Secrets of the Sapphires

by T. Sue VerSteeg

  Nia made her way back out of the gymnasium and walked to her desk to get her coat. After getting through the tunnel and elevator, she flipped her phone open, dialing Garrett’s number on her way to her car.

  Instead of the usual niceties, Garrett grumbled, “It’s about time!”

  Shocked and a little pissy, Nia muttered, “What if I told you we weren’t able to get anything?”

  Groans, moans, and various muffled curses preceded his sarcastic words. “I’m sorry. Please tell me you got what I need.”

  “Oh baby, you know I got what you need.” A sly smile spread across her face.

  “You have no idea, sugar lips,” he whispered.

  “Well, you’ll be happy to know that I now have proof of who killed your partner.” Nia stopped talking at the sight of a shadowy figure near her passenger side door. She slid into the driver’s seat, slammed her door shut, and poised a finger on the lock button. Her door was yanked back open before she could press it. The last thing Nia remembered was being tossed to the ground, white-hot pain shooting down her back and fireworks erupting in her head.

  Her world turned black.

  ****

  “Nia!” Garrett screamed. “If this is some kind of joke…” He stared at his phone as though it might spring to life and tell him where to find her. Any lingering effect of the alcohol was gone with the abrupt end of the call. After he snapped it shut, he shoved his foot on the gas pedal, returning his attention to getting Lexie home. She was now draped over his emergency brake. One arm was wrapped around his bicep while the other hand had unbuttoned his sleeve and was now underneath rubbing the muscle of his forearm. After four shots of whiskey, Garrett had excused himself from the table under the pretense of discussing good alcohol brands with the bartender. Instead he told him to make his drinks watered down soda and double the alcohol in Lexie’s. The deal had cost him a hundred bucks but turned out to be a sound investment.

  Slobbering slightly, she smiled up at him. “I’m gonna rock your...,” she trailed off with a bleary eyed look out the window then smiled up at him again, “world.”

  At least now, with her slobbery drunk, he could keep her at a safe distance. With any luck, he could drop her off to pass out so he could go in search of Nia. By the time they had reached her place, a loud purr resonated from the passenger seat. He dug through her purse and found her house key before flopping Lexie over his shoulder, cursing under his breath at the throbbing in his side as he carried her to the door.

  A slight shudder rippled through his gut at the pink haze when he flicked on the lamp. Nothing compared to the shock in Lexie’s bedroom. Bright fuchsia walls and a pink paisley bedspread were only the beginning. Curtains, carpet, and even the ceiling were a shade or two darker.

  Garrett draped Lexie’s limp form across her bed and pulled the comforter from the other side to cover her in a sort of pink taco. He turned, tiptoeing from the room home free.

  Or so he thought.

  “Garrett, I need you. We’ve been apart for far too long. Everything I’ve done was for us.”

  He turned around slowly, almost afraid of what he’d find after her confused, drunken revelation to him, and for good reason. She had pulled herself up on all fours, pawing toward him like a caged cat. Both breasts were flopped out of her dress; the perfectly coiffed hair she’d been obsessed about earlier was now a tangled nest, her makeup smeared across her face like a bad David Bowie video. Garrett was pretty sure she thought she was sexy. The only thing he saw was a pathetic drunken woman, though her next words made him very happy.

  “I’m going to nap a minute first.” All four limbs gave out on her at once and she dropped face first onto her bed. Garrett wrapped the cover over her again and left.

  He jogged back to his car, his mind racing. Nia couldn’t have been far from work. He’d heard the dinging of her car while he was talking to her but never heard her start the engine. He flew through town, within minutes arriving at the parking garage of the division. Her car was there, door ajar, still dinging. Her keys, purse and most of her personal belongings were still there, too. Whoever took her wasn’t interested in stealing from her. At least her phone was missing. He could track her from that.

