Rather than seeing the ground rushing up to meet her, Lucy suddenly found herself rocketing skyward. Her lungs burned and she found it difficult to breathe in the icy air that whipped past. Just as she thought she would pass out, her ascent came to a halt. Lucy heard a loud snap, like a sail unfurling, and gasped as two large black wings billowed around her.
Chapter 28
Flying over the city in the arms of a winged man was anything but the exhilarating feeling that movies had led Lucy to believe it was supposed to be. Her extremities had long since gone numb from the wintery wind. Her throat burned, her eyes stung, and her stomach ached from the pressure of Oscar’s arms wrapped tightly around her. How she managed to keep her shoes on her feet was a mystery.
Their sudden descent was just as rapid as their ascent as Oscar pulled his wings in, willing them into a free fall. At the last moment, he unfurled them again, landing roughly onto a rooftop. Oscar released his hold on her and Lucy fell forward, crashing hard into the asphalt roof. She lay for a moment, contemplating her attack, moving her fingers slowly and wincing at the needle-like pain the numbness had caused.
“Come, we need to get you inside. You’ll catch your death out here.” Oscar bent down and gripped Lucy under her arms, dragging her to her feet.
“Was that meant to be ironic?” Lucy coughed out.
“I don’t want you dead, Lucy.”
“Too bad, because I’m going to kill you, Oscar!” Lucy reached to unsheathe a weapon, but her fingers still weren’t working properly and the CPA slipped from her grasp.
“Ah, ah, ah, Lucy,” Oscar admonished. “We won’t have any more of that.” He caught her hand before she could try again and deftly slid the bracelet from her wrist. “Besides,” he said and lifted her easily in one arm, “without me, you are as good as dead here.” With his free hand, he opened the door that led down into the building. Without her night vision, Lucy could see nothing of the dark interior of the building, but the less than gentle bumping made her realize they were descending a staircase at a rapid pace.
“Aren’t I as good as dead already? Why don’t you just go ahead and finish the job?”
“And end up like your good friend Tim? No thank you.”
Lucy stiffened. “How do you know about Tim?”
Oscar’s low chuckle caused her flesh to crawl. “Ah, my beloved, I’ve had my eye on you for a very long time. Imagine my surprise, after months of lurking in the shadows of New Orleans, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal myself, I find you in Paris and offering yourself willingly to me.” Lucy twisted and struggled against him, but Oscar was stronger. “You have nothing to fear from me, my love.”
“First of all,” Lucy growled and kicked hard at his midsection. “I am not your love. And second, you have a very different definition of willing than I do. My job, as you well know if you have been stalking me, is to kill you. And it’s going to happen, unless you kill me first.”
Oscar had reached the bottom of the stairs and set Lucy on her feet, but kept a firm grip on her. “Yes, I know what garbage Evan Conroy has filled your mind with, but you will soon learn the truth. You are one of us Lucy, The Eyes of The Sun, and you will come to honor your birthright.”
“Rot in hell.” Lucy spat.
“I already have, many of your lifetimes over.” Oscar opened a door and Lucy winced as bright light spilled into the corridor. He pulled her into the room that, when her eyes adjusted, she realized was a laboratory. At first glance, it was not unlike the labs at EJC. There were sterile, stainless steel tables and shelves, filled with various instruments and jars of chemicals. However here, cages similar in size and shape to dog kennels lined one wall of the room. With horrified disgust, Lucy realized the caged occupants were people, horribly disfigured humans.
“You sick, disgusting fuck!” Lucy wrenched herself from Oscars grip and spun, slapping him in the face. To Lucy’s surprise, he made no move to block or defend himself, even though he knew her reactions were slowed.
“Do your scientist not use animals for experiments meant to further the well-being of humanity? We are scientists, only looking to better our lives and likewise, we sometimes require animals as subjects.”
“Humans,” Lucy spat, “are not animals.”
“That, my dear, is a matter of opinion.”
