by Raven Steele
The idea of sex trafficking in Rouen had sent me into a rage, and I’d killed many, moving so swiftly, I hadn’t even seen their faces. But I had filled my stomach with the fiend’s blood until I couldn’t fathom drinking one more drop. Killing without restraint while also drinking fully could be very euphoric. I’d reveled in the feeling, but now I was coming off the high and crashing hard.
The elevator doors opened. I stumbled into the empty hallway and fell against the wall. My hands and hair left streaks of blood across its white surface. I’d have to paint it again, although it didn’t really matter. No one ever came up here. Not even staff unless I specifically requested it. I’d be alerted if anyone tried, thanks to an excellent security system.
I’d painted it white to remind me of my humanity, but the red streaks in an otherwise white room only reminded me of how alone I was. I longed to call Mateo, to ask him to meet me here. I pushed the thought away with a pang. The blood of evil men would be my only company this night. Otherwise, the Kiss would drive me to open myself to him, and then consume everything in its path.
I was walking a fine line between using the darkness to strengthen me, and letting the Kiss take over my mind.
It took me a few tries to open my door even though it wasn’t locked. My hands were too sticky. I sucked in several breaths and fumbled through my kitchen for a small towel. I used it to touch anything else in the house, especially when I stumbled into the back of my couch and had to steady myself. My head spun. Too much blood in a short amount of time.
I had planned on showering first before I slept, but fear of falling and cracking my head open had me heading straight for my coffin in the bedroom. It took me three times to make it inside. The lid snapped down over me in a tight cocoon of warm darkness. Exactly what I needed right now.
Before sunlight dragged me under into unconsciousness, I was acutely aware of how empty and cold this place was. Nothing brought me comfort. Nothing to make me feel. The Kiss would starve here. Maybe that’s what it needed.
My eyes snapped open, only to be greeted by darkness. My bones still ached, which meant the sun hadn’t set yet. I rose from my coffin, the stench of blood coating my skin and filling my nostrils. Before I did anything else, I stepped into the shower and let hot water wash over me. I kept my eyes closed, unable to look at the blood gathering at my feet. It reminded me of the monster I was becoming. I didn’t doubt those people had to die, but it had been a long time since I’d consumed that much blood.
I left the warmth of the shower and dressed in fresh clothes, tossing the bloodstained ones into the trash. I also attempted to wash the walls free of blood, but the stain was too dark and deep. I texted my handyman, one who specifically worked with vampires, and requested he fix up my place, including painting and patching the holes in the walls.
If only I could do the same to my soul. Patch the holes and give it a shiny new coat of paint to hide the monster within.
With time to kill, I decided to check the narrow stairwell in the corner of my suite and what lay at the bottom of it. I’d never had to use it, but any smart vampire always left themselves a dark escape route.
Shoving aside a heavy dresser that blocked the small entrance, I pushed into the door until I heard it click. The door bounced back, opening wide. I slipped inside and let my night vision adapt to the all-consuming darkness. This space used to be an old elevator shaft from the forties, but when I’d purchased the building decades ago, I made sure to have it turned into a hidden stairwell during a major renovation in the fifties. The only man I’d hired to work on it had since passed from this life.
I descended the metal steps quickly, all twenty-one floors, continuing on past the main floor and into the basement. Pressing my ear to the door, I listened closely for any sounds of the staff. The basement was kept for storage only and was rarely used, but every once in a while they came down here.
When I was sure it was empty, I pushed against the door, pausing when my body felt the sun set, then continued to push but found the door firmly sealed. Frowning, I tried again, this time using my vampire strength. Something on the other side groaned in protest, but eventually the door opened. Resting just behind it was a heavy steel cabinet. The staff must have placed it here months ago, not realizing what they were covering.
I slid it over a few feet where it wouldn’t infringe upon the door again, then walked to the very back of the basement where no light was allowed to touch. I’d made sure to make the entrance into the old tunnels in the least obvious and most daunting place I could find.
It took me a second to remember where the door was, but when I did, I pushed it open. The hinges squeaked back at me. I’d need to oil those soon.
A blast of cold and musty air hit me, and I grimaced at the smell of old sewage. Most of the old tunnels from the twenties had been filled in, but then the city had run out of money for the reconstruction and simply decided to build on top of the old system. Eventually, everyone forgot about them altogether.
The tunnel was fifteen feet wide, large enough to fit a small truck, although deteriorated in many parts. I walked down the main branch of the tunnel, noting areas that could use shoring up. I passed a couple of offshoots, but stayed away from those. They had collapsed beyond repair long ago. After about one hundred yards, I turned left and continued on for the same distance until I reached a metal ladder going up. I climbed it and pushed upward on a rectangular cover.
Climbing out, I stretched tall in a small mausoleum filled with dust and an old stone coffin. Moonlight spilled in from a narrow window. No one would ever come in here, let alone come here to search for an entrance to an underground tunnel. I rested my hand on the coffin’s flat surface, thinking of my dear human friend Lilly Nightingale buried inside. I’d had this mausoleum built for her when she’d passed at seventy-nine years old decades ago. That’s also when I added the secret entrance into the tunnels.
