by J. D. Brown
“If you will not accept jewelry, at least accept this.”
Astonished, I took the rose, feeling only the slightest chill tingle against my palm. His craftsmanship was incredible. Every detail of the pointed leaves, the intricate veins, the way the petals curled at the edges, was entirely realistic. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to coo over the impressive token. All I could think was that it would not last. A rose made of ice would soon melt.
“Jesu,” I whispered. “Why did you break up with Bridget?”
He blinked and the edges of his lips lowered into a scowl. “Ema, you know the answer to that. What is this about?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, quickly losing courage. “Nothing. Probably hormones.”
“Ema—”
“I’m hungry. I want to go back to the hotel.”
He didn’t say anything, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. This whole day was a bad idea. I never should have agreed to it. I should’ve confronted Jesu this morning and come clean. Every second that I prolonged our inevitable break up was just another blade thrown into the metaphorical pile of pain that waited for us at the end. I sucked in a breath and pushed past Jesu, going back the way we came. Jesu followed. He stayed silent all the way to the hotel. The rose had melted back into the lagoon long before then.
Bridget
The sun had disappeared behind the tall buildings by the time I got to Oslo. Street lamps illuminated overhead. I pushed my sunglasses against the bridge of my nose, flipped my jacket collar, and then dashed across the street to the large pristine white building with the letters REDNNB carved into the wall above the tall glass doors. It looked like any other executive bank, hiding in plain sight among the rows of corporate high-rises.
I was underdressed in Svalbard. Here in Oslo, I was overdressed, trying to hide my identity under a leather jacket, leggings, and thigh-high boots. Most people in this side of town wore tailored suits and paid extra to make woman like me disappear. The few men brave enough to glance my way… well, a little fang scared them off easy.
I went to the front window and took a passing glance. Vampire banks stayed open later for obvious reasons. The lines to the tellers were short. Not much activity. I would have preferred a busier crowd, but beggars can’t be choosers. I went around to the narrow alley on the side of the building and—after a casual glance over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching—ducked into the shadows between the two brick walls. Casting my shaded eyes toward the sky, I spotted the nearest air vent and then ducked behind a dumpster.
I removed my clothes and boots, working quickly while keeping my senses on alert. I rolled my stuff into a bundle and hid it under the dumpster, adding my sunglasses last. Then, I shifted into a carpenter ant. The world tripled in size as my skin thickened into an exoskeleton. My torso sprouted two extra legs, and my fangs pushed to the front of my mouth, becoming large black mandibles.
The transformation complete, I scurried across the wet, grimy alley and climbed the brick wall, heading straight for the vent. Inside the vent, I shifted into a small rat—they were a bit faster—and dashed along the aluminum airway. It took a while to find the safety deposit vault, but once my beady rodent eyes caught sight of the shiny metal boxes lined in neat little rows, the gravity of the situation dawned on me.
I’m about to rob a bank.
Technically, it wasn’t robbery. Helldora told me to get the ring. I had verbal permission to access the safety deposit box, I just didn’t have written permission. A minor hiccup. I shifted back into an ant and crawled through the narrow slits in the metal frame, entering the deposit box room. All six legs carried me safely across the ceiling, down the metal wall, to a box labeled one-three-one. I entered the little box via the tiny keyhole, slipping easily inside.
The metallic box felt like a large silver bedroom with one hell of a prize waiting in the center. A golden band—the size of a hula hoop, compared to my current form—with a giant jade rock affixed to the end shone brightly in the dim space. Green light cascaded from the jade’s smooth surface, casting a neon glow over the ridged metal sides of the box.
I went back to the keyhole and looked out, scanning the vault room. It was empty, but two security cameras hung in each corner, and there were possibly others that were hidden. I hadn’t thought this through. To the average human, watching an animal steal a shiny object from a bank would look like a freak accident, and they might even have a good laugh, but this was a business owned by the R.E.D. Someone with more vampire knowledge would see the footage and suspect foul play. Word would get around to the right people, and that included Naamah. He’d figure out the significance eventually, and then come after me. He’d already left a total of sixty-two voicemails on my cellphone since I’d told him about Helldora’s death.
Of course, I would be long gone by the time Naamah heard of the robbery. I wondered if he knew where Apollyon was hiding. I had looked up Escudo de Veraguas on my phone on the way to Oslo. It turned out Escudo de Veraguas was a place. Helldora had given me not only the location of the ring, but the location of Apollyon himself.
I set to work on the lock, pushing the hard shell of my back against the cogs and gears, until they finally gave and the lock clicked open. I stepped back into the box and shifted into a rat. The once ample space became much more cramped. I took the gold band between my incisors and pushed the deposit box door open with my paws. I glanced around to make sure the room was still empty, then I shifted back into an ant and carried the ring up the wall to the vent. The jewel was just small enough to fit sideways through the slits in the metal frame. Inside the air shaft, I shifted once more into a rat and then retraced my steps back to the alley. After that, it was just a matter of slipping outside in ant-form with the ring between my mandibles.
