Theo stiffened against me. ‘Jace? I wonder if that’s the same “Jace” the hunter mentioned while he was begging me for his life . . .’ He let his voice trail off.
‘What?’ Jace had retrieved the knife from the ground and was gripping it so tightly I could see the white of his knuckles. ‘What did you just say?’
Theo smiled – I could hear it in his voice even if I couldn’t see it. ‘Thomas Murdoch, the man who took it upon himself to end several vampires under my protection.’
‘That’s his job,’ Jace said, his voice trembling with an emotion I couldn’t name.
‘A job that involved slaughtering innocents.’
Now it was Jace’s turn to laugh. The sound came out ugly and strained. ‘Innocents . . . I don’t think so.’
‘You know nothing, boy,’ Theo said in a quiet voice. ‘But this one was right.’ Here he nudged me. ‘If you value your pathetic human life, leave now and I won’t send anyone after you. Maybe you have helped my Moth these past few days, and for that you get to live. For now.’
I began to shiver. ‘Please, Jace, just listen to him. Get out.’
Jace looked from Theo, to me, and then back at Theo again. His brown eyes were wide in his pale face. Darkness shadowed them and he looked exhausted.
I licked my dry lips. ‘Go on, Jace. Go find your dad.’
‘Or whatever is left of him,’ Theo said.
For a horrible moment, I thought that Jace might really attack my Maker. He wouldn’t stand a chance.
But then he turned and ran from the room.
I slumped back into Theo’s arms. ‘Did you really kill him? Murdoch, I mean?’
Theo stroked my hair and it felt so comforting, so tender, that I didn’t even care about the blood he must be wiping into it. He whispered in my ear, ‘Not yet. That would be far too easy.’
I sighed. ‘But you have to . . . The Council . . . your challenge.’
‘That’s true.’ Theo sounded amused.
‘Wait, I’m totally confused.’
‘I’ve left the hunter fighting with my Enforcer.’ I couldn’t miss the bitter irony in his voice. ‘Though he is badly injured, Kyle is carrying out his final job. And then I will finish him.’
My brain creaked under the strain of trying to figure things out. But I was too tired to think about it now, and Theo had pushed his wrist back to my mouth.
‘Hurry, before the wound begins to close.’
I tried to push his arm away. ‘No, there’s a bag of blood here somewhere. Give me that.’
Theo was having none of it. ‘You will drink from me. Now.’
We locked eyes and I felt something inside me crumble; a barrier I’d been trying to erect to keep him out of my heart. Out of my soul. Was he doing this to me? Influencing my thoughts while I was so vulnerable? I didn’t think he would do that, but maybe I didn’t know him at all.
And what did any of it matter? I was stuck in this so-called life and couldn’t see any way out.
So I drank from my Maker. Even though he was weak and had been drained to the point of collapse. Even though he knew about my ‘friendship’ with his enemy’s son. Theo gave me his blood to revive me.
I wanted to ask him why he would do such a thing, but I didn’t really need to. I knew his reply even before he gave it:
You’re mine, he would say. You are part of me always and forever, for better or worse.
Chapter Twenty-three
AFTER I’D FED, just a little – just enough to get me back on my feet, and to prove to Theo that I was well enough to go look for Caitlín – we headed up to the roof. My Maker couldn’t have stopped me even if he’d been at full strength himself.
My sister was up there and she needed me.
The iron steps leading to the roof angled sharply in a zigzag up the side of the building. Even in our injured states, it was no trouble for either of us to climb. I was running on a mixture of my Maker’s blood and my own adrenaline, but where he got the strength from I was honestly beginning to wonder. He was the Master of Boston – he had to be strong enough to hold together dozens of vamps, so I guess being stabbed through the chest couldn’t hold him back for long.
Theo had assured me that a lot of the blood on the floor had actually been Kyle’s, but I didn’t believe him until I caught sight of the lanky blond vampire fighting for his worthless ‘life’ against Thomas Murdoch.
‘Wow,’ I whispered, ‘you weren’t kidding about how messed up Kyle was.’
Theo tried and failed to hold back an unbearably smug expression. ‘When have I ever lied to you?’
