A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  Gabi all but fell through the opening from the secret passageway into their apartment. The rest of the Vampires were awake, and luggage was quickly being assembled near the door. Gabi was relieved he'd thought of it. It would look suspicious if they left in such a hurry that they didn't even take their belongings. It had to look like they'd simply left to get back home. One look at Julius's face confirmed what Gabi was feeling through their link. He was furious. Absolutely livid. His face was set in a rigid mask, until he got a good look at her. Exasperation chased away some of the anger, and Gabi thought he might forgive her. Eventually.

  "You four took out Santiago?" It was a rhetorical question; they all knew the answer. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded. "We agreed we'd do it another way, another time. Without putting the entire Clan at risk."

  Alexander was standing a pace behind Julius. He looked just as pissed off as Julius.

  "We didn't agree," Gabi reminded him, her voice still rasping. She desperately needed to clear her throat, but that would show too much weakness. "You made your decision. I made mine. The job is done. We just need to get out of here before they lock the place down."

  "What would've happened if he'd killed you instead? He was a Master, a Princep." He rounded on Fergus and Kyle. "You two supported her in this? Allowed her to do this against my wishes and knowing the dangers."

  "Sire, I ken ye be angry noo, but we haf te get oot of here. Ye can tear strips off us all in te plane," Fergus replied, his tone bland and calm. The wounds the Scotsman had sustained from the Vampire and the Werewolf were already healed, but his clothing was torn in numerous places; a testament to the ferocity of the fight.

  Julius let out a wordless growl, but turned from them, knowing Fergus was right but not liking it. He stalked towards Gabi, still stiff with disapproval. She held her ground, but Razor stepped in front of her, between the two of them, facing Julius with his hackles raised in warning. Julius's lip twitched in annoyance.

  "I'm not going to hurt her, feline," he grumbled. "I want to see how badly she's injured." He visibly took control of his temper, and after a second of assessment, Razor backed down and moved out of his way.

  "I'm fine," she tried to say, but her voice cracked, and she coughed. Though she'd tried to clean up as they ran, she knew she was still caked with Santiago's blood, and a trickle of her own blood was still seeping from a cut in her mouth. If only Vampire blood turned to dust when the Vampire did. Julius's eyes were dark and unreadable as he reached to touch her jaw, gently turning her head so he could see the cheek that Santiago had struck. Gabi knew it was puffy, and the bruising was probably already blossoming into shades of black and purple. Her head was throbbing; the sight in that eye was blurred. She cleared her throat, and his eyes travelled to her throat, where there would be a clear imprint of Santiago's hands.

  "We need to go," she whispered. "Can you lead us back the way we arrived?" She wouldn't ask him for blood to heal her injuries. It didn't seem right after she'd gone behind his back. She knew he felt betrayed, by her as well as Fergus. The feeling cut deep, and he couldn't hide it from her. She couldn't blame him, but she stood by what she'd done and why she'd left him out of it. She just hoped he'd understand once he calmed down. Hoped he'd trust her again given time. "Just give me thirty seconds." She was exhausted, so tired she wasn't sure she could keep putting one foot in front of the other, but she had to get rid of the scent of Santiago. It was making her feel physically sick.

  She turned and stumbled to the nearest bathroom. Quickly stripping off the long-sleeve shirt she wore, she turned on the tap, throwing a washcloth under the stream of water. She was relieved that the black T-shirt she'd worn underneath was relatively unscathed and the colour hid any bloodstains. As she scrubbed the blood and grime from her face and neck, she felt a surge of Julius's power. He was calling someone. She ran the washcloth under the water until the water flowing from it was no longer pink. She didn't dare leave it behind, in case a Vampire or Werewolf came across it and could smell Santiago, so she squeezed it out as well as she could with one hand and rolled it into the bloodstained top, balling them up ready to shove into a bag. She was cold without the top but getting warm would have to wait until they were safely out of the castle.

