A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  Caspian went to his knees in front of Julius, and Julius was suddenly holding out a small, ornate dagger to him. Caspian took the dagger, and Gabi tensed, ready for anything, but Caspian turned the blade towards his own neck and pierced the jugular, tipping his head to one side as the blood oozed from the wound. Not the pumping fountain it would've been if he'd been human, but a steady rivulet of dark red. Julius bent over him, roughly tilting his head further to the side and fastening his mouth over the bleeding gash.

  The scent of the blood was faint to Gabi, but enough for her to know that it called her. Like Julius's. The scent made her mouth water. She swiftly clamped down on the thought, hoping Julius had been too distracted to pick up on it. She wasn't prepared to deal with that, not right now. She would have to avoid being around if Caspian ever bled again. She closed her eyes, clamping down on her self-control. When she opened them again, she saw Caspian's gaze boring into hers, knowing in his eyes and a Machiavellian twist to his lips. Gabi broke eye contact, but knew she'd given too much away already.

  Julius pulled away, slight distaste apparent. Gabi knew that Vampire blood didn’t hold any attraction for other Vampires, but she hadn't known it tasted unpleasant. He spoke a final string of words in Latin and held the cord out to Caspian, draped over his palm. Julius had assured her that they would hold the joining ceremony in English so that she would understand it. As she wasn't directly involved in the oath ceremony, they’d kept to the original Latin, though he had translated it roughly for her earlier while they were alone.

  Caspian rose, keeping his head bowed, and tied the cord around his waist as a belt. A trail of blood still painted one side of his chest, but he didn't clean it away. Gabi wished he would. It was making it hard for her not to think of its appeal.

  Then she thought of what was coming next, and all thoughts of Caspian's blood left her head. She was about to join Julius in some kind of official Vampire betrothal ceremony. Panic sent her heartbeat thudding, and all Vampire eyes turned to her. Julius's with understanding, Alexander's with warning, Fergus's with encouragement, and Dragos's with suspicion.

  "Such excitement," Gabi said brightly, cursing the slight break in her voice. Facing an army of Demons she could do without the faintest trace of anxiety, but binding herself to someone? Well, that was a much more terrifying prospect. She took a deep, steadying breath, trying to be inconspicuous about it, while knowing she'd failed. "Our ceremony next?"

  Julius was as calm as she'd ever known him. Warm, comforting waves lapped at the edges of her mind, his reassurance that he wouldn't let her down, that she had nothing to be afraid of. Mentally she grabbed hold of all her fears and thrust them into a box, quickly clamping down the lid and bolting it shut. When she had time, if she had time, in the next few weeks, she'd pull them out and deal with them. Now, she just had to put on a happy face and speak the words Julius was already saying to her. His incredible blue eyes bored into hers as he faced her and finished the spoken vow. They didn't touch in the physical world, but they were connected in ways Dragos had no idea of. The Master stood to one side of them, and the rest of the Vampires formed a circle around them. To stop her escaping? she couldn't help wondering.

  She drew in a breath, and when the words came out, she was surprised by the strength and surety in them. "In front of these witnesses, I come to you and offer myself to be your consort. I pledge allegiance to your Clan and loyalty to you. I offer this union of my own free will. My home is your home, your home is my home. My people are your people, your people are my people. An injury to me is an injury to you. A debt to me is a debt to you. From this time forward we are to be considered one." Her voice stayed strong to the end, and she felt Julius's joy through their bond. Somehow the box with all her fears was shoved right into a dusty corner of her mind where she couldn't worry about it.

  Alexander stepped out of the circle with a delicately braided bracelet and walked to Julius's side, and Fergus did the same, stepping up to her with a similar but more robust bracelet.

  Julius reached for the bracelet from Alexander, and Gabi offered up her left wrist to him. The bracelet was made of softened leather thongs and was in the same colours as the cords the Clan members wore. He tied the bracelet to her wrist with quick, intricate knots. The bracelet Fergus handed her was in red, black and gold. As she didn't have a Clan, she'd been allowed to pick her colours, and those seemed appropriate somehow. It took her a little longer to achieve the complicated knots Julius had taught her to fasten her bracelet to him, but she managed it eventually. Not one of the Vampires had dared to even twitch in impatience.

