by Adria Wade
I sighed. My body was drained from the night’s events.
“He took us to this underground club. We were only allowed in because of Ellis. We had to wear this necklace.” I took it off and handed it to Taylor. “You have to get Andie out of there. Dead or not, she doesn’t belong there.”
Taylor pulled me in for a hug, and I melted in his arms, comforted by his embrace. He kissed my head. “I’m really sorry about Andie. You lost another friend. I hate that and I wish I could change it, but please don’t let it ruin you more than you already are.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried so hard not to cry. The grief was unwelcome. I didn’t want to break down in front of everyone, so I pushed it deep down within, where I knew it would only poison me more.
With worry on her face, Chelsea exhaled. “You’re about to enter a club with a huge target on your back.”
“It has to be done. If it was one of our friends, we wouldn’t hesitate to get them back, even if they were gone,” Taylor said.
Eli’s eyes shifted from Taylor to Chelsea. “We’re going to need Athena and Lucas.”
They nodded in agreement as a spark of hope filled their face, as if Athena and Lucas were the missing pieces to the puzzle. I guess, in a way, it was essential that they be involved in the dangerous plan to get Andie out of there.
****
I sat on my couch in the living room with my foot tapping on the floor as I impatiently waited for Taylor’s friends to arrive. I found myself looking at the clock as time ticked by. I was trying so hard to focus on the movie that was playing on the flat screen, but my mind kept wandering back to Andie.
Eli sat down beside me, carrying two black mugs in his hands. “I come in peace.” He shot me a smile before handing me the mug.
Even though I was feeling glum, I couldn’t help but to return the smile. How could he make me feel good when I was practically living a nightmare?
I couldn’t find it in my heart to be afraid of him. Despite him being a hybrid, he saved me and comforted me at my time of need. He was a good guy and I trusted him completely.
“I’m not afraid…at least I don’t think I should be.”
“Only when I’m angry.”
“Oh, what, does the monster come out to play?” I chuckled as I joked.
He nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “Yeah.”
My smile broadened as he said it so casually and without any concern as to whether or not he would scare me away.
“Well, then I guess I better watch out. Wouldn’t want to anger you, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Isn’t that what you do best?” With humor in his eyes, he winked my way.
I wiggled my eyebrows and grinned. “My specialty.”
He laughed and shook his head.
I leaned into the steam from my mug and took a drink of my freshly brewed coffee. The taste of cinnamon filled my mouth. It was warm, sweet, and so incredibly delicious.
I smiled at him. “Cinnamon.”
“I remembered.”
My heart fluttered. I liked that he remembered.
“Thank you for the coffee.”
“Well, you look like total shit so I thought maybe a little coffee would help cheer you up.”
I chuckled, taken aback by the bluntness. “Well, thanks. I feel like total shit.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. Do you want to talk about it?”
What was there to talk about? I was a wreck because I lost yet another friend. I watched her bleed out all over the booth as she lied there, helpless and afraid. I couldn’t save her, just like I couldn’t save Tessa, and that killed me.
I looked down as sorrow washed over me, pulling me under like the current in the ocean. I didn’t want to feel this pain. It became apparent to me that death would always surround me. As much as I tried to hold myself together, I couldn’t keep the tears from flooding my eyes.
“No, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Teardrops fell from my eyes and onto my legs.
“It helps to talk about what’s bothering you. Bottling things up is never good.”
“I didn’t save her.” The amount of sorrow that poured out of my voice only showed an inkling of how deep my emotions ran.
“You couldn’t save her. You aren’t the huntress. You don’t have the kind of power and skills needed to survive a vampire attack.”
I sniffled and bowed my head as tears soaked my warm cheeks. “This is crazy. This isn’t supposed to be happening. None of this is supposed to be real.”
“Paige, it’s going to be okay.”
I shook my head. It wasn’t going to be okay.
He cupped my chin, and as our eyes locked, there was an overwhelming desire, an urge to kiss him, and I knew he felt it as well. He looked at me, entranced and unable to look away. My breath hitched as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. I liked his touch. He was going to kiss me, and, as much as I wanted him to, I couldn’t let it happen. I couldn’t bring him into my messed up world. As he leaned in even more, I could already taste his lips, and it killed me to pull away from him.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
His brows furrowed as he shook his head, confused.
I knew I was giving mixed signals. I didn’t mean to. It was just so easy to get lost in him. I normally wouldn’t mind bringing guys into my circle, but it was different with him. Those guys were just party friends. Sex did sometimes happen between us, but I never let them in. They knew next to nothing about me. All of the important stuff was never brought up, and that was how I liked it. I actually felt something for Eli. I showed him the hurt that I carried with me all the time. I liked him, and he had no problem showing interest in me. Because of that, though, he was in dangerous waters with me.
“So you kiss me earlier then push me away when I try to kiss you.”
“I was trying to piss my brother off.”
“You wanted to kiss me, though. It wasn’t all about your brother.” I could hear the anger seep out as he spoke.
Okay, so I did, but I wouldn’t have kissed him if it wasn’t for Taylor.