  When she returned to the main room, the rest were ready and waiting, with the exception of Caspian, who was conspicuously absent. Iris was standing at the open door, a slightly glazed look on her face.

  "Take us to the courtyard we arrived at," Julius ordered Iris, his power surging around the small woman. She nodded mutely and obediently turned to lead the way. They followed her, but the moment they stepped into the hall, they could hear that something was wrong. Shouts and calls could be heard in the distance, distress and confusion clear in the tones. Santiago's Vampires had begun to rise.

  A new surge of adrenalin flowed through Gabi's body, and she was grateful for the boost. Her strength was almost at an end; she'd expended a dangerous amount of energy sending the Alpha wolves away. Automatically they all quickened their pace. Razor was trotting to keep up, and Athena was almost jogging. Down corridor after corridor, flights of stairs, through hallways and past shuttered bay windows, the tension mounted with every step.

  As they reached the ground floor, they began to come across other Vampires and human staff. General confusion seemed to overlay the atmosphere. Everyone knew something was wrong, but no one seemed sure what it was. Iris twitched in front of them, as though agitated, and Julius's power swirled again. She calmed and continued in a quick stride.

  Gabi began to recognise a few things they passed; she knew they couldn't be far from the courtyard now. She prayed it wasn't far. She was almost at the point of asking Kyle to help keep her upright, and she didn't want to do that with Julius in his current mood. They were in view of a large outer door Gabi recognised when a small group of Vampires appeared in front of them. They were in a dark uniform, and the one in front stepped forward to address Julius.

  "My apologies, Master Vampire." With his heavy accent he didn't sound the least bit apologetic. His group of guards had adopted an attentive but unconcerned stance behind him. "But we are asking everyone to return to their rooms at this time."

  "We have a plane to catch," Julius said, his tone superior. "We are just leaving."

  "I'm afraid I've been given orders that no one is to leave the castle right now," the leader of the guards said, a little less polite now, his accent even heavier. "I'm sure it will all be sorted out soon."

  Julius drew in a breath, and Gabi found herself suddenly holding hers. He was preparing to use his power, but they were facing a platoon of twelve guards. Julius was strong, but could he really control all twelve of them as well as Iris, and possibly anyone else who arrived to see what the holdup was.

  She flicked her fingers at Kyle, and he immediately responded, going on guard and reaching for a dagger. Fergus, Nathan, Alexander and Quentin tensed as well. Julius's power swirled, growing to the force of a hurricane, to Gabi's senses at least. Apparently the squad of guards didn't feel anything until it was too late. Almost as one their eyes widened and then glazed over, the leader stopping in mid-sentence, his mouth open. Julius's power clawed at Gabi's senses, power like she'd only felt once before when Benedict had shown her what he was.

  Only Julius wasn't a Magus, and he wasn't anywhere near as old as Benedict. Julius was more powerful than even Gabi had realised. He was strong enough to actually scare her again. The squad of Vampires began to move out of their way, their movements not quite as smooth as normal for Vampires. Iris walked forward to the door and opened it. The sun was just sending the last fingers of light spearing into the courtyard beyond. A canopy hung over the door and formed a covered walk to the waiting Hummer Limo that was parked, idling, outside. While the sun was weak and the awning provided some cover, the younger Vampires weren't going to get to the car unscathed.

  "Hurry," Julius ordered, standing at the door as the rest moved past him. Hi
s power still filled the air around them and buzzed against Gabi's skin and in her ears. She was one of the last to pass him. She looked back to see the guards marching away from them up the corridor, Iris following in their wake.

  A shout suddenly went up on the other side of them. Someone else had spotted the open door. Julius released his control of the guards, grabbed Gabi around the waist, and sprinted for the car. She leapt in with Julius on her heels. The door slammed shut, and she glanced towards the driver's seat as a male voice said, "Is that everyone?" He was Werewolf, and he was wearing a purple baseball cap.

  "Yes, go," Alexander ordered.

  The Hummer shot forward, out of the courtyard, throwing Gabi against Julius as she tried to find her balance. She couldn't hold back a groan at the contact; her body was simply too battered.

