Rayne started to cry. “That’s the thing. I’ve done what I was supposed to. I collected the information from Cole and I told the guards. That’s all my father asked me to do.” She sniffled. “I’m not sure whether the guards told my father or not, but he hasn’t come down to see me or get me out.”
“Your dad sounds like a real father of the year.” Troy stood and went over to Cole.
Professor Pops went on. “You are part gargoyle and part something else? Human?”
Rayne wiped her nose on her arm. “How’d you know?” She cleared her throat. “My father has refused to tell me who my mother is.” She rested her head on her knees. “I don’t belong on this world and I’d hoped that by finding out who my mother was, then maybe I could feel more like myself.”
Professor Pops gave her a gentle look. “It’s difficult not knowing where you come from. I can understand your need to find out.” He glanced at Cole and Troy, who were talking quietly in front of the door. “We all need connections. Without them we aren’t really living.”
She shrugged. “I guess. All I know is that the whole time I’ve lived here, I’ve felt like a misfit.”
“Well, perhaps we can assist you in your endeavors as well as Jasmine and Laeddin.” He pulled a book from his satchel and took his reading glasses from his pocket, putting them on.
“Do you even need those things?” I touched the frames and moved closer so that I could see the pages too.
He gave me a one-armed hug. “It’s just these eyes. I need the glasses for the close up stuff.”
I laughed, eyeing Troy. “Part of the old man syndrome, huh?”
“Right.” Pops flipped the pages until he reached what he was looking for. The top of the left page read: A Spell to Break Spells.
“Your magic won’t work down here,” Laeddin said. “I’ve already tried.”
Pops looked at Laeddin over the top of his glasses. “You sure?”
Laeddin snapped his fingers in answer. I hoped it would work for the briefest second, but that hope was dashed. Laeddin’s tattoos tried to light up, but they only flickered.
“Ah, I see. Well, then that changes things.” He gave Rayne a kindly look. “Rayne, we are really going to need your help. Are you with us?”
“Sure.” She looked over at Cole and continued, “I came down with the intention of getting information from you, Cole, but after getting to know you, I’ve come to truly care about you.” She stopped, sucking in a breath.
“It’s understandable, dear. And I applaud your honesty.” Professor Pops said, putting away his book and his glasses. “Don’t you agree, Cole? I mean, I can see quite clearly that the girl has feelings for you. I can feel them too. Can’t you?” He turned on his seat as he spoke so that he was facing Cole.
Troy had his arm on Cole’s back and they were still talking, though it looked like Troy was doing most of it.
Cole looked up. The edges of his hair were still white. Whatever Troy was saying, it hadn’t helped calm him down. “I guess.” He glared at Rayne and it was obvious he was still angry.
“If she helps us, then all is forgiven, right bro?” Troy flashed his trademark smirk.
“We’ll see.” Cole inhaled sharply before blowing it out. His shoulders relaxed and his hair changed back to black.
Twenty-Two
Over the next two days, we discussed numerous ways for all of us to get out of this cage. The plan was simple: Pops and Troy would escape and take Cole and Rayne home with them. After seeing the guards’ reactions when bringing them in, we figured it would be best for Professor Pops and Troy to escape the castle immediately and come back for Cole and Rayne when an opportunity presented itself. Since Laeddin and I couldn’t leave without the piece of crown, we didn’t get involved beyond planning to escape from the cell. Truth be told, once we were out and away from whatever magic blocked Laeddin’s power, Laeddin could just pop us home. Easy as that. But, of course it wasn’t that simple, because he and I had different motives.
Professor Pops and Laeddin seemed to be fine without any basic human necessities, so what little food Pops and Troy had brought with them was divided between Troy, Cole, and Rayne, and they finished everything within the first day. They seemed okay, especially Cole and Rayne. In fact, they looked great. Refreshed.
