They’ll wait for me. He reassured himself. The two humans would have to be insane to think they could take on a den of vampires.
Chapter Nineteen
The moment they had sensed the approach of daylight, the female vampire, Natasha, had locked Elizabeth in a storeroom. When Natasha pulled the door shut behind her, Elizabeth heard a click. She’d understood the meaning of the sound but that didn’t stop her from trying the door. Sure, she might only be a six-year-old, but since her thirst had been awoken, she felt like a strong six-year-old. She’d grabbed the handle and twisted, pulled and shoved, but the door didn’t budge. This place had been designed with vampires in mind. A child didn’t stand a chance of escaping.
Boxes of bottles surrounded her, some stacked several high, and big steel cylinders stood in one corner. A single, dimly lit bulb dangled from a frayed wire in the ceiling. A chill clutched the dank air, though her captors had thought to give her a blanket and several cushions to sleep on. The acrid tang of something she didn’t recognize and rusted metal filled the room. At first, the smell filling her senses was all she could focus on but then she grew used to it and the stink became less noticeable.
Elizabeth had spent most of the day asleep. She’d curled up on top of the cushions, though she struggled with the blanket. Her legs poked from the bottom and if she sat up to try to rearrange it, the material fell off her body. Eventually she gave up, deciding the comfort meant little in relation to the craving still clutching her throat. Her only escape was sleep and, exhausted, sleep mercifully claimed her.
In the brief periods where she roused, a terrible thirst gripped her. She fought to go back to sleep, desperate to escape the discomfort. But even in her slumber, the hunger plagued her. Her mouth remained dry, her throat painful. Her dreams were of drinking down long, tall glasses of the delicious liquid, but still her thirst—even in her sleep—was never quenched.
She woke to the sound of the lock clicking again and lifted her head, blinking away the sleep. Demitri—the longhaired vampire—smiled down at her. Dusk must have come.
“I’m thirsty,” she said, her voice raspy, and unlike her own.
He crouched to her level. “I know, child. I have what you want but, first, I want you to do something for me. Can you do that?”
Elizabeth nodded. She’d do whatever he wanted if it meant she’d get some more, something to ease the pain in her throat and the way her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. When she moved her lips to speak, the inside of her lips stuck to her gums, exposing her small teeth.
“Good. You know how you sometimes see things that haven’t happened yet?” She nodded again. “I want you to try to do it now for me, okay?”
“I’ll try.” Elizabeth closed her eyes, plunging herself into darkness. The vampire could ask all he wanted, but she wouldn’t be able to visualize something just because she’d been told to. Sometimes it happened when she wanted, but usually the visions happened by accident.
A flash of something burst in her mind: Sebastian standing in front of Demitri as she sat on her captor’s lap. Though she wasn’t able to hear what was being said, she understood from the vampires’ expressions they were arguing.
Elizabeth gasped and her eyes sprung open. Only rarely had she been able to call a sighting to mind like that. Her talent suddenly seemed nearer, more within reach.
“Tell me what you saw,” the vampire demanded.
She agonized. She didn’t want to tell him, but she couldn’t stand the thought of not being fed. Her thirst overshadowed everything else—even her loyalty to her family. “I saw you and my daddy, Sebastian. You were fighting.”
“Hmm,” Demitri said, one hand rubbing his lips. “I thought he’d come.” He flashed a bright, white smile, exposing his canines. “But did you see anything else? Anything… more important.”
Stubborn anger lodged inside her and she pouted. “My daddy is important. Can I get my drink now?”
Demitri paused, seeming to decide if he should punish the outburst, then erupted into laughter. He reached out and ruffled her hair, but Elizabeth jerked away from his touch.
“There’s my good little half-breed. Who knew the vampire side was so close beneath the surface?”
“I want my drink,” she repeated, her throat scorching. “I’m thirsty.”
“Of course you are, child. Come with me.”
