Blood Wars: Book 4 (The Talisman Series)

by Brenda Pandos

  I dropped to the floor. “No, oh no… no, no…”

  The last meal I had was the biker downtown. Faced with her delicious fear, I didn’t know how long I could control myself.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Why?” I huddled in the corner under a blanket I’d found and held my breath. Thank goodness her fear faded or her life would have been over by now. “Why is this happening to me?”

  Scarlett shook her head and huffed, crossing her tiny arms over her little body. Seeing her like this, in such a frail state, just didn’t match especially with her usual cynical demeanor.

  I didn’t need to see her dirty look to know my rant was pathetic, but at this point, I couldn’t help it.

  “You act like I deserve this.”

  “Get over yourself. You’re no angel, Julia. You of all people should know that bad things happen to good people. It’s time to grow up and do the responsible thing.”

  I wanted to hold my ears and hum. My death would end this nightmare, but I didn’t want to die. And without a stake or sunlight, she was out of luck. The only death around here would be hers by my teeth if I didn’t get blood soon. “What if I just make you into a vampire?”

  She lifted her chin. Fear fluttered into the air, and I balled my fists to keep from attacking her.

  “That doesn’t solve the problem, and frankly, I’d rather die first.”

  “Really?”

  She chuckled, but I tasted the lie. “I’m quite tired of being the voice of reason.”

  Reason. That was what Alora was trying to get me to see, but from her evil perspective. Nothing about this was reasonable, or sane.

  “So if you were me, you’d just commit suicide? Just like that?”

  “I’d never be put in this scenario, but yes, I would.”

  I rolled my eyes at her exuberant confidence. “Of course you wouldn’t, because you’re the good one and heaven forbid you impose all your doom and gloom on yourself.” I studied her. “You’re not just here for me to feed on you, are you?”

  “Of course not. Alora always has an ulterior motive.”

  I curled my arms around my legs. Tell me something I don’t know.

  “So what did she want with you?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  I sneered. “Apparently not.”

  Scarlett studied me for a moment, then smirked. “She’s looking for the seer.”

  “She is?” My head swam in confusion. “Why?”

  “Many reasons. If one can find their nemesis, they could be of great use.”

  “Alive, you mean.”

  “Of course I meant alive. A dead seer does no one any good. It just means someone else will be born to torment you. Your mother was one, you know. Maybe she is once again.”

  I scowled and looked away from her. Could that be true? She did have the gift of empathy. Is this why Alora kept my parents hostage? Had she already tested my mom’s blood? One saving grace was Mom’s scent wasn’t anymore lovely than the rest of the humans I’d interacted with. “Don’t even start that rumor.”

  Then the worst idea hit. What if they’d wanted the seer’s blood so they could do experiments and quite possibly make an antidote against its power—the cornerstone in changing the hierarchy rules.

  “Is that what you meant when you said she was looking to overcome the rules?”

  Scarlet’s gaze drifted off. “Alora managed to recreate something that shouldn’t exist. If she can do that, she can do anything. She wants to rule no matter the cost.”

  “Then help me stop her,” I said through my teeth, knowing full well if they all had talismans by now only my death would stop them.

  “I already told you what you need to do.”

  “Yes.” I laughed acerbically. Why was everyone so set on suicide? “And that’s not happening.”

  Scarlett lifted her tiny arms. “I don’t see any other way. They’ll leave you here until you break. And then after you take my soul, you’ll fully turn. The evil lurking inside you will be free. You’ll turn into another Alora, just like Katie has. Just like Nicholas.”

  I touched my chest, running my hands over the scars from the recent puncture wounds. Katie was evil, sure, but not Nicholas. Besides, I didn’t want to be evil. “You’ve given up, Scar. There’s always room for change, to overcome. Otherwise, we’re all lost, vampire or not.”

  “I’m tired, Julia. I don’t want to fight this losing battle again. The solution is right here staring at me.” She gestured at me. “You can end it, and maybe that’ll be enough.”