  Then the final act that sealed the joining. They had to exchange blood. There was no set, ritualistic way that it had to be done, so Gabi had opted for wrists. It seemed right to do it next to the bracelets they'd just exchanged. She took his wrist as he took hers, and his eyes conveyed his myriad of emotions: concern for her, joy, confidence, promise. She gave a small but genuine smile and then lowered her mouth to his skin and bit down.

  ********************

  The dull roar of the aircraft's jet engines should've been soothing, like white noise, but Gabi's mind was simply too wired. She couldn't unwind enough to get any sleep; she'd been trying for hours. She'd catnapped the previous morning, after the ceremonies and then her and Julius's own consummation of their joining. She drove home as the sun was cresting the horizon, after Julius had fallen into an exhausted daysleep. Her mind had been in such turmoil that it had finally spun her into oblivion as she lay on her sofa, counting down the hours until they left for the Princeps' Court.

  She threw back the light blanket that was covering her and rose from the narrow but surprisingly comfortable bed in the sleeping quarters of the plane. Razor blinked at her sleepily before yawning and stretching. He was about to follow her, but she reassured him and encouraged him to go back to sleep. He complied without fuss. She made her way along the narrow corridor back to the open-plan main seating area in the centre of the jet.

  Kyle and Athena were absent. Obviously they were managing to get some sleep. Not that Gabi would've doubted Kyle's ability to sleep just about anywhere; he was gifted like that. Athena might just be avoiding the rest of them. Though she suddenly didn't seem to mind Alexander's company, that tolerance didn't extend to the rest of the Vampires. With only around two dozen seats in the space, the plane actually felt roomy. A long, cream leather couch dominated one side of the plane with single-seater leather sofas scattered along the other side. At the far end were matching table and chair sets, suitable for eating or working at, and a flat-screen TV. Julius was on his phone at one of the tables, apparently discussing some pending business merger.

  He gave her a disapproving frown; he wanted her to rest. She ignored him. Nathan and Quentin were also at one of the tables, playing some sort of card game. Fergus was carefully honing the blade of a dagger, sitting on the long sofa; Caspian was sitting quietly, spinning his wolf's head cane in his hands; and Alex was working on a computer tablet, each in one of the large single-seaters. No one was speaking. She pulled a bottle of water from the well-stocked fridge in an alcove between the two seating areas, then plonked herself down wearily with Fergus on the sofa.

  "So tell me about the Princeps," she prodded, cracking the lid on the water bottle and taking a long sip.

  Alexander looked up from the tablet, but Fergus continued to hone his blade.

  "Ane or twa are no too bad. The rest…" He looked up from the dagger. "Weel, the rest be just varying degrees o' evil."

  "Specifics, Fergus, I need specifics, so I understand what we're walking into," Gabi said, curling her legs up underneath her and getting comfortable.

  "You might as well put on the coffee," Alexander said, putting down the tablet and swivelling his seat to face her.

  More than an hour and several cups of strong coffee later, Gabi was trying to get the Princeps straight in her mind.

  "So Eliasz and Klara are joined; whatever she votes, he will follow alo
ng with, regardless of his own feelings?" she clarified.

  "Yes," Alexander said, "and don't forget Eliasz is very charismatic. Others look to him for leadership."

  "They are powerful as a pair and currently are intent on voting against you. With Klara's general dislike of anything that threatens her power, she's unlikely to come over to your…our…cause," Caspian inserted.

  "And Lennert will more than likely vote with them?" Gabi asked.

  "Yes, he's a little weak-minded. He likes to think he is part of a triumvirate. Thibault will also more than likely follow majority sentiment," Caspian agreed.

  "So, Benedict, Cassandra and Oleksandra are the only reasonable ones?" she checked, hoping she had them all straight.