  "Julius." Gabi heard Kyle's voice; it was heavy with meaning. And warning. His wolf was close to the surface, and it wasn't happy about something.

  That was the last thing Gabi knew before blessed oblivion claimed her.

  ********************

  When the Spaniard stormed into the dark, dank room that housed Helene's cell, neither he nor Helene had any idea that their every word and action was being seen and overheard. The listener smiled; there wasn't a single person on the planet, supernatural or not, who knew the true extent of his powers and abilities. He'd spent centuries perfecting the art of hiding his talents. Far-seeing, which was a bit of a misnomer as he could also hear everything, was just one of his more minor tricks. He'd suspected Helene was playing a dangerous game with someone from court, but he'd underestimated her dedication to the cause. He wouldn't have thought her capable of actually getting her hands dirty, never mind putting herself in such a compromising situation. He turned his attention back to the scene unfolding in his inner vision.

  "You bitch," Caspian spat. "You two-timing, back-stabbing, manipulative…" He was so angry he ran out of descriptive words.

  Helene stood in the centre of a barred cage, keeping well away from the four walls of cold steel that trapped her. The bars were infused magically with the power of sunlight. The same spell infused two other isolated cages in the underground dungeon. It had taken seven Magi to perform the invocations necessary to create a Vampire-proof cell, but it was worth the effort and cost. Before Caspian had walked in, Helene had been standing hunched over, her shoulders slumped in defeat, trembling with the knowledge of her certain death. No one else was within hearing distance of the cell. They’d been careful to keep anyone who may be susceptible to Helene's gift away from her. Caspian must have used his gift on the Werewolf guards at the entrance to the dungeon to gain admittance. At hearing Caspian's voice, Helene drew herself up, straightening her stance defiantly. A sneer replaced the despair on her face.

  "Oh, Caspian," she said disdainfully, "grow up. What did you expect?"

  "We had an agreement," he all but screamed. "The Dhampir was mine, ours, to use to strengthen us. Julius was to die, not her! Together we would be unstoppable."

  "Why, oh why, Caspian dearest," her voice dripped scorn, "would I take a chance on you when Julius is already one of the most powerful Vampires known to exist today? A Vampire who can control other Vampires. What use is your pitiful talent for controlling a couple of stinking Werewolves, against that? You were just a pawn in my game. Get over it."

  "I did everything you asked of me." His voice was lower now, deadly, his accent more obvious. "Now I am tied by sworn oath to a man I despise, forced to watch as the woman, who should by all rights be mine, feeds his power and beds him."

  "Well, isn't life just a bitch," Helene taunted. "I would be more than happy to switch places with you. It would only be a matter of time before I seduced Julius to my bed and convinced him to gut the little Dhampir slut." Her smile suddenly grew cunning and predatory. "I may not live to see it happen, but know this much; your precious little half-breed is living on borrowed time." She broke into a maniacal cackle.

  "What do you mean?" Caspian demanded, lunging towards the cell and catching himself only millimetres from touching it. "What have you done?"

  Helene's hysterical laughter grew in intensity until tears were running down her face. The watcher wasn't sure if they were tears of glee or tears of despair. He only knew they weren't tears of remorse.

  Movement behind Caspian caught the watcher's attention. Two Werewolf guards were coming through the open doorway. They moved jerkily, seeming uncoordinated, nothing like normal Werewolf motion.

  "Open the cage," Caspian said from between clenched teeth.

  One of the Werewolves shook his head, as though trying to throw off an attacker, but his feet moved mechanically alongside the other Werewolf towards the locked gate to the cage. Once in front of the gate, the other Werewolf withdrew a hexagonal disc from one pocket. Tendons stood out on his neck as he fought his own actions, but inexorably, he fitted the disc into the corresponding indentation on a plaque fixed to the cage. As the gate opened with a gentle hiss, Caspian rushed forward, knocking the Werewolves out of the way and lunging at Helene. In an instant he caught her by the hair, yanked her around, and held a blade to her throat.

