Decapitated heads on pikes, blood everywhere. Bodies lining the muddy terrain. Tsedaka on horseback in front of the castle, a proud victory. The depravity of his malice. He intends on breaking me; he'll stop at nothing. Jealousy over my emerging power. "Daddy's really mad..."
Unexpectedly, Adrian's memory of feeding with Isabella surfaced. A rocking ship. The smell of ocean air. The lust and sex that ensued afterward. Jaw clenching, teeth grinding. MINE...
"Luna, you're sifting through my subconscious," Adrian thought to me. "And, don't be mistaken, I'm an open book for you. It's only that your energy's different. Are things alright?"
"No, it's not alright. Leave me alone, fucking leave me alone! Everybody quit talking, thinking, feeling! Too many..."
Swiftly, my attention drifted away from my tirade on Adrian. More doors slamming in my face, more threads breaking. Huh, perhaps that's how Amelia and Lucien were trained to block eavesdroppers. Oh, and Lucien, what'd transpired between us during the feeding? Was I meant to be with him or Adrian? Crap, Adrian! Had he heard what I just thought?
"Adrian, are you still there? Uh, I got a little distracted."
"Yes, I'm here, darling. Lucien's on your mind," he replied, hesitating for a moment before pressing on. "Is he well? Do you require my assistance?"
"He's here with me in the cold. Attention's jumbled, wouldn't kiss me. Quiet! Please! Everyone shut up! I can't concentrate!" Upon finishing the thought, I discharged a gut wrenching scream, no longer able to conceal my frustration.
"Luna, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe," Lucien soothed, unaware of my telepathic conversation with Adrian.
Steadily, salty tears began making their way down my cheeks. "I'm connected to all the vamps," I sniffled, not caring if he saw me as weak for my babyish blubbering. "Their minds are mine."
"Okay, sounds like you've run into a spot of trouble. I can send someone for you," Adrian interjected, adding another layer to my confusion. "First, you must explain what were you doing prior to becoming this disoriented."
"It's the white butterfly's fault," I thought to him.
"You're rambling nonsense. Show me where you are so I can help."
"No, I can't trust you!" I shrieked. "Get the hell out of here! Leave me alone!" Aggravated, I tore the wig, bobby pins and all, from my head and threw it across the alley. Shortly thereafter, I started flailing my arms around. A total crazy woman.
As a result, Lucien gripped me more tightly. "Who can't you trust, girlie? It's only me."
"I, um, I'm scared," I whimpered, gazing at him with frenzied eyes. "Help me."
"We'll find our way past this, I promise," he murmured, kissing me on the forehead and sending me a calm, loving feeling. Sadly, his efforts weren't helpful in the slightest. They got lost in the multitude of sensations, ruminations, and nonsensical memories that struggled to make a home for themselves in my psyche.
For awhile, both Lucien and Adrian carried on in their attempts of getting through to me. However, I lost the ability to comprehend what they said. Their words, along with all the other vamp's, were a chaotic blur. My overworked brain felt as if it might explode, and then my vision gradually faded at the edges. Moments later, my world eased into blackness. Thank the heavens, peace and quiet....
Chapter 20
"Luna, thank god! You're awake!" Amelia squeaked, concern making her voice shrill.
Feeling groggy, I gradually pried open my eyes. My last memory was of vamp telepathy hell in the alley beside the club. So, I hastily glanced around, relieved to find myself tucked in snugly underneath the fluffy comforters of my bed at the hotel. After which, I eventually groaned a sleepy, "what happened?"
"Lucien brought you back unconscious, you've been asleep for almost twelve hours."
Shifting my position, I noticed the softness of the silk pajamas I'd mysteriously been changed into. Then I inspected my face, finding no clip-on nose ring or itchy glitter. Hmm, probably Amelia's doing. And, of course, I was wigless because I'd torn it off in the alley; I remembered that much. Regardless, the events beyond there were a little hazy.
"Eehhemm," I gurgled, clearing my throat in a lame attempt at sounding a bit more together. "Um, can you grab me a drink, my throat's really dry?"
"Here, you should feed," she murmured, promptly rolling back the sleeve of her red flannel shirt and holding her wrist to my nose.
