I had to fight. I had to resist. Lily needed me. The vampire community needed me. Backstabbing Tyler needed me. And oddly, this stranger, the dark-haired vampire from 7, needed me. I’d always wondered what it was like to be popular. I guess this was as close as I’d ever get.
I couldn’t for the life of me understand what Brian could possibly know that would jeopardize his life so badly. How did he get involved in the first place? He was obviously not working for Bronx. No, that dirty job belonged to Tyler. The puzzle pieces kept coming, and the puzzle was so close to becoming something I could make out. Either that, or the whole thing was about to blow apart. If Bronx got control over my mind and then forced me to kill Brian, I’d never find out the truth. It would die with the mystery vampire from 7.
My head wasn’t slamming in the wall anymore, but it was ringing like a bunch of church bells going off simultaneously. Bright white lights swirled around on the back of my eyelids, like a laser light show projected on a screen. Bronx dragged me by my head, taking swift steps. I put up a bit of a struggle but it got me nowhere. He slammed me down on the table, in some awkward backbend position, smashing my head into the wood. “Open her eyes! Open her eyes, now!” Bronx’s voice was full of rage and impatience.
Familiar fingers gently touched my face, tracing around my eyes, then tugging them open. I was too weak to fight back anymore. Tyler’s lips mouthing “I’m sorry” was the first thing I saw. Then Bronx’s eyes were on me like moths to a flame. They burned with hate, rage, and a splash of the psychotic. I watched him (because I didn’t have a choice!) while I waited for his mighty power to subdue me. Eerie waves of pressure soared around in my head like nitrous gas at the dentist’s office. Here he came. This was it. I swallowed hard. I tried to blink. My eyes were hot, dry, like Vegas heat in the summertime. The pressure got more intense. The heat grew thicker, hotter, suffocating. I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed. I screamed again. Loud—so loud, my voice shrieked with raw fear. I bit my lip, tasted blood. My blood! It’s still me! I’m not Bronx! The pressure slowly lifted like sails on a boat, until it was completely gone.
I relaxed, but not much since the position Bronx held me in was pure torture. His eyes hovered above mine like evil alien spaceships. He pushed me harder into the table, mashing my shoulders beyond what they could bear. He was going to crack my bones. No problem, they’d just heal back. That part I could handle; the whole weak and nauseous thing, not so much. Tyler gasped, distracting Bronx to the point that he released my shoulders. It didn’t matter—I still couldn’t move with Bronx on top of me. But I was able to glance at Tyler. His facial expression was beyond horrified: eyes wide, mouth gaping, eyebrows raised and forming creases on his forehead.
“IT IS NOT WORKING!! WHY? WHY IS SHE NOT RESPONDING TO ME?” Bronx shouted, voice deep, borderline lunatic. In one swift motion, he picked me up and tossed me across the room like a rag doll. My back hit the wall with a loud smack, and then I fell face first to the floor. Real graceful, yeah I know. I rolled to the side, attempted to get up, but stopped short. That dreaded nauseous feeling swarmed me like bees on honey, except this didn’t offer the sweet reward. So I lay on the ground, waiting, trying to anticipate his next move. But he wasn’t coming for me. His attention was on Tyler.
“I don’t know! It should work!” Tyler said, swinging his hands up and down. “I saw it in my premonition. We’ve done everything exactly as it should’ve been!” He pushed his chair back, hitting the wall, and stood up.
Bronx flashed to Tyler and backhanded him across the face, all in one whirlwind movement. Tyler flew across the room like a paper plane, landing a couple feet away from me. “YOU ARE NOT TELLING ME EVERYTHING! I HAVE NO REASON NOT TO KILL YOU IF THERE IS NOTHING MORE YOU CAN HELP ME WITH.” In the blink of an eye, Bronx was grabbing Tyler by his head. He chucked him straight into the wall. It happened so fast, I barely saw any of it. I tried to get up, to help Tyler, but it was already too late. Tyler lay motionless on the floor, the scent of his blood flooding over me.
