Jack took a turn down an unfamiliar street, stepping into an alleyway between an abandoned building and an old factory. He leaned against the side of one of the walls, protected from the rain by an overhanging, but still soaked to the bone. He was tired, as much in spirit as in body.
A figure appeared at the mouth of the alleyway. Jack knew who it was as soon as he saw her silhouette. Mira sauntered over to where he was and took up a position next to him, letting her shoulder touch his.
She had on a shiny white raincoat that fell down to her knees and carried a matching umbrella. Jack was a little curious as to where she’d gotten them. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, letting the sound of raindrops striking the edge of the roof overhead form a pattering, constant rhythm.
“I prefer your face when it doesn’t have such a morose expression on it,” said Mira. “You have a very nice smile, when you choose to show it.”
“I’m not in the mood to smile,” he said.
Part of Jack wanted to attack her, and to make another attempt at freeing himself from the curse. She was the source of all his current problems. She was the one who’d done this to him, and yet, the anger just wasn’t there. And after his confrontation with Bruce, it was hard for him to see violence as anything other than a confirmation of the accusations that were still echoing in his head.
“You’re thirsty,” said Mira. “I can see it in your eyes.”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “So?”
“Why must you insist on stifling yourself?” asked Mira. “You can feed off anyone you choose. It’s not against the rules.”
“Maybe it’s not against your rules,” he said. “But I hold myself to a different standard.”
Mira laughed. She pressed herself more against him for an instant, and even let her hand slide into his. It felt cold and soft.
“You sound so much like Peter,” she whispered. “Did he ever tell you about his code? Do you know what your grandfather thought of vampires, Jack? What he thought about us?”
Jack didn’t say anything. He knew what she was talking about, and part of him wished that he didn’t. What would his grandfather have done, in his shoes? What would Peter Masterson have done if he’d still been alive when Jack, his only grandson, was turned into a vampire? He didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Dearest Jack,” whispered Mira. “Everyone goes through this. You’re in the gap, the space between who you were, and who you are. Maybe it forms after a bad breakup, or a death in the family. An illness. Something that fundamentally changes a person into someone new. Be the new you, Jack. Love the new you.”
“You’re out of your mind,” he said. “I’m not going to just accept what I am if it means hurting people and being a monster.”
He pulled away from her, feeling a bloodthirst induced headache surge in sync with the movement. Mira laughed.
“Do you really think you have a choice?” asked Mira. “We’ve been doing this dance for long enough. I’m waiting for you, Jack. Change is inevitable. Time is change. Existence is change. And I’ll be here, on the other side of it.”
Jack’s anger finally returned to him. He lashed out, first with his hand, and then with his Spectral Sword, whipping the dark conjured blade at Mira’s torso. She faded through it, becoming incorporeal just as the edge would have made contact. She rushed forward into him but didn’t attack.
Instead, she kissed him. Her lips were wet from the rain, and the sensation of her breasts and body momentarily stole Jack’s will to fight back. He let the kiss drag on, feeling a part of his will betray him. He considered what it would be like to give in, and to just stop fighting.
“…No,” he whispered, as the kiss broke.
“Yes,” said Mira. She kissed him again, deeper this time. They pressed together, Mira pinning him against the alley’s wall and letting her soft body mush against his. “Take me, Jack. Take me, now and forever. We’ll live as we want to. Go where we want. Be who we want to be.”
She opened her raincoat. She was naked underneath. Jack felt a deep, primal hunger, stronger than his bloodthirst, even. He groped at one of her pale breasts, feeling the tumult of his chaotic emotions feeding into his lust.
Mira ran a hand through her wet hair, brushing it back from her face in a single dark blonde lock. She bit her lower lip, letting her red eyes linger on his. Her hand slid into Jack’s pants, and she smirked as her fingers began discovering what was waiting for her there.
“Come with me,” she said. “We have all night. And in the morning, you’ll still be free to choose your own path.”
She kissed him again, and Jack couldn’t stop his hands from sliding over her perfect breasts, and down across her naked butt. He gritted his teeth, summoning the last of his willpower.
“No,” he said, making the word firm. “It’s not happening.”
“You’ll have me satisfy you here, then?” Mira slowly started sliding down, dropping to her knees in front of him.
“You almost had me,” said Jack. “But I won’t give in.”
He expected her to react angrily, and his muscles were tensed to dodge out of the way of an attack. But instead, Mira just closed her raincoat, crossed her arms, and continued smirking at him.
“So be it,” she said. “Though, I suspect you’ll reconsider once you see the surprise I left for you back at your grandfather’s mansion.”
Jack stared at her, feeling his blood run cold.
“What did you do?” he asked.
Mira took a step back, the smirk never leaving her face. Jack lunged at her, but she disappeared, her body going incorporeal in a puff of smoke.
“Mira!” he shouted. “What the hell did you do?”
CHAPTER 36
Jack sprinted through town, running as fast as his legs and enhanced speed would carry him. His head pounded, and his growing dizziness made it harder to keep running straight than it would have otherwise been, but he ignored both.
