by Dale Mayer
She stiffened. That shadow felt familiar.
Her eyes opened wide. That was it. One of the vampires who'd attacked her earlier tonight was outside the house right now. Not giving herself a chance to question her actions, she hurried to the closest exit, ignoring the looks she received from everyone as she bolted through the crowd.
Once outside, she stopped to survey the area. How could she find her attacker in this crowd? She closed her eyes, seeking the same sense of familiarity. There. She tracked it to the back of the house. The area was deserted. What did she expect? They were vampires. They didn't just sit around and wait to be caught. Especially those who'd broken an honored treaty. They'd probably shown up here to see how much the Council knew and where it had gotten its information.
A brush of cloth startled her. She spun around. Cody stood beside her, a questioning smile on his face. Of course he would show up now.
Shit.
"Tessa?" he whispered.
"Sorry, who?" she replied in a haughty, confident manner. Inside her nerves were screaming. She might not be a real vampire, but she'd certainly met many and the women were always something else. So confidant, so beautiful and often so cold. She could emulate the best of them. She raised a snooty eyebrow at him in the eerie darkness.
Confusion settled onto his face and he backed up a step. "Sorry. I mistook you for someone else." He turned to walk away but glanced back once. She saw the frown creasing his forehead.
Her initial elation subsided quickly. He wouldn't be fooled for long, and if he mentioned her to Mom or Dad…or they saw her…they'd recognize her. The darkness was their world. They reveled in it. It was their playground.
She needed to move before Cody returned. And he would – she had no doubt about that.
Circling the large mansion, she searched for the same sensation she'd recognized earlier. Approaching the parking lot, she caught it again. She paused and actually sniffed the air. How very vampire-ish of her. She laughed inwardly. This whole mess would be a great joke – if there were anything to laugh about.
Poor Jared. How was he faring?
*.*.*
The drums beat a heavy rhythm inside his skull, reminding Jared he was alive. He didn't remember much of what happened. His attackers had snatched him up then everything had gone black. He'd awakened here. And wished he hadn't. The one image that had burned into his mind was of Tessa, before his capture, crumpled on the ground.
She didn't appear to be here with him. Hopefully, these assholes had left her behind and weren't holding her captive in a different area. He wished he knew for sure.
Jared studied the chains on his ankles, heavy rusted iron that he had no hopes of breaking and an old padlock he swore was created at least a few decades ago. He assumed his captors were vampires. He didn't know for sure since he hadn't seen them – he hadn't been bitten, or seen them feed.
He also wasn't alone. Two other people were stretched out next to him, sporting matching chains. One of them didn't look so good. An older man whose face had bleached of all color struggled to breathe. Sweat poured off his face. He looked bad, like he might be having a heart attack or something. The other guy's chest rose and fell in a steady motion. Thankfully.
Glancing around, he shivered at the old stone-walled cell. He had no idea where he was. This place looked deserted and unloved.
He whispered to the older man. "Hey, are you all right?"
The man shuddered, blinking his eyes several times. His words were slurred when he answered. "Don't feel so good. Need a doctor."
Alarmed, Jared searched the large empty room, hoping for a way out. "You have to stay strong. Someone is going to be looking for us."
"Too late." The man coughed several times, then his head rolled to one side and he went still. A gust of air, like a balloon with a hole, escaped. The man went silent.
Jared strained to hear the man's breathing as he watched in vain for his chest to rise and fall. Nothing. The man was dead.
He shuddered and closed his eyes. His life had gone from bad to seriously freaky. How long had that poor guy been here? Just tonight, or weeks – maybe months?
Fear slithered through Jared. He didn't want to die here. He was young, with his whole lifetime ahead of him. Shifting on the cold stone floor, he inched as far away from the dead man as he could.
Thank God Tessa wasn't lying on the cold stone floor beside him. It burned him that she'd been hurt while she was with him. He'd done a piss poor job of protecting her. Not exactly the manly image he had wanted to project.
