Invincible (A Centennial City Novel)

by Fionn Jameson

  “I got it!”

  With a bone-rattling thud, the car righted itself and I spared a glance behind to see Ryder hanging onto the right side of the cab. He had forced it down and in doing so, saved my life.

  Probably Jason’s, too.

  The red in my ledger was starting to get more than a little overwhelming now.

  The truck roared up the parking structure, clipping a small sedan out of the way and when we roared up three levels to the top floor, I crawled out of the driver’s seat, legs feeling curiously like jelly.

  But we had no time.

  The screeching tires, the blasting sirens made it patently clear the one police car had friends.

  Friends with guns.

  I was good, but I wasn’t that good.

  Ryder’s hand on my shoulder, we moved quickly to the elevator.

  “They’ll be waiting for us. There’s no other way down,” I sputtered. “We’re trapped.”

  Ryder let out a breath and laughed just the slightest bit. “You’re right. We should surprise them, shouldn’t we?”

  That sounded ominous.

  Too ominous.

  “What do you me—”

  “Hold on tight!”

  The breath left me in a sudden rush as he hooked one arm tight around my waist and jumped three stories from the waist-high concrete barrier.

  A scream lodged in my throat and for those three seconds, it felt like floating.

  Or dying.

  Fingers curled into his thin cotton t-shirt, muscles jerking under my fingertips, I heard Ryder let out a delighted howl.

  “Yeah!”

  So much for surprise, though.

  We landed on the concrete and a fine tremor rode up his body.

  He was still for a moment, drawing in quick breaths. “Okay, I would be kidding if I said I wanted to do that again tonight.”

  Meanwhile, I was trying to relearn how to breathe. “Jesus.”

  Ryder’s arm tightened around my waist, pulling us closer than ever. How could he run so warm?

  He was just a dead body.

  But this close, face to face, he truly was beautiful.

  A car screeched to the curb, sleek and lean and black. It reminded me of a jaguar formed of metal parts.

  The darkened windows rolled down to expose a woman I did not expect to see. “You fucking crazy stupid nut! Get the hell in the car!”

  Ryder’s arms tightened around my waist, taking my breath away. “No way, Eve. I’m helping Ran. I’m going to keep her safe.”

  Vincent’s emissary sighed and rolled her eyes. “Really? You’re going to keep her safe? Are you aware of the APB out on you two? Do you really want Vincent to deal with this?”

  He stuck his tongue out at her. “He’s not going to deal with it. You will.”

  Eyes thunderous, she slanted a gaze at me. “And you. I thought I warned you about what would happen if you and your fucking vampire stirred up any more trouble. Do you know how much paperwork I’m going to have to fill out because of tonight’s shenanigans?”

  My throat went dry. I thought it funny I could be standing skin to skin with a vampire and not be afraid, but be frightened of the non-vampire sitting in a car six feet away. Clearly, I needed to rethink my priorities. “I…I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not her fault,” said Ryder.

  Her dark eyes narrowed. “Shut the hell up and get the fuck in the damn car.”

  I stiffened and tried to wrestle out of Ryder’s grasp. I would’ve had a better chance of working my way out of barbed wire and gave up after three seconds. “I can’t go back.”

  “She can’t go,” said Ryder. “Besides, Vincent told me to keep her safe under all circumstances. And Eve, damn it, it’s not her fault. Annabelle started this shit. Did you know the Sanguinate is gone?”

  She was quiet for a moment and I fought the urge to squirm under her sharp gaze. “I know. There’s a war going on. And you’re going straight into the middle of it. Do you think that’s the safest thing to do?”

  “He can either come with me and watch my back or let me go and watch me die.”

  She sighed and rubbed the furrow between her eyes. “Jesus fucking Christ. What a fucking mess.”

  “Jason is my Master. I am his Ailward,” I continued. “If I cannot save him, then our contract is in forfeit.”

  “Is honor so important to you?” she asked.

