by A and E Kirk
After Jaeger had dressed, he and Leontes had followed Kiara out of the bedroom and down the slippery tunnels beneath the mansion. She had led them past damp walls tinted green from the fine layer of algae to the caves hidden in the cliffs. The final door had been barred from the inside, but after a lyrical knock from Kiara, it had creaked open.
The copper-haired penny peeked her head around. A faint blush of life replaced the sickly pallor she usually wore like a shroud of misery. On her painfully thin body, Leontes recognized one of Kiara’s flowing gowns of deep, clover green. Her usually dead eyes had a slight spark even before she saw Kiara.
“Hey!” Kiara gave her a hug.
The penny beamed at the sight of Kiara, smiled shyly at Jaeger, and flicked fearful eyes at Leontes. He could not blame her. It did not matter that he had never touched her. He had never helped her either. As far as she knew, he was just another one of the monsters that made her life a living hell. Like Bane.
And speak of the devil. But now he was getting his due.
Sunlight shimmered in through the mouth of the cave and splashed halfway up the walls of heavily-veined rock. It was damp and bone-chilling cold, the domed ceiling reaching high in the cavernous space, walls dripping with condensation and seawater from the tides that constantly roared in and out.
In the pool at the center of the cave, water lapped at the rocks like a slobbering dog. It was low tide so the receding water level exposed more of the pool’s outer rim. It also exposed Bane.
He was lashed by heavy chains, spread-eagle on a low crop of jagged rock that would soon be completely submerged by the high tide. His shirt had been removed, and wherever the metal touched him, the skin was red and raw as if burned.
Several thick wooden stakes had been stabbed into his body, making him look like a life-sized voodoo doll. Black blood oozed from the edges of every wound. He was unusually pale and gone was the imposing frame that had preyed upon so many innocents. Flesh peeled like frayed wrapping paper on a ghoulish gift. He lay motionless, eyes closed.
“Kiara.” Leontes’ voice was thick. “What did you do?”
“Hey, we asked nicely first,” she said.
The penny’s head bobbed in a fast nod, swinging her braids. “I did exactly what you told me to.”
“You did great.” Kiara put a protective arm around the girl. “She agreed to help me capture Bane. She made him mad, and when he went after her, I went after them. He just didn’t know it. He was surprised, let me tell you. And the truth is, if he hadn’t chased her down here, he wouldn’t be in this mess. So, technically, Bane did this to himself.”
“Not exactly.” Jaeger stepped to the edge for a closer look. “Is he dead?”
Kiara shook her head. “He can’t actually drown, but he feels like he is every time the tide comes in. And unless they’re through the heart, wooden stakes only cause vampires excruciating pain and some paralysis. I enchanted the chains to fry his skin, but it isn’t fatal. The salt water in the open wounds stings like a crazy.” She paused to smile. “Which is a bonus, torture-wise.”
“Kiara,” Leontes said evenly. “Perhaps this was a bit over the top.”
“Right,” she smirked. “Like you using the serum wasn’t?”
Bane suddenly coughed and spit up copious amounts of saltwater, then retched until he dry-heaved like a cat with a hairball. When he finally stilled, he glanced over his ravaged body, and then lifted sunken eyes to Kiara.
“I’ve missed our little chats,” he said.
Kiara squatted next to him, the hem of her dress swirling in the surrounding tide pools. “What was Nicolette doing?”
“Me.” Bane started to laugh, but it turned into a wracking cough. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
Kiara rolled her eyes. “Please try harder.”
“What do I get out of it?”
Kiara popped the cork of the vial.
“No,” Leontes said. “It is too dangerous.”
“Ah, thanks, pretty boy,” Bane said. “I’m touched by your concern.”
“I meant too dangerous for her.”
“Don’t worry.” Kiara dabbed some liquid on her finger then dug it across one of Bane’s oozing burns.
“What the—?” Bane winced, and then his screams echoed off the walls in a violent cacophony of pain.
