Twisted i-3

by Gena Showalter

  “Insane yet clever. You are correct, Aden the Beast Tamer.”

  “No.” Victoria shook her head violently. “Maybe we can talk this out. Maybe we can compromise.” Vampire battles of this magnitude were bloody and sadistic, and she couldn’t bear the thought of either of them hurt…or worse. And after witnessing Sorin’s skill, she wasn’t sure even Aden’s ability could save him.

  Aden knew it, too. Hadn’t he predicted this wouldn’t end well? And yet still he said, “I accept your challenge, Sorin the Vicious. We fight for the crown at sunset tomorrow.”

  THIRTEEN

  “WHY DID YOU GIVE HIM so long to prepare?”

  Aden sat on the lid of the toilet in Victoria’s private bathroom, hungry, so hungry, tired and unsure. Had he done the right thing?

  He’d soon find out.

  He held clippers in one hand and a small trash bin in the other. He passed the first to Victoria and set the second on the floor between his feet before he replied. “I gave myself so long to prepare.”

  “Oh.”

  She was paler than usual and shaky rather than sturdy. Agitated, even. He understood. He did. Aden had threatened her brother. Was going to fight her brother. She was probably confused, upset and unsure.

  An hour ago, that might not have bothered him. But as they’d stood in the throne room, danger torpedoing toward him, she’d taken his hand and offered comfort. Somehow, some way, that contact had tugged him out of the cold, emotionless wasteland he’d been living in. He was feeling. Hope, admiration, affection, each like the warm rays from the sun.

  Now he rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m going to ask you a question, Victoria, and I don’t mean anything by it, okay? So don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just curious.”

  She stiffened, and he could feel the worry pouring off her already. “All right.”

  “You’re helping me, but you obviously love your brother.” He’d felt her desire to run to the homicidal maniac. Only, instead of attacking him, she would have hugged him. Would Sorin have murdered her, too? “So, why are you here, helping me?”

  Some of the worry faded. “Fishing for compliments? Or an I love you confession?” Before he could respond, not that he knew what to say, she added, “I don’t want the two of you to fight, that’s all.”

  Did she expect him to walk away from this? “We will fight. That, I can promise you.” Blunt of him, perhaps, but he didn’t want any misunderstandings.

  Her shoulders slumped a little. “I know you will. Believe me, if I thought I could talk sense into either one of you…”

  He watched her, trying to gauge her reaction to his next words without looking like he was trying to gauge her reaction. “Do you want me to walk away?”

  A moment passed. She sighed. “No. You can’t. He would come after you. Others would come after you. The challenge has been issued and accepted, and if it’s not followed through, everyone will think you are weak, that they can have what’s yours. You’ll never have peace. I just…”

  Wanted them both to be okay. Understandable.

  “And before you ask, I want you to win.”

  That, he hadn’t anticipated. “Why?”

  “Because there’s a possibility you will spare him. He will not extend you the same courtesy. Do—do you know what’s going to happen?”

  “I don’t know about the outcome of the fight, no.” Truth. Through Elijah, he’d seen it, but he’d seen several different versions of it. “I do know your brother won’t cause any trouble while he waits for the challenge. Meaning, no one else will try and attack him. Or me. If that helps. Elijah told me.”

  She shuddered. “It doesn’t help. And I…I don’t think we should talk about this anymore. My body is reacting negatively to your every word. Any more, and I might throw up on your feet.”

  Great. He’d meant to reassure her, not sicken her. “Is an upset stomach your only symptom?”

  “My blood is chilled and thick, and my heart is drumming too forcefully against my ribs.”

  Not as terrible as he’d feared. She’d just described a mild panic attack. “And you’ve never experienced this type of reaction before?”

  “Not to this degree.” She frowned down at the clippers. “So what do you want me to do with these?”

  If she wanted to topic switch, they’d topic switch. He wasn’t sure how else to calm her. “I’d like you to shave my head.”

  “Shave your—what?”

  “Shave my head.”

  Horror blanketed her beautiful face. “But you’ll be bald.”

