“Nadine?” Helena asked.
“I will speak with Horus and see if there is a way to relieve you of your link.”
Helena frowned. “Who is Horus?”
Nadine gave her a sad smile. “You won’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try us,” Lucious interjected.
Her smile faded. “He’s my guardian angel.”
Lucious burst out laughing. “Has every human got one these days?”
Nadine tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean?”
“I had one until recently,” Helena replied with a sheepish smile.
“I don’t understand. An angel doesn’t leave his post till the saint dies. And no two saints occupy—” Nadine covered her mouth. “I must leave. I have to return home.”
Lucious moved to stop her, but Helena caught his sleeve. If he wanted to, he could have easily broken free of her grasp. He didn’t.
The mysterious woman gave Helena a quick hug and elegantly ambled away from them as if nothing in the world scared her.
Helena poked her finger at his chest. Her hazel eyes were full of accusations he knew she wanted to hurl at him. To his surprise, she turned on her heel and marched back to the apartment building with rain seeping into her clothes.
Helena slammed the front door after she returned home and mumbled an excuse to retire for the night to her room. Perri was too engrossed in the book she was reading on the sofa, and Laura must have gone to bed early. She stomped up the stairs. Entering her bedroom, she found that Lucious was following her. Why couldn’t he leave me alone?
She turned on the spot as he quietly closed the door behind him. “How dare you go after her?”
He traced his tongue over his lower lip in a slow and deliberate manner. She couldn’t look away from it. She felt like a balloon. Her anger inflated her one moment and the next she was small again, distracted by him and his overpowering presence.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” she whispered.
Her body started to tremble. She was tired, mentally and physically. Her worries hacked away at her stability. Could she trust vampires when Michael and Nadine seemed opposed to their existence? Were her friends safe from Lazarus and his schemes? What about her family?
Her vision doubled and her legs gave in. Strong arms steadied her. She became weightless as he pressed her to his chest.
“Helena, are you alright?” Lucious’ worried face hovered above hers, and her vision returned to normal.
“Fine…”
He gently laid her on the bed. “I’ll get you something to drink.” As he moved his hands away, and she caught one of them.
“Stay. Please.”
She had given up trying to appear strong. She just wanted someone to hold her, to take away the nightmares haunting her dreams. Her eyes widened at what she was asking. “I’m sorry… I’m alright.”
Lucious raised her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her palm. “You need to rest.”
Helena blushed, knowing she couldn’t sleep even if she desperately wanted to. Every time she closed her eyes, visions of Lazarus and those creatures resurfaced. Their red, starving eyes sized her up and their bony claws pursued her to every corner of that foreign wasteland.
“Why aren’t you relaxing?”
She didn’t know what to say, so she remained silent.
He sat on the edge of the bed. “If you would like it, I can watch over you.”
Helena turned her face away. He couldn’t protect her from Lazarus. He was a demon—an entity that plagued her dreams and reality. What can one vampire do?
A warm hand rested on her shoulder, and she glanced at it.
“Tell me what’s wrong? I can’t protect you if you don’t tell me anything.”
Warmth spread through her, but she couldn’t figure him out. Why was he being nice? She tried hard not to notice the excitement the link was buzzing with. The stupid thing had a mind of its own.
Sitting up, she said, “You can’t protect me, Lucious. No one can. With Michael gone, I’m a sitting duck, waiting to be picked off. He haunts my dreams, making sure I don’t rest. Every time I close my eyes, he’s there, waiting…” A single tear had escaped and left a wet trail down her cheek.
Lucious went silent for a minute. “My sire, Anna, taught me many things during my visit. One of them was a way to shield you but for it to work we need to be close.” He lay on the bed next to her, and she scooted away.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, eyeing him with suspicion.
Lucious opened his arms in a form of an invitation. “Come here.”
She shook her head. “No way. I don’t trust you.”
He smiled and spoke as if to a child, “We must be touching if you want to get some rest. You have my word. We will not be engaging in anything sexual tonight if that is what you are worried about.”
Her cheeks burned. She didn’t know where to look as she rolled closer to the edge of the bed and, before she knew it, she was falling.
Lucious caught her arms and propelled her into his arms. In an instant, her shields were engulfed by his, putting uncomfortable pressure on her weak mental barriers.
“Relax,” he murmured into her hair.
Reluctant, she did as she was told. Helena snuggled up to him, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. She should have felt suffocated, but her body kept telling her this was where she wanted to be. Her heart thudded in her chest. Is it loud enough for him to hear?
His energy covered her shields until her discomfort vanished. With her eyes closed, she visualised standing inside of her mental barriers. Her lips parted when she noticed another layer snugly cloaking them.
“You’re shielding me like Michael did?” she said, lifting her heavy eyelids.
“This is the best I can do. Your guardian was most skilled at protecting you from a distance. It took me many months to be able to shield another being.”
A spark of jealousy surged through her. His words meant that, in the meantime, he was embracing his sire. Helena could scarcely remember her features, but she was certain Anna was beautiful. She hid her face again in his damp shirt that smelt of him. Maybe she was wrong.