  "What have you planned for Gabrielle?" he demanded, panting. The two Werewolves stood motionless, but clearly fought the invisible restraints. "Tell me."

  "You don't have it in you," Helene spat. "If you did, I may have considered you a potential consort, but you're too weak. Too easily dominated and manipulated."

  A strange kind of calm settled over Caspian at those words, a different bearing and expression, as though a different person suddenly resided in his skin.

  "So that's what you think?” he said in a deeper tone. "I have news for you, you prissy, English snob. You wouldn't be the first traitorous bitch I've butchered. Tell me what I want to know, and I'll make it quick." He paused, drawing in a slow breath, his eyes narrowed in speculation. "Or you could make my day more fun by holding out for a few minutes while I find out how many parts a Vampire can live without."

  Helene suddenly leaned back into Caspian, dropping her head backwards onto his shoulder, exposing her long, pale throat to him and letting out a coquettish purr.

  "None of that," Caspian growled, pressing the blade closer against her jugular. One of the Werewolves was making twitching motions, and sweat was beading on Caspian's forehead. "Tell me," he insisted, allowing the blade to bite just a little into Helen's flesh as a warning.

  A serene smile lit Helen's face, and she turned it towards Caspian's. "Never," she whispered and in a flash threw her body forward, twisting her neck as she moved. Caspian jerked back in shock, but it was too late. Helene's head flopped back, the grievous wound to her neck exposed severed arteries, tendons and her yawning trachea. Her eyes held his as her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, the deranged grin fixed on her face only vanishing when her flesh turned to dust.

  ********************

  When Gabi woke, she could hear the monotonous vibration of an aeroplane in flight. She was warm, and her head wasn't throbbing—two things to be eternally grateful for. Something moved under her cheek. She drew in a breath and knew she was lying against Julius. The firm, familiar feel of his chest through a wool jumper cradled her head. Something warm covered her body. Before cracking an eyelid, she surreptitiously probed the link between them, trying to assess his mood. His chest rose as he drew in a breath.

  "I know you're awake," he purred into her ear. "You may as well open your eyes."

  She opened one eye, expecting the other to be swollen shut from Santiago's blow. It would heal quicker than usual, but it would still take a day or two. But then the other eye opened without trouble. Her cheek, resting against Julius, should have been agony without the adrenalin high from earlier, but it wasn't. She flexed her wrist experimentally, where it lay resting lightly on Julius's stomach, no aching there either.

  "You didn't really think I'd leave you in pain, did you?" Julius asked her. It was impossible to read his mood thro
ugh his tone, and he was blocking her through their link.

  She bit her lip, keeping her head against his chest. Somehow it seemed easier to not see the censure on his face. "Well, I…" she began, but then broke off, not knowing how to express her conflicting emotions without starting an argument she didn't have the energy for.

  "You think you deserve the pain for betraying my trust?" he asked, summing up her feelings succinctly.

  She stayed silent.

  "You removed a monster from the world, Gabrielle," he said. "I'm not happy with the way you went about it. I don't think you have any idea how lucky you were to actually kill him. But it doesn't change the fact that you were only doing what you always do. What you've always done. Protecting those who can't protect themselves. If I’d been paying the slightest bit of attention to anything besides the trial and the escape plan, I would’ve known you couldn’t leave here without taking care of him." He shifted slightly, moving her away from his chest, lifting her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I may get angry when you put yourself in harm’s way; I may even spank you myself," his voice dropped to a husky whisper, "but I will never leave you in pain." Then he kissed her.

  ********************

  Gabi breathed deeply, pulling the fresh morning air into her lungs, filling every alveolus. She’d never been so happy to feel the crisp dampness of dawn mist against her skin. Birds called to each other from the small forest in the distance, and the only other sounds disturbing the airwaves was Roman’s excited panting. If a wagging tail could make a noise, you would’ve been able to hear that too.