I left the cemetery, passing rows and rows of wall vaults and cast-iron tombs. Several stone angels lined the exit. One of them wept great tears, while the others looked on joyously.
Without a vehicle, it took me much longer to reach Sinsual. I could’ve used my super-speed, but my mind still wasn’t quite right from last night. I used this time to meditate and focus on burying those memories. At least the girls had been set free.
Being this early in the night, Sinsual was practically empty. I spotted Luke at the bar with Gerald and Loxley, but continued on without saying hello. I pushed open Eddie’s office door. He was standing at the window looking out over the bar.
Briar swiveled in her seat toward me. “How the hell did I get here before you? Is everything okay?”
“How was your magical shit?” I avoided looking at her as I lowered into a chair next to her.
She glared at me. “It was glorious, but you’ll never know, vampire.”
“Are you two finished?” Eddie asked. “I don’t have much time.”
Briar frowned. “What’s the rush? The club won’t get busy for a few hours.”
He glanced at the wall clock. “The Shrouded will be coming out soon. They might hear what I’m about to say.”
“The Shrouded?” Briar repeated.
He lowered onto his desk in front of us. “An elite group of fae who have mastered invisibility. They gather the city’s secrets. Oona commanded me to keep this conversation between us, so that no other fae know of it. They are also deadly when provoked.”
“That’s how the fae know so much,” I said. I’d heard of the group a few times, but I truly believed it was an old wives’ tale as I’d never seen any kind of evidence they existed. “The King must be upset knowing what you’re about to tell me.”
“He doesn’t know, and we’d like to keep it that way. These are desperate times. Someone has to act before it’s too late for our kind.”
Briar leaned forward, practically scooting off the chair. “What would you like to tell us, Eddie?”
He looked at each of us.
“If there really is another fae city hidden in Rouen, I know how you can find it.”
“How?” Briar and I both asked at the same time.
“Fae blood. If you have even a drop of it, you’ll be able to see what a fae sees.”
Briar swiped a stray hair away from her face. “If that’s true, then why can’t you see this place?”
“Magic, I assume. Someone must’ve spelled it from fae folk eyes, too.”
“That’s possible?”
“With the magic I’ve already seen at White Pine, with all those supernaturals disappearing into thin air, I’d say yes.”
“Are you okay with us consuming your blood?” I asked.
Briar wrinkled her nose. “I’m not. That’s disgusting.”
“If it will help stop Korin and the Phoenix, then yes.” He picked up a letter opener from off his desk and pressed into his palm. “I warn you, though. I’ve been told fae blood tastes like battery acid.”
“Do it,” I said, watching his hand with hungry eyes.
“No!” Briar cried, but it was too late.
Eddie sliced his palm open and fisted the blood. He walked over to me and held it above my open mouth. Several drops fell onto my tongue. A sensation like nothing I’ve ever felt before rushed through my body, igniting every nerve ending with new life, almost as if I’d been injected with adrenaline. I sucked in a breath, and it took all the strength I had to keep me from yanking Eddie into my lap to suck him dry. The taste was nothing like battery acid. It was sweet and salty at the same time, and I was desperate for more. I dug my nails into my thighs to keep me grounded in the chair as I savored the last of the blood on my tongue.
“I assume you don’t want any?” Eddie asked Briar.
She groaned. “Of course I don’t want any, but if only Sammie can see the damned place, then that means she’ll have to fight whoever on her own. I can’t have that.” She waived Eddie over. “Give me your shit.”
He held his fist over her and squeezed out a few drops. She grimaced the whole time but when the blood reached her tasted buds, she frowned. “This actually tastes good.”
“It does?” Eddie wrapped a cloth around the wound.
I rose to my feet. “I can see why your people protect your blood so much. Vampires would wipe out your race if they knew how good you tasted.”
He stared down at the blood-tinged cloth and whispered, his face pale. “I didn’t know.”
Briar patted his back. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us.”
“Thank you, Eddie,” I said as I walked toward the door. “We’ll let you know what we find.”
I walked down the steps to the bar area. As if sensing us coming, Luke turned and looked up at us. Briar joined him, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her face into his neck. “Hey babe.”
He wrapped his arms around her, then pulled her into his lap. His dark eyes stared into hers, admiration shining through.
“Hi, Samira,” Loxley said, a nervous tick to her voice.
I greeted her and Gerald, who looked more his age since he’d cut his hair, more mid-twenties, but I didn’t say much else. I was anxious to get going to Hell's Peak.
“I have to go,” Briar told Luke, “but I’ll meet you at Fire Ridge later.”
“Do you want some help?” He glanced over her shoulder at me.
“Nah, we got it. We’re just doing recon at this point.”
“On what?” he asked.
She kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll tell you about it soon.”
While he pulled her in for a long kiss goodbye, I headed outside and frowned, remembering I didn’t have a vehicle.
Briar came up behind me and slapped me on the back. “Looks like you’re going to have to ride with me on the crotch rocket.”
I groaned, but followed her to her bike. After she hopped on, I swung my leg over and sidled up behind her on the seat.