  He felt a small wave of amusement rush through him. “There are worse things.”

  No, there are not! That will seriously affect our lady action, Caleb said. He’d been fuming since Aden had made the decision to say goodbye to his dye job.

  “Anyway, I won’t be bald. I’ll be blond. There’s a guard on the clippers that’ll leave a couple inches of hair.”

  “Oh,” she repeated, then fumbled around for a moment as she tried to turn them on. Finally the little motor revved to life. “And you’re sure about this? There’s no going back if you don’t like the results.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Then tell me why you want a cut.”

  Yeah, Julian said. This is dumb. We’ll look like an idiot.

  Elijah had no comment.

  After everything that had happened, Aden felt like a new person. He was a new person. Yet every time he passed a mirror—and as a lot of the walls here were, in fact, mirrors, he saw more of himself than he wanted—he looked the same. That had to change, too.

  “I just do,” was all he said.

  “Very well, then.” Resigned, tentative, Victoria got to work, and he watched black lock after black lock fall to the floor.

  Stop her, Caleb practically cried. Grab her hand and stop her.

  For a moment, Aden felt something—a rope, maybe—pulling at his arm, lifting it, his fingers twitching, ready to close around Victoria’s wrist, and he frowned. A conscious effort was required to keep his arm at his side.

  What the hell?

  Come on, man, Caleb continued. All you have to do is lift your arm and grab her wrist.

  Lift his arm. Grab her wrist. The answer popped into place. “You trying to take over the body, Caleb?”

  Maybe, was the grumbled reply.

  None of the souls had tried anything like that in years. Probably because they couldn’t take over without his permission. Or hadn’t been able to. But that tug…it was stronger than anything they’d done before. He wasn’t exactly sure what that meant.

  “Don’t do that again,” he snapped.

  Fine!

  Victoria had moved between his spread knees, and at his words, she stiffened. “I didn’t…I’m just…you told me to do this!”

  Immediately repentant, he said, “Sorry. I wasn’t talking to you.”

  “Oh. Good. You had me worried.” She returned her attention to the trim job.

  Her scent hit him with the force of a swinging baseball bat. Aden forgot the souls as his mouth watered, and his stomach curled into itself. He’d been on the verge of starvation ever since her brother had maimed and killed those vampires, and he’d barely made it out of the throne room without falling to his face and licking the oh, so delicious-looking blood off the floor.

  Only two things had stopped him. The desire for Victoria’s blood, and only Victoria’s blood, which fortified itself by the minute, and the knowledge that showing weakness of any kind would be used against him during the big battle. And the battle would happen, just as he’d promised Victoria.

  Elijah might have seen several different outcomes, but circumventing the battle altogether hadn’t been one of them.

  A few times, Aden had seen himself die, his head removed by a sword covered in je la nune. Victoria wouldn’t be able to save him from that. But then he’d thought, I won’t go low, I’ll dart to the side. And the visions had instantly changed. So, when the new outcome played through hi
s mind, he’d seen Sorin swing, encountering air as Aden ducked and went in for his own attack.

  He’d realized then that his future was uncertain. Completely changeable. And he could win—maybe—but at a price. His victory would mark the beginning of a downward spiral for Victoria. Maybe because she would see him standing over her brother’s body, vampires cheering his success while she cried.

  He didn’t want that for her. Didn’t want her depressed or angry, or worse, hating him with every fiber of her being. Therefore, he had to figure out a solution.

  “Did you know you have small black dots on your scalp?” she asked. “Freckles?”

  “Most likely. They’re cute.”

  Cute kicked the butt of hideous, but just barely. “Thanks.”

  “Welcome.” A soft hum drifted from her as she finished up. “There,” she finally announced. “Done.” She cupped his cheeks in her less than warm hands and looked him over. “You are—” She gasped.

  “What?” Was it that bad?

  I don’t like to say I told you so, Caleb announced. But I freaking TOLD YOU SO.