I was ravenous and getting hungrier by the second. It didn’t help that Laeddin and Troy both had blood that called to me. If I were human it would have been as though I’d been starved for a month and someone brought in a roast with seasoned potatoes, creamed corn, rolls with butter and honey, and a chocolate cake, and then placed them down in front of me, but told me I wasn’t allowed to eat any of it. Not even a taste. My fangs were in a continuous war with my better judgment. It sucked to be me.
In an effort to calm my hunger, I tried to focus on something else. Anything else. Cole and Rayne had made up by the morning of the second day. She’d apologized profusely and they were back to talking secretly and holding hands.
I wished I could so easily forgive. After our initial kiss, Troy had barely spoken to me. I wanted to believe I was glad, but really I wanted our fight to be over and needed to talk to him. I even tried a couple of times, but he resisted, giving me one word answers until I was ready to throw my hands up and suck his blood out of spite.
“What’s your problem?” I finally asked on the fourth day. My words were meant to be a whisper, but it was obvious everyone heard. He ground his teeth and turned away. I put an arm on his shoulder and spun him. He shoved me, his skin rippling as though he were fighting to contain the dragon within. He bared his teeth for the briefest moment before clamping them closed. They’d changed from those of a human to the sharp and pointy teeth of a dragon. And I finally got it. Troy was starving just like me. He was half dragon. I didn’t know much about them but I’d seen him in dragon form. He was huge and probably required a lot of food to sustain him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, turning away.
We needed out of this cage, fast. All of us were predatory in nature, and supernatural as well. Sooner or later, if we remained stuck in this small and claustrophobic cell, we were going to start to look like food.
Rayne had already tried on multiple occasions to speak with the guards, but they ignored her pleas, calling her mutt and other words that didn’t translate to English. I figured I should be grateful for that.
Cole and Rayne were the most talkative now, probably because they’d grown more accustomed to their surroundings. During one of their conversations, Cole began talking about his uncle Dorian and he blurted out, “Your mother is Snow White, the Vampire Queen, right?”
I appreciated his efforts to include me. When left on my own, I kept remembering the moment Laeddin’s spell had come over me, making me the weapon dedicated to destroying the assassins guarding the crown. My eyes had changed colors, flashing from one to the next. What affected me most were the gauzy wings I’d seen on my back right after the spell completed. They’d appeared just long enough to make me miss them even more when they vanished. “Yes.” I gritted my teeth, fighting the hunger and depression eating away at my insides.
Cole’s eyes lit up and for the first time he really looked at me. “I thought so. I can see the resemblance.” He ran his hands through his hair, leaning his head against the wall. “Troy and I have talked more than once about who could win in a one-on-one fight between him and the Vampire Queen.”
Troy responded to that, giving Cole a tiny smile. “At the moment, she’d kick my ass.” He wrapped his arms around his stomach.
“You’re really hurting, aren’t you, son?” Professor Pops looked worriedly at Troy.
“I’m hungry enough to eat three entire cows,” he grumbled. Somehow, I didn’t think he was exaggerating.
Professor Pops brushed a piece of hair off his forehead. “I’m sorry, son. Hang in there. You’re stronger than your stomach.”
Troy growled again and this time smoke came out of his nose. “I don’t know about that.”
>
“You are.” Professor Pops wrapped an arm around Troy’s shoulders. “Why don’t you tell Jasmine about the huge crush you have on her mother?”
At that, Troy blushed a bright red. “I don’t have a crush. I just think she’s awesome.”
I was mortified and couldn’t help wondering if that was why he liked me, because I reminded him of my mom.
“Jasmine, I swear I don’t like, like your mom. Okay?” He barely looked at me when he spoke.
“Whatever,” I said, not convinced and still rather upset at him.
“Ugh, but I am starving.” He roared this time and the whole room shook, sending pieces of debris down on us.
“This is ridiculous. We have a genie, a half dragon, two half gargoyles, and a Hunter down here. Surely we can get out of this stinking cage.” I yanked on the handle using all of my might. “Troy, come and help me.”
He pushed himself off the floor and came over. As soon as his shoulder brushed mine, I realized my mistake. The scent of his blood sent my head spinning and my body began to sag. I literally felt faint.