  I stood and paced. “Easy for you to say. Your one way ticket isn’t to hell.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  I laughed mockingly. “I think my best bet is to remain a vampire, and get rid of the rest. Then maybe I could do some good in this crazy world.”

  “In there lies the problem. Alora is protected by a talisman and we both know you won’t kill Nicholas to stop her.”

  “You’re right, I won’t.” I froze in my tracks and picked at my shredded nails. “He doesn’t love me anymore anyway, not after what I’ve done.”

  Scarlett smirked. “That’s better for you then. Face it. He won’t break ties with his mother, and he never will. Each day you let go by, the darkness will only grow. If you insist on living, then end their lives now while you still have time.”

  Working my jaw, I stared at the floor. Scarlett was right, she was always right, and I hated her for it.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  PHIL

  I knocked again at Mimi’s apartment door. “I know you’re in there, Meems. Open up.”

  A shadow fell over the peep hole, and I leaned forward, sticking my eye into her view. “I’m not leaving until you open your door.”

  She mumbled something and unlocked the chain, then the deadbolt.

  “What do you want?” she said through the crack.

  I pushed past her and stepped inside. “You know what I want.”

  She turned in a huff and kicked the door shut. “You just walk right in? Just like that?”

  “I’m not a vampire, so yes.” I pointed to the couch. “Sit!”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m done with you and your girlfriend.”

  At the mention of Sam, my jaw clenched. Mimi didn’t know she’d died, and I planned to keep it that way. I remained civil, though the animal inside wanted to ring her neck, then rip apart everyone in the Cruor’s mansion bit by bit with my bare hands.

  “Well, I’m not done with you.”

  She crossed her arms and turned her head. “I told you everything I know already,” she whined. “There’s nothing else to tell.”

  “What I don’t understand is how you all planned this in such a short time. You worked for the Cruors and then one day, everyone remembered. Just like that?”

  “Isn’t that how you remembered?”

  I thought back to the day. We were driving to Scotts Valley from LA and wham; I had a whole different immortal past, and a love for a girl I couldn’t quench. A girl I wanted to strangle about now.

  “Something like that, but I didn’t have many vamp friends, apparently, who I was working with.”

  “Well, I did.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “One minute we were in Dr. V’s lair having dinner with Cain when he bites Julia and we all die, then the next minute, I’m working on a genome project with Dr. V. as his research assistant.”

  “And you admitted you remembered?”

  “It’s hard not to when you drop a vial of your boss’ prized research on his shoes. His entire staff used to be vampires. It was collective déjà vu.” She finally sat down and crossed her legs, twisting herself up in a nervous ball. No wonder no one wanted to make her twitchy self into a vamp.

  “Was Alora there?”

  Mimi shook her head and wrinkled her nose. “She came later. After Dr. V. figured out we could create venom because everyone had a piece of the gene sequence. He was determined to complete the puzzle and had a lot of samples
already. Not until later did he realize Julia was the key.”

  “Not until it killed him.”

  Her head wiped around. “Alora killed him. There was some sort of jewel made after he mixed Julia’s sequence with everyone else’s. She choked him for it.”

  I touched my neck. Alora’s fondness for choking people was far too fresh in my memory. Julia was right. Why did I think I could trust that woman to resurrect Sam without consequences?

  “Didn’t she need him?”

  “Maybe… Hora—I mean Cain, knew quite a bit. She counted her losses and took over before Nicholas could notice, using Julia as a distraction.” Her eyes watered over. “She promised to make me a royal if I helped. But she kicked me to the curb once I was of no use to her and fed me to her sterile guards.”

  I cracked my knuckles, anxious to make Alora pay. “So do you think there’s more of that serum in the lab?”

  Her face lit up with a smile as she arched her brow. “No, but I bet there’s venom, and that’s all we need.” She pulled out a keycard from her pocket. “And I know how to get in undetected.”