Lucy spun at the sound of another voice and saw yet another vampire, built much like Oscar, wearing a white lab coat. “Very good, Oscar,” the new vampire crooned. “I must admit, given the dhampir’s record, we had our doubts about your success. The Elders will be pleased.” The vampire loomed over Lucy, taking her chin roughly in his hand and tilted her head up, as if inspecting a breeding horse. “Tainted, yes, but I can see why one like you might consider her desirable. You always have had…questionable tastes.” Oscar growled, but said nothing. “Run along now, Oscar, I’m sure you have important things to do.”
“That wasn’t the arrangement,” Oscar protested. “Take what was agreed upon, a sample of her blood only. The Elders promised Lucy to me.”
The vampire regarded Oscar with a look of pity and malice. “Ah, yes. Well, I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, but Alphonse changed the terms of your arrangement. He felt you might be developing feelings for the little dhampir. This will not do, will it, Oscar? Leave now, or face the Elders.”
Without another word, Oscar turned and strode from the room. The vampire dropped his hand from Lucy’s face. “And now, dhampir, you sleep.” Before Lucy could react, she felt the sharp jab of a needle in her neck, and fell unconscious to the ground.
“Pathetic.” The vampire shook his head sadly and hauled Lucy’s still form onto the table. “Now, let’s see if the rumors about you are true.” As if he was about to perform surgery, the vampire donned a pair of latex gloves and picked up a scalpel. He hovered over Lucy’s prone form for a moment, deciding where to make his first cut.
“Starting without me, Claude?”
The vampire turned. A cloaked figure stood in the doorway through which Oscar had just departed. “Nothing of the sort, my lord,” Claude bowed in deference. “I simply felt caution may be in order, given the reports on this one. I’ll caution you to stand back, I’m about to make the first cut.”
The hooded figure moved swiftly across the room and grabbed Claude’s arm. “You can play with the dhampir later. Get me the samples first.”
“As you wish.” Claude set down the scalpel and moved to the other side of the table where he began preparing a needle. He located a vein in Lucy’s arm and drew out a vial of blood. After carefully sealing the vial, he held it up for inspection.
“That should be enough for my purposes.” The cloaked figure snatched the vial from Claude’s hand and stowed it beneath his robe. “You may proceed with your…experiment.”
Claude once again picked up the scalpel. With slow and deliberate moves, he made an incision, drawing the blade across Lucy’s chest until blood pooled over the cut. Both vampires watched as the skin quickly mended. Claude wiped the remaining blood away. Not even a faint line remained where he had cut her.
“Go deeper,” the hooded vampire demanded. Claude plunged the scalpel deep into Lucy’s chest, slicing through more than skin, down to the muscle tissue. Again, they watched as the wound healed, erasing all evidence of its existence. He made another cut, this time placing his hands on either side, pulling the sliced skin apart, and watched with fascination as the flesh moved beneath his hold to knit itself together.
“This is foolish,” the hooded figure barked. “Our lowest soldiers are capable of the same! Try something more…damaging.”
Claude pursed his lips, clearly unhappy that he was not in charge of his own work, but deferred. He opened a cabinet and withdrew a serrated saw and two plastic face shields, handing one to his superior. “This, no doubt, will be messy. If the dhampir’s blood is truly as dangerous as we’ve been told, I urge you to stand back.”
Suddenly the door slammed open and Oscar stormed int
o the room. “What kind of science is this?” He turned to glare at the hooded figure. “We had an agreement, Alphonse!”
“You are a prince, Oscar, act like one! You became soft in New Orleans. How many of our soldiers were lost to Evan Conroy’s hunters under your watch?”
“This isn’t about-” Oscar started, but the hooded figure waved his hand dismissively.
“Let her go. There are plenty of playthings for you here, but there is no place for emotional attachments in my court.”
“Emotional attachments?” Oscar seethed. “Emotions have nothing to do with it! Lucy was my find and I believe she holds the key to our successful takeover, not just in Paris, but the world at large. Need I remind you that Lucy is a living, breathing example of the progress that your most trusted scientists have never been able to duplicate?”
“I’ve already obtained a sample of her blood, what becomes of her body is of no consequence.”
