by Sarra Cannon
“Yes, that’s right. My brother partially succeeded, since these new creatures could mate and have natural offspring. Still the true Luminari gene did not take root.” He sprang to his feet and offered her a hand up. “Which is why I had to discover the secret.”
“What secret?” She slipped her hand into his shining palm. His warmth encompassed her arm when he pulled her to stand. Her fire reacted, running through her veins and pushing away all weariness.
“Life. When my eldest brother discovered emotion, he fell in love with his female.” He laid his fist on his chest. “He didn’t want her to die. I understood this feeling when I found your grandmother and allowed myself to age alongside her. But love wasn’t enough. I needed to live with her, to grow with her, and to be by her side, so I did. When she died, I lost my mortal hold on this physical plane and returned to the Luminarium.” His essence glowed brighter. “The life I had with her was precious, and that life allowed our love to have a child, your mother. That is the key to having natural Luminari offspring.” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “And you Sera are the second generation of that life and love.”
His body blazed, illuminated in stunning golden hues once more. Her breathing stilled, a quiet acceptance stole over her soul. At last, she knew the truth. A heavy weight shoved itself off her chest, and her heart beat stronger and lighter.
Enough of the sappy drama, pet. We’ve got things to do. Like getting out of this cell.
Her teeth ground together, and she gritted out, “What about this pest in my head? What the heck is he?”
Her grandfather’s laughter bellowed from his abdomen. “I’m afraid that pest is, and always has been, a part of you, my dear. It’s the manifestation of your Luminari side.” He squeezed her arm. “We all develop it as we age. It’s our link to the Luminarium, to the collective, and how we communicate with each other.”
“You’re telling me, I’m stuck with this moron?”
“The inner voice can be silenced if you merge with it.” He raised his eyebrows. “I believe you’ve done it before.”
Sera recalled the times she’d allowed Guy to take over. It fused them together in a stream of unbridled power. She gasped and waved her hand back and forth. “No, thank you. I’m not dealing with that all the time.”
“The choice is yours. But remember, the phage want to use you, Sera. They need your ability to reach us.” He sighed, his light growing ever dimmer. “As you see this space between spaces, this mix of corporal and ethereal gives me form. It allows us to speak without prying eyes. Once I could linger in the physical world, but no longer. It is only here I may take shape again, and only Luminari may enter it. Reyna’s desire for revenge is endless and you are the key.”
“Why? How? I don’t understand.”
He patted her arm. “You are Luminari. You are linked to us, to my brothers and sisters. If Reyna finds a way to use that link to cross the divide between the realm of humans and ours, she can find us.” His eyes dropped to a muddy brown hue. “And then, she can kill us all.”
“You said only Luminari can cross the divide. How could she use me then?”
“The phage queen is clever Sera. She’s survived for thousands of years by draining my brother, by using his essence to fuel her.” His jaw tightened, a snarl of disgust crossing his lips. “He deserves punishment for his crime but two thousand years—”
“Grandfather, please. This doesn’t make sense.” She gripped his elbow. “I don’t understand.”
“I know.” His chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “I cannot say how Reyna would accomplish her task. But she burns with a passion for vengeance. One that is no longer appeased by punishing my brother. She would see all of us, the last of the Luminari, dead.”
“My human side allows me to walk in the physical world.” Sera’s eyes widened. “And my other half connects me to the Luminarium.” Adriana’s earlier words haunted her, All we need you to do is make the connection. Once we see you do it, we can replicate it. Her breath hitched. “They want to copy the link somehow.”
“I must go then.” Her grandfather’s form began to fade. “It is not safe. I cannot allow the phage to enter our realm.”
“Wait.” She gripped his arm like a lifeline. “I have so many questions.” Her mind raced. She babbled on. “Guy had this weird robot voice one time, what does that mean? And you said you had sisters, what happened to them?” A tear streamed down her face as she thought of the most important question of all. “And my mother and grandmother, what were they like?”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. “This isn’t goodbye, my child. We will speak when it is safe. For now, another is near to aid you.” He faded in a stream of light like a ray of sunshine setting into a misty evening. His last words lingered in the air. “The vampire is our ally.”