  “Really?” Jackpot! I walked over and pulled her into a hug. “Meems, my girl, now you’re talking.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  JULIA

  Hours passed as we stared at each other, and I wasn’t sure of the time or the day anymore. Other than a working faucet for water, no one brought food for her, or checked to see if I’d in fact killed her. I’d scoured the room for cameras, unable to find any.

  Slumped in the corner, I tried to keep the itchy wool blanket off my skin, watching Scarlett remove the barbs from the net one by one. Her noisy heartbeat tortured me.

  “How do you resurrect vampires?”

  Her eyes flickered upward for a moment, her heart rate jolting. She remained expressionless and quiet, before returning to her task.

  “I know you know how.”

  “If I knew, why would I tell you?” she said plainly.

  “Sam died, and I want to bring her back.”

  Scarlett shook her head. “That’s of no consequence to me.”

  Anger ripped through me, and I stood and towered over her. “Make it a matter. She’s a victim in this.”

  She looked upward and frowned. “Why? So you can bring her back to kill other innocents? No.”

  “Phil came back with a conscience. You know he did. Sam will, too, and she doesn’t deserve to be there—”

  “All of you deserve to be there.”

  “That’s crap.” A barb fell from her hands and skittered across the floor toward my bare foot. I backed up. “What’s wrong with you?”

  She snagged it and added it to her pile. “You’re not my charge anymore, so don’t think we’re friends.”

  “We’re on the same side. If I kill Alora and she experiences hell, she can learn her lesson. Then maybe this cycle will stop.”

  Scarlett laughed. “She’ll never give you an opportunity to kill her. Besides, I don’t know the ritual.”

  I studied her, sensing the air. Truth landed on my tongue.

  With a huff, I marched over to my corner. How she thought one net against a hoard of vampires with talismans was going to do something, especially with the barbs removed, was beyond me. My control was slipping and time was running out. We needed a real plan.

  “Can I ask you a stupid question?” I finally said.

  She lifted her left shoulder noncommittally.

  “How do you keep your clothes on?”

  Her hands froze, and she looked up. “What?”

  “When you shape-shift. How do you keep your clothing on?”

  She pressed her lips together, almost as if to suppress a smile.

  “Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”

  Her face straightened. “They’ve always stayed on.”

  “Well mine don’t.” I ripped a hole in the middle of the blanket and slid it over my head to demonstrate. “Watch.”

  I morphed into cat form and pounced out of the blanket, like I had every time I shifted.

  She looked at my make-shift poncho, then at me, before she stretched her neck and kneaded her shoulder. “Maybe I had to learn how. I don’t remember. That was a long time ago.”

  I crawled under the blanket and returned to human form. “You’re supposed to know everything. Try to remember.”

  She shook her head and closed her eyes. “It’s like riding a bike. You don’t think about pedaling, you just do it.” She opened her eyes and returned to the barbs. A small yelp escaped her lips. She stuck her finger in her mouth and eyed me, terrified.

  The delectable smell hit my nose a second later, and my canines watered. I scratched my nails into the cement floor, making a sick scrapping noise. “Are you trying to torture me?”

  Her wary eyes lifted to mine. “At least I’m doing something. I’m exhausted and hungry, and you’re worried about clothing.”

  “Clothing?” I laughed and shook my head. “I’m worried about my friends, about you, about the future. And one net isn’t going to stop anyone, especially when I can bite through it.”

  “Not if it’s wrapped around your wrists behind your back, you can’t.”

  I straightened. “You want to tie me up?”

  “Well, considering.” She lifted up the net to study her workmanship. “What choice do I have?”

  My mouth fell open. She’d actually assumed I’d be a willing participant in this. “Uh, no. First that’ll hurt—”

  “If you have a better idea, I’m listening.”

  I shook my head. “I won’t bite you. I’m not going to do that.”

  “Eventually, you will. And if you consume my soul, you’ll be just as evil as Cain was. It took me hundreds of years to find him. I’m not about to put that task on anyone else. And I’m sure as hell not sacrificing my life to be sustenance to your filthy desires.”