“I am really sorry.” It’s for your own good.
“You don’t do the love thing.” He was repeating my words from earlier.
The disappointment on his face was enough to make my heart soar into my stomach. I looked away, not able to see the hurt I was already causing.
“Hey.”
I looked up as a gorgeous, white blonde woman, sporting a bob with bangs, walked toward us. She was the kind of girl you just couldn’t resist looking at. She was the definition of beauty; soft, glowing skin, a beautiful smile, and curves in all of the right places. A man with a sun kissed tan and medium-length, dark brown hair followed behind her, while the other two—a guy with dark brown hair, and warm green eyes and a petite, cute woman with violet hair and pale skin—stood by the doorway.
“Hi,” Eli said, his voice low and sad.
Her smile faded as she knitted her brows together. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” He turned his attention on me. “This is Paige, Taylor’s sister. Paige this is Athena, Lucas, and the other two airheads standing by the doorway are Violet and Hunter.”
Hunter and Violet gave him a smirk.
Athena folded her arms and sized me up. “Oh, so you are the troublemaker.”
I sighed. “Is there anyone that doesn’t know of my reputation?”
She shrugged. “We all have skeletons in our closet. I’m only teasing you, anyway. I once rebelled. Who doesn’t, right?”
I nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”
My eyes shifted to the entryway as I heard someone come in the house. It was another one of Taylor’s friends. He came walking in, pushing his wavy, medium length, walnut brown hair behind his ear as he carried a black duffel bag in his other hand.
“The goodies have arrived.”
He sat the bag on the coffee table as his
pretty, light blue eyes looked up at me, giving me a smile. “Hi, I’m Kyle.”
He was super cute and fit. My eyes immediately fell on the diamond ring that dangled from the silver necklace around his neck. I knew instantly that he either lost a fiancée or he lost his mother and was wearing it to remember that person.
My lips lifted into a half-smile. “Paige.” I pointed to the ring. “You lost someone?”
His smile faded as he looked down at the necklace. “Yeah, my fiancée.”
My heart ached for him. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded and forced a smile.
I reached for the duffel bag, curious to see what was inside when Athena’s hand gripped my wrist. I looked up into her intimidating, orange eyes. She had the same eyes as Eli. She was a hybrid as well. So she was a supernatural killing the supernatural? There were so many things that I didn’t understand.
“Wouldn’t want to mess with weapons you have no idea how to use. There are a few weapons in here that are laced with wolf’s bane. It’s deadly to some of the people here.”
I snorted. Relax a little, would you? I’m only looking. “I think it’ll be okay.”
She narrowed her eyes and released my hand. She reached behind her back, pulling out a weapon with a spiked club from the weapon holder around her waist and handed it to me. “You’ll like this one…but if you happen to accidently kill one of my friends while playing around, I’m going to kick your ass.” So much promise poured out of her tone, and I knew immediately that she wasn’t someone to mess with.
“Hey, no biting the sister,” Taylor said, catching the last bit of her words as he and Chelsea joined us in the living room.
Athena smiled back at Taylor. “Just a little nibble?”
He grinned. “We’ll see. If she does anything else crazy then she’s all yours.”
I pressed my finger over one of the spikes, wincing as its sharp point cut my skin. “What in the hell is it?”
“A Morningstar. I’ve killed plenty of bad guys with that baby.”
“So, what’s the damage?” Kyle asked.
“Well, my lovely sister here and her friend, Andie, decided to go off with a vampire.”
“Hey, I didn’t know he was a vampire, okay?”
“Anyway, they were taken to an underground supernatural club where Andie was bitten.”
Athena closed her eyes and shook her head. “She’s dead.”
I looked down, feeling the sting of hurt all over again as her lifeless body flashed into my mind. “Unfortunately.”
Eli looked up at Lucas. “Do you know anything about an underground club?”
“Which one?”
“Club T.C.,” I said.
He smiled fondly. “Ah, that one. Yeah, I’ve been there a few times.”
Athena smirked as her penetrating gaze fell on him. “Oh really? Did you have tons of fun?”
“Oh yes, I did. Luring poor little human girl’s there, seducing them then sucking them dry when I’ve finished with them… those were the days. Of course, that was way before you, apple of my eye.” He grinned as he bumped her on the arm with his own.
She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Oh, geez.”
“You better watch out, Lukey. Athena can whip your ass now.” Taylor grinned.
Hunter chuckled as he folded his arms. “I would pay money to see that.”
My brows furrowed as I tried to make sense of what was being said. Lucas seemed like a normal, human guy. He had normal hazel eyes and tan skin instead of pale. He said he sucked human girl’s dry, yet he didn’t look like a vampire to me. I was confused.
“You’re confusing the poor girl,” Violet said as her eyes, penetrating and searching, looked over me.
I never said I was confused. I thought it, actually.
“How did you know that?”
“I’m half witch. I’m highly intuitive, so it’s easy for me to pick up on other people’s emotions. I can also see into the future, especially when danger is coming.”
I looked at her in absolute astonishment. What a wonderful gift she had.