She gave me a sly grin over her shoulder. “I have a feeling you’re going to have a lot of sexual fantasies after this.”
“You wish.”
Briar roared the bike’s engine to life and peeled away from the curb, leaving an angry black mark on the road. She laughed out loud when I had to wrap my arm around her stomach to keep from falling off the bike. She called back, “Maybe I’ll be the one having sexual fantasies!”
We reached Hell's Peak in record time. Briar gave no considerations for the law, even driving up on the sidewalk at one point. I wondered if she always drove this reckless or if it was all for my benefit.
As soon as we stopped, I peered at Briar. “You broke nine rules of the road.”
“Is that all? Damn.” She glanced around the area. Several people walked the streets, and even more had camped out in front of the dirty buildings. They’d probably be there all night. Hell's Peak had a serious homelessness problem. “This place is a dump. Why doesn’t the Mayor do something about it?”
“The corruption is too deep,” I said and began walking toward Raven Street.
She caught up to me. “Well maybe it’s time the Silver Claws stepped in to clean up this place.”
“And what will you do with all the homeless and the drug problem?”
She eyed me sideways. “You mean the one the vampires are helping to fuel?”
When I didn’t answer, she continued. “As for the homeless, I have plenty of money. Maybe I can restore one of these old buildings into apartments.”
“These people need jobs.”
“Ugh. You are such a buzz kill.”
I grabbed her hand tightly, stopping her cold and stared straight ahead.
She shook free of me. “What the hell?”
I pointed up ahead, speechless.
She followed my gaze, her eyes widening as she breathed, “Holy shit.”
Chapter 10
In front of us one block away, positioned as if it was in the middle of the street, was a giant cathedral, the likes of which I’d never seen before. Not only was it wide, but it was tall too, with two great towers in the rear topped by long, spindly spires that pierced the night sky. A stone bridge connected the towers. In front of it, a large dome formed the crossing between two long transepts.
The exterior was mostly made of old gray and black stones with engraved statues of gargoyles and angels lining the roof. I noted the angel closest to the tall wooden doors of the massive dome was crying, tears stained red. It reminded me of the same angel at the graveyard. They could’ve been twins. A meticulously groomed lawn surrounded the cathedral, mirroring the grounds of the fae palace.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Briar asked.
I shook my head, shifting my gaze from that of admiring the great building to scrutinizing its security and weaknesses. There had to be a secret way inside.
“This place is plenty big enough to hold a large amount of people captive.” Briar began to walk towards it. I followed. “Do we call for help or just try to sneak in to see what we’re dealing with?”
“No one can help us if they can’t see it.”
“Damn. I forgot about that. I guess we’re going to have to sneak in.”
“That will prove challenging.” I noted the lack of trees. “There’s not many places to hide leading up to it.”
“We can army crawl that shit. Besides, do you think anyone’s watching? The place looks dead.”
Stopping at the edge of the invisible barrier between our world and the cathedral, I took in the many strange-looking flowers and the tiny flickering lights floating through the air. One might’ve mistaken them for fireflies, but there seemed to be a pattern to their movements. “I think this place is crawling with security, but we can’t see it. Like what’s at Warwick Castle.”
Briar huffed. “Then what do you suggest?”
I scanned the landscape one more time. I noticed fewer security lightning-bugs to the right. I pointed that way. “We circle around this way until we reach the back of the building. Maybe we’ll spot a back door. Either w
ay, we need to learn more about this place.”
Briar removed her phone and began to text.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Tell Luke what we found in case we don’t come back. I know he can’t see it, but at least he’ll know where we are.”
“Smart.” I inhaled a deep breath. “Ready?”
“As ready as a cow on ice.”
At the same time, we both stepped forward fully expecting to land on the other side, but instead, we smacked our faces into an invisible wall.
I stumbled back, barely managing to catch myself before I fell. Briar, however, did fall. She kicked at the barrier. “What the actual fuck is that?”
I pressed my hands to it and felt a hum of power. “Security. We’re not getting past without some magic words or… something. Really, we shouldn’t be so surprised.” I pursed my lips, thinking a string of vulgar phrases, but I managed not to say any of them. I left that to Briar who, true to character, said a few I’d never heard before.
“What the hell do we do now?” she growled, punching at the barrier.
“Mateo told me Naburus takes the prisoners from a nearby holding location to some secret destination. My guess is it’s this place. But we should follow Naburus to be sure.”
“Of course it’s this place,” Briar said. “It’s shady as hell. Let’s ask Roma and the other witches if they know of a way to get past this security.”
“Good idea, but let’s keep the number of people we tell to a minimum. It’s safer that way. Eddie might know something, too.” I started up at the great cathedral. “Does this look like a place drugs might be kept or manufactured?”
She followed my gaze. “Maybe, but is Korin a guy that likes to keep his eggs all in one basket?”
“No.” It only took me a second to answer. “If he’s making Hydes here, then his drugs are being kept somewhere else. We need to find out where.”
Briar removed her phone and texted Roma just as I caught a familiar shade of dark, chestnut hair walking into a bar up the street. My heart skipped a beat. “What is she doing here?”