  I cringed at her disgust in me. “Restraining me won’t stop them once they open the doors.” Turning my back, I paced the room once again. “As far as I see it, we have only one choice.”

  My glare found her terrified eyes. She had to change; there was no other option.

  “No!” She jumped up and wrapped the net over her shoulders, running to the nearest open cage, trying to pull it shut. “Don’t touch me.”

  I beat her there and ripped off the net. My teeth were in her flesh before I could stop myself. She gasped in surprise, then crumpled in my arms. I drank with the intent to stop only after a few sips. Her blood, unlike the others, had ample amounts of fear but that quickly changed. Then all I could taste was relief—rich, delectable relief. She moaned softly as her eyelids fluttered.

  I took another sip, then another, the relief filling me and expanding like a light. Happiness to be immortal embraced me, along with the thrill of being all-powerful. Her condemnation that I would revert to evil evaporated. Wrong or right didn’t matter anymore. All I wanted was the power, the respect, the freedom.

  Vampires everywhere would bow to me. They’d revere me. They’d fear me. And the humans would be our slaves, like they were created to be. I just needed to overthrow Alora first.

  I continued to drink and the richness increased. My limbs tingled, filling with growing strength. My taste buds sang in bliss, craving every last drop, wanting to devour all she was willing to give.

  Then, like a bad dream, white light poured into the room. Someone appeared. An angel? I didn’t care. This was heaven, right here in Scarlett’s veins.

  “No!” a man’s voice bellowed.

  Something tugged her from me. In a frenzy, I held onto her frail body, squeezing her, feeling her arms break under my grip.

  Then she was gone. Growling, I reached forward, pawing at Nicholas’ chest. “Give her back.”

  I peered up into his sad eyes. “No, Julia. I can’t let you.”

  The soft slowing beat of Scarlett’s heart told me I’d not completed my task.

  I roared and moved into a crouched position. “Give her back!”<
br />
  “No!” He placed Scarlett on the ground behind him.

  I flattened him before he knew what had happened, and groped for the body. “Get out of the way!”

  He flipped me over and held me down. “I can’t let you, Julia. Please.”

  “Why?” I yelled.

  His jaw clenched. “I’ve lost my mother to the dark side. I can’t lose you, too.”

  I stopped struggling and blinked at him in shock. “I thought you didn’t want me?”

  “No.” He looked away, disgusted with himself. “I was just upset.”

  I sucked in a breath, confused and relieved at the same time. “But what about—?” Did I need to state the obvious?

  “I…” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I know there’s something between you and him, stuff that happened in the past,” he said sadly. “And I practically pushed you two together because of my mom…”

  Speechless, I watched him struggle with what to say next, unsure how to fix what I’d done.

  “But it’s still my fault,” I blurted out. “I swear we didn’t—”

  “No.” He held up his hand to stop me. “I don’t want to know what happened. I just need to make things right, just in case something happens.”

  “What’s going to happen?”

  “Nothing.” He ground his jaw. “I just can’t live whatever life this is knowing I ruined the best part of it for a lie.”

  I blinked in shock. “A lie?”

  “I’ve been denying everything, hoping my mom had changed. Dad finally got through to me and made me see something I’ve been refusing to see. She wants to rule and doesn’t care who she has to kill to get it. That it’s more important than her love for me, or him.”

  His face hardened, the pain evident. I wanted to wrap myself around his heart and let him know my love could heal that wound, but who was I to offer that when I’d betrayed him.

  Nicholas stood and helped me up. The ripped poncho fell off my shoulder, and I held it over my body.

  “Here.” He took off his coat and slid it over my shoulders. “Just know, whatever happens, I’ll never doubt you again, and that I’m sorry.”

  Filled with hope, I reached for him and cupped his cheek. Could we really work through this? “Stop apologizing. I’m the one that needs forgiveness.”