About halfway down the two-story wall, I shifted back into vampire form and landed soundlessly on my bare feet, beside the dumpster, with the ring in my mouth. I slipped the shades over my eyes, dressed, and yanked on my boots. Rounding the corner, out of the alley, I flipped my jacket collar and tossed my hair over my shoulder while continuing down the road, away from the bank.
After going three blocks without a single suspicious glance from the crowd, I put my index finger in my mouth and looped the ring over my knuckle. I lowered my hand to my side, covertly using my thumb to push the ring all the way up. It fit snugly. For all anyone knew, the ring belonged to me.
And why shouldn’t it? I deserve to be the hero just as much as Ema does.
I pulled my cellphone from the jacket pocket and flipped it open. Sixty-six missed calls. I pressed the ignore button and then dialed Ciaran’s number. A smooth male voice answered.
“Allo?”
“Ciar, it’s Bridget.”
“Bri, long time no see,” he said, sliding comfortably into English. “How’ve you been?”
“Très bien. Just fine. I need to ask you a favor, though. Do you still live in zat warehouse loft in Frederiksberg?”
“You know it.”
“Can you meet me there in about two hours?”
“Sure. Everything all right?”
I rolled my eyes. Ciaran had this uncanny ability to read people, even over the phone. “I’m fine. I’ll tell you more when I see you.” I hung up, then swung a right at the next secluded alley and shifted into a falcon.
Chapter 20
We arrived on the fourth floor of the hotel. I marched across the hall with my key card in hand, determined to spend the rest of the night in bed, forgetting this day ever happened. Because it was the best day of my life. When things ended with Jesu, the memory of this morning would be too much to bear. I unlocked the suite door, stepped inside, and then swung the door shut without a second glance.
Jesu stopped the door just before the latch caught. He shoved it open and marched inside. I spun around and glared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk right now.”
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“Tough.”
I turned away.
Jesu grabbed my shoulder and twisted me around. “If you do not love me, Ema, then say it.”
My limbs froze and I gaped at him. “Wh-what?”
Jesu narrowed his gaze to slits. “You heard me.”
I blinked, fighting back the dry prickle behind my eyes. “How dare you ask that?”
Jesu worked his jaw, waiting for an answer.
I shrugged out of his grip, sat on the couch, and lifted my knees to my chest. My heart tightened and a lump welled in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to have this conversation, so I hugged my legs and looked away.
“I guess I have my answer.”
I didn’t correct him. I couldn’t. My throat welled with all the tears I wanted to cry bottled inside. I sat like that for a long moment, not even noticing when Jesu left, until the door slammed.
After an hour of sitting alone, I mustered the courage to go next door. I wanted to know the status of the spell and, since no one made an effort to come tell me, I decided to be the bigger person. The door to 4B stood ajar. I suppose the others left it open for whenever I was ready to join them. I wondered if Jesu told them what happened, or maybe words weren’t needed. Everyone could probably guess by the look on Jesu’s face that there was trouble in paradise.
I took a deep breath and then pushed the door wide and entered. A simple glance around the vacant kitchenette and living space suggested the room was empty, but I knew better. Scuffling sounded from the bedroom nook and Brinnon’s potent musk filled the air. The scent of chocolate also weaved through the room. How on earth did Brinnon managed to enjoy sweets when all human food tasted like ash? I went to the arched opening, rapped my knuckles against the side, and then waltzed into the nook.
“Hey Brinnon, where is—” My gaze widened at the scene before me and my jaw dropped. “Oh. My. God.”
Brinnon and Valafar stood on either side of the bed, half naked and frantically trying to dress themselves. They froze when I came in, staring back at me like deer caught in headlights. Valafar recovered from the shock first. A coy grin curled his mouth as he sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a hand through his tousled hair.
“Hello, love. Expecting someone else?”
Brinnon gave him a pleading look, but it went unnoticed by the incubus.
“Oh my God.” I stepped out of the nook and then pressed my back against the wall. My whole face burned with embarrassment. Did I just…? Were they just…? Oh… my… God.
Brinnon burst out of the nook and glanced around. He wore pants and a T-shirt now, though his feet remained bare. He noticed me against the wall and his breath hitched. “Please don’t tell my father.”
I scowled in disbelief. “That’s your opening line? Shouldn’t it be ‘sorry I’m sleeping with the guy you’ve been trying to negotiate with’?”
Brinnon lowered his gaze. At least he had the decency to be ashamed.
Valafar came to Brinnon’s side—also dressed—and wrapped an arm around the prince’s waist. “Don’t be jealous, love, I swing both ways. There’s plenty of me to share.”
I wanted to wring his neck.
He pulled Brinnon close and planted a big smacking kiss on his mouth.
Brinnon blushed. “Val…”
“Oh great, you’re on a nick-name basis, too?” I tossed my hands into the air. “What next, going to celebrate your one-week anniversary? Honestly, what are you doing?” I was babbling. I wasn’t even sure which of them I expected to answer.
“Just keeping an eye on you, love.” Valafar winked.
I snorted. “Must be hard to watch me when you’re in bed with Brinnon. I mean really? King Nikolas’ son? Are you crazy? And you.” I jerked my chin at the prince in question. “I don’t care one bit what your sexuality is. Heck, I don’t even care if you like incubi. But him?”