Kiara prattled on. “Once ingested, verusuvenum makes you answer truthfully until I stop asking questions, and it is potentially lethal. But, fun fact, rubbed in open wounds, while it won’t compel you to tell the truth, it does cause excruciating pain. Like you need any more of that, am I right?” Kiara nudged his shoulder with the toe of her boot. “But this way I can’t get in trouble for using it.”
“I am not convinced Rusila would agree with your interpretation,” Leontes said.
Kiara shrugged. “Even if she doesn’t, she won’t hurt me. I’m too valuable. More than you, no offense. So come on, Bane. I’ve got nothing to lose. Tell me what I want to know and it’s all over. Don’t, and things won’t go well.”
Bane’s wails subsided into panting. He gritted his teeth. “Nah. But I’m still a go for that sparring wager you offered.”
“What is he talking about?” Leontes asked.
Bane barked a short laugh. “She didn’t tell you? You are a naughty girl, little one.”
“It’s not important,” Kiara said.
“Au contraire,” Bane told Leontes with smug satisfaction. “She remembered me. Me, and not you. Hah. That must really burn your fragile ego. I suppose it makes sense since she and I were so very close.”
Leontes looked at Kiara with a deeply furrowed brow. “You had a memory of Bane?”
“Yeah. It came from the abscesses of my mind.”
“Recesses,” Leontes said.
“Abscess works because...” She wrinkled her nose. “Were Bane and I lovers?”
“Whoa,” Jaeger said.
“What!” Leontes choked. “Your memory was—!”
“Weird.” She made a face.
“—of you two as lovers?” Leontes shouted the last word, his tone and expression exploding with shock and horror.
“No,” she said. “We were dancing at a fancy ball for some king. But we seemed really, like he said, close. He called me his petite tresor. It means little treasure.”
“I know what it means.” Leontes glared at Bane. “You bastard.”
Bane laughed heartily. “Maybe, but what a wicked hot mess of fun this is, eh?”
“You were not lovers,” Leontes spat. “You went on missions together, for your master. A royal ball where you posed as friends was a fairly common occurrence.”
“We had the same master?” Kiara asked. “The horrible sadistic guy?”
Bane shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, Leontes. Have you been breaking your own rules and telling tales out of school? Maybe I don’t hate you as much as I thought I did. But apparently you left a few things out. Why don’t you tell her the real story about you and your—”
“Shut up,” Leontes seethed.
“What’s the matter, pretty boy? Not so cocky now, eh? Take the serum if that will help, then grill him, Kiara.” Bane’s deep laugh echoed off the cave’s stone walls. “Ask him about Eponine. How she died. Ask him about his wife! Get more details about your master. Ask him about—”
“Goddammit, Bane!” Leontes roared. “If you ever cared anything for her, you will shut up, or I swear I will kill you myself!”
“Oh, like you haven’t tried that before, my lord,” Bane snarled. “You haven’t got the balls. But you know what? Fuck it. Fuck you.”
With a bellowing grunt of pain and rage, Bane ripped one massive arm up, breaking the chains free. As pieces pinged off stone and splashed into the water, he snatched the open vial from Kiara’s hand.
She fell back into shallow water and shouted, “Give it back!”
“No, little one,” Bane said. “I’ll give you what you want.”
He tipped the bottle into his mouth and gulpe
d the entire contents.
CHAPTER 82
Kiara stared in open-mouthed shock. “Why did you do that?”
Bane flashed a maniacal grin. “Like I said, all I want is for you to be happy.”
Jaeger muttered, “Son of a bitch.”
The penny smiled.
Leontes narrowed Bane a cold look. “After all these years, still playing the showman? How very sad.”
“Better than a lying coward like you,” Bane shot back. “You were going to let Kiara do the dirty work. Endure Rusila’s wrath. Not anymore. I did this to myself. Besides, I’m curious what will happen.”
“I hope it kills you,” Leontes said without a hint of mercy.
“I’m sure you do.” Bane said. “But before that happens, even before I know if this shit is working, I’ll tell you this. Rusila ordered me to get close to Nicolette.”