‘I’m taking the Fifth on that.’
He raised his brows. ‘Moth, you wound me . . .’
I shook my head. ‘You’ll get over it.’
I pulled myself up next to him on the very edge of the roof. I could smell the oily scent of the Charles from up here, and the distant sound of traffic reminded me that life was going on as normal far below us. We were crouched next to a low wall that gave the illusion of safety for anyone choosing to ‘sunbathe’ in Theo’s rooftop garden. The irony of this setup amused him, but at least he knew that there was only one other way on and off the roof: the main access from an enclosed staircase that led back down to the house. The hatch was located roughly in the center of the rectangular roof.
I couldn’t see Caitlín or Jace anywhere.
Theo leaned his head close to mine, his black curls touching my face. ‘Kyle has been working to unseat me.’ His lip curled. ‘Fool.’
‘I know.’ I could hardly believe it myself. Surely Kyle wasn’t that dumb. ‘It still doesn’t sit right with me – he’s way too young to lead a Family, so what’s the point?’
‘It seems he tried to set me up, regardless.’ Theo’s beautiful eyes met mine, and I felt the familiar tug of power in my gut. He looked sad. ‘There was a human girl I fed from, not so long ago . . . He took her away for me . . .’
‘Theo,’ I whispered urgently, interrupting him and grabbing his arm as my attention was suddenly drawn to the battle. I was glad of the distraction; I didn’t want to hear about Erin’s death. ‘Look!’
To our far left, Kyle had Murdoch Senior forced backward over the surrounding wall and seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Murdoch’s right arm hung uselessly by his side and the sword he had been wielding only moments before lay on the gravel. Blood slicked the long blade – it looked as though the hunter had added to the vampire’s already significant injuries.
Kyle was moving slowly – he had too many open wounds that weren’t healing fast enough – but he still had Thomas Murdoch beat. The vampire’s eyes were furious disks of white fire in the night, and his hair shone under the half-moon.
I turned to say something to Theo, but he’d disappeared.
Crap. I hadn’t even felt him move. I looked over my shoulder, searching the roof for him. Where had he gone? Back down, inside the house? What was he doing? I stared into the gloom but couldn’t see any signs of movement.
I also couldn’t see any sign that Cait had been here and was beginning to think Murdoch had tricked me on that front. He had her/my jacket, but that didn’t mean he actually had her. I began to allow myself to hope – which is a dangerous thing when you know how harsh life can be.
The battle continued to unfold. Kyle had Murdoch Senior pinned on his back like a butterfly now, his arms flailing out over the edge as he came precariously close to falling.
It was at that moment that Jace practically flew out of the roof hatch and skidded to a stop before running into me.
‘Moth, are you OK?’ His voice was hoarse and I could see fresh blood on his face. Maybe I’d done that to Jace while I was stuck in that stupid bloodlust. Hot shame overwhelmed me, and for a moment I couldn’t say anything.
‘Jace, I’m sorry about—’
He waved me away, looking around wildly. His wide eyes finally came to rest on his father on the other side of the roof. ‘Dad!’
Kyle’s clawed hand
s latched onto Murdoch’s shoulders, holding him in place so that he could get at the man’s throat. He burrowed deeper, ripping into flesh. Murdoch went down without a sound, not even a scream of shock or pain. Kyle dragged him to the ground and straddled him. He sat on the hunter’s torso, pinning his arms to the concrete, feeding, swallowing mouthfuls of blood.
‘Dad!’
Jace ran.
‘Wait—’ I gave up and went after him. There would be no stopping him, not when his father was on the verge of death.
Jace picked up his father’s sword and hefted it, one-handed, as though it was something he’d done before.
‘Let him go.’ I’d never heard Jace like that; his voice sent chills down my spine, and not in a good way.
Unfortunately, Kyle only laughed. ‘You’ve got a lot to learn. Stick around and I’ll show you a few things – after I’ve taken care of your daddy.’
I cringed as I watched the murderous rage in Jace’s dark eyes. He was going to take out the vampire – or die trying.