The temperature dropped as the haze left the room and harsh reality settled over the space. With her vision back to normal, she took a finer look at her surroundings. A long white wall sat at the back. She could see the faint outline of a door, but no knob or handle. To the right and left, cement made up the adjoining two walls, and to the front, vertical bars blocked a narrow aisle. Across the row laid another cell identical to this one. She narrowed her eyes as a feminine figure rested her back against the neighboring bars. The woman’s jet-black hair and matching dark clothes seemed so familiar. The name lay on the tip of her tongue.
“I told you, Sera, the phage are not creatures to trifle with.”
Sera gasped as the thunderous voice mixed with that formal accent, jogged her memory. The vampire with the slick as oil eyes rose across from her. She stared in disbelief and struggled not to stutter as she asked, “Strife?”
Chapter 29
HILLBEND HOSPITAL, CALGARY, ALBERTA
An explosion, a man’s manic laughter, a dark narrow room and the smoke—oh shit—the smoke filled her ears, eyes, and nose. Jame sucked in air, willing her body to work, to move. But the fumes clogged every pore, freezing and burning at the same time. She struggled, thrashing without movement, screaming without sound.
A steady beep-beep-beep interrupted her dreams. She blinked twice. A soft yellow light cast a shadow over her vision. Her hand came up to her face and met a plastic tube under her nose. She gasped, startled more by her ability to move again, then the tubing.
“Thank you,” she whispered far too scratchy. Her throat ached. “Water?”
“Jame? You awake?” The voice rasped low. She couldn’t place it.
“Yeah,” she said, angling toward the sound. A man lay in the bed across from her. Squinting, she could make out his disheveled brown hair and golden green eyes. “Hey, Slick.”
“Hey, yourself. You okay?”
“Think so. Except for a splitting headache.” She smoothed down her hair and rubbed her temples. “Nice to be able to move again.”
“Tell me about it.” He sat up and groaned.
“Now, that’s enough.” A man with sun-kissed bronze skin and short black hair walked through the door, over to the bed, and pushed Slick back against the pillows. “Don’t overdo it, amigo.”
“No offense, Shooter, but suck it.” Slick pushed the shifter’s hands away and sat up again.
“Don’t you usually say that to vampires.” A booming voice called from the doorway.
Jame looked away from the shifters and toward the entrance as Bull walked in. The smell of worn leather followed him and permeated the room. She smiled as she ran her gaze over his button down flannel shirt, faded jeans, and tan cowboy boots. “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.”
“Same to you, girlie. How ya feeling?” His lazy grin revealed two rows of pearly whites. He sat at the corner of her bed and handed her a glass of water off the side table.
She gulped it down. “Been better. But that doesn’t matter.” She waved her hand as if her temporary paralysis hadn’t bothered her. Lies. “Tell us what happened.”
“Yeah, how’d you guys get us out of there?” Slick threw
his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his thighs.
Shooter coughed. “Well, technically, we didn’t.”
Bull’s dark eyes drooped, and he patted her leg. “I was called away on a lead. I wasn’t there. I’m so sorry to both of you.” The words sounded too pronounced as if he couldn’t quite manage his normal Texas swag.
“That wasn’t your fault. You were doing your job.” Shooter swiped his hand over the back of his neck and sighed. “If it wasn’t for that vampire, we might not have found you. And we wouldn’t have gotten you out.”
“The vampire?” Slick turned ashen.
“Sí. He tracked you through her blood.” He pointed at—
“Me?” Jame’s jaw dropped. She fidgeted with the stupid hospital gown. “What’re you talking about?”
“He said he’d had some of your blood earlier.”
“Wait, who?” A knot formed in her throat.
“Your informant, now prisoner. Drake.”
“Hold up.” Slick shot out of the bed, standing on shaky legs. “You’re telling me Drake bit her?”