I painfully pulled myself up, leaning back against the wall for support. Brief daydreams of crawling to Tyler and drinking his blood played vividly in my head. Bronx walked, in human steps, toward Tyler, eyes still filled with vengeance, rage, and death. If I couldn’t snap out of the blood haze and stop Bronx, Tyler was going to die. But oh he was still very much alive right now, his blood so sweet, tangy, and fragrant. All right, enough! We can dream about that later! “Bronx, STOP THIS!” I said, voice choked up but confident, not trembling. “I will help you! Don’t kill him! Promise me there will not be any more blood shed and I will help you!” I tugged the bottom of my red dress trying to pull it down, keeping a careful eye on Tyler.
Bronx took a few more steps toward Tyler. He was right there, ready to finish him off, but he didn’t. Instead he hesitated. His eyes flitted around the room; his nose twitched. Something was up. I could tell he sensed something. He looked disturbed, annoyed, afraid. “Your offer is not appealing to me in the slightest, Abigail. I do not trust you. You would never work for me unless I controlled you.”
He was right. If he took this stupid necklace off, I would kill him. No question about it. But why wasn’t he able to gain control over me? The necklace was on, which meant I couldn’t prevent him with my ability to block powers. Oh my gosh! Stone! How did I block his ability? I had the necklace on then. Perhaps I was powerless as long as I wore the necklace, but somehow, some way, the necklace not only made me powerless, it also prevented powers from being used on me—a two-way power blocker. Was that what Bronx just realized? Could it be?
The only way for Bronx to gain control of my mind was to remove the necklace. But if he did, I’d be waiting. Ready to fire back at him with all the power of fire that I could harness. Was that why Tyler winked at me? He knew all along that even though he would turn me over to Bronx, there was no way for Bronx to control me. He knew it when he put the necklace around my neck. Even though it would leave me without my powers, it would still protect me from Bronx’s evil plan.
“Get up,” Bronx demanded, “now!”
Still feeling weak but fueled by the latest discovery, I slowly pulled myself up. I tugged at the dress, getting it to stretch just a little bit further down my thighs. I tossed my head to the side, getting some of my hair out of my eyes, and looked up at Bronx. He was tilting his head like he was listening to something. His eyes were looking in my direction, but they seemed to look past me. I chose not to interrupt him and waited for further instruction—or perhaps another ass beating. Could this really be my lucky day?
After a short quiet moment, Bronx’s eyes were no longer distant. His full attention was back on me. “I should kill him right now!” he said. “No one lies to me and lives!” Drops of spit flew between his exposed teeth and fangs, several of them landing square in my face.
“But he works for you!” I glanced down at Tyler, fighting the urge to get on my knees and check on him, and then looked back at Bronx. “How can you blame him for this? He was following your orders!”
“That is what I will find out! You can trust me on that. If you want him to live, then you need to find a way to carry him to the bedroom. Now! My mind can change on this decision at any minute.” He turned abruptly, threw the helpless vampire over his shoulder (chains and all), and went out of the room.
Instantly, I jumped over to Tyler, dropping down on my knees, his blood tempting me like Godiva to a chocoholic. “Wake up, please.” I checked his pulse. It was steady. I gently shook him a few times and then rolled him onto his back. “Please, Ty, wake up.” His face was bloody. I wasn’t sure if anything was broken or if everything was, but he was definitely alive, his pulse rapping stronger than Snoop Dogg. “Tyler, can you hear me?”
Nothing. No response. Out of time. I scooped him up in my arms, holding under his knees and across his back, and pushed up with my legs. It worked, thank God! I was standing. But unfortunately Tyler’s blood was on my arms. Just one step at a time. I�
��ll deal with that later. I can do this! I don’t want his blood. Yeah sure, if I keep saying that I’ll start to believe it eventually, right? The nausea wasn’t making this any easier either. I’d have to take more blood from Lily. It was too soon, but just a little shouldn’t hurt her, and it would help me tremendously.