“Why?” Kiara asked.
Bane slumped back against the rocks, grimacing with exhaustion. “She heard a rumor the witches were having secret meetings with other supernaturals, using Nicolette as their go-between. I was supposed to find out who she was meeting and why.”
“Did you?” Leontes asked.
Bane squeezed his eyes shut and gave a jerk of his head. When his eyes opened, the whites had a tinge of red. “Rusila was worried the witches were cooking something up with the fey, but turns out, it was the other vampire masters meeting them behind Rusila’s back.”
“About what?” Kiara said.
“Didn’t find out.” Bane’s chest shuddered with a deep cough. “Shortly after I told the queen about the other masters betraying her, two of them died, and all of a sudden she said she had things under control.”
Jaeger gave him a sharp look. “You’re saying Rusila, not Fauxleander, killed them?”
“I’m saying it was convenient timing for her.” Chains rattled as Bane sat up and used his one free hand to splash water on his face. “Plus, after that she didn’t want me seeing Nicolette anymore, and she was off for several secret meetings of her own.”
Leontes frowned. “With whom?”
“Good question. Don’t know, but I think it had something to do with—” A coughing fit cut him off. He took a moment to recover. “With Kiara, since Rusila shut me down when I asked for any explanation, and she didn’t want you knowing anything about it either. She just said she was working on a deal that would change everything.”
Leontes rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “Could it have some connection to the reward that mysterious benefactor has offered for Kiara’s old possessions?”
“When did that happen?” Kiara asked.
“Recently,” Leontes replied, his eyes on Bane, who seemed to have drifted off. “Bane, did it have anything to do with—”
“I don’t know.” Bane blinked, his eyes open. “But if I’d found out Kiara was in danger, I would have—”
He started coughing again. He seemed to settle, taking a deep breath, then his body convulsed, splashing in the water and slamming violently against the rocks. His eyes rolled back and foam bubbled out of his mouth.
CHAPTER 83
The sun plunged down the horizon in a waterfall of pinks and purples along on the cliffs high above the crashing waves. Here Kiara, Leontes, and Jaeger could talk freely. They walked ahead of the penny, who meandered behind. She still had a faraway look, but it did not seem as haunted as before.
They had hauled Bane out of the caves and left him in a room connected to Frankie’s lab. Bane was unconscious, but alive, although they had no idea how long that would last. Frankie had him on IVs of blood and various fluids and agreed to watch over him while they figured out their next move.
Kiara felt no guilt. It must have slithered into some dark place where the old Kiara had buried her conscience long ago.
Frustrated, Jaeger threw stones off the edge. “How does Giselle fit into these meetings, if at all? And how does it help us find her?”
“Alpha was close with Nicolette,” Leontes said. “Do you know anything about him also meeting with the masters or Rusila? If you are hiding something, this is the time to fess up.”
“No!” Jaeger said.
“Really?” Leontes pursed his lips. “How can you not know what your father was up to?”
“I told you, he only brought me in after my brother was hurt. And my father wouldn’t be behind that or Giselle’s kidnapping. You’re Rusila’s big ambassador, how can you not know what she was doing?”
“Bane is correct,” Leontes said. “It is most likely because Rusila’s plans involved Kiara, and something not in her best interests.”
Jaeger dropped his head back and let out a deflated sigh. “And we don’t know if this has anything to do with Giselle.”
A tentative voice spoke. “Maybe your dad wouldn’t go along with whatever was happening between the witches and Rusila.” The penny had come up to stand silently behind them. “So Giselle was kidnapped as leverage to get him to cooperate.” When they turned to her, the girl crossed her arms and flicked her gaze away. “Or, or not.”
“No,” Kiara said. “Actually, it makes very devious sense.”
Jaeger nodded. “Rusila again? That would mean she was working with the multi-shifter to frame you.”
“I put nothing past that woman,” Leontes said grimly.
“We need to break into Rusila’s office and see what secrets she’s hiding,” Kiara said.