He held out his hand and Elizabeth eyed his long, pale fingers in distrust. He wiggled his fingers at her and, reluctantly, she placed her hand in his.
Elizabeth trailed behind him as they walked back through the enclosed, windowless corridors to the huge, cavernous room that seemed to make up Demitri’s personal space. They entered the room and Elizabeth shrank back as she took in the sight of Natasha and another vampire—a mountainous creature with a bald head and thick neck. They stood either side of Demitri’s huge slab of a desk, their hands crossed in front of their bodies.
“Relax,” Demitri instructed them. “She’s only a little girl.”
“We don’t know what she’s capable of yet,” said Natasha. “She might be able to attack us mentally—play tricks on our minds. I’ve heard of vampires with such talents.”
“She’s not a vampire. Not fully.”
“I want my drink,” said Elizabeth, her eyes shifting from one vampire to the other. She remembered her manners and added, “Please.”
Demitri laughed. “Of course. Natasha, the child is hungry.”
Natasha scowled at Elizabeth but didn’t argue with Demitri. In a blur, she left the room, the door swinging shut behind her. Within seconds she’d returned, the same, long-stemmed, marble cup in her hands.
“Here,” she said, handing it to Demitri. Her eyes glowed yellow, her face pale and tensed. Her fangs ran out a little as she forced herself to let go of the vessel.
Elizabeth reached out, a need running urgently through her. Her throat raged, fire closing it over. She wondered if she’d even be able to swallow, but then, as the cup was lifted to her lips and the warm, metallic scent filled her nostrils, saliva flooded her mouth. She grabbed the cup from him and drank. She swallowed the warm liquid with long, deep gulps, relishing in the comfort it brought her poor, burning throat. As she drank, a strange nugget of heat built in the center of her chest. Her heart picked up a notch, thumping loudly, its beat filling her ears.
She’d drained the cup and her stomach dropped in disappointment. Not wanting any to be wasted, she poked out her tongue and lapped around the inside, licking up any last residue.
“Now, now,” said Demitri, untangling the cup from her fingers. “Do you feel better?”
“I still want more.”
“You can have more, but first you need to do something for me again. Is that fair?”
She nodded and said, “What do I have to do?”
“Only what comes naturally, child. I want you to try to see into the future again, only this time, try to see past your old family.”
She scowled. “I can only see things about people I know. My thoughts go to them and what’s going to happen just appears in my head.”
He straightened and ran both hands through his hair, pushing it behind his ears. He smiled, a smug expression, his fangs glinting.
“Very well. If you only have visions about those you know, wouldn’t you say you and I are acquainted now?”
Elizabeth wanted to comment, but she wasn’t brave enough. “I guess,” she mumbled.
“So how about you think about me? Try to see what my future holds?”
She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. The thirst had abated for the moment so she was able concentrate. All she’d been able to think about before was how much she wanted some more of the drink.
The heat at her heart seemed to help her focus. Like a little nugget of strength, she drew from it, pulling its power from her core to her head. She’d never experienced this kind of control before. Previously, the sightings had been random and sporadic, grabbing her wherever and
whenever. But now, she was sure she could make it happen—with that strange sensation of power, she could make anything happen.
With her eyes still closed, she felt a strange sucking sensation on her brain, as though her mind was literally being dragged forward.
She was standing in Demitri’s room, but more people surrounded her now. Her father stood beside the desk. Her mother was just ahead of her and Demitri stood in front of her mom, their faces only inches apart. Demitri’s face was pale, his eyes black and furious. Suddenly an explosion of movement happened near her. Demitri stumbled back, screaming, but that wasn’t what caught Elizabeth’s attention. Sebastian’s yell of pain dragged her eyes to where he stood, a huge wooden stake of some kind protruding from his chest. Terror for her father gripped her heart.
Elizabeth cried out, “Daddy!”
The strange, sucking sensation was back again, dragging her backward now, pulling on her brain and limbs.