“You did this with Anna for five months?”
His chest vibrated with a chuckle. “Are you jealous of my sire?”
“No, I’m not!”
“Alright, I will take your word for it. Get some sleep,” he ordered and patted her head.
Helena didn’t know if she would be able to sleep with him being near her, but, once she closed her eyes, the choice was made for her. The exhaustion had caught up with her, and she slipped into a dreamless slumber.
She awoke in a dark room. The faint shuffling sound from the corner told her she wasn’t alone. Instinctively, she sat up and flicked on the lamp. As it lit the room, she blinked a few times, letting her eyes to adjust to the brightness.
Alexander had his arms crossed over his chest as he leant against the wall.
“What are you doing here? Where is Lucious?” she asked.
He glared at her. “He’s feeding downstairs since you drained him dry.”
Helena’s brows scrunched together. “What are you talking about?”
His hands dropped to his sides and, in a split second, he was holding her by her t-shirt. Her breath caught in her throat when he eyed her with his frosty grey eyes.
“You are a nuisance who brings us only misfortune. If you were not tied to Lucious, I would have killed you long ago without as much as a second thought,” he said matter-of-factly, his Russian accent thickening with every word.
Helena read the truth on his face. She tried to swallow the knot forming in her throat.
“Let her go, Alexander.” Lucious’ frosty voice made them both turn their heads.
Alexander ground his teeth loud enough for her to hear. “Why must we accommodate her? We should lock her up and put her
under twenty-four-hour surveillance.”
Lucious sighed.
He isn’t seriously contemplating what Alexander has suggested, right?
He planted his hand on Alexander’s shoulder. “I’m thankful for all you’ve done, but you do not have to carry on helping if you do not wish to. I can look for help elsewhere.”
Alexander’s fingers curled into fists. “Do you believe I would let an old friend go up against a demon and God-knows-what alone?”
“No, and that is precisely why I fear your involvement may cause you harm in the future. You don’t owe me anything anymore. Perhaps, it is time for you to take care of yourself instead.”
Alexander pierced her with a glare but the effect of it was missing. There was much sadness behind his stormy eyes, and she was stuck for words.
“I don’t abandon friends.” Alexander brushed his hand off. “Call me if there’s anything you need.”
Helena kept her eyes on the closing door, expecting Alexander to come back and add some kind of scrutinising remark about her when Lucious sat beside her on the bed.
“How are you?”
She met his intense gaze. “I’m better, but why did you do that?”
Deep in her heart, she wanted to know the answer to that more than anything. Lucious never did anything that wouldn’t benefit him in some way. Why was he protecting her from Alexander when they could lock her up as he had suggested earlier?
“You didn’t sleep for long. Don’t you wish to rest more?”
Helena pursed her lips, unsure if she should pursue the matter he was carefully trying to avoid. “I’m fine. What about you? Alexander said you were drained after shielding me.”
Lucious smiled. “I’m fine. I simply haven’t fed for a few days.”
She didn’t know what to believe. Alexander wouldn’t overreact the way he did without a good reason. Yet, she wanted to believe Lucious’ words. She clambered out of bed. “I’m going to make coffee, want some?”
Lucious ran his hand through his hair. “The living room is a tad occupied.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean it’s occupied?”
“I took too much blood from the women Alexander brought here. They need to rest before they are able to return with him.”
Her mouth pressed into a thin line. “He brought hookers into my home?”
“Donors, my dear, not hookers,” he corrected as he tried to place his hands on her shoulders.
She punched him in the gut and stormed into the bathroom. Suddenly, she was in desperate need of a shower.
3
Donors Not Hookers
Drinking her hot chocolate, Helena glared at the two beautiful women kissing Lucious goodbye.
“Call us anytime, darling,” the skinny blonde purred, pressing her large breasts against his arm.
Helena cleared her throat loud enough for them to take notice of her. “Take your sexual frustration elsewhere.” Almost as an afterthought, she added, “Please.”
The women glowered at her and peeled away from him. They threw on their summer jackets. Instead of heading for the door, the second girl—a busty brunette—whispered something in his ear that made Lucious smile. They waved their goodbyes and were finally out of her home.
The ache in Helena’s fingers became unbearable, and she glanced down, noticing her intense grip on the mug. After loosening her grip, she moved to sit on the sofa. “You should go with them. The party has ended.”
His smile didn’t falter. He sauntered over and took a seat next to her. “And leave you unguarded?”
Internally, she debated kicking him out, anyway. She took in a deep, calming breath. Whom he takes blood from wasn’t up to her. It wasn’t like she was willing to be his blood bank.
He relaxed and let his arms fall behind the sofa. “What are you going to do today?”
Helena stared at the steam rising from her cup. She couldn’t tell him where she was going. He wouldn’t let her. Knowing him, it would fuel another fight between him and Nadine and, from what Helena heard yesterday, that could be fatal for both of them. “I’m going shopping with Perri.”