  I felt a lump in my throat. I tried to swallow it. It wouldn’t go away. “At this point, it’s all I have.”

  Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly and she exchanged a few hushed words with the driver.

  She turned back to us. “Get in. We’ll take you where you need to go.”

  Relief made me sag in Ryder’s arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  “Don’t thank us yet,” she said and then it seemed as though the corner of her mouth spasmed, as though she stopped a smile from appearing. “Thank us after we get you and your Master back. Now get the hell in before I lose my patience.”

  “You mean nerve,” murmured Ryder who opened the door for me. He bowed. “After you, my lady.”

  I stared at the dark depths. Third car in less than half an hour. “After today, maybe I’ll stick to public transportation.”

  Ryder looked at me curiously as he slid in behind me and closed the door. “Why do you say that?”

  “Things seem to be calmer when I’m in a bus or taxi,” I said and then locked gazes with the driver. “Van.”

  He nodded.

  Eve turned in her seat and looked at me. “Right. So. Where are we going?”

  I rolled down the window just enough to smell the air.

  And that sweet sandlewood scent.

  “Straight ahead for about 3 miles. I’ll let you know when to turn when you get closer.”

  Van nodded again and we pulled away from the curb.

  Eve never turned back, instead looking at me with that same look Ryder gave me. “How do you know where to go?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “We shared blood. Once his blood runs in my body, it’s like an invisible rope that binds us. I can always feel him.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Even after he turned vamp?”

  I nodded.

  “Hm,” she said slowly. “That’s…interesting. Ryder, you ever hear about anything like that?”

  “Er, not recently.”

  “What do you mean, not recently?”

  He shrugged. “I dunno. About two hundred years ago, I knew this seer who could track people if she tasted their blood. But that’s kind of different, isn’t it?”

  Eve raised a brow. “Wait. You knew the seer? Personally?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “Oh, she died.”

  Eve winced. “Was it natural?”

  Ryder laughed. “Oh, it definitely wasn’t natural.”

  “Dare I ask what went bad?”

  “Turned out a bunch of vampires objected to being found.”

  Her gaze slid to me. “Can you do that?”

  An interesting question. “I…I don’t know. Never tried.”

  “Have you ever done it with more than one person?”

  “No,” I said and then caught myself. “Actually, that’s not correct. I did it once before. Three years ago. But it was quite unpleasant. I felt like I was being stretched in two different directions. I’d prefer not to do it with more than one person.”

  “And how does that bond break?”

  I stared down at my hands clenched in my lap. “When the other person dies.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “I kind of hesitate to ask you this, but…”

  Ryder snorted. “Yeah right. You don’t hesitate to ask anything.”

  “You shut your piehole,” she said and turned her attention back to me. “What happened to those two people you shared this…link with?”

  “They died.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but
closed it again. “Hm.”

  Ryder snickered quietly next to me and I took the chance to smell the air drifting in through the open window. “Van, take a left at the next light. Then you’ll want to go another two hundred yards before taking a right.”

  “Whoa,” said Ryder. “This route look familiar to you, Eve, or is it just me?”

  She turned back to the street and then sighed.

  “It’s not just you,” she said tightly, riffling through her coat pocket. “I’ve got to call Vincent.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked Ryder, who shook his head slowly.

  “God, I hope I’m wrong, because if I’m not…” he started. “Do you know what’s worse than shit hitting the fan?”

  My heart plunged down to my feet. “I don’t know.”

  “Yeah,” he replied. “Yeah, I don’t know, either.”

  Eve cursed. “He’s not picking up!”

  “Shit.” Ryder ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip. “Oh…shit…”

  “Where are we going?” I asked again.

  Van turned the right. “Where do I turn next?”

  “Go straight. It stops about half a mile down.”

  The sandlewood scent had gotten so thick I thought I could choke on it. I supposed it was a good sign, even if the smell made me want to gag.

  Then I realized why the smell was so strong and fingernails dug into my palms as panic began to ride the corners of my mind. “He’s dying.”