The storm was still ongoing, and lightning illuminated singular frames of the night as thunder boomed in the distance. Jack tried calling the mansion’s landline on his cell phone, ignoring how difficult the deluge of rain made working the touchscreen. Nobody answered.
What had Mira done? And why had she done it now? Her unpredictable nature was more frightening to Jack than the fact that she was a vampire, or any other ways she’d attempted to get under his skin. He felt his anxiety building as he started up the slope and stared at the mansion in the distance. It was still standing, at least. Several lights were still on inside.
Had she bitten Ryoko and enthralled her? Or worse. Had she turned the kind, reserved, household maid into a vampire, like she’d given Jack the Embrace? Maybe she was trying to prove a point to him, one that needed more than just words to illustrate.
He did his best to keep his imagination in check as he approached the mansion’s door. It had been left slightly open, which made his heart skip a beat. Despite his growing anxiety, Jack didn’t let himself rush inside. He still hadn’t ruled out the possibility that Mira had set an elaborate trap for him, and he forced himself to move warily.
“Ryoko?” he called, as he stepped into the foyer. “Hello?”
His fears ran wild. It was easy to picture Mira sneaking into the mansion and catching Ryoko, defenseless and ignorant of the supernatural, completely unaware. He wondered if Mira had taken her hostage, maybe in an attempt at using her as a bargaining chip to make him more amenable.
Jack found Ryoko sleeping on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. He was tempted to wake her up for a moment, but he stopped himself. It was possible that Mira had bitten and left her as a hidden thrall. Unlikely, but possible. He decided to wait until he’d finished searching the mansion.
The upper floors and bedrooms were empty. Jack peeked around each doorway, half expecting a ghoul to pop out at any moment. He did a thorough check of the kitchen, dining room, and the servant’s quarters, and still, found nothing out of order. H
is bloodthirst was beginning to weigh on him again, and he had to use his resolve to ignore Ryoko’s scent as he passed by her on the couch.
He headed down to the basement and froze when he reached the bottom of the stairs. The secret door was open. It looked as though it had been forced ajar, jammed sideways with the kind of leverage that necessitated a pneumatic piston, or supernatural strength.
Jack shook his head, dumbfounded at how she’d discovered the existence of the secret door, at least, up until he saw the tiny heart Mira had drawn in the dust coating the wall next to the panel. She was observant, and she’d noticed the odd stone out, brushed clean by the touch of Jack and Katie’s hands. And then she’d used her blood magic to tear her way in.
He passed into the workshop, wincing as he surveyed the damage. Mira had completely trashed it, knocking over the weapon rack and scattering Katie’s alchemy equipment. His grandfather’s staff was missing. The placard with the Masterson Code written onto it had several deep gouges that rendered it unreadable.
He realized what Mira’s purpose had been as soon as he saw the inside of Katie’s alchemy cupboard. All of her ingredients were missing, and all of the premade potions she’d had inside had been smashed across the stone floor.
Mira knew about the anti-enthrallment potion, and she’d sabotaged any chance they had of continuing to use it in the future.
No, Jack realized. They still had some left. He left the workshop, closing the door firmly behind him this time, and hurried upstairs. Ryoko was still sleeping on the couch. Jack felt a nearly irresistible urge to caress her neck as he approached her. He gritted his teeth and took deep breaths as he shook her shoulder.
“Ryoko,” he said. “Hey. Ryoko, wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered a few times, and she let out a cute yawn. She was so oblivious and so defenseless, like a baby bunny who’d taken up residence in the den of a wolf.
“Mr. Masterson?” she said, sounding a little confused. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I must have fallen asleep, sir.”
“Ryoko,” said Jack. “Do you have any of your tea left?”
She frowned a little, and then shook her head.
“I drank the last of it last night, while we were watching the movie,” she said. “I can make you hot cocoa instead?”
Jack stepped away from her, swearing under his breath. Vertigo hit him in a sudden rush. Everything in the room was spinning. Everything, except Ryoko, like the light at the end of the tunnel. He had to focus on staying in control of each individual muscle, doing his best to sabotage the overwhelming urge he felt to close the distance to her and sink his fangs in deep.
“Mr. Masterson?” asked Ryoko. “Are you feeling okay? Would you like me to help you upstairs?”
She drew nearer to him and took hold of one of his arms. Jack had to physically wrench himself away.
“No!” he said. “No, Ryoko, I’m fine. I just… need to get some sleep.”
“Sir, you aren’t fine,” said Ryoko. “At least let me check your temperature.”
She set back of her hand on Jack’s forehead and came just a little bit too close. He reacted in a flurry of movement, grabbing Ryoko and pulling her against him. He opened his mouth, breathing in once through his nose and losing himself within her minty, delicious scent.
No, he thought. Not like this.
He let out a shaky breath, rallying his willpower to take control back. He was hugging her, instead of biting her. He felt Ryoko’s hands patting his back, and as he finally broke from the embrace, he saw her confused and worried expression.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m… not myself right now.”
Jack backed away from her slowly. He started to head toward the stairs, and then thought better of it, first heading down to the basement to grab a few bottles of wine.
“Mr. Masterson…” called Ryoko. “Jack. I don’t think drinking alcohol will help your condition!”
