“Thought you would be asleep like the rest of them,” I admitted.
“I wanted to drop this off first,” he said, holding up a small cooler. “I knew you’d be needing it soon. Just wanted to make sure I kept you fed.” He winked and handed over the little red cooler, along with an already full thermos of warmed blood.
I gaped at him, torn between wanting to bear hug him and weeping uncontrollably at the thoughtful gesture. I did neither. Instead, I yanked the top off the thermos and greedily chugged the contents.
Draining it dry, I hastily wiped my mouth with my sleeve and thanked him.
“It’s the least I could do after you saved all our asses. Again.”
“Not everyone,” I corrected out of force of habit.
He shot me a knowing look before responding. “You know damn well you didn’t get those kids killed. And they wouldn’t have chosen differently no matter what you said.”
“I know. It’s not my fault, but it’s still hard. I mean… it still hurts.”
“Hurting is natural. If you can feel pain, you can feel love. That’s a good thing. It’s all part of the process. You get me?” he asked.
Not quite sure if I did, I nodded anyway. I think he was a bit loopy from exhaustion, but I understood what he was at least trying to tell me. If I can feel human emotions, I’m human. The usual spiel. Except, sometimes, being human sucked harder than being a vampire.
I let Chef out so he could get some rest and instantly began devising a plan to find out what happened to Gavin. In the middle of pacing the room, my phone buzzed with a text message. I must have gotten service back. Rushing for the phone, I saw that it was from an unknown number.
I almost ignored it to dial Gavin, but the first part of the text flashed over the screen and stopped my heart cold. My thumb sped to open the message.
We have the vampire. If you want him back, meet us back at the estate at sundown.
The phone slipped through my frozen fingers and thumped against the carpet. This couldn’t be happening again. It felt like I just got him back. We barely had any time together before he was taken from me a second time.
Rage filled me, extinguishing any grief. My insides burned with the fire of my indignation. I was murderous, and if the assassins wanted to draw me out this way, it was their funerals.
†
By sundown, the fury had only stoked my flames instead of cooling them. The icy blast of wind against my face offered little relief from the heat in my veins. Branches and limbs lashed at my skin and clothes as I tore through the forest. The sun had just sunk below the treetops when I arrived back at the charred remains of Wolf Creek Manor. I paced the front lawn where the frozen bodies of my allies still lay.
Dipping under the smoldering doorframe, I entered into the foyer. Searching the smoking ruins of the house, I found a linen closet that was mostly still intact and pulled blankets from the shelves. The interior damage was extensive, but on a whim, I checked upstairs, veering left toward my wing but stopped short of my room.
I placed my hand on the door in front of me, getting ash on my palm. Slowly, I pushed it open and went to the closet. The door had been shut, but the smoke still permeated it. The masculine wardrobe smelled of burnt wood, but it also held the smell I loved most in the world.
Taking a thermal shirt out of the top drawer of the built in dresser, I set the blankets down and pulled it over my head, breathing him in deeply. I needed to be surrounded by him now. His presence gave me peace and strength.
Hustling back to the front lawn, I gathered the bodies of my friends, carefully placing them side by side and covering them. Helen was making the arrangements for them regarding funerals, as well as the police reports. I didn’t even want to know what she told them. Once the roads were cleared enough for travel, she would return for them.
The last rays of sunlight filtered weakly through the forest, reflecting off the snowdrifts. A short time later, my skin prickled at the arrival of vampires. Six of them approached from the snowed-in drive.
My muscles bunched into a ready stance. “Where is he?” I called, not bothering with pleasantries.
A decent looking vampire, who appeared to be about 20 with curly brown hair down to his shoulders, stepped forward to answer. “He is safe. However, if you want to see him, you must come with us.”
Of course I must. How stupid was I to think this was anything but a ploy to get me here. Helen warned me again about walking into traps.
To which I responded, “I’m becoming an expert on traps. But I’m still alive.”
Why was I still alive? If this was a trap, why haven’t they attacked by now?
As if reading the questions on my face, the cute, twentyish vamp answered, “We don’t wish to harm you. We only wish to speak to you in a more secure location. There are eyes everywhere.”
Say what?
If they’re hoping to lure me to a remote location to kill me, this was an awfully elaborate trap. Some of my previous anger subsided to make room for confusion. I hated being confused, and I really hated unanswered questions.
Aaannnd, we’re back to anger.
“I think you have about five seconds to tell me where Gavin is before I start stabbing,” I threatened.
The corner of the lead vampire’s mouth quirked up a bit before smoothing into an impassive frown. “Again, we will take you to him, but we don’t want a fight. We should hurry before others get here.”
“What others? Who are you?” I asked impatiently.
“We will explain later. Mr. West is waiting, miss.”
With that simple sentence, I followed them to a car parked on the main highway, and despite my vivacious pleading, they remained silent and wouldn’t explain shit to me until we arrived at wherever it was we were going.
Hours later, I sat buckled into an aisle seat of an aircraft smaller than the bedroom in my old apartment, still with no answers. I was extremely grumpy. The only comfort I got was from huddling down into Gavin’s shirt, hoping these ancient vamps weren’t deceiving me. I didn’t care if they planned to torture me for years to come as long as they let me see him again.