  Panic washed over him. Caine Roland’s coven was undoubtedly behind her abduction. Leaving the Medieval Age without killing him was a mistake. They’d been left with no choice. Now Garrett had to come face to face with the one paranormal aspect most dangerous to his own well-being: Vampires.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nia’s head pounded a mean drum as she woke and assessed her surroundings. Taper candles in tiered candelabra flickered in the corners of the dark room, casting shadows, making the small windowless area seem alive. Black painted walls and sparse furniture draped with black covers were all she could see. There were several closed doors along the walls and an open staircase. Panic stabbed at her. Someone had hit her over the head. She tugged against the cuffs behind her back attached to a secured metal grate of sorts. Cold breezes gusted over her from nowhere, making Nia aware of the presence of ghosts. When they passed through her, they filled her head with visions of their torture, torment, reasons they couldn’t yet leave this world and pass on to the next. Heaven or Hell waited for them, but not until they were freed from their ties to the present.

  Nia was suddenly whisked to a warm, sunny day. She felt a moment of peace, turning her face to the brilliant light, warmth permeating her soul. Her reprieve was short lived. Slammed face down onto a wooden block, the sounds of a raucous crowd brought about panic. She stared down into a roughly woven, bloody basket while a leather strap was cinched around her neck. A man appeared in her peripheral vision, hooded in black. His sharp battle axe glinted in the sunlight as he raised it over his head.

  A guttural growl scared the spirit from her. Nia opened her eyes, not quite sure which reality was worse. Standing in front of her was a very angry Caine Roland. His eyes burned red, jaw clenched tight, fists balled at his side.

  “You, my dear girl, need to tell me where I can find the sapphire,” he seethed.

  Adrenaline rushed through her veins, affording her a more confident demeanor than her actual belly full of butterflies and panic riddled chest. She steeled her spine and met his gaze.

  “You know I couldn’t take the one I stole off of you through time. Perhaps someone grabbed it after we left?” She asked, knowing what he meant, referring to the medieval stone instead.

  “Do you take me for a fool?” His red eyes glowed as he stepped forward, his foul breath smelling of death.

  Nia dropped her head back against the metal behind her, turning it to the side. “Dude, Tic-Tac.”

  Caine slammed his hands onto her shoulder causing the grate behind her to rattle. “Don’t piss me off!”

  “Looks like I’m a little late for that.”

  “Only by about five hundred and fifty years! Do you know what it’s like to wake up one day with that many years’ worth of memories flooding back into your head? It’s a little more than unsettling. I was stuck in that God forsaken cesspool and had to live through all of that because someone helped themselves to the crystal that belongs on this side.” He brought his lips to within inches of hers. “I have it on good authority that the person responsible is standing right in front of me.”

  Knowing it would only make him angrier, she tossed her gaze around what she could see of the room. “Really, I didn’t know anyone else was in here.”

  His fingers wrapped around her chin, squeezing her lips into a pucker. “Don’t be a smart ass! Tell me where it is.”

  She felt this wasn’t the time to discuss the difference between smart asses and dumb ones. “I don’ haf da sap-ire.”

  His hand released her mouth, “What?”

  After she adjusted her jaw back into place, she repeated her words. “I don’t have the sapphire.”

  “Don’t toy with me. I will kill you.”

  “Huh.” She stared at him for a few seconds. “
I could have sworn I remember being told that I was yours to kill anyway. I figured that’s why I was dragged here.”

  Caine dropped his head back, releasing a sadistic scream that shook the walls and extinguished most of the candles, plunging the room into an eerie darkness. “Why do you insist on driving me mad?”

  “It’s such a short, scenic little drive for you.”

  His hand clamped around her throat, yanking her upward until her bindings pulled taut. Dangling, she gasped for air, flailing her legs. Several times she made solid contact with his body; he didn’t flinch. He finally released her. Nia would have buckled to the floor if it hadn’t been for her hands being tied to the wall.

  “Tell me where the sapphire is,” he seethed.