I walked out of the dining room, through the living room, taking careful, cautious steps. The gargoyle statues still stared down at me. What the hell were they looking at? I heard movement in the bedroom, and that worried me. Lily was in there alone. I sped up down the hall. The master bedroom door was open, so I walked in. Lily still lay on the bed with her back propped up by pillows. I laid Tyler down next to her, very gently, very slowly. I fought the urge to lick my arms. Lily’s eyes widened, slowly moving to the right and then back at me, like they were directing me toward the bathroom. I followed her lead and saw Bronx was coming out of the bathroom.
He stopped a few feet from the bedroom door and flicked his eyes back at me. “There is no escape for any of you! This room is secure just like the last one you were held in, Abigail. I will be back soon and when I return, you will be mine! At that time I will decide Tyler’s fate.” He burst into a sinister laughter, turned abruptly, and went for the door.
“Where are you going?” I shouted after him but got no response. The door slammed shut and then the lock engaged. This really was going to be our prison until he returned and killed all of us. Oh goody for me.
“Abby, who’s that guy he put in the bathroom?” Lily started to get up from the bed.
“No! Please. Lie back. Relax.” I walked over to her and placed my hands on her face. “I know it hasn’t been long enough, but I need blood. Do you think you could handle me taking just a little from you?”
“I think so. But what’s going on?” She placed her hands on top of mine. “Abby, I’m scared.”
“I don’t know how long Bronx will be gone, but there’s so much I need to figure out while he his. I’ll explain everything to you later. I think that vampire in the bathroom can fill in some of the missing blanks, and then if I can just get Tyler to wake up, he’ll hopefully fill in the rest. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Okay. I trust you.” Lily turned her head sideways, exposing her neck, then leaned back into the pillows waiting for my bite.
25
Answers
AFTER TAKING JUST HALF of the blood I needed from Lily, I quickly stood up and headed for the bathroom, led by a burning curiosity. There were so many questions and so little time to get their answers. I was also worried about Brian’s condition; part of that was my own selfishness, the other part, actual concern. I glanced back at Tyler. He was hurt pretty bad, but he’d be okay for now. There wasn’t really anything I could do for him at the moment anyway. His blood was way too tempting, and there was way too much of it. It was best to keep a safe distance for now. Why did I even care? Who freaking knows!
Brian was in the bathtub, chains draped around him, blood stains on his face and clothes. His head was propped up against the tiled wall, and his knees were bent so he’d fit within the small space. I sat down on the bench next to the tub. “Brian, can you hear me? Brian?” I reached over and gently nudged him. His head tilted slightly in my direction. His eyes were sealed shut by blood—thick, dried, crusty. I frantically pulled at the chains, hoping to get them off, but my efforts were useless. Whatever “infused magic” kept him from breaking free, also made it impossible for me to break him out. “Brian. Please. Wake. Up.” I shook harder, more aggressive and rapidly. Nothing. Damn it! What am I going to do? Blood. He needs blood!
My fangs plunged out. I lifted my wrist to my mouth. I wasn’t even thinking with my mind. I was acting on pure instinct. The skin ripped away from my wrist, quick and precise. Blood trickled down my arm like crimson syrup. I slapped my wrist to Brian’s face, pressing hard into his lips. This has to work! I know this will work! He didn’t move. I waited impatiently, counting the seconds in my head. Tingles crawled on my skin, followed by a cool sensation. The healing process had already begun! Crap! I didn’t think that would happen so quickly. I wouldn’t have enough energy to go through that again without getting more blood from Lily. And that was not an option right now. Damn it!
“Drink, Brian! Drink now!” My voice was desperate, panicked. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I swallowed hard.
There was a little suction on my wrist—delicate, slow. Brian’s lips opened wider, his teeth grazing my skin. Then his fangs ripped into me and he sucked harder, more violently. I laughed, tears streaming down my face. He grabbed my wrist, pulled it closer to his mouth, sucking, slurping, and gulping. I let him take my blood until I couldn’t afford to lose another drop. In a bloody whir, my arm was hanging at my side. Brian scrambled around, arms flapping, body jerking. “Can you hear me?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
It took him a minute to relax, the rush of my blood bringing life back inside him. He heaved and opened his eyes, little crusties of blood left behind. “Hi, Baby Vampire,” he mumbled, voice soft and weak.