Lucious’ humour was replaced with a stony expression. “Do not take me for a fool, Helena. Even you would not be daft enough to do something so reckless at a dangerous time like this.”
Perri and Hans entered the apartment, saving her from his interrogation. They took their shoes off and entered the living room.
Perri grinned and ran towards Helena. Her smile was brighter than the Spanish sun. “Where are we going shopping?”
Helena tried keeping a straight face. She could almost make out Lucious’ teeth grinding in his reticent mouth. It served him right to stress a little after putting so much pressure on her. She set her cup on the coffee table and joined the others.
“Anywhere is fine,” Helena said. “I need to get some fresh air and look for a present for Mum and Richard. It needs to be something congratulatory since I’ll have a brother or a sister sometime in December.”
“My greatest felicitations to you and your family. I hope the child will be healthy and energetic,” Hans said.
“Thank you. I appreciate your words.”
Perri pulled Helena into a hug. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have prepared a meal or something.”
With a laugh, Helena patted her friend’s back. “Calm down. It’s still early in the pregnancy. You’ll have more than enough time to think of whatever you want to cook up.”
Lucious rose from the sofa and stood next to the hugging women. “Helena, you are not leaving without me.”
She drew away from Perri’s suffocating embrace. She couldn’t take him, and, thankfully, the weather was on her side today. With the sun shining brightly in the sky, he wouldn’t be able to leave the apartment. Not unless he wanted to fall unconscious somewhere.
“You can’t keep me here, Lucious. I have a life to live, even if I am hunted by a demon.”
His eyes bore into hers with their usual intensity. “Would you listen to yourself? How will you fight him if he comes after you? And what of your friend? You don’t know what he would do to her if things turn sour.”
“Let us talk.” Hans grasped Lucious’ elbow and pulled him aside.
Lucious jerked his elbow out of his grasp and followed suit. They moved to the kitchen where Helena watched the commencement of a heated argument. Their bodies made stiff movements, and their voices were barely above a whisper.
Perri tugged on her sleeve. “Is something else going on that I don’t know about?”
Helena pointed to the front door. “While those two are arguing, let’s get out of here. I have somewhere to be.”
Perri nervously glanced towards Hans, nibbling on her lower lip. “They won’t like it, but I’ll go with you.”
It didn’t take long before they left the apartment complex and got on a bus. Helena studied the names carved with some sharp tool into the plastic frame of the seat ahead. Once the names lost her interest, she glanced out the window at the passing traffic. Her eyes settled on a group of young people, walking together and laughing about something. She felt as she did when she was seven—isolated from others. There wasn’t a single thing that was normal in her life anymore. It was bursting with monsters.
“So, where are we going?” Perri asked.
Without turning her head, Helena answered, “To see Nadine.”
“The girl who visited you yesterday?”
“Yes. I have a feeling she knows a lot more about demons than anyone else in that apartment.”
Perri took her hand, spreading prickling warmth through Helena’s chilled skin. Although it was a hot day, the temperature outdoors didn’t matter. She couldn’t warm up ever since the nightmares began, or was it since Lucious returned?
Nadine’s home was in the North part of the city. Black metal gates loomed over them with speared tips.
Helena pressed the buzzer, and Nadine’s voice mixed with the static of the intercom.
“Who is it?”
She drew in a deep breath which did nothing to soothe her nerves. This was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? She was going to return home after she got some answers out of this girl. “It’s me, Helena. You told me to come see you.”
The gates clicked and sluggishly opened.
Perri’s quivering hand took hold of hers, and Helena squeezed it gently before shooting her a reassuring smile.
They made their way up the driveway to a two-storey house where Nadine waited for them at the entrance. She wore a sleeveless pale blue dress that brushed her knees in the gentle breeze. Her brown eyes watched their advance. At times, Helena felt as if Nadine was looking for something or someone else. She couldn’t be certain.
“Is it just the two of you?” Nadine asked.
Helena hesitated. “Were you expecting someone else to come along with us?”
“No. It is better that your beast does not show himself in my home. Come in. I will have tea prepared for you.” Nadine turned on her heel and marched back into the house.
Perri tugged on Helena’s arm. “She was shy and awkward yesterday. Now, she is like a different girl.”
“I don’t think she is a bad person. But, if you like, you can wait here.”
“And let you go in alone? Not happening.”
They took turns to enter. Inside, they stood in a spacious hallway that seemed to span to the other end of the house. Faint classical music came from one of the rooms up ahead.
A woman in her forties ambled over and, without a word, ushered them into the drawing room.
Helena took in the pink-and-white wallpaper and the cotton candy curtains. Tall arched windows let the sun in through the glass, brightening up the space around them. Nadine reclined in an overstuffed armchair next to the window. She was almost dwarfed by the height of its frame.
“Please, sit,” she said and motioned at the chairs across from her.
Helena took a seat while Perri observed the new environment and tucked her blonde locks behind her ears. Her nerves showed in the uncertain way she examined the paintings on the walls before joining the others.
Demon Gates (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 2) Page 4