The plane jolted violently from turbulence, but halfway through the journey I felt the most wonderful pleasure I could experience. I felt him. He was anxious but content. And I was getting closer.
A hefty wave of relief coursed through me, and I was able to tune everything else out for the remainder of the flight from hell. Even the rough decent didn’t faze me.
The five other assassins ushered me out of the plain and into the back of a black SUV like dutiful sentries, while the curly haired guy thanked the pilot and climbed into the driver seat in front of me.
He turned to finally speak to me. “We should arrive at our location in under an hour.”
“And where exactly is that?” I pried.
His lips twitched again. “I’d rather not reveal the exact coordinates until we know we can trust you. We can’t risk the others finding us out.”
How odd that a vampire would want my trust. But then, something else clicked into place.
“Wait! You’re rogues, aren’t you?”
His eyes met mine through the rear view mirror, and I knew I was right. I slumped into my seat, the weight of the realization bearing down. I was astonished, but it quickly faded as reality seeped in. They still held Gavin captive. And they were still Shadow-marked vampires, which, by default, made them my sworn enemies.
I turned to the window to pass the time, watching the dark and dreary landscape fly by. It was leached of all color. Snow covered rocks comprised the jagged topography, and we wound our way up severe switchbacks, skating along the edge of a wicked looking cliff. The razor sharp drop-off ended in a frothing, churning abyss. Frost hovered in the air around us, swirling dizzily away as we passed.
Up and up we crept. When we breeched the highest vantage point, a looming structure came into view.
“Whoa,” I breathed. “Bram Stoker called. He says you
ripped off his vision of Dracula’s castle.”
Curly hair pulled the SUV to a park in front of the monstrosity and turned to flash a full blown smile. It was so strange seeing a vampire show any sentiments besides hate.
“You’ve never seen the First’s fortress. Where do you think Bram Stoker got his inspiration?”
Ignoring the laid back attitude and twisted sense of humor of the ancient bloodsucker, I reminded myself he was still the bad guy. And I highly doubted Mr. Stoker would have been around to write Dracula if he had actually encountered the First’s lair.
The other vampires remained mum as we exited the car, which was just creepy. The frosty bite of the air around me drew goose bumps down my neck. My eyes bounced around the desolate landscape until landing on the haunted house style tower above me.
It was perched on the edge of the cliff that dropped at least five hundred feet to the merciless ocean below. Countless sharp spires soared into the night sky. I sidled up beside the curly haired vampire as we climbed the stairs to the double doors made for giants.
Unease trickled through me at the nearness of so much evil beyond those doors. My body reacted, pumping adrenaline through my chilled veins and upping my alertness level. I did my best to keep the long sleeves of Gavin’s shirt from slipping past my hands.
The heavy door groaned in resistance as Curly pushed it open and held it expectantly. I shot him an incredulous glance, and he winked in response. No other vampire has shown manners like that before. Well, besides Gavin, but he didn’t count.
As I stood, dumbfounded, a throat cleared behind us. “Elias, we mustn’t dally.”
I turned my head to the stern voice and found a tall vampire, with relatively tanned skin for a nightwalker, glaring at the guy next to me. Sensing my gaze, his eyes shifted to me. My eyebrows furrowed with my silent question. Mustn’t dally? Really?
He straightened as I shook my head, returning my stare to Elias.
“After you,” he gestured to the waiting darkness.
The inside wasn’t much warmer than the winter night we left outside. It felt tomblike. “Where is everyone?” I asked, turning back to the others while adjusting my eyes to the blackness.
“At the ball,” Elias offered with a shrug, like that was the most normal response in the world. “Come. I’ll show you to your changing quarters.”
“My what?” I asked, irritated and impatient. “I’d rather you just show me to where Gavin is.”
“In time. Your presence is requested at the ball first. You’ll find a dress waiting in your guest room. Our full staff is at your service to help you with your hair and makeup and anything else you might need.”
Reeling from the strange change of events, I stretched my hearing to find a raucous noise in the distance with the sounds of a string quartet blending with it.
“Look, I appreciate the hospitality, but I just came for my boyfriend.”
As new as that word was, it glided over my tongue with ease. Warmth rushed through me at the sound of my own voice using it freely. He was my home, first and foremost, but I couldn’t exactly use that term in public, so boyfriend it was.
The thought of Gavin only agitated me. I needed to see him to know he was unharmed.
“He’s fine. He is at the ball right now, waiting for you I assume,” Elias hedged.
Despite my growing anger and protests, it was clear they weren’t going to budge. I was in the enemy camp playing their game, so the smartest course of action would be to play by their rules. For now. If anything happened to Gavin, I’d be breaking every damn one of those rules.
After he navigated us through a confusing maze of bland hallways lit only by the candles held in wall sconces, I was standing in a nineteenth century chamber equivalent in size to my previous bedroom. The room was surprisingly warm compared to the dank, cave-like passageways. The hum of a nearby generator fueling the space heaters and lights whirred through the room.