“Hey,” Troy caught me. “You’re hungry too, aren’t you?”
I tried to push out of his grasp, but he held me fast. I flashed my fangs, and he released me. “Does that answer your question?”
Rayne had been watching the exchange and gasped. “She’s a vampire.”
Cole laughed. “Yep. She might kick your ass too, Troy.”
Troy bent his head, rubbing his scruffy face. “That’s why I’ve been staying away.”
I nodded, still furious, and went over to the door, this time banging on the bars. “Hey! Hey! Let us out of here. You can’t hold us. Do you hear me? We need to talk to you. We need to find—”
A large gargoyle with fawn brown wings and a patch over one eye rounded the corner and came down the hall like an angry bull. He looked ready to ram the door. But just as he reached me, he stopped. “Stop making that racket or I’ll crush you under my foot, you filthy, stinking bug.”
His words threw me off balance. “Don’t be rude.” I placed my hands on my hips.
“You can understand what he’s saying?” Cole’s eyes were wide with surprise. Troy and Pops seemed surprised too.
“Sadly, yes.”
Rayne perked up at that knowledge. “Can they understand you too?”
“No.”
The gargoyle noticed my stance and chuckled. “You’ve got fire. Well that’s something.” He studied me more closely with his one eye. “It would be a shame, but I will still crush you if you don’t stop your squawking.” He glanced at Rayne. “Why don’t you explain the way we work around here, mutt?” He laughed heartily.
I crossed my arms. “Rayne, talk to him.”
“Vyne, these are good people. They mean us no harm. Tell my father and—”
The gargoyle she’d called Vyne roared with laughter. “Your father told us to leave you down here. He doesn’t care about you, mutt, and neither do I. Now shut it.” His eye roamed my body and I shuddered.
Rayne heaved a deep breath.
I’d had enough. “Let us out, you monster!”
The gargoyle licked his lips. Then he walked down the hall, turned the corner and was gone.
I stomped my foot in frustration. “Stubborn ox.” Laeddin had a perplexed look on his face and I wondered what had him thinking. I turned my back on the door and leaned against it, then slid to the floor. Every second we sat in the cell was another wasted. Troy seemed eager to comfort me, but I knew why he resisted. He didn’t want to eat me. “Ugh, thanks for trying, Rayne.”
She shrugged. “Sure.”
Moments later, I heard the gargoyle’s heavy footsteps coming down the hall. He stopped at the door. I didn’t look at him, determined not to lose my temper again. “Little bug, I’ve brought you some food.”
Surprised, I looked up just as he dumped some rancid scraps of food on my head along with something that rolled toward Troy. I screamed like the gargoyle had killed me, furious at his trick. Springing to my feet, I looked him in his one good eye and pushed the door with all of my might. Surprisingly, it began to shudder and buckle. Even with disgusting food dripping into my eyes, I could see the rock crumble beneath my fingers. That gave me the incentive I needed to push harder. “Come and stop me,” I shouted, still staring at the gargoyle.
The smirk on his face turned to surprise. “You’re stronger than you look.”
“You’re damn right, you stupid rock!” My hands had gone through several layers of stone. Bits of powder filled the air like smoke. I ignored it, concentrating on my anger. “Laeddin, why the hell did you make it so I can comprehend what they’re saying, but they can’t understand me? It’s so freaking infuriating!” I pushed harder. If I had to guess, I’d say I was halfway through the thick, rock door.
“Stop that, bug,” the gargoyle growled warningly.
“Vyne, what the goddess is going on?” Another gargoyle appeared at the end of the hall, a female with ochre wings.
“Nothing, Amber,” he said turning his head in her direction. Then in a quieter voice, he said to me, “Don’t make me come in there, little bug, because if I do, you won’t like it. I promise you that.” He licked his lips again.
The tone of his words terrified me. Worse was the way his eye roamed over my body. I stopped.
“Good.” He turned away. “See, it’s nothing,” he yelled, speaking to the one called Amber.