“Her body, in the hands of this butcher, is of no use to anyone! Claude knows nothing of genetics. Her blood in his hands is nothing more than a time bomb! How do you know he won’t use it to poison you and the other Elders and ascend to power?”
“My lord!” Claude objected fiercely. “Clearly Oscar is suffering delusions brought on by his emotions for this dhampir!”
Alphonse held up a hand. “Oscar does raise a valid point, Claude. Why didn’t you alert me the moment the dhampir arrived?”
“I simply wanted to…that is, for your safety, I felt I should…” Claude sputtered, but Alphonse cut him off.
“Yes, yes, you wanted to protect me, your lord and master, from possible harm. How very noble of you. But as of yet, we have only rumor as to the potency of this dhampir’s tainted blood. Perhaps, we should verify the results first?” He retrieved the vial of Lucy’s blood and held it out to Claude, who took a visible step back. “Take it, Claude.”
“Sir?” Claude began to perspire.
“Take the vial!” Claude reached out with trembling hands and took the vial. “Drink it.” Alphonse’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “If you live, we have nothing to fear.”
“And if I don’t?” Claude’s voice was now very high pitched. Alphonse simply shrugged as his answer. “And if I refuse?” Claude asked with failing bravado.
“If you refuse, you die anyway,” Alphonse threatened, “by my own hand. The way I see it, Claude, you have better odds with the blood.”
Claude’s hands shook so fiercely he had trouble pulling the stopper from the vial. When he finally managed to get it open, he paused, hoping against hope that Alphonse was bluffing. When it became painfully obvious that he was not, Claude tipped the vial to his lips. Almost immediately, he began to choke. His already trembling body convulsed violently and he pitched backwards, crashing into a shelf full of glass jars before falling lifeless to the ground.
“What a waste,” Alphonse sighed.
“I don’t think so,” Oscar shook his head. “Claude has been looking for a way to be rid of the Elders for a long time. I’ve addressed this before.”
Alphonse gestured to the broken glass strewn about the floor. “I was talking about the equipment.”
“So our original arrangement stands?” Oscar asked.
Alphonse leaned in, peering closely into Oscar’s eyes. “No, I’m afraid my fears are not fully assuaged, my young prince. I will be taking over this project myself. And you, you shall have the opportunity to observe from the front row.” Alphonse strode over to the closest unoccupied cage and opened the door. Oscar raised his eyebrows.
“Oh come on, is this necessary?”
“Quite,” Alphonse chuckled. “Any further objections and I shall subject you to every one of the treatments the dhampir receives.”
Sighing, Oscar bent down and crawled into the cage.
Chapter 29
Lucy awoke from her drug-induced sleep and found that she was lying on a cold steel floor, locked in a cage. The laboratory was dark, but she could hear the labored breathing of the other unfortunates who shared her fate. Aside from a headache and some slight stiffness from her awkward position, Lucy felt nothing out of place. She ran her arms down her body, searching for evidence of tampering, until she realized that whatever had been done to her would bear no scars. All of her limbs appeared to be intact, but for all she knew, they could have implanted something, took something, or even changed her DNA. Knowing that the ES was capable of scientific horrors that she could not begin to fathom terrified her.
The designer dress she had been wearing was now no more than a tattered ruin that afforded her no modesty. Her shoes were gone, as was all of her jewelry, save for the earrings that Andre had the forethought to ensure would not come out. The sudden hope that flared within her at the thought of the tiny transmitters faded quickly into debilitating grief as Lucy recalled the explosion that sent Andre falling to his death.
“Andre.” Lucy whispered and buried her head in her arms, sobbing quietly as her tears splashed audibly onto the metal floor. “I’m so sorry!” Her partner was dead.
Andre was gone. Putting form to the thought brought about a fresh wave of tears. She tried to remember their last moments, prior to the explosion, but all she saw in her mind was the stunned expression on his face the moment the balcony gave way. And it was all for nothing. She was in the hands of the very organization they had come to stop. She was a complete and utter failure.
No, stop that line of thinking right now! she admonished herself. I am still alive. I have to try. Andre’s death will not be for nothing!
