Demon Gates (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 2)

by May Freighter

  He didn’t let go. “You do this every time. I am not fond of this push-and-pull game you have devised.”

  “I’m not playing a game, Lucious.” She leant back as far as he would let her to see him better.

  “Helena, not everything I say has a dual meaning. I am the one who has to share a soul with you. There is no reason for me to keep you at a distance,” he said with honesty shining in the depths of his eyes.

  She planted her palm on his cheek. He relaxed into her touch, and her heart contracted painfully. He’d been back for a few days, and he was already breaking the barriers and apprehensions she had erected during his absence.

  “Tell me about yourself, who you are, who you were. I need to know—no. I want to know,” she whispered the last words.

  He kissed her palm and walked her over to the window where he pulled aside the heavy curtain, allowing sunlight to bathe the room.

  Helena gasped, and grasped it, trying to close it before he collapsed, but he shook his head. “Because of our bond, the sun no longer affects me, my dear. So, come here and look out beyond the windowpane.” He moved her to stand in front him and hugged her from behind. “What do you see?”

  At first, Helena was confused. She stared out the window at the buildings, streets, and people going about their daily business or conversing on their phones. She relaxed into him. “I see people.”

  “Indeed, and I used to be a lot like them. Perhaps not in this century or the last, but in the 1800s, I was a son of a watchmaker. My father’s business thrived, and he had high hopes I would become his successor and take over the store when I became of age.

  “Yet, I did not enjoy being told what to do. I felt suffocated by my family’s expectations and demands. To escape, I enlisted in Queen Victoria’s Army as a member of the cavalry as I was taught to ride a horse since I was a child. I thought, if I left for seven years, my parents would forget their plot, and I would be free. I did not expect to survive the hell I witnessed abroad.

  “Because of my injuries, I was granted leave. When I set foot off the boat, I was informed of my father’s passing, and not once had I articulated my apologies to him for my selfishness…”

  Their link shook, and she was filled with the sorrow he was reliving. She wished to turn around and embrace him, but his hands tightened around her, locking her in place.

  “Please, let me finish,” he said.

  She stilled, waiting for more of the tale to come.

  Lucious seemed to reign in his emotions, rendering the string between their souls lifeless.

  Does he not want me to feel his pain?

  “My mother grieved and blamed the failing business on me. I did not try to revive it as I was too far gone into the drink. I spent my days and nights in taverns, wasting my life and my coin away until a woman took me home with her. The next morning, her husband found us, and she vowed I had raped her.”

  Helena’s face turned as white as a sheet. “Did you?”

  “I can assure you, my dear, I had not touched her. The instant my head touched the pillow, I slept like the dead. Though, that is not the worst of it. The man, as it turned out to be, was a judge. He sentenced me to death and not once did my mother come to visit me as I awaited my execution in the Newgate prison.

  “One day, the guards brought in a corpse of a woman and tossed it in the cell with me, declaring that it should not matter whether I rape a noblewoman or a dead whore. Too bad they did not know that ‘dead’ woman later regained consciousness. She offered me a chance to get out of my predicament, and I took it.”

  “Is that how you met Anna?”

  “It was, indeed. She saved my life and gave me a new one. I did not get along with her other children, and she never once showed emotion to anyone, claiming it would release the demon contained in her. But, I did not wish to leave. I was at peace by her side as I am at peace now.”

  Helena stroked his arm, eager to know more. “What happened next?”

  “When I mastered my thirst, I was two years a vampire. Anna, although much older than me, was like my little sister. I could not deny her any wish, so when she said I should see the world, I agreed. A few months into my journey, I received a letter of her passing. At first, I did not believe it and returned to London with haste. My blood-sisters wept over her urn while my blood-brother, Pierre, stood next to them with a hateful expression on his face. Many blamed me for her death, and I did, too. I should have been there to protect her. I should have stayed—”

  His body tensed, and Helena entwined her fingers with his, rubbing her thumbs in a rhythmical manner over his hands. “It’s alright. She is alive. She is okay.”