  Leaning forward, Nia coughed and hacked, trying to regain her breath. Blood dripped from her mouth. She’d bitten into her lower lip during her struggle. Caine wiped some from her face with his finger then slid it into his mouth.

  Shuddering, he whispered, “I shall drain you where you stand. The mere sample of what is mine isn’t nearly enough to satisfy me.” Stained fangs crawled from his mouth, his body convulsing as he closed the gap between them. His eyes were nothing more than slits, his breath coming in passionate moans. “You have no idea the utter explosion of senses drinking another’s blood can unleash. It is like an orgasm that lasts the entire feeding, topped only by the moment of your prey’s death. Their life force combines with your own; the euphoria is unbelievable.” He dragged a finger down the side of her face, touching the small wound on her lip.

  She fought back the urge to bite his finger, her mind flashing back to the only other time she’d felt this way: the hanging. Alone and bound, she knew when she had no options left. “I guess I’ll at least get to see my parents now.” Garrett’s face stood fast in her mind, though, weighing heavily on her heart.

  “Such a positive outlook for a doomed woman. I don’t believe I’ve ever had such a willing meal. For that, I shall drain you first before I feast on your heart. I’m told it is more humane this way, though I prefer the panic, pain filled screams like when your mother’s life was taken.”

  Nia opened her mouth to give him hell, but she was unable to talk or move, even breathing became increasingly difficult. Gasping for breath, Nia glared into the eyes of her attacker before clamping them shut.

  A strange voice broke the silence. “Caine, I take it you have the sapphire then.”

  Nia opened her eyes and there stood another of the men who were present the night her parents died. Long, dark hair like Caine’s, but this man was more sophisticated and well dressed. He floated down the stairs, his feet never once touching a step, and hovered next to Caine.

  One brow lifted in disbelief when he saw the guilt in Caine’s eyes. “You planned to kill her before you knew where the gem was?” Obviously the alpha in the group, the distinguished man moved Caine with a mere point of his finger.

  Like a dog that’d been swatted with the paper, Caine took a seat against the wall where one candle still flickered. “She wouldn’t tell me, Gregor.”

  His voice was a mix of man and beast as the alpha growled, “That is Master Grayson to you! Go feast elsewhere, cretin.”

  “Nia is…”

  “Go!” Gregor’s single word shook the ground for several seconds.

  Caine slinked up the stairway. “Yes, Master Grayson.” His tone was that of a disgruntled elementary student.

  Gregor turned his attention to Nia. “You have my deepest apologies for the actions of my colleague. He tends to let blood lust overcome his common sense.” His brown eyes bore into her, even in the darkness. Reaching around her, he didn’t touch her bindings, but they fell off. He grabbed one of her hands, pulling it to his lips.

  Inside Nia was screaming obscenities, wanting nothing more than to scratch his eyes out. There was a shell over her. He was in control.

  “My dear, sweet Nia, I hope you realize that your parents’ fate was merely a lack of cooperation on their part.”

  You son of a bitch! I will kill you with my bare hands! On the outside she couldn’t even smirk at him; on the inside rage, anger, utter gut wrenching sorrow boiled. One hand remained tucked within his, the other dangled useless at her side. She willed a finger to move, twitch even, yet nothing happened. The only response she could muster was a single tear that slid down her cheek.

  He swiped it away with his finger and shook his head, “We will have none of that. I can promise you no harm as long as you cooperate. My only concern is the location of the sapphire. Tell me where it is.”

  Never, you sadistic bastard! You might as well kill me now!

  Her lips betrayed her when other words tumbled from her mouth instead. “The sapphire is hidden behind my locker at headquarters.”

  Damn it.

  Gregor paced the dark room. His growl rumbled through the space. All of the candles flickered back to life when he raised his hands and shouted, “The one place I cannot access!”

  Nia felt herself regain control. Scrunching her face in hate, she lunged for his throat. “You didn’t think I was a complete idiot, did you?” Her hands nearly reached their target. He cocked his head to the side, nonchalantly pointing toward her. She flew back against the metal wall with a loud clang. Her facial expression went blank, her arms falling to her sides again.