Jack closed and locked the door to his bedroom and then collapsed on the floor. He fumbled for the wine, only then realizing that he’d forgotten to grab a corkscrew. Focusing his Potential, he used Spectral Hand, extending the shadow tendril out from his finger and boring directly into the cork of one of the bottles.
Even just that tiny usage of blood magic was enough to make his throat itch fiercely enough to instigate a coughing fit. Ryoko was downstairs. Why was he torturing himself? He didn’t have to drink wine when there was a much more satisfying alternative under the same roof.
She doesn’t deserve it. It wouldn’t be fair to enthrall an innocent woman with no knowledge of the supernatural. It wasn’t who he was… was it?
Would it really be such a horrible outcome to have Ryoko enthralled, and maybe Katie, too? Gina hadn’t seemed to mind it, once it had been done. Jack could live with them in the mansion and never have to worry about the consequences of being a vampire again. He wouldn’t have to worry about killing Mira, and he’d still get a relatively happy ending.
He realized that a part of him was serious about it, and suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Jack took a long swig from the wine bottle. He would rather die than steal Ryoko and Katie’s free will. He glanced around his bedroom, wondering if there was anything he could use to end his life if it did come to that. There wasn’t, and he didn’t trust himself to head by Ryoko and down into the workshop to find a suitable tool.
Minutes passed in a torturous, slightly drunken slowness. Jack wasn’t sure how long it had been when he finally heard footsteps approaching the door. He scrambled to his feet, backing away and putting as much room between himself and the hall as possible.
“Jack.” Katie’s voice came from outside the door. “What’s going on? Ryoko said you were acting weird.”
She tried the doorknob, but he’d already locked it.
“Mira…” said Jack. “She got into the workshop. It’s my fault. Your alchemy supplies are gone. So is my grandfather’s old staff.”
“Fuck,” said Katie. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“I know,” said Jack.
“No, you don’t understand,” said Katie. “That staff… A wizard’s weapon serves as a store for a huge portion of their magical strength.”
“You’re saying that Mira could use it against us?” asked Jack.
“Yes and no,” said Katie. “She can’t wield it, but it could serve as an external focus for other forms of magic. Think of it like using what’s left in a rechargeable battery. Or in this case… more like the energy left in an old nuclear warhead.”
Jack clenched his jaw, feeling the sinking sensation of his heart evolve into a full-blown cramp.
“Damn,” he said. “Katie, I can’t fight her right now. Not like this. Not without… feeding.”
“Okay,” said Katie. “She stole the potions. But what about the tea that Ryoko-”
“No tea left,” said Jack. “I asked her already.”
Katie was silent on the other side of the door. It was chilling to know that she didn’t have any solution to offer, either.
“Open the door Jack,” said Katie. “We need to come up with a plan, and I don’t feel like having to shout to you to do it.”
“I don’t trust myself…” he said. “Katie, I can barely think right now.”
He heard her footsteps fading as she walked away from the door. A few minutes later she returned. Jack watched the door, and saw the handcuffs slide through the crack underneath.
“Unlock the door and then use those,” said Katie.
Jack took a breath, and then did as instructed. He threaded the handcuffs through one of the bars of his headboard, locking his hands behind his back and securing himself in place. Katie entered cautiously, frowning and giving him a wary look.
She’d already changed out of her dress and into her tight leather catsuit. Her hair was in a simple ponytail, but she hadn’t taken her makeup off, which made her look a little like she’d stepped out of a superhero movie.
“Jesus,” she said. “You didn’t look li
ke this at the party.”
“Look like what?” asked Jack.
“Your eyes look red,” said Katie. “And your skin… It’s going to be tough for you to go out in public like this. Did you use your blood magic at all tonight?”
Jack winced. “A little. I didn’t think it mattered much, given how thirsty I already was.”
“It does,” said Katie. “Knock that shit off.”
She sighed and started pacing back and forth across the floor.
“I have to go after her,” said Katie. “This might be the last chance we get before you completely lose control.”
“It’s what she wants,” said Jack. “She was in the mansion. She could have screwed us over in a dozen different ways. But she specifically chose to take the alchemy ingredients.”
“You think she’s planning something else?”
“I think she wants to force our hand,” said Jack. “She might have something else planned. She might just like the idea of seeing us scramble and get desperate.”
“Fuck.” Katie crossed her arms. “You’re right. Do you have a better idea?”
“You ignore Mira completely and focus on collecting the alchemy ingredients you need,” he said. “Can you find all of them on the island?”
Katie nodded slowly. “Most of the ones I need are pretty common. At least one is going to be tricky. But it’s worth a shot. And I think I can still use the equipment I have. That bitch wrecked some of my vials, but the rest of my stuff is still in good shape.”
“Good.” Jack breathed a sigh of relief. “All right, we still have a chance, then.”
Katie reached into the pocket of her catsuit, and then walked over to him, reaching to undo his handcuffs.
“What are you doing?” asked Jack.
“You’re coming with me,” said Katie. “The plan is solid, but I can’t pull it off alone. Especially if Mira is watching and waiting for us to make a move. Think you can manage to keep it together?”
Blood Mage (Dark Impulse Book 1) Page 20