Knowing she was right, I tried to sit up for a better angle. Although, even the smallest movement made the room spin. So, from my prone position, I sunk my eager fangs into her skin. And, let me tell you, drinking blood while lying down was kinda weird. It reminded me of being sick and sucking chicken soup through a straw as a kid, except it lacked the loving affection of my mom's care giving.
Now, don't get me wrong, Amelia was thoroughly blissed out; her positive vibes were literally bleeding into me. Still, she wasn't my mom. And there's nothing better, more comforting, than a mother to take care of you when you're sick. Sadly, there's no chance I'll ever see mine again...
"Luna, that's all I can give," Amelia whispered as she pulled away from me slightly. "You have to let go."
"Oh, um, I'm sorry," I apologized, instantly turning her loose. I'd gone so deep into my own self-pity that I'd forgotten to pay attention to her energy level; I must've drank more than I realized. Damn.
Shamefully rolling onto my opposite side, I came face-to-face with Lucien who'd obviously been lying next to me the entire time. Why hadn't he said anything? Was he pissed off over my bad trip the night before? Poor guy, he'd definitely had his hands full. I shouldn't have bought that stupid pill. A freaking awful mistake.
"No worries, girlie," he replied warmly, auditing my internal babble as usual. "I've merely been waiting for you to awaken fully. I'm interested in what occurred last night. You were quite scared and appeared to be spreading out, feeling many people's thoughts."
Feeling people's thoughts, yeah, sure. A complete understatement. "Well, if you consider inadvertently perusing the minds of every vampire in the country as being spread out," I quipped. "Then I was an oil slick on an ocean of vampire consciousness."
Reflecting upon the night's escapades, I quickly grasped that my memories were jumbled, scattered here and there. Fractured. Yet, I distinctly recalled Tsedaka's raging, blood boiling anger. My stomach lurched in response to the recollection of the severed heads on pikes. And, believe me, it's not the same as in the movies. Far, far more gruesome.
I also remembered that several of the vampires were capable of expelling me from their minds. And, by the way, I simply had to learn how they'd accomplished that feat; it'd make my life a whole lot easier. Perhaps my sidekicks could teach me...
"Did the others perceive your subconscious in return?" Lucien asked, crawling from beneath the sheets to sit with his legs folded Indian style. Like Amelia and me, he'd changed from last night's attire into something more sleep appropriate. A white t-shirt and a pair of blue boxers.
"Um, I'm not too sure. It's all bits and pieces." Rubbing my eyes, I desperately wished I could uncloud my screwed up memory. "I'm glad it's over, though. I felt horrible, can't put it into words."
"It's crucial for you to provide me with more information. Did you join with any specific vamps?" Lucien questioned, his voice edged with urgency. "Or were you more or less floating about aimlessly?"
"Prior to fainting, I was having a conversation with you and Adrian. Um, you know, Adrian telepathically and you out loud. It totally sucked." Pausing, I took in the tense set of Lucien's shoulders and the blank stare on Amelia's pale face. "So, yeah, I guess I connected with Adrian. Granted, that's not unusual. However, while that was happening, I also sensed most of the vamps I've met and loads of others."
"Oh, thank heavens!" Adrian exclaimed, invading my head in a flurry of anxiety and relief. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine," I replied curtly, sending along a hint of my irritation at having accidentally said his name. "No need to stress. And, um, yesterday. I was on drugs. Dis
regard anything I thought, or said, or whatever." I can't believe I let him see my jealousy over his shared feeding with Isabella. An event that'd occurred a few hundred years ago, I might add. Severely humiliating.
"Don't feel embarrassed. I'll be loyal to you and our friendship, no matter what."
"Yeah, loyal to the stupid prophecy." Damn, did I just blurt that out? And since we were communicating mind to mind was blurting even possible? Screw it.
"I see Lucien and Amelia filled you in..." He faltered, allowing me to perceive a hint of uneasiness. "I'd intended on explaining it myself, once we were more familiar with one another. I didn't want to add unnecessary pressure when you already had enough to deal with."
"Well, I wanna clarify a couple things. In spite of your ridiculous prophecy, my life's not set in stone. To be honest, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you." Plus, what about Lucien? I still haven't decided whether or not the attraction's bond-related or genuine. Crap! Adrian probably heard that too. Sigh.