  Gregor’s thunderous laughter filled the room. “Ah, dear girl, I’ve never thought you stupid in the slightest—quite the contrary, actually. I love a challenge; you’ve not failed me. I do have this special talent I’m fairly certain you were unaware of.” He placed a hand on each side of her head.

  Her body twitched and convulsed, fighting for control. Her vision narrowed, viewing the room through a tunnel. While she was in control of her own thoughts, she could not control her body or speech unless he allowed it. Gregor’s eyes rolled and all she saw were the blood shot whites. His body convulsed, his mouth frothed, as he dropped into the lotus position on the floor. For a split second, Nia thought she was going to be able to escape the awful urban dungeon.

  She was wrong.

  “Now we can get the sapphire together, my sweet.” The voice was hers; the words were Gregor’s. He’d combined his evil, nasty spirit with hers and was now in control of her body.

  “Get out of me!”

  “This will go much easier if you choose not to resist me,” his words, her voice.

  “I will fight you ever last step of the way.”

  Her right leg stepped forward, against her will. She fought to pull it back. Her foot shook violently before slamming down on the floor in front of her. He attempted to speak through her again. Nia resisted, clamping her mouth shut, concentrating hard on not allowing his words to spew from her.

  His voice screamed inside her head, “You will allow me to speak when I choose to speak!” Violent, painful spasms wracked her body.

  After her left foot stepped in front of her right, she allowed him control to ease the searing pain. They walked up the stairs and into the alley. Cold, early morning air ruffled her clothes and Nia tried in vain to rub her goose-fleshed arms.

  Thugs from a local gang swaggered up to her, whistling and yelling catcalls. The ringleader walked to the front. His flat-billed ball cap was cocked to the side, his pants belted around his thighs, his royal blue boxers showed below his white and blue baseball jersey.

  A tattooed hand reached out, tilting her chin to look at him. “My, my, what’s a sweet piece of meat such as yo’ se’f doin’ in an alley alone? Don’cha know there’s bad, bad people dat hang here?”

  Nia tried to speak, tried to kick him in the nuts and get the hell out of the alley. Gregor would have none of it. Instead, Gregor guided Nia’s hand over her own breast and snaked her tongue out to lick her lips. Anger rose inside of her; raw, erotic lust oozed forth instead. Her other hand reached out, stroking the growing bulge in the man’s jeans.

  “Oh, baby girl, you read mah mind.” The hand he’d held her chin with tr
ailed down her neck, reached around, yanking her to him. The other hand grabbed hers and shoved it down his pants.

  The man hardened solidly in her palm. Anger flooding her body, she was able to scream two words, “Gregor, stop!”

  The gang-banger tore his gaze from her chest and looked back into her eyes. “Name’s not Gregor. I guess you kin call me whatever ya want.”

  “Fine,” Gregor purred, pulling her hand from the man’s pants.

  “Don’t stop.” He shoved her against the wall, crushing his lips to hers. Nia was overcome with the awful taste of old pot and stale cigarettes.

  Nia’s hands flew up, anger and a lust for control coursing through her body. Gregor used his super hero strength to shove the would-be rapist into the rest of his friends who had crowded around for the peep show. They all tumbled an impressive distance before standing to brush themselves off and come back toward her.

  As they closed the gap, Gregor leaned Nia’s head back, releasing a guttural growl. When he allowed her to open her eyes again, there was a blur of blue and white clothing running out of the alley.

  “Show off,” Nia spat.

  “Dear girl, that is no way to treat the man who saved you from being violated.”

  “Gee, you mean like you’re doing to me right at this very moment?” The words had no sooner left her mouth than her body went rigid.

  “I am merely using you as a vessel. Had you brought the sapphire to me like a good little servant, this would not be happening. I wouldn’t have to prove all that I’m capable of making you do.”