She slid herself forward and tried to inspect the lock on the door. Though it was dark, she could feel that it wasn’t terribly complex. With a pin or a paperclip, she could have it picked in seconds. The only problem was that she had nothing of the sort.
“Dammit!” She slammed her fist into the door causing the rattling sound to echo throughout the cavernous laboratory.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Startled, Lucy banged her head on the top of the cage. She looked to her left and noticed that the cage next to hers was not empty. Crouched into what had to be an uncomfortable position for someone of his size, was Oscar. “What are you doing in there?” Lucy asked with annoyance.
Oscar chuckled, low and mirthlessly. “This? This is my punishment for speaking on behalf of your well-being, Lucy.”
“Huh,” Lucy huffed. “Like you care about my well-being.”
“I care very much, Lucy.” Oscar’s voice held a note of tenderness, but Lucy wasn’t buying it.
“Save it. What the hell have you done to me?”
“I have done nothing,” Oscar said with a sigh. “Claude took you from me. He cut you open and he was about to begin butchering you when I came back and convinced Alphonse that Claude’s intent was mutiny. Alphonse made him drink your blood. Needless to say, Claude is no longer among us.”
Lucy was relieved at least, that the vampire, who apparently tried to mutilate her, was dead. But Oscar was not winning any points for his supposed change of heart. “And then? How did you end up in a cage, Oscar?”
“Like I said, Lucy, I spoke on your behalf. Alphonse decided he would conduct the tests himself and my punishment would be to watch. Do not worry. After my incarceration, Alphonse was more intent on discovering what it is about your blood that brought about such a swift end to Claude's life. He drew a sample and put you in the cage. Nothing more was done to you tonight.”
“Nothing more?” Lucy laughed sarcastically. “Nothing more than take my blood and lock me in a cage. Oh yeah, I’d say that was downright hospitable of him! This Alphonse must be one hell of a party host!”
“Considering the alternatives, you were lucky. Alphonse will want to push the limits of your abilities. With any luck, he’ll tire of my punishment and I’ll be in a position to help you.”
“Help me?” Lucy sputtered. “Help me? If it wasn’t for you, I would not be here in the first place! Tell me, Oscar, what exactly was
your reason for kidnapping me?”
“I didn’t kidnap you, Lucy,” Oscar said quietly, “I saved you. You would have fallen to your death.”
“Bullshit!” Lucy hissed. “You killed Andre and you had planned to kill him! If I hadn’t attacked Mira, would things have gone differently?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, I didn’t kill Andre, Mira did. My plan was to hand the woman over, and while he was busy ensuring her safety, I planned to ask you to come with me.”
“Did you honestly think I would willingly go anywhere with you?” Lucy was growing tired of Oscar’s insistence of his innocence. What did he think he had to prove to her? He was an ES vampire. Worse, he was an ES vampire who apparently, had been stalking her since before she even knew they existed. Every secret she had, even the information that most of her coworkers didn’t know, was now common knowledge to The Eyes of the Sun.
“I had slim hope,” Oscar admitted. “Yes, Lucy, had you resisted, I would have done exactly what I did. However, my intention was never to hand you over to a madman. You were to be a guest in my home. I had planned to propose an arrangement that would be beneficial to the both of us.”
Lucy snorted. “Well, we’ve got nothing but time now! What was this arrangement? And for the record, I can’t think of any arrangement that would benefit me unless it involved the end of your organization.”
“In a way, that’s exactly what I was proposing.”
Lucy began to ask him what he meant, but she sensed someone approaching. The door opened and the lights were switched on, once again bathing the lab in harsh fluorescent light. Lucy instinctively shielded her eyes. The vampire, completely hidden within the folds of a hooded cloak, came to a halt in front of Lucy’s cage.
“Ah, our subject is awake, good.” The vampire bent over so that his face met the bars of Lucy’s cage and slid back his hood. Lucy gasped at what she saw, pushing herself back, as far away from the door as the cage would allow.
The Eyes of the Sun: The Complete Trilogy Page 27
