“You give Charon far too little credit.” He snagged hold of her arm and began hauling her through the forest so rapidly the wind stung her cheeks. She could run fast, but Joaquin could easily speed past her.
The overwhelming smell of damp earth and wet root assaulted her when Joaquin finally stopped. Several frogs croaked in a chorus until Joaquin struck a fingernail against a dry portion of a tree and a tiny flame flickered from his fingertip. The forest grew silent again.
“Look,” he demanded.
She blinked at him. “Have you gone crazy? So it’s a flame. Big deal. I’ve heard vampires can do that with their fingers. Am I supposed to be impressed?” Her nose wrinkled. “Or scared? Because I’m neither.”
Joaquin took hold of her arm with a much firmer grip than she liked and shuffled her closer to the edge of the lake. “Not the flame. Look down.”
Humoring him, she did. “I see water.”
“Clear water,” he corrected.
“Okay, fine. Clear water. What next?”
Joaquin yanked her lower, pressing her face closer to the tepid waters of Lake Moultrie with a little more force than she liked. “Now what do you see?”
She struggled to catch his train of thought. “I still see the water, Joaquin.”
“Nothing else, do you?”
Growing more irritated by the minute with his high-handed manner, Ariana blinked studied the water as though it were a science project. “No. I see nothing else. Now, do you want to get to the point? You’re hurting my neck.”
He released her instantly. “Ariana, you didn’t see your reflection, did you?”
A cold, clammy sensation swept over her, and she swayed on her feet, one hand clasped over her heart. The beat reassured her slightly. “Th-that’s because it’s too dark.”
Nausea wrapped itself around her intestines. Blood roared in her ears in a desperate attempt to drown out Joaquin’s next words. He was just trying to scare her, keep her off guard. Charon had warned her about these types of tactics. Where was that damned stake? Why hadn’t she carried it with her?
He caught hold of her shoulders to gain her attention. “Sweetheart, no matter what little tricks Charon has used, you’re a vampire.”
Ariana gave an almost hysterical laugh. “You’re crazy. I breathe. I have a heartbeat.” She snatched his hand and placed it over her breastbone, ignoring the flare of awareness in the black depths of his eyes. “See? Don’t you feel it?”
He softened his voice as his palm rested against her breast. “All an illusion. Charon is good at that, but the moment you drank my blood, the magic began to fade. You broke her spell. And eventually, that heartbeat is going away. So is your desire to eat real food and your ability to stroll through the sunlight.” He laid his palm over her breast. “I’m sorry. I know this is difficult to hear, but it’s the truth.”
Panic clawed at her stomach. “No, you’re wrong. I’m not. I’m human. Charon has just protected me.” She’d stood in front of the mirror just that morning, had seen her face, her hair. So what if she couldn’t see anything in a lake. That didn’t make her dead.
“I don’t know why I can’t see my reflection now, but I did this morning.” The words tumbled over themselves, and her hands clasped together, her knuckles growing white.
Joaquin didn’t know what he was talking about. There was no possible way she was a vampire. Charon would have told her. Hell, Charon wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with her. Why on earth would a woman who loathed vampires want to turn Ariana into one? It didn’t make sense.
Ariana continued to shake her head frantically. “And I was never bitten.”
“There are so many ways Charon could have tricked you, Ariana. It’s the type of magic she has.” He shook his head. “Her sire was a master illusionist who just happened to be a vampire. He taught Charon all his tricks.”
“Now you’re telling me she’s a vampire, too?” She laughed, though the sound was hysterical to her own ears. “This is getting ridiculous. She can’t keep the sun from setting me on fire, Joaquin, no matter how much magic she knows.” Her breaths were growing shorter as the panic took stronger hold.
“When was the last time you actually walked out in the sun?”
The question silenced her. She couldn’t remember. Hadn’t it been today? No. Charon had insisted she rest. Yesterday. That was it. No, not then, either. When?