I punched the wall beside the door, exasperated. Rock rained down, adding more smoke to the air. With the bottom of my shirt, I started to wipe off the mess, but Troy took my hands, stopping me. He pushed me into the corner, trapping me with his arms. I studied his face, trying to figure out what he intended to do.
“Troy,” Pops said in warning.
“I’m fine,” he growled, smoke wafting from his nose. “Hold still,” he whispered, leaning closer to me.
I held my breath as his face came nearer. But rather than kiss me, he began picking the food scraps out of my hair. Then instead of throwing the disgusting things out the cell door, he handed them to Cole, who immediately began tossing them in his mouth. I was even more baffled when Troy leaned toward me . . . and licked my lips. Then I realized, he wanted the food on my face, even though I knew it had to be repulsive, especially now that it was also covered in rock dust and who knew what else. I closed my eyes against his nearness while tingles raced inside and outside of my body. The experience shouldn’t have elicited such a lustful response, but by the time he finished, I was torn between pulling his lips to mine and kissing the daylights out of him, and burying my fangs in his neck and drinking from him until my stomach burst. But I held still, forcing my lips and my fangs to stay put.
At last I opened my eyes. Troy seemed better and even had his usual smirk on his face.
“Your turn.” He pressed his body against mine and tilted his neck. I wanted to drink from him desperately, but not in front of everyone, especially not Laeddin and Pops.
“Not now,” I said, my throat scratchy.
Troy’s expression became wounded until Laeddin shouted, “Leave her be. She obviously doesn’t want you.”
Troy growled. “Her body begs to differ. She’s just polite enough not to want me in front of you.” He stalked over to Laeddin, his skin rippling lightly as he got right in the genie’s face. Laeddin held his ground.
They reminded me of two bulls stomping their feet and snorting at each other. It was ridiculous. “Knock it off, both of you.” I stepped between them, putting up my hands, trying to push them apart.
“Troy,” Pops said again.
They backed down at the same time, Laeddin going over to sit by himself.
I turned to Troy. “You’re disgusting,” I said, but smiled to soften the blow.
“You taste like honey,” he responded, causing crimson heat to burn through my body.
“You know what—” I began, but was interrupted by a group of four gargoyles coming noisily down the hall to
ward us. I looked to see if they had another captive, but they didn’t.
“Get the prisoners. The emperor will see them now.”
Vyne came to the door along with Amber and another male I hadn’t seen before. “I’m unlocking the door, little bug. Don’t try anything funny.”
I was feeling a bit snarky and wanted to crack a joke. Instead I moved out of the way, and worked to control the need to high-five someone. We were finally getting out of this hellhole.
While Vyne held the door open, Amber and the other male came in. His wings were the color of honey with striations of black throughout. gargoyles entered one at a time, ducking their heads to fit beneath the opening. Amber took hold of Laeddin and me while the other grabbed Troy and Pops. “What about those two?” Amber pointed at Cole and Rayne.
“Leave them. Graves wants his daughter to stay down here a while longer and the emperor isn’t interested in seeing the other one yet.”
That got my attention. What was her dad’s problem? I wanted to ask Rayne, but didn’t get a chance.”
“What are they saying?” Cole asked.
“They’re talking about you,” I said, grinding my teeth in anger.
Troy and Professor Pops started fighting against their gargoyle. “No,” Troy yelled.
“We aren’t leaving without them,” Professor Pops said, grinding his teeth.
“You must take us. Graves needs to hear what I have to say.” Rayne pushed between two different gargoyles, trying to get to the door. Cole helped, but not even the two of them together were a match for the brutish gargoyle prison guards.
Vyne lifted one eyebrow. “What more do you have to say, little mutt?”
“I don’t have to tell you. I’ll tell him.” It was the most defiant I’d seen her.
“Fine. Let’s go.” He roughly grabbed Rayne and Cole by their necks as he pushed them through the opening and past the rest of us, down the hall where we took a left and then started up the endless stairs.
Professor Pops and Troy relaxed. I nodded at them, glad they realized what was happening.
Vampire Nights (Vampire Wishes Book 3) Page 9