  Lucious buried his face in her neck and let out a heavy sigh. “I killed hunters indiscriminately after that. I have lost count of how many lives I’ve taken for an event that did not take place while I was consumed by rage.” He hugged her closer to him. “I cannot lose you as well. You are mine.”

  “I’m yours,” she echoed.

  “And you smell so good,” he mumbled against her neck. “ Just one taste…” his thought escaped through the link.

  Helena relaxed against her better judgement. His comforting energy hugged her body and mental shields with pleasurable tingling in all the areas that mattered.

  “Lucious…” she protested weakly as he sank his teeth into her neck.

  Fireworks exploded in her mind, and she moaned her pleasure out loud. Every time he had bitten her, she felt the rawness of his bite as if a wild animal was taking a chunk out of her, but not now. Now, she struggled to keep upright. Her knees grew weak and her breaths raced with her heart’s happy flutter.

  The more blood he drew, the higher she climbed—her mind a complete blank.

  “Helena, we’ve found—Oh, shit. Ben!” Maya’s shouts broke through his control, and Helena blinked before she stomped on his foot.

  Lucious sank his teeth deeper into her flesh, and she cried out in pain. “Let go. You’re hurting me!”

  He turned to face Maya who was holding a gun pointed directly at them when Ben burst into the room with his weapon drawn.

  “His eyes…” Maya gripped her gun. “He’s descending.”

  “Can’t we shoot him?” Ben offered.

  Maya shook her head. “We’ll hurt Helena.”

  “Wouldn’t you rather she was hurt than dead?”

  Helena couldn’t understand what they were talking about. The more she looked at them, the harder it became to concentrate on their splitting image.

  “I’m yours, so don’t stay in the dark anymore,” Helena told him through the soul-bond, and he lifted his face from her neck.

  “I’m sorry, my dear,” Lucious whispered so only she could hear him. He stepped away and received a bullet in the shoulder from Ben.

  Helena waited for the pain to resonate in her, but it didn’t come. Tears rimmed her eyes, and she was pulled into Maya’s arms.

  “It’s alright. I got you,” Maya said.

  Ben aimed his weapon at him. When Lucious glared at them, his eyes were not the blue-brown she remembered. Scarlet saturated his irises and the whites of his eyes appeared bloodshot.

  “Don’t move!” Ben snapped, his gun pointing at Lucious’ head.

  Lucious growled at the hunter, and his eyes found Helena’s frightened face. Pain and sorrow flooded the link, and she grasped her shoulder, clenching her jaw from the burning sensation that roared through her. His emotions got the better of him and everything he felt in that moment tore at her heart, body, and mind.

  Taking this chance, Ben hit Lucious on the side of his head with the back of the gun, sending him to the ground. He injected something into Lucious’ neck and retreated a safe distance away.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Helena asked in a shaky voice.

  “He’s descending,” Maya replied as if it explained everything.

  Helena’s head snapped in Maya’s direction. “What does that mean?”

  “Vampires who feed too mu
ch and too often succumb to their thirst. If he can’t control it after this, he will turn into a beast, driven by an instinct to kill.”

  A heavy rock settled in the pit of Helena’s stomach as she rose to her unsteady feet. If he hadn’t used his energy to protect her, if he didn’t have to heal so much in the past week, he would have been fine. This was her fault, and it hurt worse than when Lazarus was trying to tear her soul out of her body by force.

  “How can we help him?”

  “We don’t know,” Maya said. “We don’t exactly go around befriending the undead.”

  With an unsteady hand, Helena pulled out her phone. She unlocked the screen and found Alexander’s number in her contacts. Regardless if they saw eye to eye on most matters, this was important. Alexander had to have a solution.

  “I’ll get the rope and tie him up, just in case,” Ben added and left the room.

  Alexander accepted the call, and barked, “What is it now?”

  Helena held back a sob that pressed on her throat. She lifted her hand to her mouth, covering it in an attempt to restrain more sorrow from escaping her.

  Alexander’s tone changed to serious. “What happened?”

  “It’s Lucious. His eyes are red,” she whispered.