Bile rose up in her mouth, and she turned her back on Joaquin. “There has to be another reason for all of this. I would know. I’m telling you.” She whipped back around and shoved both hands against his chest. “I would know!”
Joaquin caught her close against him, holding her while she fought while she cursed at him, blamed him, and cursed more.
When she finally raised her head, his compassion filled gaze ignited her fury. “I. Am. Not. One of You.”
Chapter Eight
The sound of applause had Joaquin spinning around.
Charon stood behind them, her eyes narrowed, her lips tilted in a cruel smile. And she hadn’t come alone. Surrounding her were well over fifteen vampires just from the few he could count. Damn. Charon he could fight. Her and her minions would be a problem.
“Poor Ariana,” she purred, “I didn’t intend for you to find out this way.”
Joaquin moved in front of Ariana. He didn’t need to read Charon’s mind to know her endgame. It was why she’d brought back up. She’d challenged him before. This was the first time she didn’t come alone.
Her skin gleaming like porcelain, Charon remained so still she could have been cast in stone. “I know it must be a cruel discovery for you, sweetness.” Her tongue clicked against her teeth. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”
Ariana pushed her way forward. “So it’s true then?”
Joaquin gripped her arm, keeping her halfway between him and Charon.
“Unfortunately, yes. Like I said, I didn’t want you to find out this way.” She pinned Joaquin with a look as icy as it was feral. “But your lover had to go and spoil the surprise. The big finale, as it were.”
“Why? If you hate vampires so much, why didn’t you kill me? Has everything you’ve told me been a lie?”
Charon waved a hand, dismissing Ariana’s pain. “Of course it was, innocent, and you followed along so easily.” She smiled, her painted red lips peeling back to reveal a row of glistening white teeth with elongated molars. “And I don’t hate all vampires. Just Joaquin and his kind.”
Ariana tried to pry Joaquin’s fingers off her arm, but he held tight. “She wants you to be angry, Ariana. Fury will cause you to be careless,” he whispered in her ear.
“So you used me.” Ariana barely acknowledged he’d spoken to her.
Charon placed her hand over her heart in a mocking gesture. “Well, let me think. Oh, yes. Yes, I did.” Her menacing laughter caused the hairs on the back of Joaquin’s neck to rise. “I had such plans for you.” Her arms swept wide. “And finding Joaquin was exactly what I wanted you to do. I really did think you would do me proud and stake him.”
She shook her head, a false gesture of sadness. “I invested so much time in you, my dear. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to convince a vampire they’re mortal? It took all of my magic.”
“Let go of me, Joaquin.” Ariana’s voice vibrated with raw fury, the exact kind he’d warned her about.
“No. Listen to me.” He bit out each word. “She’s ready for you.” His fingers dug in harder. “And I’m not letting her kill you.”
“Were it not for me, you would not have survived these past few months. I hid your scent from other vampires so you could make those kills. I saved your precious skin, and all for what? For you to betray me? I’ll take a lot of things from my followers, Ariana, but betrayal isn’t one of them.”
Joaquin saw the slight movement of her hand, just a simple flick of her index finger, but it was a signal. The vampires behind her began moving forward, circling her. Ready to fight to the de
ath to protect their immoral queen.
With options at an all time low, he calculated the distance from one side of the lake to the other. Could they make the jump? If he could buy them a little time, he had speed on his side. That was one thing his sire had bequeathed to him—rapid acceleration. He’d never been overtaken yet.
“Come to me, Ariana.” Charon held out a hand and crooked one finger.
“Go to hell. I’m not your little puppet anymore.” Spitting the words with acidity, Ariana boldly turned her back on her former mentor.
“I’m not going to ask you again, my sweet.” Charon had stiffened, taking a subtle fighting stance.
Ariana surprised Joaquin by walking away, her back straight, her steps slow and steady. “You know there is something I’ve noticed about you.” She chuckled, and Joaquin watched Charon’s face contort.