Thomas Murdoch chose that moment to lock eyes with his son. His throat and chest were a mess of blood and torn flesh. His voice bubbled up from somewhere deep and painful. ‘Get out of here, boy. Remember what I taught you: it’s OK to run when you’re outnumbered by the monsters.’
Jace was so white I thought he was going to pass out. Murdoch Senior was bleeding from countless wounds, blood mixing with the saliva pooled at the corners of his thin mouth.
I put my hand on Jace’s arm, carefully, as though approaching a wild animal. ‘He’s too dangerous; leave Kyle to me.’
Which of course made the vampire laugh even more. I gritted my teeth and swore to make sure Kyle didn’t leave this roof tonight – at least, not until I’d made him tell me where Caitlín was.
Thomas Murdoch struggled weakly under the vampire’s hands. And then Kyle moved quicker than the human eye could see. He lifted Murdoch by the tattered collar of his shirt with one hand, while slashing across his throat with the other. I’d experienced the touch of Kyle’s talons before, but this was something else. This was a killing blow.
The vampire cut what remained of the hunter’s throat in one swift movement, smiling as Murdoch’s lifeless body slipped out of his arms and crumpled to the cold concrete.
Jace screamed and swung the silver-edged sword at Kyle, but his emotions made his attack clumsy. The vampire spun quickly and caught the sword between his palms. Kyle’s devious mind translated amazingly well to fighting. This was the true reason he held a respected position in Theo’s Family – not many vamps were stupid enough to challenge Kyle in combat.
Heedless of the blood that ran from his hands, the vampire twisted the sword and forced Jace to let go or have his arm snapped. His foot lashed out, a vicious kick that caught Jace in the stomach.
He staggered, doubling over and fighting for breath.
Kyle spun the sword casually in his hand and kicked Jace again – this time in the face. I winced as Jace went down and out.
With a grin of triumph the vampire tossed Murdoch’s sword aside. ‘Looks like you won’t be needing Daddy’s toothpick.’
Theo stepped out of the shadows. ‘Let’s see you face me.’
But it wasn’t Theo I was focused on. Not the expression on his face or the fire of his eyes. I was staring at who he carried in his arms.
‘Caitlín!’ My chest expanded with a dizzying combination of hope and terror.
Theo met my gaze with compassion. ‘She is alive.’
I ran forward, making the huge mistake of turning my back on Kyle. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled so hard I thought my neck would snap.
‘Told you about your hair, Moth. Far too useful for your opponent.’ His tone was conversational.
‘Go screw your—’
Kyle smashed my head into the nearby wall, effectively silencing me as my legs turned to dental floss and I sagged against the hard concrete of the roof. I was conscious, but barely. I looked up at him and my gut froze when I saw the expression on his face. His eyes were empty, like a robbed grave. Like the abyss. He punched me in the stomach as I tried to rise, grabbing my hair again and banging my chin on the ground. Pain exploded in my jaw and I felt a rush of copper in my mouth.
Theo’s voice broke through the pounding in my head. ‘Release her, immediately!’
His Enforcer chuckled, as though he was having a fine time out here, killing humans and beating the crap out of me.
Still, it was enough to see my little sister lying unconscious in Theo’s arms. There was a part of me that was grateful she was out of it. She looked peaceful. Too pale. Too still. But she was alive, and at least she didn’t have to face the monsters. I watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, taking comfort in the fact that she was with Theo and not Kyle.
A feeling of false security that slipped away within moments.
Kyle kept me on my feet, one arm wrapped around my neck and the other across my stomach, holding me against the front of his body. His fangs were so close to my throat that I could smell Murdoch’s blood on them. He ran his tongue down the side of my face. It was like a large slug, leaving a hot, bloody trail across my skin.
Theo’s hands tightened against Caitlín’s body. I could see his knuckles go stark white and, for a moment, I worried he might break something. My little sister was so fragile. So . . . human.
Kyle pulled me with him over to the wall. I would have fallen were it not for his pseudo-lover’s hold on me. I couldn’t seem to control my body, but that probably had something to do with the dent in my skull. That one was going to take a lot more blood to fully heal and I’d already taken more than my Maker could give.