He couldn't help worrying that she'd been hurt badly. Head wounds were tricky. That she wasn't beside him could mean several things. He'd stay positive and try to believe these assholes had left her behind.
She had family. She'd said something about a brother before. At least there was someone to keep her safe. Someone who'd grieve if she'd died.
Unlike him. No one would give a damn if he stayed missing. He'd been living with his uncle for as long as he could remember, and he couldn't wait for the day he could leave. Finishing school came first though.
Such was his life.
Even that kind of life was better than dying like this poor guy beside him. He glanced over at the third man who appeared to be out cold or drugged. He was considerably younger than the dead guy. Mid-thirties maybe? And in good shape. Not fat with a beer gut like Jared's uncle. Good thing. When he woke up, this guy could help him get out of here. Although, if their captors were vampires he knew there'd be no fight. They were stronger and meaner…with inherent skills and a strength that humans lacked.
According to what he knew, vampires and humans had co-existed for a long time. That's what he'd been taught in school. Apparently not everyone had been doing that so peacefully.
He'd heard about the rumors, same as everyone. The stories were the stuff of legends. Ancient legends. Some of those older vampires had been set to wipe out humans…or keep them as cattle. He vaguely remembered the name Moltere. He was the badass behind that mess, according to his history teacher.
Vampires didn't age like humans and centuries-old tales were the norm for such long-lived creatures. Animals. That's what they were. This just proved it.
As the night cooled, Jared fell into an uneasy sleep, caught between a captive and a corpse.
Tessa stepped into the parking lot. Instinct led her between a large black SUV and a fancier white version – an Escalade.
Recognition slammed into her as she studied the two vehicles. That same familiar feeling surrounded one car for sure. The black vehicle – a Nitro, according to the name on the side – had been driven by one of the two men who'd attacked her. She strode to the back of it and committed the license plate to memory. She didn't know what could be done with the information, if anything, but had heard from her friends about running plates and such.
Studying the area around her, she saw small groups of people hashing over the same gossip. Nothing had changed. She tried to peer inside the vehicle on the off chance that Jared might be inside. The heavily tinted windows hid everything. Even her vampire vision only showed the shadowy seats but not the spaces between them. Frustrated, she didn't know what to do.
Surely someone would come back for the vehicles tonight? Then she could follow them home. Jared had to be stashed close by.
Groaning, she sat on a cement block in front of the Nitro and buried her head in her arms. Approaching footsteps had her hunkering lower down.
"Come on. Time to leave." The first voice cut through the night air cleanly.
"I'm ready. Where to first?" The second guttural voice hung heavy and thick around her.
"Check on our guests then off to hunt." The first man's voice made Tessa's skin crawl.
The two men laughed and Tessa knew she'd never forget their voices – ever. She slid lower behind the block, willing herself invisible.
"What about the female? Do you think we should track her down? Take care
of her, too?"
"Nah. Chances are good she was too injured to be of any value. Besides, there was something weird about her. Something off. And being female, she's probably ready for Bedlam by now." He laughed. "Even if she did see something, who's going to believe her? Vampire uprising? Really?"
Tessa shuffled further out of sight. Confronting these two bad-asses wasn't part of her plan. Too bad she didn't have someone to go with her when she tracked them. But her friends were limited to a few humans – so not what she needed right now. She had to follow these assholes alone.
The white Escalade fired up, followed by the Nitro. Good to know the men were driving both vehicles. Tessa stayed huddled in a ball below the glare of headlights as first one, then the other reversed and headed out of the lot. She stood up and watched the direction they drove. Left. Away from town.
Shit.
Why hadn't she learned to glide? Oh right, because everyone had laughed at her so hard, she'd sworn never to try again. Damn it. She really wished she'd tried harder. That skill would have come in handy right about now.