“Careful, my dear. You wouldn’t want to say something you might regret in the morning.” Icicles could have dripped from Charon’s tongue.
“Is it really your intention for me to see the morning?” At edge of the lake again, Ariana pivoted and tapped one fingertip against her lip. “Your magic is all about illusion, isn’t it? I mean, it doesn’t really do that much good for you once the veil is lowered.”
Amidst the murmurs of her followers, Charon hissed. “You know nothing of my magic.”
“I know you can’t use it to kill Joaquin. Isn’t that why you created me? I’m assuming you’re the one who sired me. I mean, I can’t imagine you giving the task to anyone else since you wanted to make sure the job was done properly.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I created you because Joaquin knew my scent. I couldn’t get close to him. I suppose I should thank you for making that much possible at least.”
What in the hell was Ariana thinking? Goading Charon wasn’t the best course of action, not with over a dozen vampires backing her. Joaquin snatched hold of Ariana’s arm and dragged her behind him. “You’re not doing this, Ariana.”
“Doing what?” She raised her eyebrows.
“I’m not going to let you fight her. When I say go, run along the edge of the lake deeper into the forest. I’ll find you.” Though he spoke below his breath, the look on her face told him she’d heard.
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
He gave himself half a second to smile at her concern. Then he got back to business. “Don’t be ridiculous. Charon could kill you.”
“And what makes you think she can’t kill you?”
“She hasn’t so far, and we’ve danced this tango before.“
Charon broke out into a laugh that scraped the air like fingernails against a chalkboard. “Why don’t I give the two of you a few more minutes to say your final good-byes? It’ll be my way of expressing my gratitude for all of your hard work, Ariana. You did get rid of some of the unwilling so I suppose that warrants a little favor.”
She inspected her nails. “But don’t expect me to wait forever. I’m looking forward to announcing the great Joaquin Shepherd’s death. He has long been the bane of my existence, and the one vampire standing between me and complete control of the vampire world. But then, you know that already, don’t you, sweet Ariana?”
“I know only what you’ve told me, and apparently, that’s all been lies.” Ariana’s shoulders squared, and Joaquin caught the flash of temper in her eyes. “I think from here on in I’ll make my own judgments.”
“And if left to your own devices, you would do it by continuing to screw a vampire,” Charon scoffed.
Joaquin wanted to kill her slowly. “I’d almost forgotten how much of a bitch you are, Charon. Thanks for the reminder.” Figuring Ariana wasn’t going to follow his lead, he had to make the first move. Charon wouldn’t expect it, her minions would be surprised, and maybe he stood half a chance of getting her to a safe place.
A loud cry, like the sound of a wounded bear, startled them all, but once Joaquin realized who was behind it, his muscles relaxed.
Devlin somersaulted through the air and landed neatly into place beside Joaquin, a wide grin on his face. “Now I know you weren’t about to start this party without me, were you, friend?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Three against sixteen more didn’t really sound like better odds, but Devlin was one hell of a fighter. Joaquin figured between the two of them they could break a few necks, at least enough to send the other vamps scurrying. None of Charon’s followers were brave soldiers. They simply did as they were told, and for that, most of them would probably live shortened lives.
“Nice to see you again, Ariana,” Devlin muttered.
“Sacrificing yourself for a friend. Such an act of courage and selflessness.” Charon waved her arms forward, instructing the vampires behind her to envelop her. She sought safety amongst their ranks, and Joaquin’s lip curled.
He’d be surprised if she stayed to fight herself. The last time they’d crossed paths he’d almost killed her. The second she had the opportunity, she’d escaped. She much preferred others to do her dirty work, and had Ariana succeeded in staking him, she would have claimed the victory as her own.
“I’m counting ten on my left,” Devlin muttered in a low voice.
“Five on my right,” Joaquin replied, wondering where the rest of the clan was. Charon wouldn’t be so stupid as to come with so few vampires. Perhaps she’d chosen the best fighters from the group.