  Eve turned in her seat, the phone clenched tight in her left hand. “Jason?”

  I nodded, mouth dry. “I need a weapon.”

  “Can you shoot?”

  “Just point and pull the trigger, right?”

  She sighed. “Never mind. Okay, nix on the gun then. Van, do you have something for her to use?”

  I felt his eyes on me. “I don’t like other people to use my swords.”

  Ryder huffed. “Oh, get a grip, man. You’ve only got about three thousand of them. You’re not going to miss one. Besides, swords are meant to be used. They’re not meant to be kept behind glass and ogled like they’re a pair of double Ds.”

  A flicker of emotion crossed the driver. Disgust, maybe. “Only you could come up with such a ridiculous comparison. You. Human. Do you know how to use a jian?”

  I shook my head. “I have never found any occasion.”

  Eve spoke up. “Have you ever used a katana?”

  I grimaced. “Only once. I found it too heavy to use one handed.”

  “Van, will you lend her one of your swords?” asked Eve.

  His lips thinned. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Give her a good one,” said Ryder. “Or it’s your head on the line.”

  Van’s lips curled in arrogance. “I do not possess second-rate blades.”

  “Hear that?” asked Ryder with a smile and a pat on my hand. “He gets a hard on whenever he gets a new sword. It’s a little creepy.”

  I was about to reply when my nose twitched.

  “Stop the car.”

  The car screeched to a sudden halt, almost propelling me headfirst into the back of Van’s seat.

  Silence reigned in the car as everyone looked out their window at the large, imposing dark edifice that seemed, for all intents and purposes, abandoned.

  Ryder took a deep breath. “Oh. Shit.”

  “Where are we?”

  Eve opened her door and stepped out slowly while Van did the same thing.

  Ryder would have done the same had I not grabbed hold of his wrist.

  “Where. Are. We.”

  He swallowed audibly in the darkness.

  “At the home of a friend.”

  I didn’t understand. Not initially. “They’re holding Jason at a…friend’s?”

  “Not just any home,” he said quietly, his eyes impossibly wide, impossibly bright, impossibly blue. “Fenrir. They’re holding the Sanguinate at Fenrir’s home.”

  I still didn’t understand. “I don’t…”

  “Don’t you?” he asked, voice harsh, low. “We do. Annabelle’s not the only one who’s betrayed us. Three against one, that’s possible. She’s vicious. But two against two?”

  Noir and Vincent. Fenrir and Annabelle.

  And Jason stood in between them all.

  “Things are bad now, aren’t they?”

  Ryder’s hand wrapped around mine and I welcomed the contact.

  “You have no idea.”

  He was right.

  I didn’t.

  But I would find out very soon.

  Whether I wanted to or not.

  19

  I wanted my hwan-geom badly.

  In actuality, I wanted a lot of things very badly. For example, a flashlight would have come in handy, but Ryder smacked my hand as I reached for a light switch out of habit.

  “Are you insane?” he hissed as Van and Eve took point.

  Eve held a pistol in both hands, the barrel pointed to the ground. She looked like she knew how to use it as did Van with the polished katana that he wielded in one hand.

  Perhaps he wasn’t a vampire, but he was something else, something otherworldly, because that sword weighed twenty pounds, not something you could swing around with any sort of accuracy with one hand.

  But he proved to be more than up to the task when he dispatched the two vampires standing sentinel at the double doors with the peeling paint.

  “Don’t touch the damn lights,” said Ryder as he looked back at the secured doors, the handles jammed by a propped up chair. I had no idea how long they would stand in the face of a vampire’s wrath, but I hoped there would be enough noise to warn us in time. “Do you need everyone to know we’re here?”

  “They probably already know we’re here,” hissed Eve. “It’s not like the car stopped in the middle of the street isn’t a dead giveaway.”

  “Then I can turn on the lights?”

  She gaped at me. “Are you fucking kidding me? Abso-fucking-lutely not!”