  "Benedict is the oldest and most powerful, so he is one you want on your side," Caspian said.

  "He is on our side." Julius spoke up for the first time; he'd finally come to join them. "Benedict has no fear of others with power. I think he will feel a certain kinship with you and Kyle," he said to Gabi.

  "Because he is also a one-of-a-kind?" Gabi asked, remembering that Benedict was Magus born. Common lore stated that Magi didn't survive Turning. Benedict was the only living proof that it wasn't always the case. Julius believed it had to do with his youth; he'd been only a teen when he'd been attacked by a Vampire intent on killing him. The Vampire's plan had backfired. But that was over nine centuries ago, according to Julius and Caspian. There were few Vampires older than Benedict.

  "Yes," Julius agreed, "one-of-a-kinds are rare, and in my experience," one corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile, "they tend to stick together."

  Gabi returned his smile wryly. Kyle still hadn't got over his anger with her for going through with the joining ceremony without discussing it with him first. She'd rarely seen him as incensed, but Julius assured her he'd get over it soon.

  "Cassandra is forward-thinking and against taking life, despite, or perhaps because of, her terrible ability." Caspian broke the moment between them.

  "She's the one with the touch of death?" Gabi checked.

  All the Vampires nodded.

  Gabi shuddered; the thought of a being able to kill with a touch, by sucking the life-force out of anything living, just gave her the heebie-jeebies. Thank the Lord and Lady she was one of the more reasonable Princeps.

  "Oleksandra is the only Princep Prime left." She recalled the term for one of the founding members of the Princep council.

  "And only because of her unique ability to know exactly when she's under threat," Caspian agreed.

  "Okay, so that's four against us and three in our favour," Gabi summed up. "What about the other five?"

  "The other five haven't shown their hands yet," Caspian said. "I'm working on finding out what their thoughts are. Perhaps Julius's contact has information on them?" He looked questioningly at his new Sire, his innocent expression a little too pure to be believable.

  Gabi knew that Julius still didn't trust the Spaniard, and wasn't sure whether she did or not. While she considered herself a quick study when it came to trustworthiness, she simply couldn't get a firm read on Caspian.

  "I have hopes for Fianna being on our side once she meets Gabi," Julius said. "Being a warrior herself, she'll either see Gabi as a threat or a kindred spirit. From my encounters with her, I think she'll side with us." The plane suddenly shifted angle slightly. "The rest I'm not sure about, and discussing them will have to wait. We've started the descent. Please go and wake Kyle and Athena. We’ll land in a few minutes."

  When they touched down, Gabi still had no idea where in the world they were. She knew they'd been in the air about seven hours, but that might not mean anything. With Julius adamant that none of the non-Vampires were to know where they were going, he might have gone a longer route than necessary, and it was also possible the jet was quicker than the average commercial plane, so she was no better off at working out where the hell they were. She didn't even know what time zone they were in.

  It was dark as a bat cave and as cold as a snowman's armpit when they exited the plane. Julius had been thoughtful enough to have thick, fleece-lined coats ready for her and Athena. He helped her into hers while Alexander held Athena's out for her. It was deliciously warm, and fully synthetic fur, she was relieved to note. Razor was at her heels, sniffing the air tentatively, his built-in fur coat enough to withstand the icy temperature.

  A black stretch limo was waiting for them on the tarmac. Nathan and Quentin quickly began unloading their luggage from the plane's hold. The driver of the car was standing to attention near the front door and, at their approach, smoothly opened the door for them. He was Vampire but not very old either in Vamp or human years. Gabi sensed little power around him. He was a lackey, obviously expendable in case Julius was petty enough to eliminate one of the Princeps' people.

  "The Princeps' Court bids you most welcome," he intoned nervously. "My name is Bartholomew. I am to conduct you directly to the court, where refreshments will await you and your entourage. The Princeps will see you within the hour, so I'm afraid I must ask you to hurry." Afraid was the operative word, as the anxiety fairly poured from the young Vamp. His eyes flicked from her to Julius and then to Fergus with apprehension, and his tongue tried to lick dry lips.