Joaquin looked them over and quickly assessed them. At least seven weren’t fighters. They might have been sired, but they’d never been fighters in their mortal lives. He doubted they’d even know how to make a fist.
Two others were brawny, well-muscled, and look like they could take a punch as well as give one in return. He mentally shoved those into the “take down first” category.
The remaining vampires could go either way. Though not as built as the other two, they looked like they could hold their own. All of them had the strength, but it was a matter of knowing how to use it. If they didn’t, he and Devlin had a fighting chance.
“Whatever you’re planning,” Ariana laid her hand on his forearm, “you can count me in.”
“Like hell.” He shook her hand off. “You’re going to get back to the lake and wait there until I tell you otherwise.” The second the words slipped off the tip of his tongue, Joaquin knew he’d lit a fire.
This new Ariana took care of herself, and she was obviously quite good at it from the number of kills she had under her belt. But that didn’t mean he wanted her in harm’s way because given the slightest chance, Charon would strike. She’d either use Ariana as leverage or make the kill. Either way, Ariana would be in danger, and he couldn’t allow that. No matter how much it pissed her off.
Before Ariana could blow, he turned slightly and took hold of her hand, meeting her gaze. “I only said that because I don’t want you to get too close to Charon. She doesn’t want to kill only me now.”
Ariana smiled without mirth. “I know. She and I have that in common.”
His brows lowered. “I’m not letting you get hurt.”
She touched his face with her palm. “I’m sorry, Joaquin, but this isn’t just your battle. I know those vampires, and I know why she brought them.”
Joaquin shot a glance over his shoulder. Why wasn’t Charon moving? Why hadn’t she ordered the others to attack? “I’m listening.”
“Yeah, you’ve got my attention too,” Devlin moved in closer.
“Because the others, the ones you really need to worry about, are just waiting for the fight to start.”
Chapter Nine
Charon would let the three vampires talk all they wanted. She had the numbers she needed to make the kills long before sunrise. So a few extra minutes for Joaquin to formulate a strategy, which would fail, meant little to her.
Though a part of her had hoped this night would end a little differently, with Ariana still firmly on her side, Charon wouldn’t allow that to cast a pall on the moment she’d waited for too long.
Her cheeks burned slightly as she recalled her last encounter with Joaquin Shepherd. She’d run like a scared little girl the first break she’d gotten. Of course, he’d been a vampire for a lot longer than she had, and with the added speed given to him by his sire, Joaquin was downright dangerous.
She’d been too young and foolish then, but now, well, now was different. So many years had passed, years she’d used to become smarter, wiser. She might not be able to out-fight Joaquin, but she could outwit him.
“Mistress, what do you want us to do?” A squeaky-voice vampire, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen when he was sired, poked his head up too close to Charon’s arm for her comfort.
She glared at him. “You do nothing until I tell you to.”
“So we just stand here?” The question came out an octave higher.
“Do you have a problem with that, Henry?”
He lifted a thin shoulder and let it drop. “No, Mistress.”
“And don’t call me Mistress.” She snapped back. Just a few seconds more, maybe minutes, and Joaquin would make his move. But she was ready this time. So ready.
Ariana had failed her, but Charon had been smart enough to take that into consideration. Joaquin Shepherd was quite sexy, and she expected he might be able to coax Ariana back into his bed. Which was why Charon had a Plan B.
That’s where her team came in. She had more than enough vampires to overwhelm Joaquin and his friend. There wouldn’t be any getting away this time.
She threaded her fingers together and watched the three create the plan that would sentence them all to death.
* * * *
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Devlin muttered. “What others?”
Ariana cast him an irritated glance. “You don’t actually believe this is her entire crew, do you?”
“I have no way of knowing how many vamps she hangs out with. You’re the expert in that arena.”
Vampire Betrayed (Vampires Destined 3) Page 8