"Living for more than six hundred years has helped me outgrow petty jealousy, darling. I sent Lucien to be at your side, knowing a situation such as this might occur. It's understandable that you'd grow close. You'll receive no pressure from me. All I ask is for you to give me a chance as well."
Sarcastically, I envisioned an eye roll in his direction. "Well, all I ask is for you to quit barging in on me. For real, whenever I think your name, or anyone speaks your name, you invade. Can't you try ignoring me? To give me a little space?"
"I'm worried, therefore I check-in on nearly every occasion I'm offered the chance. If you'd come stay with me, I'd leave you alone. You can have your own rooms and I won't disturb you."
"No thanks, buddy, I'm doing just fine where I am."
"It doesn't seem that way. Last night was quite a fiasco, if you ask me. Every vampire I've spoken with across the states noticed your presence. Extreme shows of power like that make many of our kind nervous. Seriously, what the hell happened?"
The million dollar question. "Okay, an abbreviated version is that I took an ecstasy pill. Stuff went crazy in my brain, all the vampires' feelings, memories, yadda, yadda, yadda. You were talking to me at the same time as Lucien. And, after awhile, I couldn't handle it anymore. I passed out and Lucien got me home safely. The end. Nothing more to be concerned about."
"Truthfully? You saw into all of our memories synchronously?"
"Yep, except there was too much information for me to process. Good thing you were the only one who started talking to me. I wonder, though, why could you communicate with me when the rest couldn't."
"As I've told you before, I'm one of the strongest telepaths in the world, if not the absolute strongest. Well, until you came along..."
"That's not true. The ecstasy amplified my abilities. On an average day it's nowhere close to that. Normally, Lucien hears every word that pops into my head whether I'm specifically thinking in his direction or not. And you hear me in response to your name, unfortunately. On the other hand, I only sense you guys after you purposefully send thoughts to me. So, it doesn't sound like I'm very powerful to me."
"Some of us believe it comes with age whereas others believe it comes with practice. Either way, as you gain more experience and grow less centered upon yourself, you'll begin perceiving everyone else, similar to last night. Incidentally, the eavesdropping aspect of the gift is rather common. Although, for most of us, it's only possible within a certain proximity."
Considering Lucien's energy typically centered on me, this explained why he maintained a virtually constant link with my psyche. Furthermore, it clarified how Tsedaka listened in while we were in the same room, yet couldn't snoop at further distances. He'd also never spoken mind to mind with me, meaning that his power of telepathy wasn't very strong. Hmm, good to know.
"So, um, basically I'm being too self-centered," I concluded, swiftly boomeranging the words back to Adrian.
"It's to be expected given your current situation. Nevertheless, in the future, it'll be to your advantage to step outside yourself and put your people's needs above your own. It'll give you the ability to merge our minds into a collective. We're told stories of the original ones accomplishing such a task. Still, nobody's wielded the power since the first-generation. However, your display showed me that it might be possible for you someday."
"A collective?"
"What you did last night can't be completely defined as a collective. That said, with practice it could be. You see, a collective gives the leader, which would be you, a power boost. You'd possess the ability to communicate with all those melded to you while, simultaneously, having their combined strength at your disposal."
"No wonder my ecstasy trip pissed Tsedaka off so much, the envious bastard. Regardless, dear old daddy's the one who forced me into this godforsaken existence, so it's kinda his karma. God, I fucking hate the whack job! And Tsedaka the Righteous, my ass! It should be Tsedaka the Vicious after the horrid carnage I..."
"Though your power surprised all of us," Adrian interjected. "I agree that it was a special slap in the face for the king. I don't have to speak with him to know he's seething. Naturally, he'll need to punish your disobedience publicly, otherwise he'll look weak. That's why it's important for you to accept my help. I possess the resources to keep you safe."
"Thanks and all, but I'm not too enthused about being anybody's prisoner again."
"You won't be. I swear that if you're not happy here, you may leave."
"As I said before, no thanks. How 'bout this, if I require your help, I'll call out for you. Blatantly and obviously. Until then, try to leave me alone, 'kay?"