‘I have a proposition for you, boss,’ Kyle said. His voice was pitched low and steady, as though he was in control and had all the time in the world.
‘I don’t deal with traitors,’ my Maker replied. ‘Release my fledgling. Now.’
‘Can’t do that, I’m afraid. There’s more at stake here than you know.’
Kyle punctuated these words by removing his right arm from around my neck – still holding me up with his left – and smoothly pulling a stake from one of his sturdy biker boots.
He spun it in his hand and pressed it against my heart. ‘Thoughtful of Murdoch to bring these with him.’
Mention of the dead hunter made me glance in his son’s direction. Jace was still out cold. I hoped he wasn’t too badly hurt, but Kyle was inhumanly strong. He didn’t look much like he was holding back when he put his boot into Murdoch Junior’s face.
I felt the tip of the stake pressing against my shirt and wondered if this was really the way my second life would end. I swallowed my fear and tried to turn my head so I could at least catch a glimpse of the man holding me. Look into his eyes one more time before he did it.
‘You killed the man you were working with,’ I said. ‘Why would you do that?’
‘He got squeamish when I killed the second kid. After Theo had taken his fill of her first, of course.’ Kyle pushed the wickedly sharp point through my T-shirt so that it pricked my flesh. Directly over my heart. ‘Wouldn’t let me try turning her.’
‘You’re telling me that Murdoch had a conscience?’ Interesting. And Erin wouldn’t be doing the zombie thing in New York – that was good to hear. ‘What possible use could you have for him, anyway?’
Kyle bit my ear, drawing blood. ‘Hmm? Daylight was a problem. I needed to dump the bodies in the morning – draw attention away from the vamps, while sending a message to Theo. The hunter would do anything to take down a Master vamp.’
I nodded, confirming the information to myself. It made sense.
‘No more questions,’ he said. He released the pressure on the stake for a moment, then pressed it back into position again with a wicked smile.
‘Stop!’ Theo moved forward, still carrying Caitlín. He seemed to suddenly remember that he was holding her and bent over to lay her on the ground.
‘Don’t do that,’
Kyle said.
Theo hesitated. Kyle shifted his grip on me, forcing me to follow him as he stepped up onto the ledge that overlooked the side of Theo’s home. One of my feet hovered just over the edge, and I wondered how much it would hurt to hit the ground below. We were directly over a narrow street – lots of pavement, lots of parked cars. Lots of attention too. If Kyle intended to stake me first, I probably wouldn’t feel a damn thing anyway. I swallowed, trying desperately to get a grip on my senses. My head throbbed and, despite Theo’s earlier ‘donation’, I was still weak from earlier.
Theo stood up straight again. He shifted Caitlín’s weight in his arms. I knew she couldn’t be too heavy for him – perhaps he was preparing to make some kind of attack.
Oh, God, I hope so, I thought. As long as Cait doesn’t get caught in the crossfire.
Theo smiled suddenly, his stance relaxed and easy. My sister’s hair swept down his shoulder and over his arm. Could I trust him to care about whether or not she got hurt? Why would he protect her? He wouldn’t necessarily see Caitlín as an extension of me, however important ‘family’ was to him. He pinned his Enforcer with an expression filled with disdain. ‘Fine. Let us hear this . . . proposition.’
I couldn’t see Kyle’s face, but I could hear the answering smile in his voice. ‘Ah, good. Now you’re being more agreeable.’
Theo growled, long and low and dangerous, deep in his throat.
‘Sorry, boss. I forgot how impatient you can be.’ Kyle tightened his grip around my throat. ‘So here it is: I’m going to end your little pet unless you do one simple thing for me. Just one. It’s only a small favor.’
‘Get on with it,’ Theo snapped, his eyes flashing silver fire.
‘That human girl you’re holding – turn her, the way you turned our Moth here. You can do it. Give me my own pet vampire.’
Theo took a step forward. ‘You go too far—’
‘Not really, no. But we’re hoping that it’ll look like you have.’ Kyle smiled unpleasantly. ‘And just as a nice little incentive, if you don’t do it in the next sixty seconds, I’ll stake this skinny bitch of yours and toss her dead body off the roof.’
Falling to Ash Page 21