“Look, we don’t have much time,” I said, voice anxious. “What do you know about me? Why does Bronx want to kill you for it?”
Brian closed his eyes, as if trying to think of what to say, and then blinked a few times, slowly. He let out a deep, empty sigh. “I do know you.” He tried to sit up straight, but his body wasn’t strong enough to hold it so he slumped back down. Using a teensy weensy bit of my advanced strength, I reached forward, pulled him into a better sitting position, and then leaned his back against the wall. “I did not know who this Bronx person was until he sabotaged my club and kidnapped me,” Brian said. “I did not even know why I was here until I saw you.”
“What? What are you talking about? Why would I be the reason you’d be here if you weren’t working for Bronx?” I nervously twirled strands of my hair, my eyes focused sharply on Brian.
“Conrad called me the other day and told me about this crazy vampire that tried to kill him. He barely escaped—”
“Who the hell is Conrad?” I demanded. “And what does he have to do with any of this?”
“Conrad told me that he called and tried to warn you before you were transformed. That’s when he was attacked.”
“Wait, what did you say? Conrad tried to warn me? Conrad who? D-d-do you mean…?”
With his weak, raspy voice, Brian told me the unthinkable. “Conrad Tate.”
Conrad Tate, my infamous father. My mouth gaped open, completely dumbstruck. That’s why my father called me? He knew about Bronx? Abigail, you’re in danger. He’s coming to find you. Somehow, I’m not sure how, but he figured it out. He knows how special you are. You can’t let him find you. My father knew Bronx was coming for me? He knew that I was special. Did that mean he knew of the powers I’d obtain once becoming a vampire? Was that the reason he left me, because he knew this all along?
Cutting into my thoughts I heard Brian talking. “But Conrad was in Texas when he called me, and there was no way to connect me to him—”
“Texas?” I exclaimed. That was why Lily asked me if I was in Texas.
That part made perfect sense. Once I’d escaped Bronx and took off with Tyler, I’d have nowhere to go, no one to trust. So Bronx must’ve thought I’d try to find my father. He could’ve easily gotten help from an Enforcer, or the Head Council themselves, to track down my father’s whereabouts. But none of that explained how my father knew about me, or how he knew that Bronx was after me, or what his involvement in all of this was. All that time Bronx held me prisoner, he’d never once mentioned my father. Tyler never said anything about him either. The answers were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t spit them out yet. I needed to talk to Tyler.
Brian watched me silently.
“What else do you know?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“So Bronx wants to kill you because you know my father?”
“Yes. Bronx and Conrad have
been at war ever since the discovery.”
“What discovery?” I scooted closer, my face almost touching Brian’s.
He hesitated, voice thin with fear. “Your powers, Baby Vampire. Your amazing powers.”
“But I was powerless when my father called me! How did he know?”
“I don’t know! I swear! I swear on my life he never told me anything else.”
He was telling the truth. I wouldn’t get anything else out of him. I was running out of time to keep trying anyway. I got up—fast. I looked down at Brian. “Is there a way to help heal a human?”
“Are you talking about the human working with that monster?” Brian looked at me, eyes crazy, widened, fearful.
I shrugged. “Yes. Please. I don’t expect you to understand, but if there’s a way to help him...”
“Baby Vampire, all you have to do is feed him some of your blood. But I must warn you that as long as your blood flows through him, he will possess your advanced strength.”
“For how long?”
“A few days, at least that. Maybe more. Before you give him any of your blood, you better be sure you can trust him.” He rotated his head to the side, turning away from me.
The burning question of the night: Could I trust Tyler? If I gave Tyler my super strength, would he at least be honest with me? There were no guarantees on that, but I was certain that Bronx would kill Tyler once he returned. Which was why I couldn’t leave him in his current beaten and mangled condition, whether he told me the truth or not. At least he could use my advanced senses to get out of here (why the hell did I care about that?) and hopefully take Lily with him. He would do that for me, wouldn’t he? After all, he did owe me. It was worth a try and time was almost out. Could someone please shoot me and get it over with?
“Brian, I’ll be back in a minute! Thank you!”
Crimson Groves Page 24