She pointed her chin to Lucas. “My brother, here, once was a human, then he was turned into a vampire, but now he’s human again.”
“But how is that even possible?”
Lucas frowned as he waved his hand in the air, brushing it aside. “Long story, so little time.”
From the look on his face he seemed rather miserable, as if talking about his lost immortality was painful. But I wasn’t done yet. I wanted to know. Everyone kept blowing my questions off.
When I opened my mouth to talk, he spoke before me, hoping to steer the conversation away from him. “You are aware that you’re lucky, right? No human escapes from a supernatural club.”
“I had help.”
Lucas’ brows pinched together. “By who? It couldn’t have been a vampire…maybe a witch, or a wolf.”
Hunter snorted. “I highly doubt it was a wolf. You know us wolves don’t like to mingle outside of our own kind.”
“I see red eyes,” Violet said as she came closer, her eyes glued to me as she folded her arms.
“What?!” Eli shrieked as the muscles in his body tensed.
Violet’s brows pulled together as she locked eyes with Eli, caught off guard from his sudden panic. “Someone with red eyes saved her. She is a female, so I’m leaning more toward an incubus.”
“No way,” Hunter said in disbelief.
“We’ve never encountered their kind before. They don’t like to mingle with others until it’s necessary,” Chelsea said.
“Is she in danger? We don’t know anything about their kind to even protect her,” Taylor said as he shook his head, panic rising within him.
“No, I don’t think I’m in danger. He saved me.”
Eli exhaled and shook his head. “No,” he whispered more to himself than anyone else.
“Is everything okay, dude?” Taylor asked, concerned.
“Yeah, it’s nothing.”
It was something. Eli wouldn’t have reacted in that manner if it was only nothing.
“Well, it has to be something. You just about had a heart attack,” Chelsea said.
Athena knelt in front of him. “Eli,” she said in a soft tone.
He kept his head down, refusing to look her way.
“Big brother,” Athena said as she placed her hand on his knee and squeezed.
He exhaled and looked up. “I’m fine. Let’s go kick some ass and get Andie out of there.” His voice was surprisingly calm. From the look on his face, he looked as if he was about to snap.
Athena looked back at Taylor, Chelsea, and Kyle as they all shared a look. They knew something was off with him.
“Okay then,” Kyle breathed as he unzipped the duffel bag.
He took out cans of pepper spray and placed them on the coffee table.
“Pepper spray can kill vampires?” I asked.
Lucas chuckled. “She is so innocent when it comes to our world. It’s cute.” He nudged Athena on the arm. “Can we adopt her?”
“Oh, could we? She can be the little baby of the group. She’s so innocent and helpless,” Hunter said.
“Ha, innocent my ass,” Chelsea said as she pursed her lips and folded her arms.
She was right about that.
“It’s not pepper spray. They are potions that Violet cooked up. A couple of the cans have garlic in them and the others have wolf’s bane,” Athena said.
“So garlic actually does kill vampires…just like in the myth’s people tell,” I said.
“No, wolf’s bane kills, garlic weakens and immobilizes them,” Eli said.
Kyle pulled out a silver dagger and handed it to Lucas. “For your protection.”
He frowned. “Because I have no powers…joy.”
“Taylor, we have a new toy for you to try out,” Kyle said as he pulled out a weapon with a black handle that was connected to a chain and a spiked club and gave it to Taylor.
Taylor beame
d as he studied the weapon, absolutely delighted to try it out. “I’m going to have loads of fun with this.”
“So, the plan is to bust down the place, whip some supernatural ass, and bring Andie back here.” Kyle nodded then continued. “Got it.”
“No, absolutely not,” Taylor said, shaking his head.
“She cannot come back here. My father will be here soon, plus Ms. Schultz lives here also. One of them is bound to see, and I’m not risking it. We go there, get her out, and bury her.”
My heart sank and my breath hitched. No; they had to bring her back here to me. I never got the chance to say goodbye. I needed the closure I knew I would never get from Tessa’s death, so I had to make sure that I stood by Andie until she was laid to rest. I. Was. Going.
“So what am I using?” I asked.
Taylor burst into fits of laughter. “You’re funny.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Glad you think so.”
Chelsea’s brows rose as she put her hands on her hips. “Uh, you’re not going. You’re going to stay here with me. I understand that Andie is your best friend, but your safety comes first.”
“I have a right to go. She’s my friend!” Agitation was clear in my tone as my voice grew loud.
“And you’re my sister; someone who I have a responsibility to look after,” Taylor said.
“Lucas is going and he’s a human,” I said.
“I’m the only one who knows where it is. Vi isn’t into the club scene. She likes to throw her own parties, and Hunter just recently moved here. I’ll be in the car while the action is happening, unfortunately.”
“I can stay in the car with Lucas.”
“No, Paige. Lucas can’t protect you.” He was getting frustrated with me, I could hear it in his tone.
Eli placed his hand on my shoulder. “Do you really want to help?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then stay here with Chelsea so we can get her out of there without any complications. You coming along will only distract us if we have to watch over you.”
I sighed as my body sagged in defeat. “Fine,” I snipped out.