  He let out a curse in Russian. “When did this happen?”

  “Just now. He bit me and…”

  “Alright. Keep him restrained. Also, don’t go near him or feed him any more blood. Once I get there, I’m taking him with me.”

  “I will come, too.”

  “No. You have done enough. Leave him in my care from now on,” Alexander snapped and hung up.

  Helena stood by the bed, clutching the phone to her ear even after the call had ended.

  Ben burst into the room and asked Maya to help him. She immediately complied. They made quick work of restraining Lucious’ unconscious body with rope, and both hunters straightened in perfect unison.

  “What did the vampire say?” Ben asked.

  Helena studied him with the lack of emotion. She felt numb. Worse than that, she felt empty. Her legs gave out, and she fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

  “Helena, how much blood did he take?” Maya asked and brushed her hair aside. “This needs to be treated. Get some of that vampire’s blood—”

  “No!” Helena shouted. “Don’t touch him.”

  Maya scowled at her. “Stop being stubborn. This will leave a nasty scar if you don’t heal using his blood.”

  Helena shook her head and buried her face in her hands. “I don’t care. I did this to him. It’s my fault.”

  “Stop whining. He did this to himself. No one other than the vampire knows his limits, and he obviously ignored his. Shut up and do as you’re told!” Maya ordered. “Ben, get the blood.”

  She stared blankly at the ceiling of her bedroom while Maya rubbed vampire blood on her neck. Her wound stung every time Maya’s fingers brushed her raw flesh, but Helena didn’t move or react in any way. Why didn’t he tell her he had passed his limit? She wouldn’t have relied on him as much. Instead, she would have figured out a way to combat the demon. She snorted inwardly. She had no strength or power to fight him. As Alexander had said, she was a hindrance.

  “Don’t look like the world has ended. I’m sure his vampire friend will sort this out,” Maya assured her.

  Helena turned her head, observing the delight in Maya’s eyes. Lucious was important to Helena. How could Maya not see that? Then again, to these hunters, he was nothing more than a creature that needed to be eradicated.

  “What’s your blood type?” Ben asked her.

  The cogs in her brain moved slowly. “B positive.”

  He picked up his phone and became engrossed in a conversation with someone. Once he was done, Ben shoved the device into his front pocket and nodded to Maya. “I ordered some blood from a friend of mine. I’ll be back shortly.” He pointed at Lucious. “Can you manage with that?”

  “As long as he plays dead I won’t shoot him.”

  Helena glared at her. “Don’t joke about such matters.”

  “Seriously? I remember telling you to loosen up. Like I said, his buddy will come by, do some vampiric stuff, and he’ll be bitching again in no time. Everyone’s happy,” Maya said, grinning. “Also, before the shit hit the fan, Ben found a place where the demon slaying blade might be. Isn’t that great?”

  Even with such colourful reassurances, Helena’s worry did not dissipate. She hugged her knees closer to her chest and patiently waited for Alexander to show.

  Thirty minutes later, Helena heard Alexander arriving at the apartment. He fleeted into her bedroom. His black suit was in disarray and the top four buttons of his shirt were left undone. He glanced at the state of Lucious’ body and a loud growl escaped him. Facing the girls on the bed, he glared their way. “You, hunters, are savages.”

  “Oh, boo hoo. It’s a flesh wound. He’ll heal once you dig the bullet out of his shoulder,” Maya countered.

  Alexander sneered at her. “Shall I give you one of those to see how long it takes for you to heal?”

  Maya’s knuckles turned white as she held on to the butt of her pistol. “You sure you want to dance with me?”

  “Enough!” Helena shouted, drawing their attention. “Alexander, what can we do to help him?”

  He ran his hand through his dishevelled platinum hair. “I will have to keep watch over him for however long it takes him to regain control. Since he was a late bloomer at mastering his thirst, I fear it may be a lengthy process…”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know,” Alexander snapped at Helena. “He’s wounded, too, and without drinking blood it will take a long time to heal from a silver bullet. You must thank your hunter friends for their appalling first aid skills.”