Her eyes flicked open in the real world to find Demitri watching her intently. The room spun and she swayed, nausea rushing over her. Unable to control it, she doubled over and vomited hot, thick fluid all over the floor.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened.
Blood! So much blood!
She opened her mouth and screamed an ear-splitting shriek. Thick, viscous pools covered the wooden floor—blood that had just come from her. Plumes of steam rose from the emission. In her mind, she remembered the sight of Sebastian with the wooden pole sticking out of his chest. How her mommy had been in Demitri’s grasp. Elizabeth wasn’t stupid; she knew exactly what her vision meant. Her mommy and daddy were coming to get her. They were going to fight Demitri and his friends, and they were going to lose.
As she lifted her head to search for help, she caught sight of the vampires. Three white, tensed faces with fierce, glowing eyes and protruding fangs stared at the blood.
They lifted their eyes to her.
Elizabeth screamed again and ran.
Instantly, the three vampires were on her. Demitri grabbed her by the shoulders, the male vampire and Natasha landing directly in front of her. She would have collided with them if not for Demitri’s hold on her. His grip felt like a band of ice. He gave her a slight shake, but his strength was such that her head whipped back and forth, hurting her neck. Sebastian had never touched her with any kind of force. To experience such strength and cruelty from someone like her own father was terrifying.
With the blood purged, fear washed over her afresh. “Please,” she begged. “Please let me go. I want my mommy and daddy.”
“Oh, they’ll be here. Isn’t that what you saw?” Demitri spun her around to face him. “Tell me about your vision, child. It’s clear from your reaction that you tapped into something.”
She cried, hot tears streaming down her face. Suddenly panicked, she lifted her hand and wiped away the tears. She looked down at the back of her hand and was relieved to find the fluid clear. She’d been almost certain her hand and face would be smeared with red. That she’d been crying blood.
“My mommy and daddy were here,” she sobbed. “My daddy got hurt.”
Demitri’s face brightened.
“Then you need to tell me exactly what happened.”
“I told you before,” she sniffed. “You and Sebastian were fighting. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t see much else.”
Slowly, he shook his head. “No, you saw more than that. Tell me or I’ll make both you and your parents suffer.”
“I don’t know anything else!”
Demitri snarled, his maw opening wide and filling her vision with lethally sharp fangs. “Tell me!”
Elizabeth trembled with fear. “My daddy got staked,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “I think someone killed him.”
Chapter Twenty
Hours passed and finally the bright lights of New York City lit up the horizon. Sebastian picked up his pace. Serenity was now only moments away.
He raced through the busy streets, leaping over traffic, brushing past people on the street. They sensed him as he passed, a sudden rush of cold wind on their faces, leaving them shivering and with the impression a ghost had just walked by. Sebastian reached the hotel. He didn’t need to stop at the desk to find out if Serenity had checked in or ask her room number. Now she’d taken his blood, they were bound in such a way that he was able to go straight to her. He’d always been focused on her before, had always been able to pick up her scent and the emotions she radiated, even in a crowd, but now the sensation was much stronger. Her heartbeat was like a huge, throbbing base in the center of the building. Sebastian raced up the stairs, pausing for only a fraction of a second on each floor before he burst through the doors of the floor she was on.
He located her room with no problem. Her life force glowed for him, a mental lighthouse he couldn’t help but hone in on.
Sebastian paused outside the door and centered himself. He didn’t want to charge in, wild and windswept, and upset whatever fragile state she might be in now.
He didn’t get to wait any longer. The door opened and Serenity stood before him, her dark eyes wide, her long hair spiraling down over her shoulders. Her face was streaked from crying, her eyes bloodshot.
His heart clenched for her—for her beauty and her fragility. In so many ways, she’d been both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness.
Catching him by surprise, she stepped forward and shoved him in the chest with both hands. The shock of her hitting him made him step back. She would never have been physically strong enough to budge him but, mentally, she’d caught him off guard.