Her hands cradled her head. She sifted between her memories, which came out fuzzy, until she remembered the instant it happened. “The cut when I was interrogating him.”
“He...sucked...your...blood?” Falling into the bed, the heart monitor beeped louder as Slick’s pulse shot up. He yanked free of the wire attached to his finger, almost ripping his IV out too.
“If he hadn’t, we still might be in that room.” Jame didn’t know what made her spring to Drake’s defense. The thought of being trapped, unable to move in that horrible place with all those fumes... “He saved our lives.”
“More than you know, chica.” Shooter shuffled over to her bed. “We couldn’t get in since the toxins targeted shifters, and only Val and I were with Drake. When I tried to follow him, I got zapped by the poisons.” He blew out a loud breath. “Paralysis, not fun, by the way.”
“No joke.” Slick rose again, pulling at wires and tubes. When he’d finished dislodging himself from the machines, he frowned. “Now, where’s my clothes?”
“You really do need to rest.” Bull crossed the room, grabbed a bag from the foot of the bed and handed it over. “Not that ya ever listen.”
“We still have a case to solve, don’t we?” He scooted his arms out of the hospital gown and flung his t-shirt over his head.
“We’ve got the vermin that attacked y’all, but our witness is missing.” Bull tried to help Slick with his clothes, but received a fist in the shoulder for his efforts. He shrugged and flipped the curtain around the bed. “Suit yourself.” Tapping Shooter, he said, “Go see where we stand, would ya?”
“No problemo.” Shooter nodded his head and wriggled his brows at her. “Feel better, chica.”
When he waved at her from the door, she called, “Thanks.” Turning to Bull, she tested her leg muscles by inching them over the side of the bed. The motion caused her head to pound like a drill against her forehead, but she gritted her teeth and stood.
“Ya goin’ to be just as stubborn?” Bull caught her under the shoulders and helped her walk to the foot of the bed.
“You know it.” She tried to smile as he fished out her clothes.
“Want me to close the curtain?” Small worry lines broke over his forehead.
“Nah. You’ve already seen me at my worst.” Wincing, she slipped the ugly blue gown from her body. “Besides, I’m not too proud to ask for help.”
He snorted. “Since when?”
“Let’s just say paralysis changes your perspective on a lot of things.” She held the gown to her chest as Bull pulled out her sports bra. “But don’t peek.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, partner.”
Being dressed by a large vampire who kept his eyes closed the entire time had her stifling snickers, especially when he thumbed her thong in his meaty fingers in confusion. He exhaled a deep breath when the last strip of clothing hugged her body. “Don’t ever make me do that again.”
“Wasn’t good for you?” She laughed.
He growled as Slick broke through the curtain.
“Everyone ready now?” Slick asked. The tag of his t-shirt stuck out under his neck.
“As soon as you fix your shirt.” She laughed harder.
Bull grabbed the hem of Slick’s shirt, flicked it up and slipped it around faster than the shifter could protest. With a curse, Slick conceded with a mumbled, “Thanks.”
As Jame broke out in hysterics, Shooter entered the room again and killed all amusement. He spoke without a breath. “Talon’s back at base. He’s on the line with Meg. She’s got something. We gotta move.”
Blood charged through her veins in a liquid rush. Her lethargy disappeared with the call to action. She buckled up her combat boots and stood tall. “Then, let’s not keep ‘em waiting.”
— —
“Okay, Meg. Tell me,” Talon said as he paced the office.
“Press Capital Corp lists Adriana Farrington as owning a seat on its executive board. They’ve acquired several companies and properties throughout the world including,” Meg’s rapid fire clicking pounded a tap-tap-tap over the phone, “an apartment complex in Calgary.”
“Great work. What’s the address?”
“There’s a problem.”
He stopped in the middle of the room and slapped his palm against the desk. “What is it?”
“As soon as I spotted the corporation, it red flagged.” She snorted and huffed. “Agent Vanguard called soon after.”