Her dad was a master glider. He moved so smoothly he floated through the sky. Cody and his father were fliers. Tessa could only manage a weird half-crab, half-jumping movement. She was gawky, looking like she was all limbs with no coordination. Sometimes she could hardly get off the ground. Still, for all her awkward style, she actually ate up a lot of mileage doing it her way.
Taking a running start, she jumped and landed on a fence pole. Not very high, but she hadn't wiped out or impaled herself on the barbed wire. She made it to the top of a garage next, landing on all fours, as was her habit. She headed down the street behind the cars. The first vehicle turned left.
Keeping it in sight by following the dust cloud behind it, she cut across a field, going from fence pole to telephone pole and the odd rooftop again to gain enough height for viewing vantage. Her knees slammed hard on the next rooftop and she damn near banged her chin on the roof tiles as she fell forward. She'd end up covered in bruises if she didn't get the hang of this quickly.
Taking a breather, she studied the area where the vehicles drove past. It wasn't exactly the ritzy part of town. More like a middle class area. Mostly human residences, not vampire accommodation. Except for one. At the far end.
Frowning, she watched as they drove into the large estate with an oversized mansion surrounded by trees and a black iron fence. The gated entrance closed and locked behind them. The mansion was barely distinguishable among the trees.
With effort, Tessa made it to the top of the neighboring house, groaning at yet another awkward landing. Why had she worn boots with heels? And why the hell hadn't she driven? Oh wait…she didn't have a license yet – that's why.
She studied the layout in front of her. With such a large acreage, she couldn't get close enough to see in without actually going right up to the house. She also wouldn't be able to jump. The distance was too far.
Now what? Switching to her vampire vision, she watched as the men exited their vehicles and headed inside. At the back of the main house were several attached outbuildings and sheds. Jared could be in any one of them. And if he was, how would she get him out? This wasn't a one-person job.
She couldn't fly him out. And what if he was injured? Now she was back to the part where she could use a partner in this venture.
A heavy rustling sound filled the air.
Oh, shit. Tessa cringed, waiting for her father's icy words to ground her for eternity.
"So, it was you."
Cody. She turned and glared at him, but his grin melted her anger. "Were you following me?"
"Of course. You fooled me once. Only I couldn't leave it alone. When I came back, you were skulking around the parking lot." His grin disappeared. "What are you playing at, Tessa? You know what your father and your brothers are going to do to you when they find out, don't you?"
She tilted her chin defiantly. "Yes. My father made it clear what he thinks of me, so I'm not going to worry about his opinion now."
"He didn't mean it, Tessa. Your father takes his responsibilities very seriously."
She gasped. "So you were in the kitchen? I wondered. Not that it matters. He did mean it – and more. He's just kept it hidden all these years. Now, he doesn't have to. There's nothing like having the truth out in the open." For all her bravado, she couldn't quite keep the hurt and bitterness out of her voice.
At his concerned look, she raised her chin. She meant it. "Besides, I'm not doing anything wrong," she said defiantly.
He glanced around. "What are you doing?"
"They drove in there." She motioned toward the mansion with her arm. "Both of the vampires that attacked me went into that house."
Stunned, he could only look from the mansion, to her, and back again. "You found them? And tracked them here? Wait, I thought you didn't recognize them?"
"I didn't think I could, but I 'smelled' them or something. I don't know what it was, but they were familiar. I searched the parking lot and felt that same thing, so I sat down and waited until someone arrived."
"Jesus, Tessa. Alone? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"
"Of course I do. I might be different, but I'm not stupid, Cody. They kidnapped my friend. Was I just supposed to sit by while everyone else makes a decision about his fate? And most likely end up with no decision at all? Like hell."
"Don't let your mom catch you saying that word," he warned jokingly.
His attempt to lighten the mood didn't work. She shot him a withering look.
"After tonight, do you really think swearing is something I need to be worried about?" She couldn't hold back a bitter laugh. "I've broken so many rules, one more won't make a difference."