  I sighed and wished I had my sword back as the unfamiliar hilt slipped in my sweaty palms. “Of course. I don’t know what I was thinking. Because it’s not like I’m the only human who can’t see a damn thing. Wait. I am.”

  I was convinced.

  Eve Faulkner, Vincent’s emissary, couldn’t possibly be a human. A human being couldn’t grab a running vampire around the neck and let their momentum carry their body completely around.

  The separation of the vertebrae from the head was enough to make me break out in a cold sweat and even Ryder winced.

  “I’m human,” she replied.

  I felt a laugh tickling my throat. “And I’m a movie star. Try convincing someone else. I’m not buying it.”

  Ryder grinned. “Looks like she’s got your number.”

  “I keep telling you to shut up, Ryder, but you never listen,” she muttered and drew in a deep breath. “Let’s get your lover boy out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

  The inside of Fenrir’s mansion seemed like a collection of movie sets from various historical films, replete with anachronisms such as an MP3 player lying atop a Queen Anne chair that looked like it still had dust from two hundred years ago.

  Van let out a hiss as a shadow flew out of the corner, white, pale arms outstretched, mouth open impossibly wide.

  “Van!”

  The dark-haired vampire turned easily and his blade flashed once, twice, thrice and the female vampire staggered to the floor, crimson spilling from her lips like an overflowing fountain.

  While the corpse cooled into a pile of flesh and bones, I watched Eve pull her phone out and angrily punch a few keys.

  “What is she doing?” I asked Ryder who, curiously enough, did not carry any sort of weapon.

  Then again, I had seen his unarmed combat and he seemed competent enough.

  His eyes narrowed. “I think she’s trying to get a hold of Vincent.”

  “Damn it!” she muttered and shoved the phone back into her coat pocket, looking ve
ry much as though she would have liked to step on it. “That idiot won’t answer his damn phone. What the hell am I supposed to do when I don’t know what he wants?”

  Ryder jerked a thumb over his back. “Then take Van with you and leave. Fenrir and Vincent were supposed to be taking Noir to his place. Maybe that’s where they are.”

  She looked away for a moment, her dark brown eyes distant. “Maybe. Maybe not. Still. My orders are to see Ran safe.”

  “As are mine,” spoke up Van. “I will see my orders fulfilled.”

  Red. So much red in my ledger.

  What’s worse, it was red scrawled in there by enemies.

  “Ran, do you know where Jason might be?” asked Eve, shoving a lock of hair from her almond-shaped eyes. “This place is gigantic. They might already be moving him to a different location.”

  “No,” I said. “I can still smell him.”

  But the scent was fading.

  And that was not good.

  “At the risk of sounding like the dumb asshole in every horror movie, I think we should split up,” said Ryder. “We’re never going to find him at this rate.”

  Eve exchanged a look with Van and turned to me. “Well? He’s your guy.”

  The jian was unsheathed in my hand and felt wholly alien.

  But it was the only weapon I had.

  “He’s right,” I replied. “It’ll be faster if we take a different part of the house.”

  “House?” snorted Ryder. “More like a friggin castle.”

  “Right,” said Eve. “Van, come with me. We’ll take the west wing. Ran, you take Ryder and go down the east wing. Be careful; there’s a basement level on that side of the property. For all we know, he might be there.”

  “But he may not,” I pointed out.

  Eve’s lips thinned. “I know. That’s why we’re splitting up. Ryder, call me in half an hour, regardless of your status. I lost Vincent; there’ll be hell to pay if I lose you too.”

  He grinned. “Would you miss me?”

  She rolled her eyes and gestured to Van to follow her. “Yeah, right. Keep Ran safe.”

  The laughter faded so easily from his blue eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder if it just been a lie. “You bet.”

  We split at the main entryway, Eve and Van taking the left side of the house and Ryder following me on the ground level on my right hand side.

  The house was, for the lack of a better phrase, eerily quiet. Almost, as if to make up for the excess of excitement at the house entrance, the deep interior was calm, too calm for my liking.