probably only holds a small amount of life force."

  "Life force?" God! More vampire hocus pocus. Why me?

  "It's the component of human blood we need," he explained, his face relaxing slightly. "The longer blood is outside the body, the less life force it contains. That's why we require blood slaves."

  "Well, it's the best we've got. So, I'm drinking mine," I grumped, ripping open the corner of one of the bags with my teeth and knocking it back in a few massive swigs. And, yeah, he'd spoken the truth. Surprise, surprise. The energy it gave me was akin to drinking a glass of watery kool aid.

  "Don't misunderstand me, girlie, I'm not complaining; I'll drink mine as well. Something's definitely better than nothing." And with that, he seized the remaining bag and chugged it. Then he used his coat sleeve to clean the leftover dribbles of blood from his lips. "Thank you, I think it helped."

  "So, um, how long have you been up? Did you walk all the way to town?" Amelia asked, throwing her empty orange juice bottle down the culvert with a series of loud clanks.

  "Yes, you must tell us every detail," Lucien added before giving me a chance to respond.

  "How 'bout I show you," I boasted, excited to take my powers for another spin. I mean, I should make the best of things, right?

  Basically, I intended on pulling a repeat of the homicidal vision I'd pushed into William. Except, this time around, I'd send memories of actual experiences rather than imaginary ones. So, ignoring the inquisitive looks covering my sidekick's faces, I began reflecting on the events that woke me earlier that afternoon.

  My back ache, yep, the combination of an odd sleeping angle and an icy metal pipe totally sucked. In desperation, I moved on my hands and knees along the ditch toward the entrance, stopping just prior to reaching the light. Moments later, I cautiously ran the tips of my fingers through it, almost as if I was a child playing with fire.

  However, when my skin didn't burn, I decided all was safe and stepped eagerly into the warm rays of the sun. Rapidly, I found that if I squinted and placed a hand over my stinging peepers the whole vampire in the daylight thing was doable. And, with the end of that thought, I forced it into their minds.

  Suddenly awestruck, Lucien flashed me a toothy grin. "You're becoming more powerful by the day! It feels like being there, really being in your body and viewing the world with your eyes. It's breathtaking."

  "Keep going," Amelia giggled.

  I nodded in response, swiftly recalling my short walk to the highway where I'd hitched a ride into town. Precisely what we should've done last night. Yet, nobody would listen to me. Sigh.

  Regardless, the trucker who gave me a lift smoked cigarettes. Absolutely disgusting. I had to crack my window and suck in shallow breaths for the entire ten minute drive. Even more repulsive, was his lip full of chewing tobacco. He kept spitting into a cup and the nasty minty smell made my stomach churn nauseatingly. Honestly, how much nicotine did one guy need?

  My aversions aside, he dropped me off in downtown Lawrence, a couple blocks away from the blood donation center and the real treat of this story, the bank. Pausing there, I allowed them to see my memories.

  "What do you mean bank?" Lucien asked worriedly, his shoulders automatically stiffening with tension.

  "We needed cash. So, I went in and got us some. No biggy."

  "Withdrawing money from your account was a huge mistake, they'll know where we are now," he growled.

  "Oh, hush, I didn't touch my account. My tactics were much better," I bragged, giddiness exuding from every pore. "And listen, before you jump to any more conclusions, let me show you the rest."

  Promptly, I returned to the place in my mind where I'd left off. I sat on the curb, at first, removing my socks and putting my tennis shoes back on bare-footed. I then utilized the socks as makeshift gloves. No leaving fingerprints. After which, I envisioned the world freezing while embracing the word STOP solidly in my head. And, to our good fortune, using my power was a breeze, ensuring time's convenient interruption as I marched fervently into the bank.

  I had no qualms over robbing them; they were insured. Still, I did feel kinda guilty for stealing a pot-bellied businessman's briefcase. The unsuspecting sap stood in line, looking utterly bored; he didn't deserve the stress that this experience would most assuredly cause. The poor guy'd probably go crazy once he came to, his briefcase magically doing the disappearing act. But, oh well. I had to push on; I needed a way of carrying the money.

  And so, I dumped the contents of his briefcase onto the floor, seconds ahead of approaching the tellers. Walking around the counter, I happily found their money drawers wide-open which led to my hasty and somewhat clumsy filling of the case. Palms sweaty, heart thundering in my ears. Intermittently, I'd think, "STOP TIME, STAY STOPPED."

  When the briefcase could hold no more, I sprinted out the door, high on an adrenaline rush from hell. I'd always fantasized of robbing a bank. And, let me tell you, it was cool as shit! We had the funds to evade Tsedaka. Plus, no more sleeping in ditches! Yay! Smiling bigger than the Cheshire cat, I shifted the memory into their minds.

  "You did what?" Amelia screeched, face contorting in horror.

  Unbothered by her outburst, I held my chin up proudly. "I robbed a bank, the money's in the car." Jesus, you'd think I'd get a little appreciation around here, considering I'd rescued us from a life of homeless bums.

  "What car?" Lucien grunted flatly, hardly keeping a lid on his fury.

  "Haven't gotten that far yet," I grinned.

  He balled his hands into fists, puckering his mouth in dissatisfaction. "Give us the abridged version then."

  "Oh, alright. For real, though, yo
u guys are ruining my fun..." My words trailed off as I gave in to a momentary laughing fit.

  "Ehh-hem," Amelia cleared her throat, shooting me the evil eye in warning.

  No fun, absolutely no fun. "Well, to summarize, I kept the world frozen while I dropped by the blood donation place, snatching the two bags of blood and bottle of juice. As I got ready to leave, I noticed one of the donors had his car keys laying next to him on a table. So, I took 'em. His Buick Park Avenue was parked directly in front."

  "You broke one of the most important vampire covenants," Amelia fretted, her anxiety increasing. "Violating human laws risks bringing unnecessary attention onto the vampire community and is strictly prohibited. It's a transgression the king often punishes with death."

  "Tsedaka already wants my head. Seriously, just think about it, I changed Lucien without his permission, we let a computer virus loose on his facility, and we escaped in spite of his express orders. We might as well add bank robbery to the list. If he catches us, we're screwed regardless."

  "I understand and I can see why you did it," Lucien admitted, penetrating me with his gaze. "Nevertheless, you must promise not to go off half-cocked like that in the future. It put you in far too much danger. I should've been the one to have taken the risk."

  "No, Lucien, you'd merely be in trouble instead," Amelia objected. "It would've been better to come up with something else in the first place. A plan that didn't include grand larceny."

  "Desperate times, require desperate measures," I quipped, scorn deepening my voice. I mean, they should be thanking me rather than complaining. With reliable transportation and money, we could travel in comfort basically anywhere our hearts desired.

  "The problem is," Lucien groaned, exhaling and unclenching his fists. "The king has men planted within law enforcement organizations throughout all the major cities in Kansas. We can be sure that he's been informed of an unusual bank robbery in Lawrence, effectively painting a bull's-eye on our location. And, if the vehicle you procured has been reported stolen, we can presume that he'll suspect the type of car we'll be driving."