"You must realize how strongly I disagree. Nonetheless, I won't force the issue. I'm here if you need me." And with that our connection ended, taking the flood of mixed emotions that'd permeated my psyche throughout our interchange with it.
"Girlie, hey, are you paying attention?" Lucien barked, waving his hands furiously in front of me. "We've been talking to you. Hello! You in there?"
"Huh?" I mumbled, slightly dazed. "Sorry, I, uh, I went off into my own world for a bit. I had to deal with another Adrian situation. So, um, what were you saying?"
"And you joined with him last night as well?" Lucien asked inquisitively, the foreshadowing of a smile beginning to grace his lips.
"Yep, that's who I was screaming at in the alley."
"Ah, now it's making more sense." He nodded, transitioning into a more serious tone. "Anyway, earlier I was attempting to explain that, if you felt all the vampires, they probably felt you as well. You might've unintentionally revealed our location."
"Frankly, if the guards knew where we were, they'd already be here," Amelia cut in, frowning at Lucien from her usual place at the foot of the bed. "And, besides, reality check! She was on a drug. The whole experience could've been a hallucination. There's no proof that she actually merged with every vampire. No offense, Luna." She glanced at me apologetically. "It's just a little farfetched, seeing that I've never even heard of such an oddity. Intermingling with a couple maybe, but everyone? Nah."
"It's all impossible. Vampires, telepathy, bank robberies. I mean, come on!" I discharged an aggravated sigh, shaking my head in exasperation. "Look, all I know is that it sure seemed real."
"I believe you, girlie," Lucien soothed, patting my hand before squinting at Amelia testily. "We have to consider the possibility that it happened and react..."
Knock-knock! Knock-knock-knock!
"Oh, good, it's our room service," Amelia declared matter-of-factly. "I phoned in the order while you guys were asleep. Hamburgers and chocolate cake, all around. And, don't worry, I didn't forget the mountain dew."
Groaning, I buried my face in a pillow as she jumped up to answer the door. Since I'd already taken my fill of blood, the idea of more food caused a sour taste to assault my taste buds. Likewise, my stomach lurched when she rolled in the cart, the smell of cooked meat permeating my nostrils. In turn, I swiftly hurled myself off th
e bed with my new inhuman speed, barely reaching the bathroom in time to properly commune with the great white porcelain goddess. So, vampires can get hangovers too, huh. Interesting. Well, maybe not. Sigh.
Having dry heaved until my ribs ached, I finally dragged my sorry butt back to bed. And, despite the concern covering my cohort's faces, they didn't stop eating. Admittedly, the food did look a tad more appetizing on an empty stomach which resulted in me digging into a piece of cake and chasing it down with my favorite pop. Consequently, the more human food I ate, the better I felt. Ahh, the life. A little puking, some chocolate, and loads of caffeine. A hangover's three best friends.
I'd just finished wiping my mouth with one of the plush fabric napkins provided by the hotel when a faint scratching sound came from the front door. It was immediately followed by a dull repetitive thud. Bad news, really bad news. With my heartbeat exploding from my chest, my mind flashed to all those severed heads. Would that be my fate?
"Remain here, it's not safe. I'll go see who it is," Lucien ordered, hastily retrieving his pocketknife from where he'd left it on the bedside table, then marching toward the door.
Warily, Amelia and I searched each other's faces while my ears strained to listen in. I held my breath, praying it wouldn't be my last, until I detected a vaguely familiar woman's voice. "Master, your hunger called for me. I needed to be with you." Whew! It wasn't Tsedaka or any of his lackeys. Thank you jesus!
And, of course, the identity of our mystery guest was Dawn, our sweet young victim from the club. Apparently, she'd bonded with Lucien. I'd averted the crisis, at least. Still, master? The idea of her referring to Lucien in that manner totally sceeved to me out. "C'mon," I hollered, raising my voice to ensure it'd carry. "Go ahead and bring her in."
Several moments later, Lucien rejoined us with a jonesing Dawn hot on his heels. She looked like a heroin junkie. Her hair was in disarray, no longer in its perfect white and blue spikes. Beyond that, mascara streaked her stark white cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath them.
The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) Page 18