Leontes pushed a hand through his hair. “Unfortunately, she had her security upgraded after the massacre at the party and again after Fauxleander’s infiltration. She has become overly paranoid. Even for her.”
“I think I can finesse my way past a few lame security measures,” Kiara snorted. “I took down their whole system at the witches’ island.”
Leontes scowled. “You do not even remember how you accomplished that feat.”
She scowled back. “Don’t be a hater. I’m sure I can figure—”
“I can get you in,” the penny said. At their stares, she dropped her eyes and tugged at her ear. “I was there when they installed it. I saw Rusila enter the codes for the door. And she has a secret room. I know where it is, but I’m not sure how to open it.”
Kiara grinned and squeezed her shoulder. “Nice work. You’re like double-oh-Kevin.”
“Who?”
“The one who saves the day.” Jaeger ruffled the girl’s copper-colored hair, which coaxed a smile at one corner of her mouth. Brief, but it was there. “Now we have to distract Rusila long enough to—”
“She’s gone.” They all stared again at the penny, who blushed and stammered, “S-she left earlier with a security detail. Said she wouldn’t be back until after midnight. I like to keep tabs because if it’s empty I use her office to hide when the…fangs are hunting me.”
“Wow,” Kiara said.
“She almost caught me once when I fell asleep. That’s when I saw the secret room.”
“You’re a super-spy goddess.” Kiara seemed genuinely fascinated by the girl’s exploits.
“No.” The penny picked at her fingernails. “I’m nothing. I see everything, but no one sees me. I’m invisible. I don’t exist anymore.”
“That’s not true.” Kiara reached a comforting hand, but the penny flinched and Kiara dropped it.
The girl spoke softly into the thick silence. “What happens to me now?”
“What do you want to happen?”
She looked at Kiara like she’d spoken in tongues. “No one’s asked me that in a long time.” She stared out to sea, a forlorn smile stuttering on her lips. “And now I don’t know. Except, I don’t want to be a penny anymore.”
“We could take you back to your family,” Kiara said.
The girl cringed and sucked in a harsh breath. Her eyes flicked around, frantic, like a wild animal suddenly caged. “No. They wouldn’t want me now.”
Kiara’s eyes pleaded with Leontes for help, but when he moved toward the penny, she shied away, both hands flying up to cover her
neck. With a sad sigh, Leontes backed off.
Kiara squeezed the girl’s hand. “We’ll worry about that later. Now, how about helping me and a handsome, charming, honest-to-goodness werewolf prince, who I hear takes a mean shower.” Jaeger flashed a suitably roguish smile. Leontes growled. “And a grumpy, but heart-of-gold vampire on our quest to kick a potential hornet’s nest?”
The penny offered a small smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”
CHAPTER 84
The unlikely foursome arrived at the door to Rusila’s office in the VLAAD Institute’s administration building. As they had hoped and expected, the place was deserted at this time of day.
Jaeger glanced down the empty hall. “You’re sure you took care of the cameras?”
“Yes,” Kiara said. “It’s a simple spell.” She gestured to the door and asked the penny, “Would you like the honors?”
She nodded, and then entered the code. They all filed in.
The sparsely decorated office had no artwork, no photographs, no plants of any kind. Nothing personal or living. A row of silver file cabinets lined one wall, and two weirdly shaped, futuristic-looking metal chairs were placed in front of a desk made entirely of clear glass. The desktop had one neat stack of colorful folders, a quill pen sitting upright in a stand with an inkwell, and a circular disk of shiny metal resembling an alien space ship, which Kiara had seen Rusila use as a telephone.
“Keep things neat and in their original place,” Leontes said. “We do not want her to know we were here.”
He began a search for the mechanism that would open the secret room while the penny hovered at the door, acting as lookout. Jaeger and Kiara scoured the room for any other clues, quickly going through files and paperwork.
“Found something,” Jaeger said, waving a file in the air. “It’s about that unknown person offering a, and I quote ‘generous compensation,’ for Kiara’s stuff. He or she claims that certain artifacts will help Kiara remember everything about her forgotten past.”