“Hey.” Valafar lowered his tone. “You’re starting to get a bit offensive, lass.”
“Screw you.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I shouldn’t have to tell Brinnon how stupid and risky this was. We had no idea what game Valafar was playing, or whose side he was on. Not to mention, Brinnon didn’t even know about the Crone. If anything happened to Brinnon, I would be responsible.
“You’re not going tell my parents, are you?” Brinnon pouted. He fiddled with the hem of Valafar’s T-shirt. “Dad’s old fashioned. He doesn’t understand.”
“There, there.” Valafar stroked Brinnon’s hair. “She’s not going to get in the way of our feelings for each other.”
I rolled my eyes. Give me a break.
Brinnon’s big, golden irises lifted to Valafar’s face. He wrapped his arms around the incubus and laid his cheek against his shoulder.
I sucked in a deep breath and groaned. “Fine, I won’t tell your parents.”
Brinnon perked. “Really? You mean it?”
“Hold on, that doesn’t mean I approve of this. Let me ask you something, Valafar, have you reconsidered helping us take down Apollyon?”
Valafar cocked his brow. “Are you using Brinnon to blackmail me?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not at all.”
“So either way, your answer is still no?”
“Correct.”
I was both disappointed and glad. I hoped Brinnon saw Valafar’s selfishness. “Why not? It would literally be as easy as blinking. Prince Brinnon signed a contract swearing to help me, you know? If you really cared about him at all, you’d help our cause before Apollyon has a chance to hurt him.”
Valafar let go of the prince and closed the distance between us. He got in my face and then sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils. On exhale he said, “You didn’t bring any of the Adders Tongue with you.”
I wet my lips and lifted my chin, trying to look confident. “So?”
Valafar scoffed and his mouth curled into a wicked grin. “So… sleep.”
His violet irises pulsated three times, and then the lights went out.
My lids peeled open, dry and grainy against my eyeballs. Blobs of color blurred in and out of focus. I rubbed my eyes and then blinked. I found myself lying on the couch in the guys’ hotel room. A comforter from one of the beds covered me from chin to toe. I pushed the blanket away and sat upright.
“You okay?” Brinnon asked. He sat on the couch’s armrest.
“Where’s Valafar?”
“He left after… well… after knocking you out. He said you need to rest.”
I snorted. We both knew vampyres didn’t need sleep. “I am so going to give that man a piece of my mind.”
Brinnon winced. “Please don’t be mad. Val doesn’t want to hurt us. In fact, he kind of likes you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Brinnon, that may be true, but it may also be a lie. We have no proof of his intentions. We can’t trust him.”
Brinnon pursed his lips and then shook his head. “No. He promised he wouldn’t let anything hurt us.”
I cocked my brow at the word us. I knew the Crone was using Valafar to keep me alive, but was Brinnon part of the Crone’s plan, too? Did she order Valafar to watch us both? I grunted in frustration. “Are you always this gullible?”
Brinnon glanced to the side and wrung his big hands together. His shoulders hunched and he worked his jaw. For the first time, I saw him. Really saw him. I had always thought of Brinnon as a smaller copy of his father—confident, grounded, a natural leader—but Brinnon wasn’t anything like Nikolas. He was reserved, timid, and possibly insecure. I couldn’t imagine the pressure of being a first-born prince. Knowing you would inherit all of your parents’ responsibilities, achievements and mistakes. That was a lot to live up to.
I placed a hand on his knee. “A promise is a promise. I’m not going to say anything about this to your parents. But please, for me, stay away from Valafar until we know what we’re dealing with. If he turns out to be a good guy, then he’s all yours, Champ.”
Hope rounded Brinnon’s features. “Than
k you.”
I smiled, but my heart wasn’t in it. My optimism in Valafar and the Crone joining forces with us seemed less and less likely. I didn’t believe for one second that either of them was above using Brinnon to their advantage. Valafar would do whatever his mother commanded, just like Hesiodos, Leena, and Jesu.
Nothing could be done about it right now, though, so I changed the subject. “Where is everyone?”
“Maria and Hesiodos went to the market to get what they need for the spell.”
“Oh. Well that’s good. Where’s Jesu?”
Brinnon shrugged. “I thought he was with you. By the way, how was the Doge’s Palace?”
“You knew about that?”
Brinnon grinned. “How do you think he got the tickets on such short notice?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t think about it.”
“So, did you love it?”
“Yes,” I said, being honest. “Best time of my life. Don’t ever let it happen again.”
Chapter 21
Maria and Hesiodos entered the suite carrying several large paper bags. The contents of those bags made a tinkling noise as they set them on the kitchenette counter.
“What a day,” Maria announced. “I think we depleted half the Neo-Draugrian funds to get everything.”
Brinnon and I joined them in the kitchen area. Hesiodos removed the items from the bags and set them down wherever they fit: beakers, graduating cylinders, test tubes, petri dishes, tongs, flasks, crucibles. Brinnon lifted a magnifying glass to his eye, enlarging the yellow gold tints of his iris.