  Julius simply ignored the driver and ushered her into the warm depths of the car. She moved towards the rear of the vehicle, automatically checking the area with her Vamp sense, searching for anything that posed a threat. No other supernaturals pinged her radar. She took a seat near one of the rear windows, and Razor immediately occupied the seat next to her.

  Within minutes they were moving. The car didn't stop at any border checkpoint; it simply drove out of the airport gates without slowing. And she'd been worried about taking a cat into a foreign country. She hadn't even needed to bring her passport. They drove at speeds far exceeding any speed limits she knew of. Along a motorway, through an industrial area, over a bridge—a long, wide ornate bridge over a dark, slowly chugging river—and then through city streets. Though dark still blanketed the city, her eyesight and the streetlights gave her enough glimpses to spark her imagination.

  "Lea, leave it alone," Julius said in a low voice, trying to draw her attention away from the outside world. He knew she was determined to work out where they were, and if he knew her at all, he'd know she wouldn't stop until she'd solved the puzzle.

  They drove past huge, gothic-looking churches; tall, ornate buildings that could only have been built centuries before. Restored with care and patience. Whatever city they were in, it celebrated its age, revered its longevity, decried modernism. Though Gabi had never been to Eastern Europe, somehow this is what she expected it to look like. She wondered how close to the mark she was.

  Giving up on talking her out of her obsession, Julius finally moved to her side, the side closest to the window, and inserted his body between her and the view of the outside world. She caught the growl before it left her throat. It wouldn't do for a stranger to see dissent in their ranks. He was very well aware of her annoyance in any case. She knew why he was doing it, and he knew she hated it. Just another impasse.

  CHAPTER 11

  The rest of the travellers sat in silence in the limousine. Kyle still sulked, and Athena finally showed a little of her tension as she worked a string of amazonite worry beads through her fingers. Gabi had no way to tell the time, so she wasn't sure how long they drove for, but it couldn't have been much more than about half an hour.

  They soon left the central city behind, and the driver slowed, bringing the car to a halt. They were in a narrow lane, surrounded by narrow apartment blocks huddled close to one another, as though propping each other up after a drunken night out. The lane was cobbled, and the windows of the apartments sported window boxes and tiny haphazard balconies. A dull hum broke the stillness of the night, and a garage door began to open to their right. The limousine carefully squeezed through the narrow opening and into the dark beyond. The passage beyond the doo
r was claustrophobically narrow and completely dark but for the car's headlights. The passage was far longer than seemed possible, but Gabi realised they were on a gentle downward gradient. They were heading underground, only to begin climbing again seconds later.

  Several minutes later, the passage opened up into a large courtyard. It was open to the night skies, and a spectacular fountain dominated the centre of it, forming a pivot point around which vehicles could travel. Above them and on three sides, a ginormous building loomed. It looked to be built of stone and at least several centuries old. In the dark it was impossible to see exactly how big it was or even how many stories it rose above them. One word came to Gabi as she tried to take it all in. Castle. She was fairly sure they were about to stay in a freaking castle.

  Bartholomew was out of his seat in an instant and opening the car door for them. Another Vampire, this one female, was waiting for them a few paces from the building.

  "I am Iris." She bobbed a polite head, coming forward to introduce herself. "Master Julius, I am to convey you to your apartment and attend to all your needs."

  Julius didn't even acknowledge her, and it frayed Gabi's nerves a little further. He'd warned her he wouldn't be acting the same way he normally did. Here, every nod, every word, every eye contact meant something. He was the big, bad, Master Vampire. If you didn't act the part, you would be treated accordingly. Iris wasn’t offended by his attitude. She merely watched the rest of them climb from the car and waited while Nathan, Quentin and Fergus retrieved their luggage. Then she turned and walked towards a large, arched, double doorway. Julius took a little time to realign Gabi's coat on her shoulders before following the Vampire at his own measured pace.