“You told me Demitri wouldn’t just turn up and take her,” she yelled. “He’s got my baby. That monster has her!”
He grabbed her wrists, holding her still. He fixed his gaze on her distraught brown eyes. “It’s okay. We’ll get her back again!”
“How can you say that? You don’t know if that’s true. All of the promises you made me about how everything is going to be all right, they’re all bullshit! You don’t know that anything is ever going to be all right!”
He resisted the urge to give her a shake. “Hey, Serenity, she’s my daughter as well. Remember, I’m a vampire, I’m not a goddamned superhero.”
She hung her head and he let go of her wrists. “I’m sorry. I’m just so frightened for her. She must be so scared.”
“Demitri never said he would do anything to hurt her. He wants her to be able to predict the future for him. What would be the sense in harming her?”
“If she’s not able to do what he wants, he might.”
They still stood in the doorway, Bridget hovering in the room behind.
“Are you going to let me in,” he said. “Or do I have to stand in the corridor all night?”
She gave her head a slight shake and stepped back, allowing him through. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “This has been one of the worst days of my life. Only Bridget threatening to tie me to a chair has stopped me from going straight to Demitri’s club.”
He lifted his eyes to where Bridget stood. She gave him a tight smile. “Thank you,” he told her.
Sebastian pushed the door shut behind him. The room was almost a mirror image of the one they’d stayed in before. A non-descript landscape print hung above the bed. A small, flat-screen television sat on a dark wood desk, coffee and tea making facilities on a tray beside it.
Serenity went and sat on the edge of the double bed, her head in her hands.
“What are we going to do, Sebastian? Please tell me you have a plan.”
He faltered. So far his plan had consisted of going back to see Demitri and demanding his child back. As far as plans went, even he had to admit it wasn’t a very good one.
Bridget touched Sebastian’s shoulder. “I can help. I know you don’t believe in magic, but I can do things.”
“She’s right,” said Serenity, nodding. For the first time since he’d arrived, her eyes brightened. “Bridget, show him.”
/> Sebastian folded his arms across his broad chest, his jaw hardened. This time he didn’t complain, only watched with wary eyes. He’d never hidden his skepticism about what Bridget said she could do, but if it made Serenity feel better—made her think there was hope—then he’d tolerate whatever Bridget thought she could do to help.
Bridget pulled her bag to her lap and delved inside. She took out three stubby candles and a small silk bag with something stuffed inside.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Bridget grinned. “Those herbs you love so much. Now hush, I need to concentrate.”
She knelt on the floor and positioned the candles in a wide triangle. From the silk pouch, she took a small pinch of the herbs and sprinkled them over the candles. She got to her feet and stepped inside the triangle of candles.
“Now everyone stay quiet,” she instructed. “I need to focus.”
Bridget bent at the waist and held her hand over the top of one of the wicks of the candles.
She spoke in a low voice. “Lux in tenebris, et tenebrae in luce.”
The wick of the candle fizzed for a second, then burst to life. Bridget held her hand over the remaining two candles, repeating the words. Both candles flared.
Sebastian opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment about being impressed, but a glare from Serenity shot him down.
Bridget stood up straight and crossed her hands over her chest, almost mimicking the same position Sebastian slept in, though she was upright instead of vertical. She spoke in low mumbled tones. “Pone mortale pondus omne et surge Sicut pinna, sicut aer, esto levis.”
Sebastian knew enough Latin to get the basic idea of what she was saying.
Cast aside all mortal weight and rise. Light as a feather, light as air.
Her whole body began to tremble. Bridget repeated the words, over and over and before their eyes, she lifted several inches into the air.
Sebastian glanced at Serenity. Her eyes were glued on Bridget, the same bright, transfixed expression on her face. She lifted her eyes to his and smiled. He got the feeling this wasn’t the first time she’d seen this trick. Bridget must have shown her what she could do while they were waiting for him to arrive.
The Serenity Series: Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 60