  Helena stood and swayed on her feet, seeing the world spinning around her. She closed her eyes, willing the dizziness away. Once it receded, she met his stare. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Do not test my patience,” he barked.

  “But Maya said they found the weapon to kill the demon!”

  Alexander eyed the hunter with curiosity. “Is that true?”

  “It’s in a vault of some private collector named ‘Reaver’,” Maya explained. “Have you heard of him?”

  Alexander snorted. “He resides in Vienna. I had made a call to him, but he denied any knowledge of the blade.”

  “We keep track on the Black Market movements, and he is listed as the last man who purchased it from Cairo in 2006. He’s either lying through his teeth or doesn’t wanna share it,” Maya replied.

  “I will look further into the matter. For now, I’m taking Lucious out of this hellhole.” Alexander threw his friend over his shoulder, holding on to him with an iron grip.

  “Well aren’t you testy about your boyfriend,” Maya said with mild humour lacing her words.

  Alexander’s eyes narrowed. “If you are implying that I sleep with men, you are gravely mistaken. I fuck women, but you would be an exception.”

  Maya raised her thin, dark brow. “Oh, is it because I’m a hunter?”

  “No, I do not fuck redheads, natural or otherwise. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving.” He fleeted out of the room.

  Helena didn’t get a chance to protest when the sound of the front door slamming was carried up the stairs. She glanced at Maya with a scowl. “Gay, really?”

  “Hey, it was only a question. Plus, I never understood the whole bromance thing.”

  Helena rolled her eyes and settled back on the bed. She fell backwards onto the soft sheets. The events and her light-headedness from blood loss had drained her of energy. “This is ridiculous. Everything is a mess.”

  “Tell me about it. One minute you’re fine, tailing a vampire that you believe is a Class 1 youngling, and, the next, he whips out a shotgun from under his coat and starts shooting at you,” Maya said dreamily.

  Helena eyed her, unable to counter such a sudden change
of topic. “Do you ever talk about anything other than killing vampires?”

  The hunter seemed to think about it and, after a solid minute of silence, she grinned and clapped her hands. “I can talk about my arsenal, too!”

  “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  Maya’s face fell, and she seemed much older than the girl who constantly joked about death and murder. Her eyes reflected years of hard training and tough experiences. “I don’t have anything else to be excited about, Helena. My life is about survival. If I don’t have this”—she lifted her pistol and looked at it with her cold, green eyes—“I’m as good as dead, and my family will never be avenged.”

  “Vengeance isn’t everything.”

  “It is when that’s what keeps you going.” Maya climbed off the bed. “Get some rest. Ben should come back in an hour or two. Once we give you a blood transfusion, you can kick off with your training.”

  Helena sat up abruptly. Her head spun, and she clutched her forehead with her hands. “What training?”

  Maya grinned. “I’ll teach you how to fight the monsters you keep by your side.”

  9

  Stages Of Madness

  Pain. Searing, mind-numbing, soul-shattering pain coursed through Lucious. An annoying voice buzzed in the distance, telling him the pain won’t last much longer. Then, a solid object plunged into his shoulder, and he hissed when the cold metal brushed his muscle tissue and bone in search of something.

  Damned hunters. He imagined tearing Ben’s head off. There will come a time when I will have my chance.

  The metal object retreated, and Lucious ground his teeth.

  Red. Everything in his mind turned crimson and his throat, as well as his fangs, ached beyond comparison. Why did those fiends have to interrupt his meal? She tasted so good. That human wanted to be devoured by him.

  “Lucious, can you…me?” the same annoying voice filtered past the pain and boiling rage.

  He tried moving his head or lifting his eyelids, yet his limbs did not cooperate. Nothing seemed to work as he instructed. It suffocated him.

  Someone lifted his left eyelid and a bright light shone in from above. He squirmed inwardly because he could not move a single muscle to prevent the onslaught of this new torture. When the light was moved away, and his vision cleared, a man’s face appeared—platinum hair, dark brows, and grey eyes full of concern. Lucious inhaled his scent. The man was also a vampire.