Instantly, I was surrounded by three human women, buzzing around and fussing over my hair and makeup. Elias backed out of the room, shutting the door with a soft click that rang in my ears with resounding finality. I scowled at the closed door and succumbed to my hasty make over.
Just breathe, Lucy. You’ll see Gavin soon.
It hadn’t escaped me that the last person to pamper me in this way was Holly. I missed her and thought of her every day, but the guilt had faded into grim determination. One day, I would find that bastard and rip out his heart. It wouldn’t bring her back, but I at least owed her that justice.
“All set,” said the blond woman who looked to be in her early thirties.
I searched her eyes for any sign of distress, but none of these women seemed afraid, as if their lives weren’t being spared in return for their service. I wondered if they were those unfortunate souls who believed they would be turned for all their hard work.
When they guided me to the mirror, I was pleased to recognize the woman staring back at me. The natural makeup only highlighted my cheekbones minimally, while the smoky eye shadow accentuated my striking green eyes. My dark brown hair was pulled back from my face and half was pinned. A few tresses hung in loose waves from my temples.
At one time, I considered my stand out appearance to be freakish for its relation to my vampire side, but over the past couple of months, I’ve begun to accept it as part of me.
“Okay, miss. Time for the dress,” proclaimed the squat brunette who did my hair.
The third woman ducked into the walk in closet and hauled out a piece of black material hanging loosely from a wooden hanger. There wasn’t much fabric to it.
“Uh. No. What else do you have in there?”
“Don’t be difficult. Just put it on and make our job easy, will you?” barked the short pixie woman with a black bob.
We engaged in an old fashioned stare down as I pouted inwardly. My crankiness would need an outlet soon, but I wouldn’t take it out on the girl for doing her job. And I respected her strength for standing up to someone who could snap her neck before she even batted those thick black lashes of hers.
Again, strange behavior for someone being held against her will. They must be undead wannabes. It was the only explanation that made sense to me.
I was the first to concede to her hard glare when I shifted my gaze begrudgingly to the thin slip of fabric in her hands. “Fine.”
Elias returned to escort me to what he referred to as the grand ballroom. I was not expecting anything like what I found when he pushed open a set of large double doors. A massive space unfolded before me. We stood at the top of a grand marble staircase that dipped into an open dance floor the size of half a football field.
The second level wrapped around the room to the left and right of me to meet up with another equally impressive staircase on the opposite side. Heavy chandeliers filled with glowing candles provided ample lighting, but like the bedroom, generators lit sconces along the walls. They must go through huge amounts of fuel.
The whole ballroom was heated, but not enough to escape the tiny prickling of skin along my very bare back. The thin material of my dress molded to my body and offered no barrier to the cold. The only parts of me covered were my legs and my front. The back was cut so low, I had to be careful which way I moved.
“Ready, Miss Masters?” Elias nudged me forward.
“Sure,” I replied.
I had no idea what I was supposed to be ready for, but I was anxious to get Gavin out of here and put as much distance between us and this strange time warp as possible.
I descended into the crowd of gallivanting vampires, scanning for possible threats. They didn’t take notice of me at all, playing the parts of early twentieth century socialites, men in their three piece suits discussing politics and their latest venture capital startups and women in their finest silks gossiping about the latest fashion trends and which blood types they preferred.
The soft sounds of a string quartet danced through the air until I spotted the source
in the corner across the room. A small group of vampires in tuxes huddled together with their instruments and appeared to play more to themselves than to the indifferent crowd.
Waiters dressed in black and white tuxes circled the guests, offering champagne flutes filled with blood. A young black vampire stepped in front of me with one of those trays, revealing a smell so tantalizing, I forced myself not to inhale.
“Beverage, miss?” she chimed.
I jerked my head to the side in response. She nodded and turned to Elias, who respectfully declined as well, before she turned to make her rounds through the boisterous partygoers.
It was most definitely fresh blood. I had a hard enough time drinking from the hospital bags, knowing where it actually came from. Did they just keep the donors on tap in the kitchen?
“Is your head spinning yet?” Elias whispered by my side.
All I could do was nod my head, still reeling from the odd scene before me. He chuckled hoarsely and guided me toward the middle of the dance floor, where a small area was cleared for dancing couples. There were none at the moment. When we reached the middle of the clearing, he spun to face me and bowed, offering me his hand.
“May I have this dance?”
His suggestion snapped me out of my trance. I folded my arms across my chest. “Hell no! Where is Gavin?” I growled.
“It’s just a dance, Lucille,” he said, smirking. “Just to pass the time until Soren arrives.”
“Who’s Soren?”
“Look, Lucille, I know you have questions, but you can relax. No one is going to hurt you. Why would I save you only to turn around and kill you?”
“Save me?” I asked. Thinking back, I remembered the assassin in the woods sneaking up behind me. “It was you who killed her, wasn’t it?”
He was saved from answering when the sound of clapping stopped all conversations short and drew the attention of everyone in the room to its source. I followed the gazes of every other vampire in the room to an ancient who stood on top of the staircase opposite the one I came from.
Blinding Light (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 2) Page 31