She felt more than saw the waves of concern flowing off her brother's best friend. That was nice for a change, but it wouldn't help Jared.
"Look. You need to go home. Or something." She waved him off. "I don't know. Go do whatever vampires do at night."
At his incredulous look, she frowned. "What?"
"You can't just send me packing. I'm not going anywhere." His wings were tucked behind his back, falling into place so smoothly they hardly showed. She'd always wanted wings. They either showed up at puberty or they didn't. In her case, they didn't. Her mother didn't have them either, but her grandfather did. Such were the genetics of a vampire – at least vampires as they were today. Only a few carried the pure genes like Cody's family. Everyone else was a blend of dominant vampire strains. Then there was Tessa, the oddity.
"You need to go back, Tessa."
"Too bad. I'm not leaving until I know if Jared is here."
He waved his arm in the direction of the house. "What? Do you think you can just waltz through the place and call out his name? If these are vampires, they've risked a lot to take your friend. They aren't going to care about a stupid girl who gets in their way." He ran his fingers through his tight jet-black curls. "Look, I know you want to find him. Let's go tell your dad. He'll know what to do."
"No. He won't, because he won't believe me." She held out her hands. "I smelled them…or something. I don't quite understand that myself, but I did it. My father's not going to understand that I know what I'm talking about. Now if it had been you, then he'd marshal an army to support your cause. Not me. Not the damaged one." She smiled, bitterly. "He's more liable to pat me on my head and tell Mom to give me something so I sleep well tonight."
"Which doesn't change the fact that you can't walk into this scenario alone. That's nuts." He fisted his hands on his hips and glared at her.
She gave him a fat smile. "Except…I'm no longer alone."
The alarmed look he gave her made her chuckle. "What's the matter, Cody? Not ready to test your mettle against a full-on adult vampire yet?"
"Oh no you don't. I'm not falling for that ego trick. I don't know who you think you've tracked down in this house, but if this is an old vampire holding, then chances are
you're looking at the home of one of the Council families, and that's suicidal."
She pursed her lips. That would make sense. It also helped explain their brazen behavior. They didn't think they'd be caught, and if they were, they weren't afraid of the consequences. Figures.
And just like that, she'd had enough. "Look. You have a great future ahead of you. Don't mess it up. Go home. Forget you saw me. You won't get into trouble if you don't know anything." She surveyed the yard in front of her. "Me? Well, we know how little my future is going to matter to anyone. Jared, however, he deserves a future. And not as a vampire's pet," she finished bitterly. With that, she jumped.
"Tessa," Cody hissed into the darkness.
Tessa ignored him. She had other things to worry about. Two other things. Both black and male and mean, standing guard and now growling at her.
Shit.
Dogs.
She jumped again and landed on one of the sheds. Out of biting range. The dogs barked and howled. If they brought someone out to check on the noise and found her…well, suffice it to say that wouldn't be pretty. Flexing her nails, she grinned in satisfaction as they grew several inches longer. Gazing at them critically, she realized the red color did look like blood. Good, because right about now she was looking to shed some.
Wings blocked the moon as Cody swooped down to the dogs' level. Within seconds, the dogs lay on the ground. Shit. "What did you do to them?" She jumped down beside him and stared down at the poor things in horror. "Did you kill them?"
"They're just sleeping." He glanced over at the dark house. "I couldn't take the chance they'd alert anyone."
Cody and Tessa waited to see if any lights came on. The place remained in darkness. The assholes had probably gone to feed – hopefully not on Jared. She shivered.
*.*.*
Jared jolted awake at the sound of heavy footsteps upstairs. They were back. Expecting to hear their boots on the stairs, he shrank lower against the wall. Cold settled deep in his bones. He'd never felt anything like this. He waited, his empty stomach all but cramping in fear. No one came. He badly needed a drink and to take a leak. The other man slept on. Jared found himself wishing they'd drugged him, too. He didn't want to remember this ordeal.