  While Victoria’s mouth opened and closed, Aden unfolded to a stand. His reflection in the mirror above the sink slowly came into view. He’d expected a real ugh-o to stare back at him, but that wasn’t the case. He had two inches of hair left, the strands spiked. They were a dirty blond, his natural color, and they made his skin appear a deeper bronze. And his eyes, which had once been black and had recently converted to violet, were now a golden brown.

  Oh, Caleb breathed. Well, okay then. Will wonders never cease?

  “You don’t like it?” he asked Victoria.

  “Like it?” With a trembling hand, she reached up to run her fingers along his newly shorn scalp. “I love it. And I finally see the appeal of the bad boy.”

  He looked like a bad boy, he wondered, leaning into her touch, hoping it would deepen.

  Kiss her, Caleb prompted. Now, now, now! Before the mood is tainted.

  For once, I gotta agree with the pervert, Julian said. French that girl within an inch of her life.

  Yes.

  Before Aden realized he’d moved, his hands were on her waist, drawing her closer to him. Automatically his gaze dropped to her neck, to her hammering pulse. A high-pitched roar, similar to what he’d heard outside, only a bit louder now, suddenly echoed inside his head.

  Victoria noticed the direction of his gaze. “You need to feed or you’ll be too weak to survive tomorrow.”

  I’ll do more than survive. He hoped. “You offering?”

  “N-no.” She gulped, sending a shiver down the rest of her body. “Aden, you have to stop this.”

  “Stop what? Holding you?”

  Nooo! Caleb cried, and Aden’s fingers clenched on Victoria, making her wince. I’ve missed her.

  “That’s enough,” Aden snapped at him. “Loosen your hold, and give me a minute.”

  “The souls?” she asked sympathetically.

  His nod was clipped, scattering Caleb’s mutterings. Then the pressure eased and Aden was able to gentle his grip on his own. Caleb kept that up, and something would have to be done. What, though, Aden didn’t know. Other than finding the soul’s way out.

  “And no,” Victoria said, picking their conversation up where it had ended, “I didn’t mean I wanted you to stop holding me. Or maybe I did. You want me one minute, you don’t the next, then you want me again, like now, and I can’t keep up. I just—sweet heavens above!”

  The innocent curse didn’t surprise him, but the panicked shock bubbling from it did. “What’s wrong?” No one had stepped into the bathroom. No threat had jumped out at them.

  She pulled from his hold and withdrew her phone, her hand trembling, her breathing ragged. “Riley just texted, and the vibration freaks me out every time.”

  He wanted her back in his arms. “Easy fix. Turn it off vibrate.”

  “Sure thing. As soon as I figure out how to do that.” She read the screen, her pale skin tinting with gray. “Will you, uh, excuse me?” She didn’t wait for his reply but raced from the bathroom, throwing over her shoulder, “I’ll send a blood-slave to see to your hunger, maybe the same one from before,” before slamming the door shut behind her.

  “Don’t do that,” he called. If she heard him, he didn’t know. Even then, he wanted only Victoria. He strode into the bedroom, but she was already gone.

  I can’t believe you let her get away without a goodbye kiss, Caleb whined.

  Elijah made a noise that sounded like a cross between a wheeze and a cough. First the hair, and now the kiss. Will you stop already? You’re driving me crazy.

  No! This is important.

  I shut you down once, Caleb. Don’t make me do it again.

  Shut me down? What do you mean? How and when did this alleged shutdown happen? Because Aden can tell you that, of the three of us, I’m the most powerful, and if any shutting down needs to occur, I’ll be the one doing it.

  Elijah’s annoyance bled into unease. Never mind. Just—

  Wait! Hold on a sec. I’m not gonna let this drop. You’re talking about the cave, right? Because the end of our stay is like the same black hole Mary Ann sends us to whenever Aden nears her. Did you do that to us, E? Huh, huh, did you?

  A, uh, black hole, you say?

  What did you do, E? Julian demanded.

  For the love of God! “I need Elijah to help me during the battle with Sorin, but if you guys don’t shut up, I’ll find the meds Victoria gave us and send you to a black hole right here and now.”

  Sorry, Ad, Julian said.

  Fine, be that way, Caleb said.

  Thank you, Elijah said.