Vanguard. His mouth went dry. If the pencil pushing, blowhard leader of Unit 4 called, the situation must have taken a serious turn. The man ran Districts 8 through 10 with the savvy of a Fortune 500 CEO and the questionable tactics of a N.U.A. politician. Hell, he made Agent Bram look like a softy. “What did he want?”
“The unit team sent out orders. All phage in positions of power or leadership are not to be brought in for any open investigations.” She lowered her voice to a soft whisper, “Something big is going down, Talon. Don’t know what it is, but they gave strict orders not to interfere.”
“If the unit leaders fearsome five want to gather evidence against these phage, that’s fine, but I’m not about to compromise Sera’s life because of it.” He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and rushed out the door. “Now, give me the address, Meg.”
“Talon, you know I can’t do that.”
“If you want to stick to that bullshit order, so be it. But I’m getting her out of there.” He popped open another door and waved at Val to follow. She sprang up from her seat. “Please.”
Meg blew out a gulp of air. Her words came muffled as if she cupped a hand over the receiver, but he got the message. “42 Oak Tree Road.” The pencil chewing intensified. “You didn’t get this from me. And Talon?”
“Yeah, Meg?” He pushed past the front door with Val on his heels.
“Try not to make a mess of things.”
“You got it.” He stuffed his phone in his back pocket and opened the driver’s side door, but Drake already sat in the seat. “Move over.”
“Not a chance.” Drake growled. “You want to come to the hospital, you ride in back.”
“The team’s already on the way. Jame and Slick are okay, and coming along...despite my orders.” He scowled, then motioned for Val to go around the other side. “We’ve got a lead.
“Why didn’t you say so?” The vamp sprang over the divider and grinned from the backseat. He patted the driver’s headrest. “Hurry it up.”
Talon climbed into the truck. Shoving the key in the ignition, he glanced at Val who scrambled into the passenger’s seat. “Before we take off, you should both know,” he paused with his hand on the wheel, “the bigwigs at the top have given the mission a no go.”
“Vanguard?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“All of them.”
“Means trouble’s in the pipeline.” Flicking her nails, she shrugged. “Ah well.
We can’t leave the girl alone, so...screw them. Let’s do it.”
He lifted a brow. “When did you start going against the rules?”
“When someone showed me you need to bend them from time to time.” She winked and waved at the dashboard. “Now, move it.”
He smirked, then turned to glance over his shoulder. “Any arguments?”
Drake raised an eyebrow. “Because I care so much about the inner workings of PCD politics.”
“Right.” He put his attention to the front again, shifted the car into drive, and slammed on the pedal. The night gave way to early morning as they took off. The gray sky dotted clouds across the horizon and blocked the sun. A cold wind swept through the car’s cracked window and ruffled his hair. Talon didn’t feel the breeze as all of his concentration centered beyond the windshield to the street ahead, on Sera.
Chapter 30
APARTMENT COMPLEX, CALGARY, ALBERTA
“What’re you doing here?” Sera stared wide eyed at the vampire in the opposite cell. A wry smile rested upon her pale face, hinting at the fangs underneath.
“Wish I could say I was trying to keep you out of trouble,” Strife said, tugging the vertical metal bars. They creaked, but didn’t budge. “Unfortunately, it’d be a lie. I traveled to Calgary after your grandfather informed Veritas that you’d decided to pay your father a visit.” She pulled harder, eliciting another creak from the bars, but still no movement. “I came alone, not wanting to put another of my people in danger.” Releasing the bars, she ran a hand through her straight black hair, tousling the strands. “When I spotted Adriana, I decided to follow her to scout and gather more information. But the phage hag ambushed me with her minions before I had a chance to learn anything.” She threw up her hands. “Three hundred years old and she captures me like I’m some fledgling.”
“Well, don’t feel bad. She got me too and apparently, I’m some sort of superstar.” Fire crept up her veins, lighting her insides.
Guy snorted. Your wit astounds me, superstar.