  “Good.” They understood each other.

  From the corner of his eye, Aden spotted the dancing woman from this morning gliding toward Victoria’s bed, leaning over. A little girl with long black hair lay there, sleeping. He frowned in confusion. Neither female had been there a moment ago.

  “You,” he said, approaching.

  She ignored him, saying to the little girl, somehow equally as familiar to him, “Come on now, precious.” She threw a panicked glance over her shoulder. Not at Aden, but at somewhere far, far past him. “We have to leave now. Before he returns.”

  The little girl stretched and yawned. “But I don’t want to go,” she said in the sweetest angel voice he’d ever heard.

  “You must. Now.”

  “If she doesn’t want to go, you’re not taking her.” Aden reached the woman, tried to latch onto her shoulder—but his hand ghosted through her.

  FOURTEEN

  AFTER ARRANGING FOR A blood-slave to be sent to Aden, as promised, Victoria locked herself in Riley’s bedroom, knowing no one would enter without permission, and she could have as much privacy as she wanted for as long as she needed.

  She hadn’t lied to Aden. Riley had sent her a text. Think we found J’s ID. Being tracked by WBs & FS. Except 4 raging fungus, all good. BK?

  J for Julian. WB for witch-bitches. FS for fairy spawn. Raging fungus had to be Tucker. Shocking that Riley hadn’t killed him already. Or maybe not. Mary Ann must have put her dainty foot down, and, lovestruck idiot that he was, Riley caved.

  Like Aden used to cave for Victoria. And might again, one day soon, if the looks he’d given her in the bathroom meant anything.

  BK good, she typed. U B careful.

  And the Boy King was good. He was finally returning to his normal self. Only, things were about to change for him yet again, and in a way that would hurt him deeply. Because, if Riley and Mary Ann had discovered Julian’s true identity, it was only a matter of time before Aden had to say goodbye to the soul.

  She wouldn’t tell him. Not yet. He had too much to worry about already. And that brought her to the other text she’d received, one she hadn’t mentioned.

  I’m in the forest. Find me. Sorin.

  Her brother wanted to speak with her. Her brother. About building a relationship with her, or about Aden? Or both? Either w
ay, she would be taking a huge risk simply to see him.

  Although, on one hand, she might be able to change his mind about the fight. Big might. On the other, he might try to use her to force Aden to back out. Having witnessed his merciless skill with a sword, that seemed more likely. But…

  The desire to see him was overwhelming.

  She would go see him, she decided, but she would be smart about it. She wouldn’t go alone, and she wouldn’t stay long. Neither of those concessions makes you smart. Didn’t matter. Hope was a silly but completely undeniable thing.

  She gathered her sisters as backup and headed outside, careful not to shiver at the sudden drop in temperature.

  “I don’t want to meet him,” Lauren said firmly. “I’m only going so I can murder him if he threatens you.” Tall, slender and as blond as Sorin, she wore a skintight black leather halter top and pants. Barbed wire circled both of her wrists. She’d been training to be a warrior her entire life, and she’d killed more witches and fae than the leader of Vlad’s army had. The fact that she was female had kept her from advancing up the ranks. “He had decades to convince Vlad to let us talk to him, years to visit, and he didn’t.”

  “You should probably shut up now,” Stephanie said after popping a bubble. Shorter than either Lauren or Victoria, she had long blond hair and moss-green eyes. Rather than traditional vampire garb, she wore a blue tank top and a black micro-mini. The length of her hair was braided and twisted into tiny buns all over her head. “You’re only showing your dumb side.”

  “Dumb side! I don’t have a dumb side, and you know it.”

  “Ha! I’ve met pet rocks who were smarter than you.”

  “Do you want me to murder you, too? Because I will!”

  They loved each other, but they also loved to snipe at each other.

  Victoria was envious. These two had always possessed the courage to be who and what they wanted to be. But then again, Lauren had been favored by Vlad, and Stephanie’s mother had been the favorite of all his wives. He’d gone easy on both of them. Victoria had not been favored, and her mother had been the most despised, so she’d always borne the brunt of his rage.